Food goodness

Made these for a work party -- they were great, but a little flat. Maybe a little more flour next time? But they looked pretty and tasted excellent. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup unsalted butter, sliced 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt 1 cup caramel squares, cut into 1/4's For rolling the cookies: 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Sea salt, for sprinkling on top of cookies 1. In a medium bowl, Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. 2. To brown the butter, heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. Continue to cook the butter until melted. The butter will start to foam and browned specks will begin to form at the bottom of the pan. The butter shoul...

I've made these quite a few times lately and they come together quickly with the use of one bowl, one spoon and a whisk (optional).  And, most importantly, they are delicious. Adapted from Cook's Illus. The New Best Recipe. 7.5 oz AP flour 1 t baking powder 1 t kosher salt 1.5 sticks of unsalted butter 10.5 oz brown sugar (I used dark) 2 large eggs 1.5 t vanilla extract 1 C dark chocolate chips* 1 C pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped 1.5 C unsweetened flaked coconut (better than shredded, I think), lightly toasted Preheat oven to 350 and line a 13x9 pan with a foil sling and spray with cooking spray; set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, place butter and brown sugar and cook on high for about 2 minutes or until butter is melted and sugar mixture is shiny when stirred.  Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients including chips, nuts and coconut taking care to be gentle and do not overmix.  Turn batter into prepared pan and bake on oven rack...

Adapted from: King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion I LOVE molasses cookies. I had them at my wedding. The recipe we used at my wedding is already posted here on the food blog as Karen's Molasses Cookies . That recipe is almost identical to this one, except that this one calls for less sugar and Kelly added more ginger and freshly-ground black pepper when she made this for our party. The end result was basically the same. 8 Tbsp butter, softened 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt 2 1/4 tsp baking soda 2 1/4 tsp ground ginger (Kelly said she used a little more) 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon freshly-ground black pepper, optional (a few twists of the grinder?) granulated sugar to coat cookies In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar. Beat in the molasses and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda ...

Adapted From: King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion Kelly used spiced rum-soaked raisins in this recipe - just pour some spiced rum over the raisins and heat briefly in the microwave so the raisins soak up the rum. Drain any excess liquid before you throw the raisins into the dough. You can skip that step - it wasn't part of the original recipe, but we thought it would be good. 2 1/4 cups (9 1/2 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 4 tbsp butter 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup yogurt, plain or vanilla, reg, low-fat or nonfat 2 tsp vanilla extract 3 cups rolld oats 1 1/2 cups raisins spiced rum, optional, for plumping the raisins Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. If you want to plump the raisins, put them in a large mug and cover with hot water, or pour a bit of spiced rum over the raisins ...

How is this recipe not here? I was too lazy to go searching through my recipe box, so I typed some searchy things into our search box and it's not here. It should be here. And now I'm off to make peanut butter cookies. 1 c. peanut butter 1/2 c. brown sugar (either kind) 1/2 c. white sugar 1/2 c. butter Mix together. Add: 1 egg 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp. soda Beat with hand mixer. Add: 1 1/2 c. flour with 1 tsp vanilla. Mix well. Chill dough for 30 minutes. Roll into balls, press with fork to flatten. Bake 10 minutes at 375. They're foolproof, these cookies.

You guys, this is chocolate chip cookie (really chocolate chip pie) nirvana. It's what those huge cookie cakes from the mall should taste like. And I went a little overboard with the undercooking -- I love cookie dough and underdone baked goods in general, so I took this out after about 30 minutes instead of the 35-45 that Heidi suggests. It wasn't enough and the cookie was really kind of soupy (although delicious!)... until I put it in the fridge, still in the skillet overnight. Then the nirvana hit and it was sort of like just-barely-cooked solid dough. You. guys. So. good. Next time, though, I'll leave it in the oven for another 5 minutes -- I would have been nervous to serve it to anyone when it was that uncooked. (Note that it didn't stop me and Jared from eating the entire thing ourselves over the course of not very many days.) 3 cups whole-wheat flour [I used 2 c whole wheat pastry flour and 1 c AP) 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ...

Adapted from the Wood Prairie Farm website (and just about the most poorly written cookie recipe ever). 2 C whole wheat flour 1 t baking powder 1 t cinnamon 1/2 t soda 1/2 t salt 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 1 C white sugar 1 C dark brown sugar 1 T light corn syrup, optional* 2 large eggs 1 t vanilla extract 3 C old fashioned (rolled) oats--do NOT use instant 1 C dried blueberries 1 C chopped lightly toasted walnuts Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, leaveners, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl, whisk together and set aside. In your stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until lighter in color and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, corn syrup (if using) and then vanilla. Slowly add in flour mixture and be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl and beater to ensure everything is thoroughly mixed before adding the remaining ingredients. Add oats, berries and walnuts and stir on slow just until combined--the blueberries can be a bit fragile so be careful. If using a small cookie sco...

Adapted from Weight Watchers, Cooking Light and King Arthur Flour. 6 oz shelled and peeled hazelnuts 1 C KAF ww or white whole wheat flour 3/4 C AP flour 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli) 1/2 C dutched cocoa powder (regular is fine, too) 1 T instant espresso or coffee powder 1 t baking soda 1/2 t kosher salt 1 cup sugar 3 large eggs (can use 2 large eggs + 2 large whites) 1 Tbsp vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350. Place one rack in the upper third of oven and the other rack in the lower third. Cover 2 large baking sheets with parchment and set aside. If your nuts are not peeled already, place 6 oz of them on a large baking sheet and put in the oven while it preheats for about 10 min or so or until the nus smell fragrant and you can see the peels start to flake off. If the peels remain stubbornly in place, shake the pan a bit and then put it back in the oven for a few more minutes. Remove from oven and dump nuts onto a dish towel. Rub together vigorously...

From the 2010 Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies magazine. These are essentially chocolate snickerdoodle cookies and they are delicious. Makes almost 4 dozen. 2 1/4 C AP flour 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder 2 t cream of tartar 1 t baking soda 1/2 t coarse salt 2 sticks butter, softened 1 3/4 C sugar, divided 2 large eggs 2 t ground cinnamon 1/2 t chile powder such as arbol, chipotle or ancho (I used chipotle) Preheat oven to 400. Whisk together dry ingredients EXCEPT cinnamon and chile powder and sugar; set aside. In a stand mixer, beat 1.5 C sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down side of bowl and add eggs; beat to combine. Slowly add flour mixture and beat on slow speed until combined. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 C sugar, cinnamon and chile powder. Form heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in mixture. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2" apart. Bake 10 minutes, rotating cookie sheet half...

Adapted from King Arthur Flour . I love KAF so much I wish I could marry it. Seriously. Anyway, they originally posted this recipe at the end of August and I thought, meh, I could pass on that. But it was in my email inbox this morning and I today I thought, hmm, maybe? KAF will tell you that they aren't intended to be eaten every morning for breakfast and honestly I'm only making them for Michael. He's half Hobbit and requires a second breakfast no matter how big of a bowl of oatmeal he eats in the morning. Also, I think these would be good to take on a weekend trip or make them for a hostess gift next time you spend the night at a friend's house. As with most recipes, I cut the sugar. You won't notice that it's missing. 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup + a little more natural peanut butter 3/4 cups brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1/3 cup milk (I used non-fat) 7 oz or 1.5-ish C KAF white whole wheat flour 1/3 cup dried milk (I used no...

It would have helped if I'd posted this recipe before Christmas, right? When you still had holiday baking to do and needed a quick, good sugar cookie recipe. Consider this a jump start on next year's planning. These are good cookies, the dough is easy to work with, and they made the kids happy. All I need for a winning recipe. from The Kitchn 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 2 ounces cream cheese (1/4 of a standard cream cheese package) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon lemon zest 3 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and add the sugar. Cream until light and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat until golden. Add the cream cheese and again beat until well incorporated. Add the flavorings and lemon zest. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl then add, bit by bit, to the butter/sugar mixture until fully incorporated. ...

From: 101 Cookbooks These cookies are like chocolate meringues full of walnuts. I made them to put into the holiday goodie box for my intern, who is gluten-intolerant. These aren't my favorite cookie overall, but they were a pretty good gluten-free choice. 3 cups / 11 oz / 310 g walnut halves, toasted & cooled 4 cups / 1 lb / 453 g confectioner's (powdered) sugar 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons / 2 oz / 60 g unsweetened cocoa powder scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt 4 large egg whites, room temperature 1 tablespoon real, good-quality vanilla extract Preheat oven to 320F / 160C degrees and position racks in the top and bottom third. Line three (preferably rimmed) baking sheets with parchment paper. Or you can bake in batches with fewer pans. Make sure your walnuts have cooled a bit, then chop coarsely and set aside. Sift together the confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, and sea salt. Stir in the walnuts, then add the egg whites and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Sp...

You'd think all I do is bake bread and cookies, wouldn't you? I swear that I cook regular food, too. I made these to serve at our holiday open house tomorrow and they are quite tasty and festive. But not so festive that you couldn't serve them at another time of year. Or leave out the peppermint extract and sub in another. Add more espresso powder, sub a smidge of coffee liqueur and make them more coffee flavored. BTW, you'll want to give these a rest in the fridge before baking--at least 2 hours or overnight. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies Adapted from Cooking Light and Bakers Royale . 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup) 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 5 1/4 teaspoons canola oil 1 1/2 ounces dark chocolate chips (good stuff like Ghiradelli not Nestle) 1 teaspoon instant espresso granules or instant coffee granules 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons light-colo...

Um...is that title long enough, you think? I really changed very little from Joy's original recipe save this: *use peanut butter in lieu of the yogurt (I used natural) *use half peanut butter chips and half chocolate chips for the cookie dough It's peanut butter-y and chocolate-y and so delicious. OMG, yum. Anyway, a great "no bake" treat for the hot days of summer. Also, I'm hoping to score a few brownie points at my new job. Note: I made smaller balls and did them more like truffles instead of sticking forks in them and dipping them only halfway into the chocolate. I used a small cookie scoop to help me portion them out into about 24 tablespoon-sized truffles. I say "about" because I conducted a couple of quality assurance tests along the way to ensure the integrity of the final product.

Because I can't leave well enough alone, I made some changes to Gwen's original post . I subbed 1 C white whole wheat flour for the AP, increased the 1/3 C yogurt to 1/2 C and added 1/2 t espresso powder. If baking with whole grains, keep in mind that they absorb more liquid (hence the extra yogurt) but also you want to let the dough/batter sit a while before baking so that the flour can absorb all the liquid. It just makes for a better end product. I used a #18 cookie scoop and got 30 cookies (well, would have gotten 30 cookies except that I ate about 1.5 cookies worth of dough before baking. Ah, well, chef's treat, right?). I did not flatten mine (remember that these don't really spread unless you smoosh them like a peanut butter cookie) and baked for 9 min. Allow to cool on pan for 5 min before placing on a cooling rack. Each cookie is 72 kcals with .6 g fiber. And if you use dark or semi-sweet chips then you get all the health benefits of dark chocolate (pl...

Do you like snickerdoodles but lack the time to make, chill, roll into balls and bake them? Then this is the cookie bar for you. I've really gotten into cookie bars of late and this one is a favorite I used a lot last year as thank you gifts for the nurses during my clinical rotations. Inspired by Dine and Dish but using my mom's recipe (except for two minor changes). 1/2 C butter 1/2 C shortening (yes, I really said that. All butter snickerdoodles are inferior) 1 1/2 C sugar 2 large eggs 1 scant t vanilla extract 2 3/4 C AP flour 2 t cream of tartar 1 t baking soda 1/2 t salt For topping: 2 T sugar 1 to 1 1/2 t cinnamon (use vietnamese cinnamon if you have it) Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 baking pan. Consider using a parchment sling but don't worry about it if you don't want to do it. Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together butter, shortening and sugar until light an fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl before adding eggs. Add eggs a...

From Smitten Kitchen . This may be the last rice krispie treats recipe you ever make. They are so good. They are beyond good. They are...transcendent. They are so good that I had Michael take the whole batch of them to the office or I would eat them all because they are that good. The best part is that they are made the same way with the same ingredients plus some salt. They take a bit more time because you're browning the butter first but it is so worth it. 6 C Rice Krispies 10.5 oz bag mini marshmallows 1 stick unsalted butter heaping 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt* In a large pot over medium-low heat, melt butter. Be sure to use a light-bottomed pot because you cannot see the browning process in a dark-colored teflon pot and will burn your butter without knowing it. Have everything at the ready while the butter melts. Swirl the pan and use a spatula to periodically push around the butter solids. Do NOT step away from the stove at any time or you could take your butter from b...

Adapted from Momofuku's Milk Bar. I first made these about a month ago and they were so good I made them again. And again and shipped them to my in-laws. And again at my friend's house. Honestly, I don't even remember where I came across them but the idea of a compost cookie just seemed too cool to pass by. The best part is that you can use whatever is on hand in your baking cabinet and you are guaranteed to have an excellent cookie bar. I am listing the ingredients that I think are best but the main thing is to use 1 1/2 cups sweet stuff and 1 1/2 cups salty stuff. Personally, I favor a mix of coconut, butterscotch chips, semi-sweet choc chips, Kashi Go Lean, honey roasted peanuts, pretzels, corn flake crumbs (or chips--something rippled not flat) and almonds. 1 C brown sugar, packed 2/3 C sugar 1 Tbs light corn syrup 1 C butter, unsalted, at room temp (2 sticks) 2 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla 2 C flour 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp salt 2 Tbs used coffee grounds, dried (c...

Adapted slightly from Piece of Cake . Yes, Gwen, you can probably substitute margarine for the butter but why? If you must, might I recommend Earth Balance? Love that stuff. I use it on the table instead of butter but I cook and bake with butter. Anyway, you came here for the recipe and not the product plug, right? 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (TJs sells bourbon vanilla extract that is great here) 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 C honey roasted peanuts, roughly chopped Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. You can use a hand mixer for this. Honestly, I don't even bother to get out my kitchen aid for something this easy. Add salt and vanilla and mix until combined. On low speed, mix batter while you incrementally add flour. Watch out for a flour snow storm; keeping your mixer on low will help. Once flour i...

I don't know how I managed to not post these pre-wedding, but I can't find them on the food blog already, so I guess I didn't. Anyway, I LOVE Heath bars in cookies! I made these today to take to a housewarming party for a former coworker, because I remember that he really liked these when I was testing out cookies for the cookie bar at the wedding. Mine always sink after I pull them out of the oven, so they end up like a thin buttery cookie, but they're really, really good. When Hef-K made them, hers came out thicker and didn't spread as much. (The photo over at Simply Recipes looks about midway between mine and Hef-K's - thicker than mine, not as puffed up as Hef-K's.) I don't understand enough of the science behind baking to know what contributes to that difference, so I don't know how these will turn out when you make them. Either way, both were good, but definitely a different texture in each. Check out the original recipe here to see a dif...