Category Archives: COOKIE RECIPES

PEPPERMINT CANDY AND CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCOTTI

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If there is a flavor combination that screams Christmas louder than peppermint and chocolate, I truly don’t know what it is. So when I decided that a biscotti would be perfect for my coffee based theme for my adult children’s Christmas goody package this year, I came up with this recipe.

Now, to be honest, I usually do include either a cookie or a candy with this winning combination. But this year the lure of combining peppermint candy (good peppermint candy that is) and chocolate in a dunkable biscotti was just too overwhelming to even consider one of my regular alternatives. Besides, I knew I would be making our perennial favorite, Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies (recipe to come in a few days) for my good friends Jim and Margo for Christmas anyway. I simply have no choice. I didn’t make them last Christmas, and Jim hasn’t failed to mention my neglectful omission even once this entire past year! Also closer to Christmas I will be making Peppermint Bark. I also plan to post this candy recipe in the near future.

Other mint and chocolate favorites already on this site include Double Chocolate Mint Cookies, combination number 4 under Christmas Refrigerator Shortbread Cookies, and Grasshopper Brownies.

So while you are considering which cookies and candies to make for your family and friends this holiday season, think about preparing one of these recipes. And for those hard to gift people like your spouse’s uncle, your boss, or your brother-in-law who has everything but expects to be given something, a simple bag of gourmet coffee beans and a pretty bag of these biscotti is sure to win you points. (Even if it doesn’t win you points, it’s an easy solution. And we all need easy solutions at this hectic time of year! Think of it as your Christmas present to yourself.)

Enjoy the holidays my friends.

  • ¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ c. granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp. good peppermint extract
  • 3¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 c. crushed peppermint soft mint candy, like See’s, King Leo, or Bob’s Sweet Stripes
  • ½ c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or ½ cup chopped regular chocolate chips
  • melted white chocolate, milk chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate for drizzle, opt.

In your mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the crushed peppermint candy and the chocolate chips. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, beating only until blended. Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 12 x 2½-inch rectangle. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Carefully remove the loaves to wire cooling racks and cool for 15 minutes.

On a cutting board, cut the loaves at an angle into ¾-inch thick slices. Place the slices back on the parchment paper lined baking sheet(s) cut side down. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack before drizzling with melted chocolate if desired. (I usually don’t decorate them because I’m lazy, and frankly they are sweet enough already. But if you are making them as a gift, a chocolate drizzle is a lovely touch.) Store in an airtight container.

 

BOURBON PECAN BARS

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Some of us, at least my husband and I, love pecan pie. And pecan pie is always welcome on Thanksgiving and Christmas, at least with our extended family. But invariably, on these occasions, there are several other wonderful desserts from which to choose. (Not complaining here you understand!) So a few years ago I decided that bar cookies that basically contained the same ingredients as our favorite pies was the way to go. First of all, bar cookies are much easier to make. But the main reason I thought about preparing them was that then I could sample all the desserts if I could have just a small portion of each. (Remember, it’s really just all about me!) And if you have ever tried to cut a pie into 14 pieces, you know that it is darned near impossible. The likelihood of placing anything that even remotely resembles a slice of pie onto someone’s plate after you have basically cut the pie to ribbons is highly unlikely. But a cute little 1-inch square of a bar cookie is fairly easy to manage. Plus it’s just darling to look at. (Remember, points for presentation!)

Now I am not saying that you should give up baking pies. That after all would border on sacrilege! And I have to admit, some types of pie are easier to cut into tiny slices than others. Pumpkin pie, for example, is fairly easy to cut into thin wedges. Apple pie, not so much.

So this Thanksgiving, I decided to try a new pecan bar recipe instead of preparing my regular pecan pie bar recipe that is already on this site. (Chewy Pecan Cookie Bars) Both are delicious, and absolutely perfect for the holidays.

So while you are thinking about what desserts to serve on Christmas Eve, Christmas day, or for New Year’s, consider a pie bar instead of a regular pie. You will be very surprised how well they are received by your friends and family.

Other bar cookie recipes on this site include Pumpkin Pie Bars with Bourbon-Caramel Whipped Cream, Apple Pie Bars, Mincemeat Bars with Brandy Whipped Cream, and Chocolate and Pecan Toffee Bars. They too are delicious and can be cut into almost bite size pieces.

Other desserts on this site that are also perfect for the holidays – Nantucket Cranberry Cake, Flourless Orange Chocolate Cake, Baba Au Rhum, Dried Cranberry and Almond Braided Danish, and Eggnog Bundt Cake.

Whatever you prepare, have fun doing so. And remember – if the dessert comes from your kitchen, or from the kitchen of one of your family members or friends, it is sure to be better than anything you can buy. After all, it was made with love. And isn’t that really what the holidays are all about? Peace to all this holiday season and happy baking.

Crust:

  • 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 c. packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ c. toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. baking powder
  • 6 T. unsalted butter, cut into ½‑inch pieces and chilled

Filling:

  • ½ c. packed dark or light brown sugar
  • 1/3 c. light corn syrup
  • 4 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 T. bourbon
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 lg. egg, room temperature
  • 1¾ c. toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

Crust instructions:

Process flour, sugar, pecans, salt, and baking powder together in food processor until combined, about five pulses. Sprinkle butter over top and pulse until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, about eight pulses. Lightly butter an 8×8-inch pan (glass preferably). Pour mixture into prepared pan and press into even layer with your fingers. Bake crust in a pre-heated 325 degree oven (for glass), 350 degrees (for metal) until fragrant and beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and spread filling evenly over crust and sprinkle with pecans. Bake bars until top is  golden brown and cracks start to form across surface, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

Set pan on wire rack and let bars cool completely, about two hours. Cut into desired size pieces.

Filling Directions:

While the crust is baking, whisk sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt together in large bowl until sugar dissolves. Whisk in egg until combined. Pour over baked crust.

Thank you Americas Test Kitchen for this wonderful recipe.

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

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There are few cookies I like better than a good oatmeal raisin cookie. And that’s not because oatmeal raisin cookies are necessarily better for me, calorie wise that is, but you do have to admit, they feature healthier ingredients than some cookie varieties out there! Especially this recipe that contains whole wheat flour, and lots of oats, walnuts, and raisins. So in essence oatmeal raisin cookies are a lot better for us nutritionally than a chocolate chip cookie, for example. (And no, I don’t mean to suggest that you stop eating chocolate chip cookies. That would be entirely too great a sacrifice.) All I’m saying is that a good oatmeal raisin cookie is also worthy of your attention.

But I hold this truth to be self-evident; not all oatmeal raisin cookies are created equal. And in my humble opinion, their creator, our dear friend Jim’s father Don, in order to form a more perfect union, found just that perfect blend of ingredients in his pursuit of oatmeal raisin cookie happiness. These are simply the best oatmeal raisin cookies I ever tasted. They are chock full of nuts and raisins, are crunchy (from the nuts) and chewy (from the oats and raisins), and the overall flavor is unequalled in all the land.

So without any further preamble or declaration, I give you Don’s magnificent recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies. And if these cookies don’t insure domestic tranquility and promote the general welfare at your home, then I don’t know the difference between a preface and a prologue!

  • ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature
  • 1/3 c. canola oil
  • 1 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 c. brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1½ c. whole wheat flour
  • 3 c. regular oats
  • 1 c. chopped walnuts
  • 1 c. walnut halves, not chopped
  • 2 c. golden raisins

Cream the butter, oil, and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking soda, salt, and flour. Stir in the oats. Add to the butter mixture until just combined and then stir in the nuts and raisins.

Drop by ice cream scoop or rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or just until set. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes on baking sheet, then remove to cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

BRUTTI MA BUONI (UGLY BUT GOOD) ITALIAN HAZELNUT COOKIES

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These cookies are outrageously delicious and BTW – GF! With no added oil, fat, butter, etc. to make us feel guilty. (Of course the nuts themselves contain fat, but it’s mostly good fat, so it doesn’t count. Well at least in my mind it doesn’t count.) Plus ladies and gentlemen, these easy to prepare cookies contain only 5 ingredients! Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin is widely quoted as saying “The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star.” I am absolutely convinced he must have had this cookie in mind when he coined this very well known phrase. Because these cookies are unlike any other cookie I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. They possess a wonderfully crisp exterior with an internal texture that is both soft and chewy. They are slightly reminiscent of macaroons, but that’s as close to a comparison of them to any other cookie as I can come.

While I was researching these cookies I visited several sites. Each recipe was quite different from the others. Some had you using granulated sugar, some had you warm egg whites and granulated sugar before beating the heck out of the mixture, most contained flour, and some even contained chocolate. But what captured my fancy was this recipe from Oreste Molinari. His family bakery in Frascati, Lazio, Italy has been selling these cookies using this recipe since the 1800s. So I figured; if the recipe is good enough for the Molinaris, and they are still in business after all this time, it surely must be good enough for me!

So please do not hesitate to build yourself a batch of these little packages of heaven at your earliest convenience. And to those of you who are gluten intolerant, you owe me. (Your debt will be forgiven if you send me your favorite GF recipe(s) so that I can share it/them with others.)

And to Monsieur Brillat-Savarin (wherever you may presently reside), please accept my thanks for some wonderful quotes related to all things culinary. And because it’s my blog and I have nothing more to say about these cookies, I am going to share a couple of my favorite Brillat-Savarin quotes with you.

“A man who was fond of wine was offered some grapes at dessert after dinner. ‘Much obliged’, said he, pushing the plate aside, ‘I am not accustomed to taking my wine in pills’.”

“Whoever receives friends and does not participate in the preparation of their meal does not deserve to have friends.”

“Cooking is one of the oldest arts and one that has rendered us the most important service in civic life.”

And my favorite quote attributed to Brillat-Savarin, which I feel is as true today as it was in his day (1755-1826). “The pleasure of the table belongs to all ages, to all conditions, to all countries, and to all areas; it mingles with all other pleasures, and remains at last to console us for their departure.”

Bon Appétit

  • 8 oz. roasted unsalted hazelnuts* – roughly 1¾ cups (best way to know for sure is to weigh the nuts)
  • 1½ c. powdered sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 lg. room temperature egg white, lightly beaten
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

*I often use part dry roasted unsalted shelled almonds in these cookies because they are cheaper, more readily available, and considered by some to be slightly more nutritious than hazelnuts (aka filberts). And bottom line, using almonds does not affect the wonderful hazel nutty flavor of the cookies.

Preheat your oven to 400°. Spread the hazelnuts on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes or until the nuts are fragrant and the skins blister. (When I use almonds I toast them right along with the hazelnuts.) Transfer the nuts to a kitchen towel, swaddle them tightly, and let cool to room temperature. Then rub them together while still in the towel to remove the skins. (Don’t worry if all the skin doesn’t peel off. Just get as much off as possible. The rest – well its good roughage! And don’t worry about the light brown skin on the almonds either. Just provides a bit more texture to the cookies.)

In a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts with the confectioners’ sugar and salt until finely chopped. Add the egg white and the vanilla and pulse just until the dough is thoroughly combined.

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a very small ice cream scoop, (one that will contain about a tablespoon of water) drop the blops (a Chez Carr technical kitchen term) of dough onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheet about 1-inch apart. If you don’t have a small ice cream scoop, (and shame on you if you don’t have a couple of these in your kitchen) spoon tablespoon-size mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, again about 1 inch apart.

Bake the cookies in the center of your oven for about 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned all over. Watch carefully, because the bottom of the cookies can get too brown if baked too long. But the longer you bake them, the crispier on the outside they become. Which BTW, is what you want. So at least for the first batch you prepare, pay extra special attention to your oven temperature and the length of time it takes to bake these little darlings to perfection. Then of course – WRITE DOWN YOUR FINDINGS so that next time (and believe me, there will be a next time), you won’t have to tax your brain as much!

Brutti ma Buoni are best the first day, but will last for about 4 days if kept in an airtight container.

 

 

BIZCOCHITOS (OFFICIAL STATE COOKIE OF NEW MEXICO)

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There are two things that I am about to confess that could possibly make you uncomfortable or at the very least, lower what little esteem you might otherwise have for me. But I am willing to take that chance because I feel strongly about both issues. So, if you aren’t afraid of what I might say, continue reading. Just remember – you were warned.

First of all, I don’t like Snickerdoodles. (In my estimation, they’re boring.) Secondly, I tend to be a real cynic when it comes to politicians. (Maybe I listen to too much NPR?) But there – I’ve stated my position for all to see and I feel better for having done so. Now, you ask, what does all this have to do with a cookie recipe? (An excellent question BTW!)

Well first of all, these cookies are like Snickerdoodles, but as Mr. C remarked (BTW, he doesn’t like Snickerdoodles either), “the cookies are like Snickerdoodles, but on steroids”! (He loves them, in other words.)

And my remark about politicians, well my opinion of politicians was reaffirmed when I read about the New Mexico legislature that voted in 1989 to make Bizcochitos the state cookie of New Mexico. As with all legislative matters, it seems to me that there must be dissension. (Must be an implied amendment, probably tucked into the Bill of Rights somewhere between the right to keep and bear arms and the guarantee of a speedy, public trial with an impartial jury.) Anyway, it seems the New Mexico legislature agreed immediately that the Biscochitos/Bizcochitos should indeed be the state cookie. But in what seems to me to be typical legislative posturing, they had to argue about something. So they apparently duked it out over the spelling of the cookie name. Really?? The spelling??

Regardless, I must give them credit for their choice of the state cookie. Because if ever a cookie should receive accolades, or the title of “state cookie”, it is this amazing creation. And the best part, they are really easy to prepare.

So next time you want to make a cookie that is just a little different, has a taste that is very unique, and isn’t a Snickerdoodle, give this recipe a try. I promise you will become as hooked as we are.

And if anyone from the 1989 New Mexico legislature is reading this post, (like that’s even remotely probable) I offer sincere condolences for the sleep you must have lost over making such an important, life changing decision. Hopefully other issues on the docket that year didn’t require the expenditure of as much thought provoking, soul searching time to reach an adequate result.

  • 1 c. lard*, chilled (yep, lard!)
  • ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter*
  • 1 c. plus 3 T. sugar, divided
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. anise seeds, finely ground in a spice grinder
  • 3 T. good bourbon or brandy**
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Beat the lard, butter, and 1 cup of the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground anise seeds. Add to creamed mixture along with the bourbon. Beat no longer than necessary to incorporate the dry ingredients. Chill for about 45 minutes or until the dough is no longer soft. Form the cookies using either of the methods described below.

1)      Using a small ice cream scoop, drop the cookies onto a plate covered with a combination of the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. (Don’t roll the balls in the mixture.) Place the cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheets sugar side up. Flatten each ball to about a ¼-inch thickness with the bottom of a glass. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 12-14 minutes or until tops of cookies are just set and a pale golden color. Cool cookies on wire racks. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week.

2)      Roll out the dough between waxed paper to just over ¼-inch thick. Cut with flour dusted cutters into desired shapes or cut into 2-inch rounds. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon on a small plate. Dip the unbaked cookies into the cinnamon-sugar mixture on one side. Place cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheets (sugar side up). Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 12-14 minutes or until tops of cookies are just set and a pale golden color. Cool cookies on wire racks. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week. This recipe is based on Jane Butel’s Biscochitos recipe.

*1 cup butter and ½ cup vegetable shortening can be substituted for the lard and butter amounts reflected in my recipe

**Apple juice or milk can be substituted for the bourbon or brandy, however the cookies won’t be nearly as tasty

 

MOCHA CHOCOLATE CHIP SHORTBREAD BAR COOKIES

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What is it about shortbread? And why is it that most people would choose shortbread over almost any other kind of cookie? And why do I keep posting recipes for shortbread? Well I know the answer to the last question at least. Personally, I absolutely adore shortbread because first and foremost, it’s not overly sweet. And almost anything I choose to add to the basic recipe is going to taste marvelous. And I love the amazing texture of shortbread. It’s at once soft, crisp, crunchy, crumbly, and best of all – buttery. And then of course there is the ease of preparation. So I guess when I analyse what it is about this amazing Scottish creation, every single factor leads to cookie perfection. (Of course what I still don’t understand is how the country that gave us shortbread could think up a concoction like haggis? My guess is that in order to get young Scottish children to eat this pudding made with sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs, minced onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt encased in a sheep’s stomach, parents had to have something like shortbread to reward their children if they actually finished their plate!) But I digress…..

Now, did I happen to mention that shortbread bar cookies are really easy to prepare? I think so, but if I didn’t, I’m telling you now! In fact, the most novice of cooks should be able to whip up a batch of these cookies without a worry in the world.

So whether you have been baking cookies like I have (since God was a child), or you have never before baked anything with gluten in it, I suggest that shortbread is perfect regardless of your level of expertise. And just to make sure you know that shortbread is nothing if not adaptable, there are 12 other shortbread recipes on this site, (7 alone under “Christmas Refrigerator Shortbread Cookies”). So even if you are not a mocha or chocolate fan (all 2 of you), there should be a shortbread recipe already posted that speaks to your inner cookie monster. And yes, I am going to say it right here on this blog. Homemade shortbread is almost always better than packaged shortbread. And a lot cheaper too! Of course Walker’s shortbread could be the exception (flavor wise that is), but again, there’s still the monetary aspect to consider. They ain’t cheap! (And yes I know, some would say I’m what’s really cheap in this whole equation. I however, prefer to think of myself as merely “spendthrift challenged”! Thank you very much!!)

  • 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 c. powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp. vanilla
  • ¼ tsp. kosher or coarse sea salt
  • 2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. instant espresso coffee (I use Medaglia D’oro. It comes in a small red, white, and green labeled jar with a bright green lid.)
  • ½ c. mini chocolate chips

Whip the butter and powdered sugar together until creamy and light. Add the vanilla and salt; beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and espresso powder. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter, mixing just until combined.

Scoop the dough into a lightly buttered 9×13-inch glass baking pan, pat into place, and level off the top with an offset spatula. Prick the dough all over with a fork.

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for about 40-50 minutes or until a light golden brown. (Do not under-bake.) Remove from oven and cool for about 6 minutes before cutting into desired size pieces. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

CANDIED GINGER SHORTBREAD

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If there is anything better first thing in the morning than one of these cookies with a freshly made Americana, I sure as heck don’t know what it is! I mean really, sipping wonderful coffee and taking tiny little bites of one of these cookies (like anyone could really limit themselves to one cookie) is just about the ideal way to wake up in the morning. (The only thing better is a second Americana, again made by the resident barista, and of course another cookie!)

And talk about easy! These simple bar cookies are a snap to make. You just cream some butter and powdered sugar together, add a few more simple ingredients, slam the dough into a pan, bake it for awhile, cut the cookies while they are still warm, and let them cool to room temperature. (Letting the cookies cool to room temperature can be a little difficult, but you’re an adult, you can control yourself for such a short time!)

And the best part! You can eat these cookies at other times of day besides first thing in the morning! It’s just as acceptable as drinking beer with other meals besides breakfast.

So go ahead and serve these cookies before or after lunch, as a mid-afternoon snack, a snack before dinner, a dessert after dinner, a bed-time snack, or at two in the morning when the cookies call to you from the cookie jar. (At least my shortbread calls to me from the kitchen in the wee small hours of the morning. Of course, you may not be so lucky!)

So next time you need a quick and easy treat, bake up a batch of these bar cookies. Your family will love you for it. Your friends and the people you work with will think you’re the bomb. (The people on your bus, not so much.) They are only going to be able to experience these cookies olfactorily. Just don’t be offended if your fellow bus riders aren’t as enthusiastic about your efforts as the people at work. Enjoy the recipe.

  • 1½ c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ c. powdered sugar
  • 1½ tsp. vanilla
  • 3 c. un-bleached all-purpose flour
  • ¾ tsp. powdered ginger
  • ½ tsp. salt (if using salted butter, add only ¼ tsp. salt)
  • ¼ tsp. baking powder
  • 2/3 c. finely chopped candied ginger (also called crystallized ginger)
  • 1 T. granulated sugar

With an electric mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, ground ginger, salt, and baking powder. Stir in the candied ginger until all the ginger pieces are covered with flour. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing just until a dough forms. Scoop the dough into a 9×13-inch glass baking pan, pat into place, and level off the top with an offset spatula. Prick the dough well with a fork. Sprinkle on the tablespoon of granulated sugar.

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Bake the shortbread in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is a light golden brown. (Don’t under-bake.)

Cool the shortbread on a rack for 6 minutes. While the shortbread is still warm, cut into desired size pieces. Serve at room temperature.

 

FRENCH CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD COOKIES WITH FLEUR DE SEL

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Pierre Hermé’s sablés au chocolat et à la fleur de sel, also referred to by some as World Peace Cookies, are undoubtedly one of the best chocolate chip cookies ever created.

I stumbled on this recipe when I was looking for a new chocolate cookie recipe. When I found this recipe and realized the author was Dorie Greenspan, I knew the cookie would have to be a winner. (BTW, if you have never tried any of her recipes, you are missing out on the real thing. This woman is a genius, and everything I have tried of hers has been over the top delicious.) Another reason this cookie (sablé) recipe caught my eye was the list of simple ingredients and the ease of preparation. (BTW, sablé is simply the French name for round shortbread cookies.) But back to why I knew I had to try this recipe.

This is how Dorie referred to these cookies in her write-up: “I once said I thought these cookies, the brainchild of the Parisian pastry chef Pierre Hermé, were as important a culinary breakthrough as Toll House cookies, and I’ve never thought better of the statement. These butter-rich, sandy-textured slice-and-bake cookies* are members of the sablé family. But, unlike classic sablés, they are midnight dark — there’s cocoa in the dough — and packed with chunks of hand-chopped bittersweet chocolate**. Perhaps most memorably, they’re salty. Not just a little salty, but remarkably and sensationally salty. It’s the salt — Pierre uses fleur de sel, a moist, off-white sea salt — that surprises, delights and makes the chocolate flavors in the cookies seem preternaturally profound.” She continues, “When I included these in Paris Sweets, they were called Korova Cookies and they instantly won fans, among them my neighbor Richard Gold, who gave them their new name. Richard is convinced that a daily dose of Pierre’s cookies is all that is needed to ensure planetary peace and happiness.”

So to borrow the immortal words of Jimmy Durante when he signed off after each of his television shows with “good night Mrs. Calabash wherever you are” – good night Mr. Gold wherever you are! I truly believe you had it right when you said these cookies could ensure happiness. I know they have brought a lot of happiness to the people who have tried them at my home. As far as planetary peace, well they have never made it out of this house, so I can’t attest to how the rest of the planet would react. But if I were a betting woman, I would bet my 1962 edition of Betty Crocker’s Cook Book, that even aliens would change course for one of these heavenly delights.

*I changed the recipe to make them “scoop” cookies

**I changed the recipe to use semi-sweet mini chocolate chips for ease, convenience, and expense

  • ½ c. (1 stick) plus 3 T. unsalted butter, room temperature (11 T. in all)
  • 2/3 c. packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ c. granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp. fleur de sel or ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • generous ¾ c. mini chocolate chips

With an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft and creamy. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract; beat for 2 minutes more. Whisk the flour, cocoa, and baking soda together in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and slowly mix for about 30 seconds or just until the flour disappears into the dough. (The dough will look a bit crumbly.) Add the chocolate chips and mix only to incorporate. Don’t over mix.

Drop by your smallest ice cream scoop onto parchment paper lined baking sheets at least 1-inch apart. (If you don’t own a small ice cream scoop***, use a scant tablespoon of dough.) Lightly press the top of each cookie with the bottom of a glass to make sure the top of the cookie is flat rather than round. Bake the cookies in a pre-heated 325 degree oven from 12-14 minutes or until they start to crack on the surface. They probably won’t look totally done, or feel done, but for this recipe – they are done! Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

***If you don’t own any ice cream scoops for use in baking cookies, making muffins, you name it (even scooping ice cream), now is the time to get thee to a kitchen shop. Buy several sizes. They will just save you so much time.

Please note: This dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE TOPPED PEANUT BUTTER BARS

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You want good and easy; I’ll give you good and easy! And when I say good; I mean off the charts delicious! And when I say easy, I mean so lacking in difficulty as to be almost foolproof for anyone with even the most rudimentary of culinary skills. I mean folks; we are talking only 6 ingredients here. And no cooking technique required that is more difficult than melting butter and a combination of chocolate chips and peanut butter on top of the stove!

Now the question you need to ask yourself before making this fantastic dessert is; do I like peanut butter cups? If the answer is no I hate them, do not waste your time with this recipe. But, if you are one of the 450 million people that when the craving hits, would drive 50 miles for a package of Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, this is the recipe for you!

So next time you need to bring a treat to work, or to a friend’s house, or to a chocoholic’s anonymous meeting (just kidding); this is the recipe for you. But be warned – these bars are not only addictive, they scream “eat me, eat me” from the refrigerator. All I can say is, don’t complain to me if you get sick from eating too many of these bars. I’m already living with the aftermath of eating just one (sugar and I don’t agree) square and probably wouldn’t be real receptive or sympathetic to your predicament!

  • 1 c. (2 sticks) butter
  • 2¼ c. creamy peanut butter (not natural style*), divided
  • ½ tsp. vanilla
  • 2 c. powdered sugar
  • 2 c. graham cracker crumbs
  • 1½ c. semisweet chocolate chips

Melt the butter in a medium sized pan. Remove from heat and stir in 1½ cups of the peanut butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and graham cracker crumbs. Press evenly into the bottom of a generously buttered 9×13-inch pan. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile melt the chocolate chips and the remaining ¾ cup peanut butter in a heavy-duty saucepan over the lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Using an offset spatula, spread the topping evenly over the bottom layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting into squares. Store the bars in the refrigerator.

*natural style peanut butter just does not work for this recipe – too oily

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MINT COOKIES

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These cookies bring out the very worst in me. I simply can not leave them alone, even though I know refined sugar and my stomach (the picky thing that it has become) will forever more remain at odds. So when my brain tells me to step away from the cookies for the sake of my stomach, my taste buds still yearn for the younger me who could eat anything with impunity. It’s like my taste buds have a mind of their own! So my question to you is this; why aren’t the various areas of my body working together as a team? Is it really that unreasonable to expect my body parts to join forces to keep me healthy in my (uh hum) – golden years? Well apparently it must be an unrealistic expectation. Because from everything I can tell, my taste buds, while certainly more sophisticated than when I was young, still work as well as they did when I was 19. Reverse those 2 numbers today and you have the approximate working mental age of my brain! (Or so it seems.) Although my brain still guides me in the right direction when it comes to matters of common sense (like what I should or should not be eating), it can no longer remember why I entered a room, or the last word in many of my sentences! Now if only my taste buds would slow down and my brain would speed us, we might actually forge a meeting of the “minds”. Wouldn’t that be delightful!

So in many ways, when it comes to these cookies, my only recourse is to have Mr. C. hide them. Although this works, it’s really not very dignified. But sometimes a little lack of dignity is good for the soul. Proves you’re human and all. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

Now I know the most obvious solution would be to discontinue baking this cookie, thus keeping me off the path of temptation. But how nice would that be for others if I simply stopped making any type of food because it was too tempting for me to exhibit restraint? Nope, I can’t do that. So I’m going to continue making these cookies and let the chips (chocolate of course) fall where they will. As for you, if you really love a dark chocolate cookie with a lovely minty essence, I would advise you build some of these at your earliest convenience. They are truly over the top delicious.

  • 1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • ½ tsp. vanilla
  • ¾ tsp. premium peppermint extract
  • 2 c. flour
  • ¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips (I use the miniature chips)

Cream the butter and sugar until soft. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla and peppermint extract. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Blend well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonful or small ice cream scoop onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 8-9 minutes. Cookies will be soft. Do not over-bake. Cool for a couple of minutes on cookie sheet; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Hide cookies from your family. (If you want any for yourself, this instruction must be followed to the letter!)