Well, the way I see it, if Subway can do it, so can I! Starting yesterday, I too can now make a mean white chocolate chip macadamia cookie. And it is all because of our good friends Jim and Margo.

These dear friends love white chocolate macadamia cookies. But they aren’t as fond of baking as I am. Jim, who does most of the cooking in their household, even goes so far as to profess the lack of the “gluten” gene. (He also states that he is also lacking the “grandmother” gene, which is why I can make really good gravy. But that’s a story for another time!) (Actually, he too can make great gravy. Even if he doesn’t possess the “grandmother” gene.) But I can’t really argue with his belief about gluten genes since I’m pretty sure I came with several extra “gluten” genes. (Thanks mom and dad.)

So, although this wonderful couple will undoubtedly continue buying these marvelous cookies at Subway, especially when they are on RV trips, I can at least do my part and build them my homemade version whenever the spirit moves.

So, if you too love a chewy white chocolate macadamia cookie, may I recommend this recipe. It is an extremely easy cookie to build. Except there is one part that is always a challenge. (As with other truly perfect cookies.) It’s the wait time.

Because, if you really want to bake the best cookies ever, the colder your dough is before it heads into the oven, the less the cookies will spread during baking. The time spent in the fridge gives the flour in your dough time to hydrate. This translates into cookies that are more chewy than cakey. And who doesn’t love a good and chewy cookie?!

And to take this whole cookie baking revelation one step further, and completely shatter your world, making cookie dough one day and baking it off the next day is pretty much the recommended practice by leading authorities if you want to bake truly wonderful cookies. And yes, that means you must plan ahead. And yes, I now am a strict adherent to this thinking. And yes, it has made a big difference in the quality of the cookies I bake.

So, if I can manage this change of thinking, so can you. Believe me, it just becomes a habit after a while. But I promise you will see a positive difference in just about every cookie you bake by giving the dough some time in a cold and dark environment before it is introduced into a hot oven.

So, cooking lesson for the day. Done. New cookie recipe for you to make for your family and friends. Done. Now, for me, it’s on to making pound cake for the trifles I’m serving at our home this next Sunday. So, if I don’t have time to post any new recipes for the next several days, know that I am doing what I love to do best. Making food for friends.

May you too take pleasure in offering hospitality. Because hospitality is a win/win situation for everyone involved. If you are the one providing the hospitality, it makes you feel good to welcome family or friends into your home. If you are the recipient, it just feels good to know that someone cares for you enough to want to entertain you in their home. And if there is food involved in the hospitality, it is even more of a win for all concerned.

So, offer hospitality whenever you can.

And as always, peace and love to all.

¾ c. (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter

½ c. granulated sugar

1 c. light brown sugar, packed

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 lg. eggs 

2⅔ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

rounded ½ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1⅓ c. white chocolate chips/callets (I use Callebaut White Chocolate Callets)

1⅓ c. roasted salted macadamia nuts, chopped

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter until no lumps remain. Then add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Mix until well combined. Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until well blended.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together and add to the butter mixture. Mix until just blended. Do not over mix.

Stir in the nuts and white chocolate chips.  

Using a #30 (2 tablespoons) ice cream or cookie scoop, drop balls of dough close together on a small parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in your fridge for several hours to overnight. (Best overnight)

When ready to bake, place cookie balls about 1½-inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 12-13 minutes. The cookies should be a light golden brown around the bottom edges and the centers should not look shiny or doughy. Do not overbake. 

Remove from oven and allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Store in an airtight container. I got 28 cookies.

OK, this is the best chocolate nut cookie I have ever tasted. And these fudgy cookies are so very easy to make. But then, when it comes right down to it, most cookies are easy to build. But not all cookies taste as good as these cookies. Not even in the same ballpark!

These fantastic cookies are fudgy, soft, chewy, and crunchy all at the same time! And we all have Krista from livingoncookies.com to thank for this amazing recipe. I made a couple of slight modifications, but the rest is all on Krista.

It all started the other day when I decided to find a recipe for a mocha flavored chewy cookie. (Kind of like a soft and chewy ginger cookie, but not a ginger cookie. A chocolate cookie with lots of coffee overtones.) And I happened to mention to Mr. C. what I was up to. Which led to a confession on his part.

It turns out that when Mr. C. has a lot of stops to make while shopping for various and sundry provisions, he often treats himself to a mocha walnut cookie from The Cookie Mill bakery in Stanwood. This ginormous cookie then provides him with the strength to complete his tasks without wasting away from hunger. (Right???) (No, I didn’t buy his story either.) (But he is a cookie monster. That I get!)

Anyway, he bought a mocha walnut cookie while he was out that day so I could taste for myself what all the fuss was about. And OK, the cookie was pretty good. But not nearly as good as these cookies. But then, the bakery cookie didn’t have the depth of chocolate mocha flavor these cookies possess. Plus, I couldn’t find as much as a hint of walnut in the couple of bites I tasted.    

But you know what they say, to each his own. So, although I have no doubt Mr. C. will continue to purchase a mocha walnut cookie for himself as a reward for being the primary in-store shopper for our household, he really likes these cookies too. (Of course, he does! What’s not to like?)

So, if you too ever get a hankering for a deeply chocolate mocha cookie that is almost a religious experience at first bite, this is the cookie for you. It may not be a good choice for a toddler, but for any adult with a discerning palette, you are sure to earn points. But only if you decide to do the right thing and share the cookies with your family or friends. Just sayin’!

And even if you decide not to share, peace and love to you anyway. Because these cookies are so good that they might even transcend civility.  

1 c. cold unsalted butter

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

1¼ c. good unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking soda

2 T. instant espresso (I use Medaglia D’Oro)

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 c. mini chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the cold butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt together. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Add the mini chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

Line a baking sheet (needs to fit in your fridge) with parchment paper. Using a #40 ice cream scoop (1½ tablespoons of dough), plop balls of dough close together on the prepared pan. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the cold dough balls on baking sheets leaving a 1½-inch space between cookies.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 9 minutes. They will be done when thin cracks appear on the surface of the cookies. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Ever since I was a child, I have loved a good chocolate malt. (See recipe for a chocolate malt below.) And another thing I loved with a passion was Whoppers. (Also, maple bars, but that’s a story for another time.) But chocolate malts and malt balls, I mean really, what’s not to love? (Maple bars too, for that matter!)

But, as an older adult, having a milk shake containing malted milk powder every day is totally out of the question! (But truly, if malts were suddenly deemed health food, my blender would not only live on one of our kitchen counters, but it would also be put to use each and every day.) (And before you think to yourself that smoothies are every bit as good, keep that thought to yourself. Bananas, ice, and protein powder will never replace a truly decadent and creamy chocolate malt. Never!)

Anyway, with chocolate malts on my mind, the other day I decided to work up a recipe for a milk chocolate chip cookie with not only malted milk powder in the mix, but also crushed malted milk balls. And the result of my endeavor you now find below.

Now, to say that these cookies are OK, would be putting is mildly. To my malted milk addled brain and taste buds, these cookies are fabulous! Easy to prepare and way too easy to eat.

So, give these cookies a try. You and your family can thank me later.

Peace and love to all.

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1⅓ c. brown sugar, packed

2 lg. eggs, room temperature

4 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

½ c. malted milk powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 c. milk chocolate chips, chunks, or callets (I use Callebaut milk callets) (Amazon)  

1 c. coarsely chopped malted milk balls*

In the bowl of your mixer, cream the soft butter and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla extract.

Whisk the flour, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt together, then stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix in the milk chocolate chips and chopped malt balls.

Using a small ice cream scoop (I use a #40, 1½ tablespoon ice cream scoop), drop balls of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. (The balls can be close together at this point.)

When ready to bake, place the cold dough balls 2-inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 13-14 minutes or just until the edges become a light golden brown. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  

When completely cooled (the chocolate pieces are set) store in an airtight container.

*We are huge fans of malted milk balls. So, I go all out and order them on Amazon. Our favorite malt balls are from The Amish-Buggy. Triple Dipped Malted Milk Balls. Spendy but worth every penny.

CHOCOLATE MALT

2 c. really good vanilla ice cream (I like vanilla bean the best)

½ c. whole milk, add more if desired

2-4 T. chocolate sauce (We like Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Sauce) (Amazon)

2 T. malted milk powder (I use King Arthur Malted Milk Powder) (Amazon)

whipped cream, garnish, opt.

chocolate sprinkles, garnish, opt.

Whirl the ice cream, milk, chocolate sauce, and malted milk powder in your blender. If you prefer a thinner malt, add a bit more milk.

If desired, garnish with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.  

In my ever-ending quest to make life easier for myself and others, I decided long ago that refrigerator (slice and bake) cookies are the answer to every baker’s dream of building easy and less time-consuming cookies. But, in all my years of baking cookies, I had never found a recipe for a peanut butter refrigerator cookie. So, I decided to work up a recipe myself. (I’ll wait while you take time to applaud my effort.) And I decided to use vegetable shortening instead of butter. Shortening tends to trap more air bubbles and has a higher melting point than butter, so recipes that use shortening tend to produce a product that rises higher, holds its shape during baking better than when using butter, and has an interior texture that is softer or lighter. But in some cookies, especially lightly flavored cookies, there is no substitute for the flavor of butter. But for these peanut butter babies, shortening is definitely the way to go. Because what I wanted was a crisp yet slightly chewy cookie. And that’s exactly what I got.

So, is the taste of this cookie a lot different than any other peanut butter cookie? Nope. Was it easier to shape into a couple logs rather than rolling dough balls? Yup. And like every other cookie I bake, this dough is going to spend some quality time in the fridge. So, the easier I can make this whole process, the more likely I am to make these cookies again.

Now the reason I am baking cookies today is for the faculty concert at Warm Beach this evening. Mr. C. has been working with the rhythm section during a weeklong jazz band camp for adults. I thought it would be nice to offer an after-concert treat to the concert attendees. And of course, to the fine musicians attending the camp and the faculty for all their hard work.

In addition to these cookies, I am serving Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies (recipe on site) and another new cookie (Malted Milk Ball Chocolate Chip Cookies) that I worked up for the occasion. If the malted milk cookies are a success, you will find the recipe posted within the next few days. If the cookies are not as tasty as anticipated, the recipe will be relegated to the “try again” pile. (It’s a huge pile already, so what’s one more recipe that didn’t quite hit the mark!) Anyway, I hope all three cookies are enjoyed. Since I know a good many of the faculty and have met some of the camp attendees over the years, it should make for a fun evening. And I do so love to feed people. So, a great concert to attend, renewed friendships to anticipate, new acquaintances to make, and cookies to seal the deal. What better combination could this old gal ask for? Well, maybe, that you enjoy making and eating these cookies as much as I do.

As always, peace and love to all.  

1 c. vegetable shortening

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1 c. creamy or crunchy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

2 tsp. baking soda

In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, sugars, and peanut butter; beat in vanilla and eggs until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda; gradually beat flour into the creamed mixture until combined.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a log.

Wrap each individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Slice the dough and place 1½-inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Flatten in a crisscross pattern with fork tines and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

OK, I already have several recipes for oatmeal cookies on my blog including gluten free and a healthier version using monk fruit sweetener. Plus, a number of recipes that feature everything from chocolate chips, dried apples, to toasted coconut. But I had yet to make a simple, chewy oatmeal raisin walnut cookie including 3 of my favorite aromatic spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

So, when our good friend Todd explained to Andy that oatmeal cookies had healing qualities, I jumped at the chance to build Mr. C. a batch of these cookies along with a big old pot of chicken soup with dumplings when a few days ago he tested positive for Covid. (It had to happen sooner or later since we don’t live in a bubble.) (And yes, we are both fully vaccinated and take reasonable precautions against contracting the disease. But still it can happen and did. To both of us.)

Now, some might argue that oatmeal cookies do not actually help in restoring a person to good health. But surely no one can reason that eating a truly great oatmeal cookie doesn’t contribute to a person’s sense of well-being. At least anyone who has had the distinct pleasure of munching on a homemade oatmeal cookie straight out of the oven. And Mr. C. never got terribly sick. So, I will always believe that these cookies helped considerably in his speedy return to robust good health.

But please don’t think that you must wait for an illness to bake these cookies for yourself or your loved ones. You can simply think of them as preventive medicine!

But regardless of how you categorize these delectable treats, I suggest you make them at your earlies opportunity. They are truly lovely cookies and very easy to make.

Peace, love, and good health to all.   

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 c. brown sugar, packed

⅓ c. granulated sugar

2 lg. eggs

1 T. vanilla extract

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

¾ tsp. fine grain sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground ginger

3 c. rolled oats (not instant)

2/3 c. golden raisins (if large, cut into smaller pieces)

2/3 c. chopped walnuts

Beat the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer until creamy. Add the brown and granulated sugars, then beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs until fully incorporated. Then, beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger together. Then stir in the oats. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well combined. Then stir in the raisins and walnuts.

Using a #40 (1½ tablespoons, orchid tipped handle) ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough close together on a parchment paper lined baking sheet that can fir in your refrigerator. Refrigerate the dough balls for at least 2 hours. (But overnight is even better.)

When ready to bake, place the cold dough balls on parchment paper lined baking sheets 2-inches apart.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until cookie edges turn a light golden brown, about 13-15 minutes. Centers will still be a bit soft, but they will firm up as the cookies cool. Leave on baking pan for about 3 minutes before transferring to finish cooling completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.

I guess I must be on a high calorie kick, because yesterday I published our dear friend Jim’s recipe for the most decadent and caloric way to serve spaghetti ever conceived. OK, undoubtedly not the most caloric and decadent recipe at one’s fingertips. But Perfectly Seasoned Spaghetti could certainly be a contender for that dubious honor. But boy oh boy is pasta tasty when prepared as directed in Jim’s recipe.   

Speaking of caloric, decadent, and easy to prepare, I came up with this recipe for a different take on peanut butter cookies. I wanted to include peanut butter cookies in the goodie packages that I send to my kids every Christmas. But not the usual peanut butter cookies. I wanted soft cookies which also included a bit of crunch. What I didn’t take into consideration was the fact that some soft cookies do not stay fresh as long as hard cookies. (Think shortbread and biscotti.) Soft cookies pack well, but when kept for several days some can start to harden a bit, which to me is not a desirable attribute in a cookie.  

Now I don’t want to scare you off making these cookies. Because these cookies are yummy when fresh. I just feel duty bound to tell you that if longevity in a cookie is what you are after, this is probably not the peanut butter cookie recipe for you. But if you want a really lovely peanut butter cookie to serve for afternoon tea or as a light dessert, these cookies would be perfect. Or if you have a family that can work their way through a batch of cookies in no time at all, by all means give this recipe a try. They really are delicious cookies.

Well, it’s semi-sunny outside. Mr. C. is happily reading his book. Miles is sleeping in the cat bed on Mr. C’s desk. His brother Max is sleeping at the foot of our bed, and I am finishing up this post. In other words, all’s right in our world.

Now if I could only come up with what to serve for dinner………

Peace and love to all.

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature  

1 c. granulated sugar  

1 c. brown sugar, packed  

2 lg. eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed 

1 tsp. baking soda  

½ tsp. baking powder  

1 tsp. kosher salt  

1 c. peanuts

1 (10-oz.) pkg. peanut butter chips   

Cream the butter and sugars together until soft. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy.

In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the butter mixture and beat just until combined. Add the peanuts and peanut butter chips; mix well.

Using a #40 (1½ tablespoons – orchid colored end) ice cream scoop, plop cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (They can be close together at this point because they should spend several hours  in the fridge.*) When you bake them place them 2-inches apart.

Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for approximately 13-15 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn color and let sit on the baking pan for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Note: DO NOT OVERBAKE THESE COOKIES. They will not look done when you remove them from the oven. That is exactly how they should look!

And these cookies are best eaten within a couple of days. And believe me, that will not be a problem. The problem will be not devouring them within 24 hours!

* The colder and more solid the butter is, the less the cookie will spread. Plus, flour contains naturally occurring enzymes, which break down as the dough chills, leading to increased browning. The sugar in the dough absorbs the moisture from the flour, causing the cookie to brown and caramelize. Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and also helps to make the cookie dough firmer.