If you too are cursed with diabetes, these cookies are going to become your new best friend. Now I’m not saying you can eat these babies the same way you can safely munch away on a handful of almonds or peanut butter stuffed celery sticks. But as an occasional treat, they are perfect. Easy to build, contain mainly healthy ingredients, and taste fabulous. Of course, they are a bit crumbly if you don’t put the whole cookie in your mouth at once. Which BTW, I don’t recommend. You will want to savor every nibble and each tiny little morsel. (They are crumbly because they don’t have flour in them to act as a binder.) And of course, it should go without saying that you have my permission to build and enjoy these cookies even if you don’t have diabetes!
Well, that’s my recipe for today. I shared the cookies yesterday with a few friends and they proclaimed them blog worthy. And in my book, that is the highest rating I can ever hope to get on one of my offerings.
As always, stay happy, healthy, and treasure your close friends. We lost one of our extended family today. I had been friends with Eloise and her husband Dick for 52 years. And during that time, we had brought up our children together, shared our worries, celebrated our achievements, and always been there for each other. I feel like a piece of my heart went missing today. And it went along with my dear friend Eloise when she died. But because we were close, I know wherever she is, she’ll take good care of that little piece of me. Because she was just that kind of friend.
Peace and love to all.
1 c. well stirred, smooth, natural (the oily kind) peanut butter
¾ c. coconut palm sugar*
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. rolled oats (certified GF if required)
½ c. roughly chopped salted peanuts
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, stir the peanut butter and coconut palm sugar together. Add the vanilla and egg; beat well. Add the baking soda and beat until well combined. Stir in the rolled oats and chopped peanuts.
Using a #40 (1½ tablespoons) ice cream scoop. Drop balls of dough at least 1-inch apart on a prepared cookie sheet.
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 13 minutes or until just set.
Remove from oven and let cool on the pan. Cookies will harden slightly as they cool.
Store in an airtight container.
Please note: These are crumbly cookies because there is no flour in the dough. But boy are they delicious.
*Coconut Palm Sugar has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar, so it won’t spike your blood sugar in the same way. It has a flavor similar to brown sugar.
Per webmd.com “Per serving, coconut sugar contains a small amount of inulin, a type of soluble fiber that can make post-meal blood sugar spikes less likely. Foods containing inulin can be healthy choices for people with diabetes.”
Common foods containing inulin: asparagus, bananas, garlic, leeks, and onions.
As some of you know full well, I love to bake cookies. I’ve often said that if I had even 5 cents for every cookie I ever baked, we could vacation, all expenses paid anywhere in the world for a month! But with my new dietary regime, regular cookies are simply not allowed. And even if I only had one regular cookie from each batch I baked, it still wouldn’t be good enough. So, I have been forced to find work arounds. And this recipe from cookieandkate.com, with my addition of golden raisins and walnuts really works for me. Because not only are these oatmeal cookies a considerably healthier version than offered by my other oatmeal cookie recipes; they are absolutely delicious. And chewy, and crunchy, with just the right amount of spice.
Now granted, I can’t eat these cookies every day. But as an occasional treat, I feel justified in allowing myself this little bite of normality. And truly, just one of these babies is enough to make me feel pampered rather than picked on!
So, if you too would like to prepare a healthier version of one of the best cookies known to man, I would recommend you give this recipe a try. I would also recommend that if you are baking these cookies for your family, you start with a double batch. Because these cookies will be consumed faster than it takes to say – “wait, save one for me”!
As always, peace and love to all.
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ c. coconut palm sugar*
2 T. brown sugar, packed
1 lg. egg
1½ tsp. vanilla
⅓ c. oat flour
⅓ c. whole wheat flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
1¾ c. rolled oats
½ c. golden raisins
½ c. roughly chopped walnuts
Line a medium sized cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Beat the butter, coconut palm sugar, and brown sugar together until softened and thoroughly mixed.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat well until the mixture is light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, whisk the oat flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together until well combined. Stir in the oats.
Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and beat only until blended. Stir in the raisins and walnut pieces.
Using a number #40 (1½ tablespoons) ice cream scoop or two spoons, drop balls of dough 1½-inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Refrigerate the dough balls for at least one hour.
Bake in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for about 17 minutes, or until light golden brown with slightly darker edges. The middles should still feel a bit underdone, but never fear, they will continue to bake as they cool on the pan.
Remove the cookies from oven, place the pan on a cooling rack, and let the cookies cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
*According to abbott.com “Coconut Palm Sugar is a trendy ingredient taking the health food and beauty product industries by storm. And it’s no surprise, as sticking a straw inside a young coconut gets you a tasty, high-electrolyte treat — and some preliminary research suggests it may even help lower blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health. In terms of coconut as a sugar substitute, coconut palm sugar has a low glycemic index, but the American Diabetes Association notes that you should treat it the same as regular sugar because it contains the same amount of calories and carbs.”
OK, you know I have been trying to substitute white flour and sugar with other ingredients that are better for me. Well yesterday, I had what could only be described as a colossal failure. Even though the people who wrote comments on the recipe I tried gave the cookies rave reviews, I have to wonder how much they were paid for their comments. Because anyone who has ever tasted a really good dark chocolate chip and pecan cookie, could not possibly have found the outcome of the recipe I tried, even remotely palatable. After this not so positive experience, in my humble opinion, exclusive use of almond flour and monk fruit sweetener does not an edible chocolate chip cookie make. And I had such high hopes. (Based again on the positive, glowing comments.)
But instead, what I got were flat, run together cookies with a bitter aftertaste that lingered long enough that even biting into the rind of a grapefruit was sounding good.
Because the first batch had run together so horribly, in my determination to make lemonade, I decided to bake the second batch in greased muffin cups. Surely, they couldn’t spread if confined to a small area. I took them out of the oven, let them cool in the pan, and then had the very devil of a time liberating the crumbled results from the muffin tin. I swear, what remained in the pan could have been used as a semi-edible adhesive! What a mess.
Now, of course this had to be the day one of Mr. C’s jazz groups was going to hold their weekly jam session in our living room. In fact, the cookies were being baked just for these guys. Well, I certainly couldn’t serve these bitter, fall apart bad boys to these wonderful gentlemen. They would have thought I was trying to poison them! So, I quickly made a pan of the blondies from the recipe you find attached. Which BTW turned out to be absolutely delicious.
I found the basic recipe on the galonamission.com site. I of course couldn’t leave the original recipe alone. So, I added peanuts and peanut butter chips. (My philosophy has always been – guild the lily anytime you get the chance. So, that’s just what I did!)
So, if you too are an “all things peanut” lover, this is the easy to prepare bar cookie recipe for you.
Even though I had a major disaster in the kitchen yesterday, I also had a win. Plus, I got to listen to this great group of guys (they call themselves “Seabreeze”) play some wonderful old tunes. Ah, live music. There is just nothing like it. And to my other chocolate chip cookie recipes – you have absolutely nothing to worry about. You are nowhere near becoming extinct!
Peace and love to all.
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 c. light brown sugar
½ c. creamy peanut butter (not natural style)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 lg. egg
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
½ c. peanuts
½ c. peanut butter chips
Lightly butter an 8×8-inch baking dish. Set aside
In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and light brown sugar. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, egg, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the flour. When just combined, stir in the peanuts and peanut butter chips. Spread evenly in the prepared baking dish.
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not overbake. When cool, the blondies should have the consistency of an underdone brownie.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container.
OK, listen up! You’re in a hurry. Company’s coming. Your menu is set except for dessert. And time is of the essence. FIX THIS DESSERT! So very easy to prepare and absolutely delicious.
I found this recipe on the Kroger.com site. I thought a bourbon caramel bar-cookie would be the perfect way to say thanks to the board of our homeowner’s association, who were meeting at our home. A simple way to acknowledge all their generous time devoted to keeping our community in good working order. (If you have ever served on a homeowner’s board, then you know what a thankless job it is. So, although cookies can’t solve all the hassle HOA board members experience, they can’t hurt either.)
I shan’t bore you with the details of the meeting since I am no longer on the board, and therefore not privy to the subjects being discussed. I just know from experience that there is always a problem or two that causes dissent among community members. And the poor volunteer board members, of which Mr. C is the treasurer of ours, often take the brunt of other community member’s thoughtless rebukes. But whoever said it first must have had HOA’s in mind when he or she coined the phrase – “no good deed goes unpunished”. Because it is absolutely a truism when it comes to HOA boards and their dedicated members. But back to these blondies. (I do get so carried away sometimes! All I can say is thanks for your patience.)
The only change I made to the original recipe was to add more pecans. (I mean really. Can there ever be too many pecans in a dish?)
So, next time you need a quick, easy to prepare, and delicious bar cookie, I suggest you give this recipe a try. However, if you’re contemplating building the cookies for a group of children, you might want to refrain. The taste of bourbon is much too sophisticated for children. Save the bourbon for those who will truly appreciate it’s vanilla, oak, and caramel goodness. Oh, and don’t wait for a special occasion. You simply must taste these little darlings ASAP!
Peace and love to all.
¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
1 c. brown sugar
3 T. bourbon
1 T. vanilla
2 lg. eggs
1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. fine sea salt
1½ c. toasted pecan pieces
Lightly butter a 9×13-inch pan; set aside.
Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a small pan. Simmer the butter until lightly browned. Remove from heat, pour into a large mixing bowl, and place in your refrigerate for 15 minutes to cool.
When the butter has cooled, whisk in the brown sugar, bourbon, vanilla, and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the brown butter mixture. Then stir in the toasted pecans. Spread the dough out evenly in the prepared pan. (Or as evenly as possible.) And do not taste the dough. If you do, there won’t be any dough left to bake. Just sayin’!
But if per chance there is dough left, bake the blondies in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for about 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake! (And no, I didn’t think 16 minutes sounded right either. But it was the perfect amount of time in my oven.)
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container in your fridge.
Well, if I’m lucky, I learn something new that ups my baking game every month or so. It doesn’t always happen that often. Mores the pity. But every once in a while, a new baking revelation smacks me in the face. And not only do I feel blessed by my new bit of knowledge, more often than not, I also feel frustrated. Because it’s usually a very simple tip that I should have been made aware of years ago. Either I simply don’t pay close enough attention when I peruse recipes or cookbooks, or I think I know it all, and have all the answers. And I truly don’t want to be that much of a doofus!
But up to now, I thought I had it about covered when it came to baking cookies. Wrong! Because I just learned there is a simple technique for producing a better cookie. But now that I am blessed with this knowledge, I am ever so excited to pass it on to you. So, pay attention. (This is one of those do as I say, not as I do moments!) (And if you already were aware of this trick, I don’t want to know about it! I feel stupid enough thank you very much!)
Anyway, the 2 secret ingredients required for making a better cookie are cold and time. Yup, a bit of quality time in your refrigerator can turn a good cookie into a fabulous cookie. (Read all about why that is at the bottom of this post.) So, the only thing left to say is that you should bake a batch of these cookies at your earliest convenience.
I came up with the idea of adding peanut butter to an oatmeal cookie a few days ago when Mr. C. was planning a band rehearsal to be held at our home. I always try to come up with some kind of sweet to keep the musician’s energy level in the red zone. So, I went on-line and found this recipe for the cookie I envisioned, on the bakingmischief.com site. I messed with Tracy’s recipe a tiny bit, but that’s what I almost always do. That’s why I get the big bucks! Yah, that’s it!
Anyway, you really do need to make these cookies. They are really, really delicious. And ever so easy to prepare.
As always, have fun in your kitchen. Keep learning, and never, ever think you know it all. That can only lead to a great big old fall on your face. And no one deserves that!
Peace and love to all.
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. creamy peanut butter (not natural peanut butter)
1 c. brown sugar, packed
¾ c. granulated sugar
2 lg. eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. fine sea salt
1½ c. old fashioned, rolled oats
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (12-oz. package)
Line a large baking sheet with waxed paper. (The baking sheet will be going into you’re your refrigerator, so make sure it’s not too large. If so, use a second sheet.) Also, line a couple of large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until completely mixed.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the oats. Add to the butter mixture and beat just until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Using a #40 (1½-inch diameter) ice cream scoop, plop balls of dough right next to each other on the smaller baking sheet(s) lined with waxed paper. If you don’t have an ice cream scoop, roll the dough into balls roughly the size of a golf ball. Place the pan(s) in your refrigerator and walk away for at least 2 hours or longer*.
After two hours, transfer the cold dough balls onto the prepared baking pan(s) at least 3-inches apart. (They will spread as they bake.)
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 12 to 13 minutes, or just until cookies are browned around the edges and the tops look mostly set. (They will still feel squishy if you tough them. That’s what you want.) Do not overbake! (They will finish baking on the baking sheets as they cool.) Allow cookies to cool on the baking pans for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
*Why you need to chill your cookie dough
According to Camille Berry on the Taste of Home cooking site “For starters, chilling prevents cookies from spreading out too quickly once they’re in the oven. If you use a higher fat butter (like Kerrygold) chilling your dough is absolutely essential. Popping your dough in the fridge allows the fats to cool. As a result, the cookies will expand more slowly, holding onto their texture. If you skip the chilling step, you’re more likely to wind up with flat, sad disks instead of lovely, chewy cookies.
Cookies made from chilled dough are also much more flavorful. This is thanks to a few different factors. The dough becomes hydrated as the dry ingredients soak up moisture from the wet ingredients. This subtle hydration makes the dough less wet, concentrating the flavors. The result is cookies with a nice even bake and lovely golden-brown color.
While this hydration is taking place, the flour also breaks down into sugar, making the dough taste sweeter. After as little as half an hour, your dough transforms into a bowl of goodness with an additional kiss of sweetness. Is it worth the wait? You bet.
According to an in-depth video by TikTok user @bromabakery, how long and whether you chill your cookie dough can have a significant effect on your final product. As she says, not chilling the cookie and baking at 350-degrees can result in a more-crackly cookie, since the dough hasn’t had enough time to absorb the flour. Chilling it for half an hour, however, gives you thicker, chewier dough. Chilling for 2 hours, however, resulted in the best cookie—giving it a deep flavor, crispy edge, and the optimal amount of spread.”
My thoughts. In some of the better cookie recipes I have tried, I always wondered why the instructions usually called for some time for the dough to chill. But there was never a reason given. (Either that, or I failed to read that part.) And the recipes asked the reader to chill the dough before forming it into balls or whatever the shape was meant to be. But with my arthritic old hands, I find it much easier to shape the dough and then do the chilling. If, of course, you aren’t making 400 gingerbread men, for example. If that’s what you are making, chill the dough in one big ball. And God’s speed!
OK, I renamed these wonderful cookies, recipe compliments of Giada de Laurentiis, because they definitely smack of all things Italian, and in my estimation, are the perfect cookie to include in a gift box of Christmas goodies. (Giada named them – Dried Cherry and Almond Cookies with Vanilla Icing.) But whatever name you choose to use to pay tribute to these amazing cookies, you are sure to bring smiles to anyone who is lucky enough to bite into one of these babies. They are not only beautiful to look at, they’re absolutely delicious with their hint of amaretto flavor in every bite. (Amaretto is an Italian liqueur with a sweet almond/cherry flavor with just a touch of agreeable bitterness.)
Another wonderful thing about these cookies is that they have a different consistency than many of the “shortbread” style cookies many of us make for the holidays. Instead of being crisp like a fine shortbread cookie should be, they are more dense and chewier. So, very pleasing not only for their fabulous flavor but also for the textural variety they bring to any array of holiday cookies, sweet breads, and confections.
So, do I like these cookies? Absolutely not! I LOVE these cookies! And I can’t wait to share them with my kids this year through the magic of UPS.
Every year I make a different selection of fun things to include in my kid’s goodie packages. Everything from a variety of cookies and candy, maybe a fruit cake, sometimes party mix or flavored nuts, etc. etc. Then I place small packages of everything I bake or build in boxes I have saved from the many deliveries we get throughout the year. Then when all the boxes are wrapped up tight enough to withstand a flood, hurricane, major earthquake, or swarm of locusts, using more packing tape then is required by the FAA to hold an airplane wing in place, either Mr. C. or I take the packages to our local UPS store. Then of course we have to say goodbye to the packages, and trust that the capable hands of the UPS will take extra-special-care with our packages. (Hey, they have in the past, so I’m hoping the same is true this year!) (And yes, I still believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny, too.)
Anyway, I suppose I should close for now and get back to the kitchen. Not that I’m not excited about building all these fun things for my kids. I am. Because I know how much they look forward to this tradition. As do I. I figure, if we can’t all be together for the holidays, we can all still be enjoying the same holiday treats.
So, I encourage you to start or continue your own traditions. There is just something really comfortable about tradition. And to my thinking, food traditions are the best.
Peace and love to all.
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1¼ c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. + 1 drop pure vanilla extract, divided*
1 tsp. almond extract*
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. fine sea salt
2 lg. eggs
2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ c. coarsely chopped dried tart cherries
1 c. slivered almonds, toasted** and coarsely chopped
¾ c. powdered sugar, or more as needed
2-3 tsp. water, or more as needed
In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, and salt together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Next, beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Add the flour and beat on the lowest speed until just blended. Using a regular table knife, stir in the dried cherries and almonds. Transfer the dough to sheets of plastic wrap and shape the dough into logs about 12-inches long and 1½-inches in diameter.
Then wrap the dough logs in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and held in your refrigerator. If you make it well in advance, freeze the logs. When you are ready to bake the cookies, defrost the logs before cutting into slices.)
Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Pre-heat the oven to 350-degrees. Line 2 large heavy baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the log crosswise into ½-inch thick slices. Transfer the dough slices to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart.
Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges and slightly puffed, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
While the cookies cool, whisk the powdered sugar, remaining drop of vanilla or almond extract, and water together, 1 teaspoon of water at a time, until the mixture becomes drizzling consistency.
Place the cooled cookies on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or a fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing. Allow the frosting to set completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.
*If you prefer, use a drop of almond extract in the icing rather than a drop of vanilla.
**To toast the almonds, place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 6-8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.
Oh, to have the energy and stamina again to spend hours in the kitchen. Not that I don’t enjoy cooking any longer, it’s just that my body doesn’t appreciate being subjected to hours on my feet. And really, who can blame my old feet. They’ve been holding up this “filled to the brim of slimness” body for lots of years now. So, they richly deserve to be treated with respect and consideration. So, an hour or two cooking and then a 10-minute break are my new reality. Then back on my feet and on to the next task.
So, when getting ready for our most recent trailer trip, and deciding that two kinds of cookies were better than one, these easy to make cookies were a blessing. And for more than just the ease of preparation. They are really delicious. And keep very well in a freezer. So, even at the end of our trip they were a delightful treat.
Now you may wonder why I am posting this recipe when I basically already posted one entitled Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bars. Simple really. The aforementioned recipe uses an 8X8-inch pan. Or if you double the recipe, a 10×16-inch pan. This recipe is for a 9×13-inch pan. So, I’ve got you covered regardless of what size pan you wish to use. Plus, this is such a fabulous recipe, it bears repeating.
Well, it’s raining here on Camano Island, so I think I’ll hunker down with a book until it’s time to cook dinner. Sounds like the perfect way to spend a dreary day.
And do make these cookies. Your family will love them.
Peace and love to all.
2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
1½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. kosher salt
1½ c. firmly packed brown sugar
2¼ c. old-fashioned oats
1 c. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
15-18 oz. jam, jelly, curd, preserves, etc.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixer bowl. Add the brown sugar and mix until well blended. Add the oats and cold butter and beat until medium sized bits start sticking together. Press half of the mixture into a well buttered 9×13-inch baking pan. (Glass is best.) Spread jam evenly over the bottom crust.
Sprinkle remaining oat mixture evenly over the jam.
Bake in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the top crust is a nice golden brown. (You might want to check after 25 minutes to make sure the top isn’t getting too brown. If so, cover with aluminum foil for the last few minutes.) Do not over-bake. Let cool completely before cutting.
Note: if using a metal pan set your oven to 350 degrees and check after 20 minutes.
These bars freeze beautifully, and you don’t need to thaw before eating. They are great frozen.
OK, you know you are getting old when a simple surgical procedure kicks your keister! And therein lies the reason, or at least half of the reason, why I haven’t been posting new recipes at my normal prodigious publication rate! The other half of my excuse is an almost month-long trailer trip. And when we are vacationing, my writing time is spent on a travel log. (Soon to be published BTW.)
But until that riveting commentary on life in a trailer is published, you will have to make-due with this cookie recipe.
Every trailer trip food plan begins with what cookies to bake for the upcoming adventure. (Proves I still have my priorities straight! Right?!) So, for this just completed trip I made a batch of these delightful cookies and a batch of Strawberry Dream Oatmeal Bars. (Recipe to be published after I finish the travel log.)
Both types of cookies were quite delicious and stayed fresh throughout the entire trip. OK, the dream bars traveled nestled in the trailer freezer between 2 pints of homemade chili and 2 mini meatloaf that I had prepared before we left on our trip. And I must say, the dream bars were really tasty when straight out of the freezer. But more about these bars when I get around to writing up the post and expounding on the wonders of these simple to make bar cookies.
Because I have only been combining peanut butter and chocolate chips together now for approximately 70 years, why is it until I reached the fine old age of 77, did it never occur to me to just put both kind of chips in a simple cookie batter. I realize my question is rhetorical, but I am still amazed at myself for being so dense. I guess I should just be thankful that any kind of new idea can still happen in my addled brain. Anyway – I did eventually think to put the two types of chips together and it did make for a very delicious cookie.
So, if you too like the combination of peanut butter and chocolate in a really delicious vanilla base, make a batch of these cookies at your earliest convenience.
And do read my travel write-up when it comes out in a few days. We are extremely lucky to be able to see our wonderful country first-hand, and it is my pleasure to share our adventures with you all.
I have missed trying out new recipes and sharing the ones that work with you all. So, get ready for more recipes and my random thoughts on subjects that should not be expounded upon by a person who is old enough to know better!
And as always – 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. semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
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 chocolate chips and peanut butter chips; mix well.
Using a #30 (2 tablespoons) ice cream scoop, plop cookies 2-inches apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn brown 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!
One ingredient that rocks my socks is toasted coconut. Now I know, not everyone likes coconut, but I happen to love it. And remember, this site is really just all about me! And this recipe is absolute proof of that statement. And I figure you must like coconut too if you are even bothering to look at this recipe. But if you aren’t really interested in cookies, but are a friend just reading about our life here on Camano Island, hello, and love to all from Mr. C. and me. But if you are a devoted fan of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and toasted coconut, have I got a deal for you.
Some of you know that I have already worked up knock off cookie recipes from the Levain Bakery in New York City. Even if I haven’t ever actually tasted one of their cookies. And I got to thinking, they should offer a coconut, chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. So, being the good gal that I am, I went ahead and glommed a recipe together for them. Was that not kind of me? I thought so too.
But because I am not as gifted as the bakers in New York City, I baked the cookies too long. Oh, they’re still delicious, but they don’t have that trademark crunchy outside, gooey middle that sets Levain Bakery cookies so far apart from your regular, run of the mill cookie. But I can learn, and you can profit from my mistake. Never, ever, under any circumstances, over-bake these cookies.
Oh, you will be tempted as I was today. But I should have trusted myself. I should have pulled them out of the oven after only 8 minutes, instead of 10 minutes. Sure, they would have been lightly browned and very soft to the touch after only 8 minutes. But they would have finished baking as they cooled. And then they would have been perfect.
So, if you too happen to over-bake them a bit, you are excused. I, on the other hand, should have known better. After all, I have baked hundreds of cookies over the 65 years I have been actively and religiously playing with cookie dough. But, in my defense, these cookies, and my other Levain Bakery knock-off cookies are decidedly different. And it’s that very difference that makes them the best cookies I have ever tasted. So, I hope you too enjoy this recipe. And don’t skip the step of toasting the coconut flakes. It truly does make a difference.
As always, have fun in your kitchen. Make every day a fun day. Laugh out loud. Smile at everyone you meet. (I know. Doesn’t really show when you’re wearing a mask!) But do it anyway. You will know you are smiling, and that matters to your own well-being.
Peace and love to all.
½ c. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
½ c. brown sugar, packed
¼ c. granulated sugar
1 lg. egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ c. cake flour (fluffed)
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (fluffed)
1½ tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. coarse sea salt
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1 c. toasted coconut flakes (I use Bob’s Red Mill unsweetened coconut flakes)
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium low speed until smooth and completely blended, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat just until the egg and vanilla are incorporated with the butter/sugar mixture.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the cake flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and oats together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix only until combined. Add the coconut flakes and chocolate chips. Slowly mix until combined. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Using an ice cream scoop (I use a #40, 1½ tablespoons, orchid handled scoop), place the balls of dough on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 8-11 minutes or until the cookies appear dull and light golden brown on top. Do not over-bake. The top should look done, but the cookies should not be fully set.
Remove from oven. Cookies will continue to finish cooking as they set and cool on the baking sheets for at least 8 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies are quite delicate after just baking, so handle them carefully. They should still be plenty gooey inside.
Store in an airtight container.
Me in our kitchen last evening trying to decide if I would prefer a before dinner martini or a Margarita. Not an easy decision. But my apron made the decision for me. And please excuse the messy pantry. And of course, Miles had to be in the photo. His house, his rules!
When I think of biscotti, I always envision traditional anise flavored biscuits. Because I happen to be someone who truly loves a strong, licorice-like taste. But if you are familiar with this site, you know I have several biscotti recipes already posted that do not include anise. So, if you happen to fall in the category that is not anise addicted, I still have you covered. (Just search under “biscotti”, and all will be revealed.)
And I should mention that I already have an anise biscotti recipe on site that is the same as this one except for the addition of anise seed in this recipe. I could have simply updated the original recipe, but I thought it would be more fun to publish this version too. (After all, choices are always nice.) Anyway, these are now my new favorite traditional anise flavored biscotti.
So, lets talk a bit about how easy biscotti biscuits are to build. The dough is basically like many cookie doughs. Cream the butter and sugar together, add eggs and flavoring. Then whisk the flour, leavening (in this case baking powder), and salt together. Then combine the whole mess. But where in drop cookies you simply plop balls of dough on a baking sheet, or rolled cookies, where you cut the rolled-out dough into various shapes, with biscotti you form logs. Then you bake the logs for a short time, remove them from the oven, let them cool a bit, then cut the logs into slices, and bake them a second time until they are done. It may sound like more work then plopping or rolling, but it actually takes very little skill to make perfectly formed biscotti biscuits.
And I’m telling you true, there is just nothing better than a biscotto (singular of biscotti) dunked in your morning coffee or tea. So, you simply must give biscotti a try. And if you have been making biscotti for decades – Saluti!
As always, stay safe and stay focused on the well being of others. If you haven’t been vaccinated against covid, please consider the health of those with whom you make contact. You may be extremely healthy, but you can’t tell from just looking at someone whether or not they too share your good fortune. They could have an immune deficient condition that is not apparent. And even if they have been vaccinated, it would still be very unhealthy for them to contract the disease. So, please don’t make this all about you. Because it is not all about you or your personal rights or about your being a faithful member of your chosen political party! Politics has absolutely nothing to do with fighting a disease. Covid-19 has no affiliation with any political party. It has no political agenda. It’s only mission, if you care to define it as a mission, is to attack people’s lungs and possibly cause an overactive immune response which can lead to increased inflammation throughout our bodies. So, getting vaccinated is necessary if we hope to stop the spread of this deadly disease. Getting vaccinated is simply about saving lives! Yours included. Nothing else. Please do your part.
Peace and love to all.
½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. granulated sugar
3 lg. eggs, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. good anise extract
2 tsp. ground anise seed
3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 c. slivered almonds, lightly toasted
Cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla, anise extract, and ground anise seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine with butter mixture. Stir in the slivered almonds.
Using your hands liberally coated with flour, divide the dough into 4 pieces on a floured surface. Pat each piece into a 12×1½-inch rectangle. Place on a large lightly greased baking sheet about 4 inches apart. (Use more than one baking sheet if necessary.) Bake the logs in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven.
Cool for 15 minutes. Then cut each roll on a slight diagonal into ¾-inch thick slices. Turn the slices cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until each piece is firm and nicely browned. Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet(s). Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly.
