All of a sudden I have become a great fan of dark chocolate chips. And as for peanut butter chips, well I have been a devotee since they first appeared on grocery store shelves. And in combination, well there is no going back for this cookie lover. But sometimes dark chocolate chips can be hard to find. I use Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chips that I can usually find at our local Bartell Drugs Store. If you aren’t lucky enough to live in the Puget Sound area, I would recommend going on line to find a supply of these little darlings and then always keep them at the ready in your freezer. They really are wonderful chocolate chips. And these cookies are fantastic. Not too hard, not too soft – just right! And easy to make too!

I decided that I would take them to a recent choral rehearsal we were involved in. Some of us who had sung together for many years were asked to sing at the Celebration of Life for one of our fellow singers. A 49 year old woman who was one of the kindest, most amazing, and talented woman we had ever had the pleasure of calling a friend. It was rough.

We had already shed many tears, but accompanying the singers (Andy) and singing (me) was really difficult. And I knew how tough it would be for all of my fellow singers as well. So I decided to do what I had always done when we were singing together as a group. I brought cookies to the rehearsal. I knew this simple gesture would help bring a little normalcy to this difficult but ultimately rewarding occasion. And it worked, especially for the guys. They dove into the cookies as if they were a life line.  

No one knows what the future will bring. At the end of the Celebration of Life I was a little uncomfortable when the pastor got up to deliver his ending remarks. I thought his words might be a bit too preachy for my taste. But I could have hugged the man after he finished his closing comments. He said, and I paraphrase, “in these trying times – love each other a little bit more, show everyone a little bit more kindness, go out of your way to do something special for someone in need, live goodness rather than hate, and be understanding and respectful of others who have a different point of view than yours”.

His words really resonated with me, especially the “be understanding and respectful of others who have a different point of view than yours”. In these difficult times, it is almost impossible for me to even be in the same room with someone who defends much less admires our current administration. I see it as a character flaw and find the whole thing incomprehensible. So I need to change my ways. Not so much for anyone else’s sake, but rather for my own sake. As a decent human being. So I hope I’m not too old to learn a lesson about kindness and even forgiveness.

And even though the Celebration of Life was difficult and we are going to miss Laurie with all our hearts, I’m so glad I was reminded by her minister of what it means to be a good citizen of the world. And I’m going to continue baking cookies. Giving cookies away may just be a simple gesture, but it’s one that can make a difference in how someone sees the world and their place in it. So happy baking dear friends. And love and peace to all.

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  1 c. brown sugar, packed
  ½ c. granulated sugar
  2 lg. eggs
  1 T. vanilla extract
  1¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
  1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• 3 c. rolled oats (not instant or quick cook)
• 1½ c. dark chocolate chips
  1½ c. peanut butter chips

Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and creamy, about 4 minutes in your stand mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

In a medium sized bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together, then stir in the rolled oats. Add to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dark chocolate and peanut butter chips, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop cookies onto a lightly greased cookie sheet about 2-inches apart. 

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes or until edges and top are set. Don’t overbake.

Remove from oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. (And don’t worry. The cookies will firm up as they cool.)  

Store in an airtight container. (And yes of course, you can easily halve this recipe, or double it for that matter!)

This recipe is from the Brown Eyed Baker site. (Great site BTW!) And boy oh boy are these bar cookies good. No wait. Good isn’t good enough. These are GREAT bar cookies. And ever so easy to make. You don’t even need a mixer. And I always say hurray to that. One less thing to bring out of my pantry.

So I made this recipe last week for Mr. C. and the other members of Seabreeze (a 7 piece jazz band) who rehearse once a week. And when it’s our turn to host the rehearsal, I make sure the guys get a homemade goodie for their break. (I’d actually go so far as to cook lunch for the guys if that’s what it took to bring them from Bellingham and surrounding areas to our home to practice. Because I absolutely love listening to them play. And because they are all really wonderful guys. But please don’t tell them I’d fix them lunch. I’m trying to reduce my commitments, not add to them. So for now I’m going to stick with serving them a homemade treat.) But enough about why I made these bar cookies.

As far as I’m concerned, bar cookies are the greatest time saving invention ever to hit my kitchen. And as I’ve already stated, these cookies are a snap to prepare. Just mix all the ingredients together, slap the batter into a greased pan, and throw the whole mess in the oven. 30 or so minutes later, take the pan out of the oven, place it on a cooling rack, and cut into whatever size pieces you want when cooled. Could not be easier.

So next time you bake a treat for your family or friends, give this recipe a try. These cookies are truly delightful. In fact they were recently awarded “the jazz musician’s seal of approval”. So you don’t have to take my word for how great these cookies taste. You now have verification from true experts. Thank you gentlemen!

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1½ c. light brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1½ tsp. vanilla extract  

1½ c. unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

1 c. roughly chopped macadamia nuts

1 c. white chocolate chips

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and light brown sugar until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla, and whisk until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, add the dry ingredients to the bowl and gently fold them into the egg mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the toasted coconut, macadamia nuts, and white chocolate chips. Scoop the batter into a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking pan (glass preferably); smooth the batter into an even layer.

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven (350 degrees if the pan is metal) until the top is shiny and cracked and feels firm to the touch, 30 – 33 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars as needed.

The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

This recipe comes from the Serious Eats site. (Wonderful cooking site BTW.) I changed the directions a bit, and reduced the amount of salt, but the rest is true to its author.

And I am here to tell you, these bar cookies are amazing. I just wish I could say they were my invention, but that would be very, very wrong of me. I’m a good technician, but I could never have envisioned a bar cookie as good as this one. Now that’s not to say that I don’t have original ideas in the kitchen. Just that I know my limitations and work around them. And original recipes for sweets are never going to be my forte.

And that is why I love the internet. There are so many terrific bakers out there. It is truly humbling to read a recipe like this, prepare as directed (well within reason), and then reap the rewards of another person’s efforts and creative ability.

That leads me to why I have this site, why I often feature other cook’s recipes, and why I don’t advertise and make some money off my efforts. (I’m only bringing this up because I was recently asked about this very subject.) It’s simple.

I love good food and I want to share fabulous recipes with you that are tested, found to be wonderful, and as easy to prepare as possible. I simply want you to be able to trust this site. Because as you probably already know, for all the fantastic recipes out there, there are some (and I’ve made my share of them) that are absolutely not to my liking. I just want you to feel that if I have taken the time to post a recipe, it is because both Mr. C. and I have found the dish to be pretty darn delicious.

My ultimate goal is to help you in the kitchen whenever and however I can. And I don’t want you to have to wade through advertisements. I hate them myself, so why would I want to subject you to any more “special offers” for things you neither want nor need?   

So on that happy note, you simply must try this recipe. It is beyond belief easy to prepare and so darn good that you are not going to believe that such a simple recipe can produce something so delicious. Actually you better just bite the bullet if you have several mouths to feed, and make a double batch to begin with. If you do double the recipe, bake in a 10×16-inch pan or 2 9-inch square pans. And thank you again Serious Eats.      

11 T. unsalted butter

1 c. packed light brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ c. plus 2 T. maple syrup, divided  

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1¾ c. toasted walnuts, chopped, divided

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees for a glass pan, or 375 degrees for a metal pan.   

Partially melt the butter in a large microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. Stir in the ½ cup maple syrup and egg until well combined. Add flour and stir until completely combined. Add 1½ cups of the chopped walnuts.

Spread into a lightly buttered 9-inch (preferably glass) square pan; smooth the top. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup over the top and swirl into batter. Sprinkle with remaining quarter cup walnuts.

Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and almost set in the center (should still be slightly jiggly). Don’t overbake. Remove from oven. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into serving sized pieces just before serving. 

So, what do you call a chocolate version of a Russian tea cake, Mexican wedding cake, or a snowball cookie (just a few of the many names given to these melt in your mouth delights)? That was my quandary recently when I decided to create a copycat recipe for La Panzanella’s Chocolate Dolcetini. (They are amazing BTW.)

So I basically started with my Russian Tea Cake recipe on this site that I have been using since God was a child, (please, no irreverence intended except towards my advancing age) and performed a tiny switcheroo of unsweetened cocoa powder for part of the flour. Couldn’t have been easier! And guess what? It worked! Of course I did add a tiny bit of espresso powder, but then I often add coffee to enhance the flavor of chocolate when making cookies, cakes, or frostings. (Learned to do that a few years ago, and truly it does make a difference.)

Anyway, the cookies are really tasty and very easy to prepare. They literally melt in your mouth.

So next time you need a small respite from the hectic times in which we live, sit down with a hot cup of coffee or a lovely hearty glass of red wine and a couple of these little darlings. Relax, count your blessings, and enjoy a few moments of chocolate decadence.

A special thank you to Vicki Corson of Camaraderie Cellars in Port Angeles, Washington for her gracious hospitality and for introducing us to La Panzanella’s Chocolate Dolcetini. And of course to her husband Don for making and sharing his fine wines with all of us. I would strongly recommend that if you are a wine connoisseur, you pay a visit to the winery at your earliest opportunity. You can thank me later!

For additional information, visit https://camaraderiecellars.com

• 1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 c. powdered sugar, divided                    
• 6 T. unsweetened cocoa powder, divided (I use Ghirardelli premium cocoa)
• 1/8 tsp. espresso powder (I use Medaglia d’Oro)
• ½ tsp. fine grain sea salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• Mix the butter, ½ cup of the powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons of the cocoa, espresso powder, salt, and vanilla together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the flour and mix until the dough is thoroughly blended, but don’t over-mix. Place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.Using a small ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough on an ungreased baking sheet.

  Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 14-16 minutes, or until the cookies feel firm to the touch and slightly brown on the bottom. (Hard to see if they are brown on the bottom because they are dark brown already. But give it your best shot!) The main thing is not to under-bake.

  Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack; cool completely.

  Meanwhile whisk the remaining ½ cup powdered sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa powder together until no clumps remain. Place the mixture in a fine mesh strainer and shake over the tea cookies until they are well coated. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

               

I love shortbread cookies for oh so many reasons. They are stinkin’ easy to build, their taste is unrivalled, and they are super crunchy. Now I’ve always understood the part about how easy they are to prepare (so few ingredients), and why they taste so great (has something to do with the butter), but I’ve never completely understood why they are so wonderfully crunchy, and remain so even after several days. I reasoned that storing them in an airtight container was part of the equation, but I knew instinctively that there had to be another reason. So I went in search of an answer.

According to several sources, the tender, crumbly texture of shortbread is the result of the high ratio of flour to liquid. In this case the liquid contained within the butter and the extracts. Transversely brownies, for example, contain a lower proportion of flour to the amount of liquid or egg resulting in a cakey or chewy texture. Furthermore, even the type of sugar you use can have an impact on the final result. Brown sugar contains more moisture than granulated sugar. So if you use brown sugar, your brownies are going to be even more moist and chewy. Cool, huh! Anyway, back to this recipe.

Maple flavoring and pecans just seem to be meant for each other. So when I got a wild hair to prepare shortbread to take along to Winthrop for a visit with Mr. Cs sister Katie and husband Rick (and not coincidentally attend a couple of chamber music concerts), I decided to try out this fabulous combination in cookie form. And it worked! Lovely maple flavor, and delicious additional crunch and taste from the finely chopped pecans. A great, all around the clock cookie. Equally delectable served first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee, or last thing in the evening with a wee dram of Scotch. This is a husband, sister-in-law, brother-in law, and baker approved recipe. Enjoy!

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. maple extract (I use Cook’s Choice)
• ½ tsp. salt  
• 2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¾ c. finally chopped pecans 

With an electric mixer, beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, maple extract, and salt until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl combine the flour and chopped pecans. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, mixing just until a dough forms. With your hands, shape the dough into a long, thick, rope shape. Place on a long piece of plastic wrap. Again using your hands, wrap the dough into the plastic wrap gently shaping it into a round log with a 1½-inch circumference. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Unwrap log and using a thin serrated knife, slice dough a generous 3/8-inch thick. (If dough feels really hard, leave at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing). Arrange about 1-inch apart on baking sheets. (No need to grease the baking pan.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until lightly golden around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. (Do not under-bake.)

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.