Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I may still be suffering from holiday treat overload, but my family hinted that they would enjoy some cookies, and my husband asked specifically for oatmeal chocolate chip.   I made a batch of these and using my New Years will power, only ate one!  Everything is fine in moderation, right?  

The title of the recipe pretty much says it all: these are chocolate chip cookies with a little oatmeal, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.  I didn't even bother dirtying the stand mixer, because these are so easy to mix together by hand.

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 12 oz bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F

Beat the butter with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy.

Add both sugars and beat until homogeneous.

Stir in vanilla and egg and mix well.

Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and give the bowl a few good stirs. 

Add the oats and chocolate chips, and mix until well-distributed.

Bake on silpat-lined baking sheets until just set and browning on the edges, about 10-12 minutes.

Let cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks

Matteson Squares

Here it is: the holy grail of Christmas cookies.  Fudgy brownies topped with a layer of mint buttercream and a hard chocolate shell on top.

For as long as I can remember, these have been everyone's favorite.  When my mom's family gets together, these cookies are in high demand and we almost always devour them within minutes of the tray being set out.

I'm sure our family isn't the only one to make these, but the recipe I use is written in my grandmother's handwriting on an index card titled "Matteson Squares" (her maiden name).  I always make some with red food coloring and some with green (although in our family, green is more traditional).  Don't be deterred by the unsweetened chocolate in the topping.  It is a perfect counterpoint to the sweet, creamy mint frosting. 

Merry Christmas!

makes 1 13x9 pan

Brownie layer:

4 oz unsweetened chocolate

2 sticks butter (1 cup)

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup flour

pinch salt

Melt together the chocolate and butter.  Set aside to cool.

Beat the eggs and sugar together.  Add the flour and salt, stir, and then add the chocolate.  

Pour into a greased 13 x 9 pan (I line the bottom with parchment too), and bake for about 20 minutes at 350 F.

Remove pan from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Mint layer:

3 cups powdered sugar

6 tbsp soft butter

4 tbsp milk

1 tsp mint extract

a few drops of food coloring

Beat in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy.  Spread on cooled brownies and chill.

Chocolate layer:

4 oz unsweetened chocolate

2 tbsp butter

Melt together chocolate and butter.  Pour over mint layer and spread to distribute evenly.  Chill until firm.

Before cutting into squares, bring the pan to room temperature so chocolate doesn't shatter.

Pumpkin-White Chocolate Blondies

Yesterday was, for no good reason, a stressful day.  I have those sometimes, where nothing goes wrong and yet I feel anxious all day.  The prescription for days like that? Baking and a run.  It works every time!

I came home from student teaching, needing to get into the kitchen but unsure of what I wanted to bake.  Remembering the can of pumpkin and bag of white chocolate chips in one of my drawers, I did a little Google searching and found this fantastic recipe.  I adore the combination of pumpkin and white chocolate, and the added pumpkin pie spice makes this, I think, my favorite pumpkin recipe so far this fall! (Of course, I've probably said that about every pumpkin recipe I've made...)

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into squares.

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are perfect for the days that are getting shorter, when Thanksgiving is not too far off.  A little break from pumpkin, but still festive.  Of course I would also make them throughout the year, but cranberry is reminiscent of the holiday season.  

Cranberry and white chocolate contrast each other so perfectly - white chocolate is smooth and sweet, while dried cranberries are chewy and more tart.  Put them together in an oatmeal cookie and you have yourself one enjoyable cookie!

(adapted from RecipeZaar)

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with silpats

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter with the sugars until fluffy.

Add egg and vanilla and mix well.

Stir in oats, flour mixture, white chocolate, and cranberries and mix until combined.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake for about 10 minutes, until just beginning to get a little color.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I did not feel great after work today, so when there was a knock on my door not long after coming home, I didn't really want to deal with it. However, when I saw that it was my baking buddy from down the hall, I had to answer the door.
"Hi! So, my friend is kind of being a jerk right now. Can we bake something?"
I hestitated for a moment; my head was pounding and my unfolded laundry was screaming at me from the couch.
"Of COURSE! I have to warn you though, I'm out of chocolate chips," I told him.
"That's ok! Remember those REALLY good peanut butter cookies you made that one time? I was thinking we could make those." That was like 4 months ago...steel trap memory, that one has. And actually, I'm thinking he might be telepathic, because I had some leftover peanut butter frosting in the fridge I wasn't totally sure what to do with...these cookies would be perfect.
So, we baked. And he is quite the baker. Ever so carefully measuring out all the ingredients, he spilled a little baking soda and apologized profusely. 
In addition to having impeccable manners, the kid is quite the story-teller. I heard all about Halloweens past, his spoiled friend with the half-pipe in the backyard, and rockets he made out of soda bottles.

The cookies turned out great, and he even got to master a new skill: piping frosting out of a bag.  As the cookies came out of the oven, my headache was gone and I was in much better spirits.  Thanks, baking buddy!

(adapted from Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Book Ever)

Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup quick oats

1 cup light brown sugar

1 stick butter, softened

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and oats in a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy.

Beat in vanilla and egg, then stir in dry ingredients until just combined.

Roll about 2 tsp of dough into a ball, then flatten and press onto a Silpat-lined baking sheet.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes (closer to 8 for softer cookies, closer to 12 for crisper cookies).

Cool on a wire rack.

Filling

You could use any peanut butter frosting...or this (but you will likely have some left over)

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 tbsp half and half

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat all ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth.

When cookies are cool, pipe or spread frosting on one and press another on top to make a sandwich.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Blondies

My friend Jessica turned 30 this weekend, and we drove up to Santa Cruz for the day to hang out on the beach and celebrate.  I wanted to bring some sort of dessert that would travel well, and unfortunately I don't have any boxes to put cakes in (a serious problem that needs to be remedied!)  I was browsing some blogs when I came across these at Smitten Kitchen. I immediately knew they were the perfect option, #1 because who doesn't like chocolate and peanut butter? and #2 I could decorate them and not worry about frosting sliding around or melting off or somehow getting ruined over the course of the 2 1/2 hour drive.

So I made them, unfortunately slightly over-baked them, and people still loved them.  That thick layer of chocolate ganache really made up for my inability to set a timer.  I used a little peanut butter frosting to decorate. 

(Adapted from Gourmet, October 2007, seen at Smitten Kitchen)

Makes 32 small blondies
For blondies
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt, see note

For ganache
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Make blondies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan.
Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, then add peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour until just combined.
Mix in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) then spread batter in baking pan, smoothing top. (It will be thick, almost like cookie batter.)
Bake until blondies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center come out with some crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes.
Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make ganache: Put chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl.
Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute.
Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms.
Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

Cappuccino Cheesecake Brownies

Cappuccino cheesecake swirled with an incredibly rich brownie studded with chocolate chips? How could you say no?  These are phenomenally good brownies.  I will be making them again and again.  My husband and I ate a LOT of them in an embarassingly short period of time...and I'm not even going to feel guilty about it!

(adapted from Bakingblonde's Weblog )

Brownies
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup unsifted flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Line 8×8 pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.
In bowl, stir together the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add butter.
Sift Cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into egg mixture.
Stir in chips.
Spread 2/3 of the brownie batter into the pan, then top with cheesecake layer:

Cheesecake layer:
7 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp instant espresso powder
1 tsp pure Vanilla
1 egg

In bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla beat until smooth. Add egg and beat just until combined.
Pour over the brownie batter, then put the remaining batter on top of the cheesecake layer and swirl together.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Halloween Sugar Cookies

Yes, Mike is doing situps with a pumpkin. He has decided this is how he is going to counteract all the Halloween baking I've been doing (that, and running 4 miles a day).  I think it's a pretty brilliant plan.  

So...my most recent Halloween Baking?  Sugar Cookies! Decorated with Royal Icing!  My neighbor Brigitte and I had a lot of fun decorating these bats, pumpkins, and ghosts.  She's WAY more creative than I am...I absolutely love her pumpkin with the spider on it!

I didn't use my typical sugar cookie recipe for these.  I wanted to try the version in How to Be a Domestic Goddess instead.  I liked them, but they overbake really easily, so make sure you take them out of the oven before they have any brown on them at all!  Royal icing is great for decorating, because it hardens completely.  I like to pipe an outline around the shape, then thin it out and spread the thinned icing inside the outline so it looks smooth.

Sugar Cookies

(from How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson)

3/4 cup softened butter

3/4 cup suar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 2/3 cup flour, plus more if needed

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale, then beat in eggs and vanilla.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter and eggs and mix gently.

If the dough seems too sticky to be rolled out, add a little more flour.

Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, and refrigerate for one hour.

Sprinkle you work surface with flour, then roll out dough to about 1/4" thick.

Cut with cookie cutters and place the cookies on lined baking sheets.

Bake for 8-12 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

Royal icing

(from Joy of Baking)

2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp meringue powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 cup warm water
gel food coloring

Stir together the meringue powder and powdered sugar.

Add the water and vanilla extract and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes). 

If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water. 

Mix in gel coloring as desired
The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

We had some friends over to carve pumpkins, and of course I just had to make some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for the occasion.  The problem was, I didn't have a recipe.  I checked out Annie's blog, because she always has such fantastic recipes. I found this one, took out the raisins and nuts and replaced them with chocolate chips, opted not to do the glaze (because I didn't have the time and it just seemed like overkill with chocolate), and changed up some of the spices. 

The verdict:
"So soft and fluffy!" says Meghan. "This cookie makes me wish pumpkin could be used year-round." (I think it should be!)
"Mmmmmmmm" says Brigitte.
Simon says "this is delicious."
Ian declares "I love these cookies!"
"They're damn good!" says Dana. "They taste like pumpkin!"
And my husband is speechless.

So there you go... pumpkin carvers agree - you gotta have these cookies!
And for the record I will make the original recipe from Annie's blog soon because it looks amazing!
(adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Williams Sonoma)

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup), softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a fork. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed for about 1 minute.
Add the sugars and mix on medium until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin and mix until incorporated.
Stir in the flour mixture, and mix on low until the flour disappears.
Add the chocolate chips, mixing on low until they are evenly distributed.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a Silpat lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until set.
Cool on a wire rack.

Apple Spice Bars with Caramel Glaze

I just discovered tonight there is an apple tree in the yard.  It was a very fortunate discovery, because about halfway through the recipe, I realized it called for an apple, which I didn't have.  But the tree, it turns out, has REALLY good apples.  They are small, but perfectly sweet, tart, and crisp all at the same time.

I only meant to eat one of these for dessert but I ended up eating...a lot more than that.  If you are looking for a great Fall recipe, but want a break from pumpkin, this is the recipe for you!

(from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan)

Bars - 

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp dark rum

1 baking apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

1/2 cup raisins

Glaze - 

2 1/2 tbsp heavy cream

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 1/2 tbsp butter

1 tsp light corn syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Place parchment paper in the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan, then butter the parchment and pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low.

Add the brown sugar and whisk until well blended.

Remove from heat and whisk in the eggs, one at a time.

Then, whisk in the applesauce, vanilla, and rum, mixing until smooth.

Fold in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula, then gently stir in the apple and raisins.

Pour into the pan, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Put the pan on a wire rack and make the glaze.

In a small saucepan, whisk togeter the cream, sugar, butter, and corn syrup.

Put over medium heat and boil for about five minutes, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat, add vanilla, and stir well.

Turn the bars out onto a rack, remove the paper, and invert onto another rack so they are right side up.

Put the parchment under the rack to catch drips, and spread the glaze evenly over the bars.

Pistachio Macaroons

This recipe caught my eye as I was flipping through "How to be a Domestic Goddess," a fantastic baking book by Nigella Lawson.  They are fancier than the drop cookies I usually make and the flavor is great in the cookies alone, and even more so in the filling.

I made miniature ones, about one inch across, and I think I over-baked them.  I also had a slight problem with the eggs whites losing volume as I folded in the pistachio-powdered sugar mixture, so I might try adding a pinch of cream of tartar next time.

Regardless of my small setbacks, I definitely recommend these cookies!

macaroons:

1/3 cup pistachios

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 large egg whites

1 tbsp sugar

buttercream:

1/4 cup pistachios

1 2/3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup softened butter

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grind pistachios in a food processor with the powdered sugar until fine as dust.

Whisk the egg whites until fairly stiff, sprinkle the sugar over, and whisk until very stiff. 

Fold the whites into the pistachio-sugar dust, and combine gently.

Pipe small rounds onto a lined baking sheet using a pastry bag with a plain 1/2" nozzle.

Let them sit 10 minutes to form a skin, then bake for about 10 minutes.  They should be set but not dried out.

Remove from the oven and let cool on their sheets.

For filling:

Grind nuts and powdered sugar in the processor as before, then cream the butter and continue creaming as you add the nut dust.  Make sure you have a well-combined soft buttercream.

Then just sandwich the filling between two cookies.

Marble Cookies

These are marble cookies, and they are pretty tasty, but that's not why I'm posting them. 

Today during dinner there was a knock at the door.  I opened it to find my 9-year-old neighbor (the one who loves cookies, mentioned here.)

"Um hi. I just really feel like baking something. Do you want to bake something?" he inquired.

"I ALWAYS want to bake something!  Can I come get you when we are done with dinner?" I asked.  

He nodded with a grin, and 15 minutes later we were flipping through the Mrs. Fields Cookie Book.  (I've noticed that he is partial to cookbooks with pictures.  I offered him "Baking from my Home to Yours," but with only 6 or so cookies with photos, he was uninterested.)

When he came across marble cookies, he was sold.  I got out the ingredients and measuring spoons and cups, and he did all the work (except cracking the egg -- "Trust me, you don't want me to try...it always explodes all over the place," he warned.)

He manned the KitchenAid, measured the vanilla ("I should probably do this over the sink"), and even marbled the melted chocolate in expertly.  When it came time to scoop the cookies onto the cookie sheets, he graciously offered to clean the spoons.  "Actually I just want to lick the dough off them."  You can't blame the kid for being honest!

I was utterly impressed with the results, and he was extremely pleased with himself as well.  For any kids in your life that are interested in baking, I can say, this recipe is a great way for them to get their feet wet!

Marbles

(adapted from Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Book Ever)

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 stick softened butter

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 F

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt and mix well with a fork.  

Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment.  Cream on medium for a few minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl

Add egg, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat for an additional minute. Scrape down the bowl.

Add the flour mixture and mix on low just until combined.  Don't overmix!

Pour the chocolate over the cookie bater.  Using a rubber spatula, lightly fold it into the dough but do not mix it in completely

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto Silpat-lined cookie sheets.  

Bake for about 12 minutes, then remove and cool on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Twice-Dipped Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

I have a 9-year-old neighbor who loves cookies.  A few weeks ago, I let him borrow my Mrs. Fields Cookie Book so he could make a list of all the cookies he wanted me to bake.  (I am always happy to have excuses to bake more!)  These were on that list, and I must say, the kid is good at picking recipes!

The chocolate shortbread is rich and soft, and the two flavors of ganache that adorn the cookie are not only visually striking, but delicious as well.  I will definitely be making these again!

(adapted from Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Book Ever)

Chocolate shortbread

3 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

pinch salt

2 tsp cocoa powder

Ganache

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2-4 tbsp evaporated milk (or half and half)

For the cookies:

Cream the butter in a stand mixer, then beat in the melted and cooled chocolate

Stir in the vanilla, then the flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.

Mix on medium until the dough comes together and the flour disappears.

Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk.

Wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes, or until a small piece of dough can be rolled into a ball.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpats.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and shape into 1" balls.  

With the tines of a fork dipped in water, press gently on each cookie to form ridges.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until just set.  Remove and cool on the cookie sheets.

For the ganache:

In a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water, melt the white chocolate chips and stir in 1-2 tbsp evaporated milk, until the chocolate is thinned enough to spread easily.

Using a small rubber spatula, spread some ganache over the end of each cookie, then replace on the baking sheet to set.  

Once all of the cookies have white ganache, wash out the bowl and melt the semisweet chocolate chips over simmering water, stirring in 1-2 tbsp evaporated milk.

With a small rubber spatula, spread the semisweet ganache on the opposite end of each cookie, then leave to set.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These simple cookies combine basic peanut-butter cookie dough (normally baked with fork marks on top) with a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  The result is a rich, soft and chewy cookie that goes exceptionally well with a glass of milk.  If possible, eat them when they are still warm from the oven.  However, they will keep well in a sealed container for a few days.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies, but the recipe is easily doubled.

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 12-oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Mix the butter and both sugars together in a stand mixer on medium until fluffy.  Mix in the peanut butter.

Stir in the vanilla and egg, and mix on low until combined.

Add the flour mixture, and mix on low just until all the flour is no longer visible.  

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by large spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake 8-10 minutes, or until just set.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then eat or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Snickerdoodles

When I think of Snickerdoodles, I tend to think of large, chewy sugar cookies with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar on top.  These are nothing like those, and I might even be tempted to change the name of these to "cinnamon doughnut cookies."  These bite-sized delights are reminiscent of doughnut-holes, with the slight crunch of cinnamon sugar on the outside and a hint of nutmeg inside.  Resist the temptation to try them straight from the oven; their texture and flavor greatly improve as they cool.  

[from How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson]

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350

Line two cookie sheets with a Silpat or parchment

Combine the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside

Beat the butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light yellow and fluffy, 2-3 minutes

Beat in the egg and vanilla

Stir in the flour mixture and mix until combined and smooth

Combine the 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon in a pie pan

To form the cookies: roll a small piece of dough between your palms to make a 3/4" ball, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on a cookie sheet

Bake for about 12 minutes, then cool on a wire rack

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Growing up, I learned to bake cookies from "Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Book Ever."  I'm convinced there is no better source for cookie recipes anywhere.  

I've been working my way through the book for years...trying new recipes and remaking old favorites.  Lately, I've taken to showing it to my neighbors and having them pick out recipes they want me to make.

These are really rich, but will satisfy a chocolate and peanut butter craving like nothing else! I cut the recipe from the book in half, and it still makes about 30 cookies.

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

6 tbsp brown sugar

6 tbsp white sugar

1 stick (4 oz) butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup milk chocolate chips

salted peanuts (about 90)

Preheat the oven to 325

Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars together.  

Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.  

Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and add to the butter mixture.  

Stir just until the flour disappears, then stir in the milk chocolate chips.  With a rubber spatula, mix in the melted chocolate until the dough looks marbled.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet, then press three peanuts into the top of each cookie.

Bake about 12 minutes, until the dough is just set (they will seem a little under-done but will firm up as they cool).  If you over-bake them, the texture will be crumblier.

Cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve with a tall, cold glass of milk!

Chocolate-Flecked Meringue Kisses

This afternoon, I had every intention of making a strawberry tart.  I separated some eggs for the pastry cream and got started on it... completely ignoring the fact that when the recipe calls for whole milk, it means whole milk and skim will NOT work.  I ended up with a gummy mess that had unappetizing lumps (note to self:  look closely at fractions!  1/2 of a cup of cornstarch is not going to make pretty pastry cream when the recipe really says 1/3). Plus, I decided I would rather just enjoy my strawberries in their natural state.

However, with that disaster in the garbage can I remembered I had six egg whites just begging to be made into meringues.  I also had a killer chocolate craving, so I decided to make some chocolate meringues.

This recipe makes a lot - probably 50-60 meringues, but is easily halved.  You could also substitute some chopped nuts for the chocolate.  I would have included a teaspoon of vanilla extract, but I used the last of it in the pastry cream fiasco.

Recipe adapted from  "Joy of Cooking"

6 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 250.

Mix together the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on low for about a minute.  Turn the speed up to medium high and pour in the sugar.  Beat on high until stiff peaks form, then carefully fold in the chocolate.

Pipe through a large star pastry tip onto silpat or parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake for about 40 minutes.  Then, turn off the oven and open the door a crack, with the cookies still inside.  This will dry them out and make them nice and crunchy. When cool, remove from the oven.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This was the first cookie recipe I ever memorized, and I have made hundreds of batches of these.  They are everything I love about cookies...crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and full of chocolate.  I have made variations using oatmeal or nuts or adding some cocoa powder and white chocolate chips, but I like them best just the way they are, hot from the oven.

The recipe came from a cookbook put together by our neighbor's real estate office over a decade ago.   

7 ounces butter butter (I always use salted), softened (1 and 3/4 sticks)

2/3 cup brown sugar (I use whatever I have on hand, either dark or light, or a mixture)

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 12 oz bag semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350

Cream the butter and add sugar, beating until well-mixed.  Add the egg and vanilla, and mix for about 30 seconds.  

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda with a fork.  Add to the butter mixture and stir gently until flour just disappears.  Add chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment or Silpat-lined cookie sheets and bake 8-10 minutes, until just beginning to brown on the edges.