What's Baking: Almond Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

No flour? No problem. You won't miss the wheat one bit in these
tasty gluten-free Almond Coconut Chocolate Chip cookies. 

I am a major fan of chocolate chip cookies. The other day a coworker and I were discussing our favorite cookie recipes and I mentioned that I rarely got the yield out of a recipe that it said it made. Like, if the recipe says it makes 48 cookies, I'll more likely only get 3/4 of that yield at best. That definitely couldn't be because I consume so much of the cookie dough while making said cookies, right? Nah. That couldn't be it.

I think one of the things that drew me to this recipe was that it was low-yield, meaning I wouldn't be as tempted to eat so much of the dough. The number of cookies you'll get out of this recipe will totally depend on how big your scoops of cookie dough are; I used a 1.5 tablespoon scoop and baked up about 14 cookies; I think the original recipe yielded about 20 cookies. Also, to make larger cookies, be sure to flatten your cookies quite a bit, otherwise they'll be a little rounder and smaller, as mine are.

Almond Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes 14 cookies

1 1/4 cups almond meal
1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, stir together the almond meal, chopped dark chocolate chips, shredded coconut, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg until uniform in color and doubled in volume.
3. Add the coconut oil and vanilla to the egg and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
4. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls (I used a 1.5 tablespoon scoop), then place on the baking sheet with about 1 1/2 inches of space between each ball. Press the dough balls down to flatten them. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 7-10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Store leftover cookies at room temperature in an airtight container.

(adapted from this recipe from Minimalist Baker)

What's Baking: Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies

Classic Mexican Wedding Cookies get a little chocolatey twist with the addition of cocoa powder. 

'Tis the season for cookies. Lots of cookies. Oy, so many cookies! I baked a couple of batches of cookies this past weekend to bring to a holiday get-together on Sunday night. Part of the festivities included a cookie exchange, and I'm sad to report that the panoply of cookies I brought home barely lasted 24 hours in our house. 

Mexican Wedding Cookies – also known as Russian Teacakes or Italian Wedding Cookies – have a distinctly nutty flavor due to the generous addition of nuts in the dough. (A shocking turn of events, I know.) My Mom's recipe uses walnuts, so that's how I make them, although finely chopped pecans or almonds would work just as well. For extra flavor, toast your chopped nuts before adding them to the dough.

The classic Mexican Wedding Cookie does not have cocoa powder in them, but I was feeling like these sweet cookies could use a little cocoa kick. The key to the appearance of these cookies is two dips in powdered sugar – roll them straight from the oven (once they're just cool enough to handle), and then after they've completely cooled, give them another roll in the powdered sugar to get a nice even coating.

Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies (printer-friendly version)

makes 2 dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks/16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cups whole walnuts, chopped fine

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, walnuts, and salt. 

5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in three batches, thoroughly mixing between additions.

6. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

7. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just set.

8. While warm, roll in powdered sugar. Let cool, then roll again in powdered sugar. 

9. After completely cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Variation: For regular Mexican Wedding Cookies, omit the cocoa powder and use 2 1/4 cups flour.

What's Baking: Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are a delicious treat perfect for sharing at a fall harvest get-together.

It's the first week of October (how is it already October?!) -- but the real question is, are we still into everything pumpkin spice, or are we already totally over it? Pumpkin spice has exploded over the past couple of years, and now you can even get pumpkin-spiced breakfast cereals? I'm not too sure about that.

It all started with the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte (or PSL, if you're cool like that). Truth be told, the one time I had a PSL when they first came out several years ago, I kind of hated it. And I haven't tried one since. However, one of our local coffeehouses makes a pumpkin pie latte (with real pumpkin puree, I believe), that actually is quite delicious, if you're into an early-morning sugar high. (Which let's face it, I kind of am.)

There's been all sorts of drama of late that the cans of pumpkin puree you buy in the store are actually not purely pumpkin, if pumpkin at all. Turns out that's actually not entirely the case. Libby's (the brand most consumers are familiar with) uses a specific strain of Dickinsons pumpkins called Libby's Select, which, though it might not look exactly like that jack o'lantern you're familiar with, it is a type of pumpkin. It is true that some brands use a variety of sweet squashes in their cans of pumpkin, as this is allowed by the FDA's labeling laws. But for the most part, there really is pumpkin in those cans.

But let me throw this out there: I actually prefer to use canned butternut squash puree when I make "pumpkin" pie as I think it lends a richer, more complex flavor to the pie.

But I digress. Let's talk about cookies! I'm hopping on the pumpkin spice bandwagon with these pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies. The traditional cinnamon-sugar flavor of a snickerdoodle gets a little extra spice with the addition of allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. This cookie is almost cake-like in consistency with a tender crumb and gently-spiced pumpkin flavor.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles (printer-friendly version)
makes two dozen cookies

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and allowed to cool
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or use 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Stir in the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
4. In a small shallow bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Scoop the dough into 1" balls and dunk each ball into the sugar-spice mixture to evenly coat. Transfer the balls to the prepped baking sheet and set 3" apart. Use a spatula to flatten each ball into a 1/2" thick circle.
5. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and firm to the touch. Let cool on the baking sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

(adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)

What's Baking: Tahini Cookies

Take your cookie craving to the Mediterranean with these tantalizing tahini cookies. 

I've been making a lot of hummus from scratch lately, which means that I almost always have a jar of tahini in the fridge. And that got me to wondering ... what else can I make with tahini?

Tahini is a staple of the Mediterranean pantry – it is a paste made from sesame seeds and has a slightly bitter nutty flavor. It gives these cookies a flavor similar to that of peanut butter cookies, but with a little extra something at the end that make your tastebuds go "hmmm...what is that?" – in a good way. I found that the delicate floral flavor of cardamom in the sugar mixture helped to balance out the slightly bitter notes of the tahini. 

If you find the tahini flavor in the cookies to be a bit too overwhelming, wait a day or two. I found that after a couple of days in the cookie jar, the flavor of these cookies mellows out and makes for an excellent mid-afternoon snack. Or second breakfast with a cup of coffee. Or after-dinner dessert. You get the picture.

Tahini Cookies

makes 2 dozen 3-inch cookies

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

3 tablespoons cup coarse-grain sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

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

2. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attached, cream together the butter, tahini, and brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix until completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides as needed to fully incorporate all of the wet ingredients together.

3. Using low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in several batches. Once the flour is almost completely incorporated, turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula for the final stirring. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or until the dough has begun to firm up. 

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Place the sugar and cardamom in a shallow bowl and stir together. 

5. Scoop the dough in 1 1/2 tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the sugar mixture to lightly coat. Place the dough balls on the prepped baking sheet about 2 inches apart, fitting 12 cookies at a time. Use the back of a fork to flatten each cookie 1/2-inch thick with a criss-cross pattern.

6. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are light golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before moving the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

(lightly adapted from this recipe from The Kitchn)

What's Baking: Florentines

Last week, after a long hiatus, my Book Club reconvened. Although, we call it "Fight Club," because we're edgy like that. "The first rule of Book Club is: You do not talk about Book Club."

We're not sticklers for actually reading the book selections (although of course it is highly recommended), but if you do come to book club, the only rule (well, aside from that First Rule), is that you can't be mad about spoilers. Fair enough.

This month's selection was Heat by Bill Buford, a book with the tagline "An amateur's adventures as kitchen slave, line cook, pasta-maker, and apprentice to a Dante-quoting butcher in Tuscany."

Truth be told, I started to read the book last year (way before it was a Book Club selection) and, for whatever reason, never quite made it to the end. (And I should have, as it's a great tale about the author's times working in the kitchen of Mario Batali's Babbo restaurant in New York City and travel to Italy to learn to make handmade pasta and how to properly butcher meat.) So, I totally cheated and listened to the audiobook. And the abridged audio book at that (5 hrs versus 12 hrs was a no-brainer, plus the abridged version was read by the author.) 

Inspired by Buford's trips to Italy, I decided to bake up a batch of florentine cookies to share at Book Club. (Our host made Love Letters ravioli and maple and mascarpone cheesecakes from Batali's Babbo cookbook, both of which were amazing.) 

These elegant florentine cookies are delicious. I think they work nicely both as-is and with a coating of semisweet chocolate on the bottom. (Truthfully, I found the slathering of melted chocolate on super-delicate cookies a bit, er, tedious. There may have been a few broken cookies involved. So, be careful! and patient! when you get to that step.)

Florentines (printer-friendly version)

makes 30 cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour (or all-purpose gluten-free flour)

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 cup almond flour (made from blanched almonds)

2 tablespoons organic 1% milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon finely grated blood orange zest

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add in the sugar, flour, and salt and whisk to combine. Continue whisking until the butter fully incorporates into the batter, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the almond flour and milk, and continue to cook until smooth and slightly thickened.

3. Remove the sauce pot from the heat and stir in the almond extract and orange zest. Let the batter cool for 10 minutes.

4. Drop the batter in rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepped baking sheet, leaving about three inches between cookies. (I cooked 6 cookies per batch.)

5. Bake the cookies for 5-7 minutes (rotating the baking sheet half-way through), or until the cookies turn golden brown around the edges. 

6. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet until they set, about 3 minutes. Use a thin spatula to carefully remove the cookies from the baking sheet and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter.

7. After the cookies have completely cooled, use an offset spatula to spread a layer of melted chocolate on the bottom of each cookie. (Be careful! And patient! The cookies are very delicate.) Let sit or refrigerate until the chocolate has completely set. The cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. 

(lightly adapted from this love and olive oil recipe)

What's Baking: Valentine's Day Spritz Cookies

I typically break out my cookie gun over the winter holidays and then promptly forget about it until I pull the box out of my pantry and blow the dust off the top the next time December rolls around.

But, given that one of the cookie shapes is a heart, that seems awful silly, doesn't it?

So, I reached back into the depths of my pantry (don't get D started on my interesting organizational scheme...) and pulled the box out from the back corner to make these (easy! simple!) Valentine's Day spritz cookies.

The secret to cookie gunning (is that a term?) is to go slow and don't get too trigger happy. And, if the dough comes out in a weird clump, just toss the dough back in the bowl and keep going. I usually press out three or four misshapen cookie blobs before I get in the groove.

While you can always decorate these cookies with sprinkles before popping them in the oven, this time I chose to get a little fancy by dipping the cookies in a little melted semi-sweet chocolate. Because just about anything is made better with a little chocolate, right? Right after dipping each cookie, I sprinkled on little decorative hearts or red, white, and pink nonpareils. Or you could just dip 'em in the chocolate and call it a day. (And thus avoid covering your kitchen floor in bouncing nonpareils. Not that I have any experience in that or anything.)

So, whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or the following day's 75-percent-off-Valentine's-candy Day, I hope it's a good one!

Valentine's Day Spritz Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes 50+ cookies

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
sprinkles for decorating

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
3. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at high speed until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the egg. In several batches, stir in the flour mixture at low speed, until just combined.
4. Fill a cookie gun with the dough, choosing the heart-shaped disk to make heart-shaped cookies. (Or choose whatever shape your heart desires.)
5. Press the cookies out onto the prepped baking sheet. You can place them pretty close to each other; they won't spread much at all. Bake for 9-12 minutes. or until just set and slightly golden on the bottom. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Line your work surface with parchment paper. Dip each cookie into the chocolate and set on the parchment paper. Decorate with sprinkles before the chocolate sets and then let cool until the chocolate has set. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to three days.

(adapted from this Giada De Laurentiis recipe)

What's Baking: Meyer Lemon Cookies

I am still on a Meyer lemon kick ... i.e., I still have a couple of Meyer lemons hanging out on my countertop begging to be used.

So, of course, cookies it is! Though when I look out the window, the scene is covered with snow, all I have to do is take a bite of one of these cookies and I'm transported immediately to Spring. The fresh lemon taste, accented with the floral notes of cardamom and the gentle spice of a pinch of black pepper, makes these cookies a perfect accompaniment to that second cup of morning coffee or a steaming mug of afternoon tea. Or, well, yeah, they work as a sweet snack at any time of the day, too.

Meyer Lemon Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes 20 cookies

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh Meyer lemon zest (from ~ one lemon)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice (~ one lemon)
1/4 cup powdered sugar

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground cardamom, and black pepper. Set aside.
2. Add the brown and granulated sugars and lemon zest to the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir together for about 1 minute to help release the oils in the zest. Add the softened butter and beat until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
3. One at a time, beat in the vanilla extract, egg, and lemon juice, beating thoroughly between additions to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.
4. Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls (a small (1 tablespoon) scoop is helpful here) and roll in the powdered sugar. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.
5. Bake in the oven for 9-11 minutes, or until golden on the bottom and the top has just set. Let cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then remove to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

(lightly adapted from this White on Rice Couple recipe)

What's Baking: Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

Christmas might be over ... but holiday cookie season isn't done yet, right? Meh, whatever, it's always cookie season.

D's favorite cookies are Peanut Butter Blossoms, but he's eating healthier and part of his regimen precludes eating refined flours. So, a quick Internet search led me to these flourless (and thus gluten-free!) peanut butter blossoms. Without the flour, these cookies are super-peanutty, which I think makes them even better than the original. 

The recipe I worked from said it made 36 cookies, but I'm calling shenanigans on that yield, as I only got 18 cookies out of the dough. (And I swear I didn't eat that much cookie dough!) But, personally, I like a smaller yield of cookies, as that means I don't have to feel too bad when they quickly disappear from the kitchen. :)

Gluten-free Peanut Butter Blossoms (printer-friendly version)

makes 18 cookies

1 cup all-natural creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 egg

1/3 cup additional granulated sugar for rolling

18 milk chocolate Hershey's kisses

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.

3. Stir in the egg until well-combined.

4. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar, then place on the prepped baking sheet.

5. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie and return to the oven for 2 more minutes. 

6. Carefully removed the cookies from the cookie sheet (they will be quite crumbly just out of the oven) and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

(adapted from this Hershey's recipe)

What's Baking: Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's that time of year again! Today I am featuring the cookies I baked for the 2015 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. This event, which is in its fifth year, brings together food bloggers from around the world with one mission -- to swap delicious cookies. This year, the swap again partnered with Cookies for Kids' Cancer to raise money for pediatric cancer research. Additional partners included Dixie Crystals, OXO, and Land O'Lakes.

Each participant was matched with the names and addresses of three other food bloggers. Our instructions were to send each of our matches a dozen cookies; in return we'd receive a dozen cookies from three different bloggers too. I received tasty sugar cookies from Ashley of Couture Palate, yummy gingerbread shortbread cookies from Faye of Live Bake Love, and delicious peanut chocolate chip cookies from Karla of Forty Cakes.

My three batches of cookies went to Jenn of Not Starving Yet, Shana of Shana Was Here, and Tracy from Pale Yellow. Like last year, I again had a hard time deciding what cookies to bake for this year's swap. I initially planned to make chocolate-dipped walnut butter cookies (which I posted about last year), but I was worried that they wouldn't ship well. (Spoiler alert, they ended up shipping just fine.)

So, at the last minute (which required a late-night trip to buy more butter at the store, whoops), I decided to make orange chocolate chip cookies instead. And then ... my final cookie count was four less than the total of 36 I needed to send. So each of my recipients ended up with nine orange chocolate chip cookies and three of the chocolate-dipped walnut butter cookies.

This recipe uses orange extract, which gives the cookies a super-orangey flavor. You can sub in orange juice, but the end product won't be quite as citrusy. And don't skimp on the fresh orange zest! In addition to its lovely flavor, the zest also provides a little orange-flecked goodness to the appearance of the cookie.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies (printer-friendly version)

makes about 3 dozen

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup unsalted butter (1 stick softened, 1 stick browned)

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange extract

2 eggs

1 tablespoon fresh orange zest

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

2. Add one stick of butter to a small sauce pot and heat over medium heat. Continue heating as the butter melts, foams, then turns clear and golden. Gently swirl the pot on the burner as the butter continues to cook. When brown bits begin to form on the bottom of the pot and a nutty aroma arises, remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the brown butter into a bowl (being sure to scrape all the brown bits out of the pot). Let cool for 10 minutes before using.

3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened stick of butter and sugars. Stir in the vanilla and orange extract. Briskly stir in the brown butter until completely incorporated. Add in the eggs one at a time, stirring between additions. Then stir in the orange zest.

4. In three batches, stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Then stir in the chocolate chips. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 48 hours. (If you chill the dough for more than 30 minutes, let it sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before scooping and baking.)

5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scoop the dough in 1 1/2 tablespoon portions onto a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 9-12 minutes, or until barely set and light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

What's Baking: Chocolate-Dipped Walnut Butter Cookies

So, in case you were wondering ... dropping the lid to your 6 3/4-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven on your toe is not a good idea. I learned this firsthand last Thursday night when I broke the tip of my toe after dropping the lid onto it from a height of about three feet. And how did this happen, you might ask? Well, perhaps I was pulling the (quite heavy) dish out of the corner of the pantry with just one hand, while my other hand was preoccupied with holding one of these cookies.

Long story short, let's just say it's a good thing it isn't flip-flop season. And, um, does anyone know if they make Lee press-on toenails? (Are Lee press-on nails even still a thing?) Also, I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to talk about toenails (or the lack thereof) on a food blog. But sometimes I'm a maverick like that. Who doesn't love a little real talk now and again? I will, however, do you the favor of not showing you a photo of the aftermath. Because, let's face it, no one wants to see that. Not even me.

In the end, should I have put down that cookie and grabbed the dish with both hands? Umm, probably. But it was a really good cookie.

These cookies remind me of the boxes of cookies my New Yorker grandparents would bring from an Italian bakery in their Jackson Heights neighborhood when they would come to visit. You know, the kind that are packaged in a big white square box tied with red-and-white baker's twine?

I always went for the ones with chocolate or nuts or sprinkles first – okay, that's basically all of them. These rich butter cookies have a tender crunch and delicious nutty flavor. And a dip in chocolate and additional sprinkle of chopped walnuts takes these cookies (and your tastebuds) over the moon.

Chocolate-Dipped Walnut Butter Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes about 3 dozen

For the cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (1 stick melted, 1 stick softened)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

For the decoration:
8 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour mixture at low speed, then stir in walnuts.
3. Form 2 teaspoons of dough into an egglike shape, forming a ridge down the middle with your thumbs. Arrange the dough1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in batches in the middle of the oven until undersides are light brown, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
4. To decorate the cookies: Dip half of each cookie in melted chocolate and then sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place on a piece of wax paper to set, about 15 minutes.

(lightly adapted from this Gourmet magazine recipe)

What's Baking: Citrus Sugar Cookies with a White Chocolate Drizzle

While we haven't been bombarded with snow like the East Coast has, the temperatures have definitely swooped way below zero of late. My one ray of sunshine in this wintry tundra landscape has been an endless intake of citrus fruits.

And, while, of course you could just drink freshly-squeezed orange juice or peel and eat an orange whole, I have chosen to instead incorporate fresh orange zest and orange juice into a sugar cookie. How's that sugar detox going, you might ask? Let's not talk about it -- and eat these delicious orange-flavored sugar cookies instead. :)

Citrus Sugar Cookies with a White Chocolate Drizzle (printer-friendly version)
makes 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on cookie cutter size

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh orange juice
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/3 cup white chocolate chips or wafers, for melting

1. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then beat in the vanilla extract, almond extract, orange zest, and orange juice. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in several small batches while stirring at low speed. Continue stirring until all of the flour is nearly incorporated. Then stir by hand to completely incorporate the flour.
3. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Pat one of the portions into a circle, then roll flat (1/4" or 1/8" thick) between two sheets of parchment paper. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
4. Refrigerate the rolled-out dough for at least one hour. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to five days.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into different shapes. Place the cut-out dough onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or a silpat.
6. Bake for 8-15 minutes (depending on cookie thickness). Remove the cookies from the oven once the edges are set and just beginning to turn gold in color. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.
7. After the cookies have cooled, melt the white chocolate (I used the microwave), and then drizzle over top the cookies. (I like to use a squeeze bottle, a fork would work, too.)

What's Baking: Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Back in the day, cut-out sugar cookies were one of my favorite cookies to make. Aside from choosing which cookie cutter to use next, my favorite part of the cut-out cookie process was decorating the cookies before they went into the oven. In my mind, the more sprinkles, the more festive the cookies. Needless to say, I may have gone a little overboard with the decorations.

However, once they were out of the oven, although the cookies always looked delicious, they weren't really all that tasty. Enter in this cut-out sugar cookie recipe from The Kitchn. It's touted as the end-all, be-all cut-out sugar cookie recipe, and by gosh, I think they might be right! This is no bland sugar cookie my friends. Its flavor is a delicious melding of vanilla, almond, and lemon. Oof! So good! So deserving of all these exclamation points!

This past weekend I made a full batch that I shared with friends during a night of square dancing (as one does in the Northwoods), and today I made a second batch to send out to a few folks on my Santa list. This recipe is easily halved (use one whole egg; halve all the rest of the ingredients) and the cookies taste delicious decorated solely with sprinkles or with a little icing (and, um, a ton of sprinkles) on top. 

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on cookie cutter size

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then beat in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in several small batches while stirring at low speed. Continue stirring until all of the flour is nearly incorporated. Then stir by hand to completely incorporate the flour.
3. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Pat one of the portions into a circle, then roll flat (1/4" or 1/8" thick) between two sheets of parchment paper. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
4. Refrigerate the rolled-out dough for at least one hour. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to five days.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into different shapes. Place the cut-out dough onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or a silpat.
6. Bake for 8-15 minutes (depending on cookie thickness). Remove the cookies from the oven once the edges are set and just beginning to turn gold in color. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Ice the cookies (see recipe below) once the cookies are completely cool.

(from this recipe from The Kitchn)

Sugar Cookie Icing

For the border icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 – 2 1/2 tablespoons milk (I used 2 percent)

For the flood icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 – 3 tablespoons milk (I used 2 percent)

1. To make the border icing, stir together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl. The mixture should be fairly thick. Carefully pour and/or spoon the icing into a squeeze bottle. Set aside.
2. To make the flood icing, stir together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a second bowl. The mixture should be fairly thin. Carefully pour the icing into a second squeeze bottle. Set aside.
3. Use the border icing to trace the outline of each cookie. Allow the border icing to set slightly. Then fill in the interior with the flood icing, using the nose of the bottle to move the icing into the corners and edges.
4. The cookies should be allowed to dry for several hours before packing in an airtight container.

(from this recipe from The Kitchn)

What's Baking: Peanut Butter Blossoms

Every Christmas, I bake up dozens of cookies. Most are given away to family and friends, but the ones that rarely leave our house are D's favorite peanut butter blossoms. I've made peanut butter blossoms before, but this time around I tried out a new recipe from America's Test Kitchen. This recipe includes ground peanuts in the dry ingredients, adding an additional roasted peanut flavor to the cookies.

I halved the original recipe, as I really don't need four dozen cookies lying around the house. (The original recipe states that it makes 96 cookies, but I'm calling shenanigans on that, as a halved recipe made 24 cookies, and my cookies were definitely already on the small side.)

Peanut Butter Blossoms (printer-friendly version)
makes 24 cookies

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup dry-roasted salted peanuts
1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons/1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
24 Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses (from one 1-pound bag), wrappers removed

1. Add 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup peanuts to the bowl of a food processor and process until ground, about 15 one-second pulses. Add the peanut-flour mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the remaining flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the peanut butter and beat until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
3. Reduce the speed to low and add in the flour mixture in two batches. Stir to combine.
4. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
6. Roll the dough into one-inch balls and set two inches apart on the prepped baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 9-10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through the cooking period.
7. Remove the cookies from the oven and quickly press a chocolate candy into the center of each cookie. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown.
8. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before placing the cookies on a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

(adapted from this America's Test Kitchen recipe)

What's Baking: Samoa Cookie Bars

When I traveled down to Chicago last weekend, I of course could not arrive empty-handed. So, the night before I left (and before I started packing, albeit for me, that's usually a 10-minutes-before-departure activity) I headed into the kitchen to bake up a treat.

I'm not sure exactly how I settled on making samoa bars -- although it was probably a Pinterest-related decision. I knew I wanted to make some sort of cookie bar, as they are typically much easier to deal with than baking individual cookies. I'm not really a crazy samoa Girl Scout cookie fan (if I had to choose, I'm more of a thin mint kind of girl), but I do like the combination of toasted coconut, chocolate, and caramel. Since I had all of the ingredients on hand, samoa cookie bars seemed like the right way to go.

And, oh man, it's kind of dumb how delicious these bars are. They are perfect for sharing with friends (or eating in the car on a five-hour road trip...), and really are a breeze to make.

Samoa Cookie Bars (printer-friendly version)
makes 32 bars

For the bars:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the topping:
2 cups coconut flakes (sweetened or unsweetened)
10-12 ounces chewy caramels, unwrapped (or you could use 1-2 cups of homemade caramel sauce)
3 tablespoons low-fat organic milk
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6-8 ounces dark chocolate melting wafers (you could also use bittersweet chocolate chips)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet or 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
4. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. The dough will have a crumbly texture.
5. Turn the dough out onto the baking sheet or baking dish. Use your fingers or a rubber spatula to spread the dough into an even layer. (If using a baking sheet, the dough will likely not fill the sheet completely; form the dough into a roughly rectangular shape about 1/2" thick.)
6. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the dough is set and golden-brown in color. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
7. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Spread the coconut flakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
8. Place the dark chocolate melting wafers (or chocolate chips) in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave in 30-45 second increments until melted. Stir until smooth. Carefully flip the cookie crust over and "paint" the melted chocolate onto the cookie with a pastry brush. Once evenly coated, place the cookie crust in the freezer for 10 minutes to help the chocolate to set.
9. Place the caramels, milk, and salt into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until completely melted. Stir until smooth. Fold in the toasted coconut.
Dollop the coconut mixture on top of the cookies. Use an offset spatula to spread the coconut mixture evenly over top the cookie layer. Drizzle with the remaining melted chocolate.
10. Place in the refrigerator to set, then cut into bars with a sharp knife. The cookie bars can be refrigerated or frozen, or kept at room temperature in an airtight container.

(adapted from this Baking Bites recipe)

What's Baking: Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Did you know that tomorrow (May 15) is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day? Did you even know that there was such a thing as National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day? Yeah, me neither, but, hey, as it turns out, I do love chocolate chip cookies. And if celebrating this culinary holiday means I have to bake up a batch of chocolate chip cookies, well, so be it.

I recently came across this recipe for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies developed by America's Test Kitchen, and I swear, if I didn't know that they were gluten-free, I wouldn't believe you if you told me they were. They are that good. Seriously.

More chocolate chip cookie recipes (gluten-licious) to try:

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coconut Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles
Coconutty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes about three dozen cookies

1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons organic skim milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour mix, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Whisk in the egg, milk, and vanilla and continue stirring until thoroughly combined.
3. Use a rubber spatula to stir in the flour mixture. Continue stirring until a soft (slightly sticky) dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Use a scoop or two spoons to place 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon rounds of dough on the prepped baking sheet about two inches apart. Bake in the oven for 11-13 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half-way through the cooking period. Remove from the oven once the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the centers are still soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Store any cookies in an airtight container at room temperature; cookies are best eaten with a couple of days of baking.

(adapted from this America's Test Kitchen recipe)

What's Baking: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I keep meaning to make healthier recipes, but then I wake up in the morning and find out it's -15 degrees out (yet again), and all I want is a plate of warm chocolatey carbs. The best I can do at this point is to at least halve the cookie recipe I make so that my waistline stands half a chance of making it through the winter unscathed. (Although, let's face it, given the cold temps of late, I'm glad I have that extra layer of fat to keep me warm...)

But, let's switch the focus to the cookies and not my current body measurements, shall we? These cookies are perfectly chewy and get a nice little flavor enhancement from the addition of a bit of flaky sea salt after coming out of the oven. Now, if I could only keep myself from eating the whole batch in one sitting. (Who am I kidding; even the cookie dough doesn't stand a chance...)

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies (if you don't eat a ton of cookie dough...)

1 cup + 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (about 6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
flaky sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
4. Add the dry ingredients in small portions to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine between additions.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
6. Use a spoon or small scoop to drop cookie dough in rounded portions onto a nonstick baking sheet. Set each cookie about two inches apart.
7. Bake for 9-13 minutes, or until cookies have set on top and are slightly browned around the edges.
8. Remove the cookies from baking sheet, garnish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and place on wire rack to cool.

(adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)