Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are very cakey - and very good!  I made them with wheat flour and they were excellent - and I could pretend they were a little healthier.  :)  It's less noticeable if you use half and half wheat and regular flour.



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour  (or substitute with wheat and they'll still be awesome!)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. milk
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I didn't add)

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°.  In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.  In a bowl attached to your mixer, combine sugar, oil, and pumpkin.  Add egg.  Dissolve the baking soda in the milk and stir in.  Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

2.  Add vanilla, chocolate chips, and nuts.

3.  Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.  Move to a wire rack to cool.

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Source:  allrecipes.com  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies III

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these a few weeks ago and somehow they slipped through the cracks of blogging.   But here they are!  Honestly, when I started writing this post, it had been a few weeks since I'd made them... but I decided to make them again today.  Best decision of the day, for sure.

What's awesome about these cookies is how big and soft they are.  I've never made cookies this big before.  It's hard not to laugh as you're making these cookies a scant quarter cup each.  I think the day I made these I just wanted to make something sweet and just started searching on browneyedbaker.com.  When I found these I couldn't resist.  If you haven't yet found your perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, give this one a try.  These are certainly worth your time to make at least once if you're still on the market for the "perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe".

Oh, also, mine might be slightly larger than they're supposed to be.  The recipe from brown eyed baker is supposed to make 18.  But I found it's easier to put 8 giant cookies on my cookie sheets than 9, so I gave in and only made 16.

Also, I made these cookies without any measuring! ... almost.  The weights of the ingredients are included below and she strongly suggested using weight instead of measuring cups to make them.  So I did!  Until I came to the chocolate chips.  I ended up measuring only the last ingredient.  Oh well.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 18 cookies
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed (7 oz.) light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1.  Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower- middle positions.  Heat the oven to 325°.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  Measure and whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt together, in a medium bowl; set aside.

3.  Mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended.  Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined.  Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball.  Pull apart into two equal halves.  Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough's uneven surface.  Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until cookies are light golden brown and the outer edges start to harden, yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time.  Cool the cookies on the sheets.  Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a wide metal spatula.

Source: Browneyedbaker's blog, originally from Baking Illustrated, pg. 434

Chocolate Coffee and Cream Cookies

This recipe is from a Better Homes and Gardens "Favorite Bars and Cookies: 50 All-Time Best Recipes" booklet.  I was excited when my Mom gave it to me and decided that I should make cookies right away.  Mine are not nearly as pretty as the cookies pictured with the recipe.  It's not so easy to make half and half cookies look perfect!

I also decided to skip adding the nuts... and then completely forgot to add the chocolate chips.  I was a little frustrated.  I bought the really cute tiny chocolate chips just for these!  Anyway, the cookies were good without them, but I'd make with the chocolate chips and maybe the nuts next time.

I really liked these cookies and they got good reviews from friends and family.  The only thing is.... I like eating cookies and coffee.  But these are coffee cookies.  Makes me feel kinda weird drinking coffee with coffee flavored cookies!

Chocolate Coffee and Cream Cookies 
Makes about 48 cookies
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee crystals
• 3 tablespoons light cream or half-and-half
• 1 cup butter
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces

1. In a small bowl combine coffee crystals and 1 tablespoon of the light cream, stirring until coffee is dissolved.  Set aside

2. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping the side of the bowl occasionally.

3. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and the coffee mixture until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.

4.  Divide the dough in half.  Stir cocoa powder and the remaining light cream into one portion of dough; stir in nuts.  Stir chocolate pieces into the other portion of dough.

5.  Drop a scant teaspoon of each dough side by side onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Press dough pairs together.

6. Bake in a 375° oven for 8 to 9 minutes or just until set.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Source:  Better Homes and Gardens' Favorite Bars & Cookies: 50 All-Time Best Recipes, 2002 (Coffee-and-Cream Drops, p. 13)

Easter Sugar Cookies

We had tons of fun decorating these!  My artistic husband had fun helping me.

This was what we did on Good Friday.  They take the better part of a day because you need breaks for: cookie dough to refrigerate, cookies to cool, and to let the bottom layer of icing dry.  And I was a little bit stressed out about making the right amounts of each color of icing.  It worked out for us though.  We had almost exactly the right amount of each color.  You really only need a tiny bit of each color.  You kind of have to figure out ahead of time what colors you're going to use for what and map it all out so that you make enough of each.  For instance, we needed much more white than black because the white was the base of the bunnies and some of the eggs.  The black was only needed for eyes, whiskers, and mouths of bunnies, and then Nick made an awesome cow egg with the extra.

Making a smooth icing base on your cookies is not difficult, but like I said, it is a little time consuming.  Brown Eyed Baked has an awesome how-to that we used.  You can see it here.  We also used a sugar cookie recipe from her website.  If you're looking for a good sugar cookie recipe I would definitely recommend this one.  The cookies were soft and chewy - really good.

Outlining the cookies

Filling in the cookies.  I really like the ones with the pink background.

My favorite eggs

Bunnies

Happy Easter!!

Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Chewy Cookies and Cream Bars

Okay, another blog recommendation for you - check out Picky Palate.  She has a lot of great ideas and lots of pictures that make you want to eat EVERYTHING she makes!!

These were so simple.  They only have 3 ingredients, and take barely any time.  They got awesome reviews from our small group.  And to top it off... few ingredients = small mess!  Not that much to clean up.

I think the reason that they are so good is because they're different.  They're not your normal brownie, cookie, etc.

Without further ado...

Chewy Cookies and Cream Bars
1 16 oz. package of Oreos.
1 package of marshmallows (5 cups)
4 Tablespoons butter

Prepare an 8x8 or 9x9 pan by lining with foil.  Leave foil sticking up around the edges.
Put Oreos in a food processor and pulse until ground.  It helps to do it in a few groups so that they blend more evenly and you can keep bigger cookie pieces.  Melt marshmallows and butter in a large bowl in the microwave until puffed, 1 - 1 1/2 minutes.  Remove and pour in ground cookies.  Mix until well combined.  Transfer to pan and let them set for about 10 minutes.  Use foil to help you remove from pan and cut into pieces.


Source: Picky Palate

Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies

These cookies were so good that I found myself wanting to make another batch immediately after finishing them.  I somehow had self control and made it through the week without making more.  The problem - I'm still craving more!  And I have more cranberries and white chocolate, so it will probably happen soon.

If you haven't checked out Brown Eyed Baker's blog yet, go there now!  She has a huge variety of desserts and is one of the blogs that I check out anytime I'm looking for something to make.

Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies
(makes about 30 cookies, depending on size)

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.  Lightly grease 2 baking sheets (or line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

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

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.  Using a rubber spatula, stir in the oats, the white chocolate chips and the dried cranberries.

4.  Roll dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.  Flatten the tops slightly with your fingers.  Bake until cookies turn slightly golden, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack until completely cool.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.


Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

I was so excited for these!  So excited!  Well, for some reason I didn't realize that thumbprint cookies are shortbread.  Are they always shortbread?  Am I crazy because I thought I used to like thumbprints better?  And I mean, I made them, I should have known.  I think it even said somewhere on Brown eyed baker's blog, or on some other thumbprint recipe I was researching.  I just don't love shortbread.  Oh well.  Nick likes shortbread, he says they're really good.

This recipe is from brown eyed baker's blog and can be found here.  The chocolate inside is really yummy.  I did not have corn syrup for it though... so I google searched until I found a substitute I felt good about - which was 1 cup sugar and 1/4 water for each cup of corn syrup.  This replacement made it more of a glaze - still tastes fabulous - but doesn't look as pretty as in the pictures on BEB's blog, probably because hers is thicker.

Also, as you can see from the pictures, my cookies cracked a lot when I made the middle print in them.  Suggestions?  Was 10 minutes too long from them to cook before I did this?  Maybe I should print them before they're cooked at all?  Anyway, I used the back of a teaspoon to make the print.  I did a few with my thumb to see if it would crack less... but it was too hot, and didn't really make a difference.

I'm full of questions today.  Next one... is it okay to use salted butter and leave out the salt instead of using unsalted butter?  Because I did.  But I give you the unsalted recipe below.

Recipe: Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
• 1 stick of unsalted butter + 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 3/4 tsp. corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350°.  Beat together 1 stick butter and sugar.  Add salt and vanilla.  Beat on medium-high until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the flour, beginning on low and increase to medium-high.  Make your cookies the size of heaping teaspoons. Roll them into balls and place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and make an indentation with your thumb (or the back of a teaspoon or other round kitchen gadget).  Return to oven and bake 7-9 minutes more, until they are golden brown.  Move to a wire rack to cool.

Combine chocolate, 2 Tbsp. butter and corn syrup in a double boiler.  Stir until mixture is combined and smooth.  Allow to cool slightly.  Once cookies are cool fill them with the chocolate mixture.

Here's my process:

pre-baking

Here's where the problem comes in... look what happened when I made the prints.
They REALLY cracked.  Anyway, post baking.

Filled with yummy chocolate!

I told Nick that before posting this I needed to re-taste-test to see how I feel about them.  A day later I'm a little more forgiving of the cookies being shortbread because I just love the chocolate filling.

Marble cookies

Love these cookies.

Yesterday Kaitlin came over with her cute little nephew and we made cookies.  She brought a Mrs. Field's cookie cookbook, which I would recommend.  They had some awesome cookies...but being that we didn't pick a cookie ahead of time, we had to look for normal-ish cookies...cookies that we would already have all of the ingredients for.  We found these marble cookies, and just went for it.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl.

In mixing bowl cream sugar and butter together.  Add sour cream, egg, and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.  Add the flour mixture and mix on low.  Do not over mix!

In a double boiler melt the chocolate chips over hot, not boiling, water.  Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.  Fold into batter with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.  Do not mix chocolate completely into cookie dough.

Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet by tablespoons, about 2 inches apart.  Cook 23-25 minutes.  Do not brown.  Move to a wire rack to cool.

I think the reason I like these so much is because they are similar to chocolate chip cookies, but without the chunks.  I like that the chocolate is just mixed in instead.  

Melted Snowman cookies!

Okay, so I didn't make these...but they're SO cute.




Go to Carrie's Sweet Life blog here to see more!