Coconut Macaroons

Happy Friday! I find myself pee-deep in potty training. With bathroom breaks every 15 minutes, I have made sure to have some quick recipes handy for the much needed nap-time breaks. One of my favorite cookies by far is the coconut macaroon. They are so incredibly delicious. This recipe has few ingredients: coconut, sugar, egg whites, and extracts. That's it. If you can turn on a stove, you can make these wonderful cookies. So now, instead of grimacing as I clean up yet another pee spot, I stick one of these in my mouth. I call it a wonderful trade-off - it's all about perspective after all! 


I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup (5 large) egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
10 oz sweetened coconut flakes 
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt


Directions
In a heavy saucepan combine egg whites, sugar and coconut flakes and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until all the ingredients combine together, about 12-15 minutes. The mixture should be sticky and moist, not dry. 


Remove from heat and stir in the almond and vanilla extracts. Set aside on a dish and let it cool in the refrigerator about 30 minutes.


Preheat the oven to 300°. Using a tablespoon, scoop tightly packed tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet covered with a silpat or parchment paper.


Source: SkinnyTaste

Red's Ultimate M&M Cookie

The road to hell is paved with the best of intentions. When I made these cookies, I had every intention of giving them away. Due to circumstances that were out of my control, it ended up not happening. What to do with two dozen cookies and a diet that I'm sticking to? I thought of my students and the cookie walk fundraiser that they will have while I am in Indy for work. 

These cookies are really the ultimate deal - and everything that some M&M cookies that I have tried in the past try to replicate. What else would you expect from Red? He's the man...candy-wise, of course. That commercial with Ms. Brown and Red dancing to I'm Sexy and I Know It is priceless. 



Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 12-ounce package M&Ms Milk Chocolate Candies
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)


Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. 


In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into butter/sugar mixture. Stir in M&Ms Milk Chocolate Candies and nuts, if desired. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. 


Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute and place on wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container. 


Source: M&Ms Recipes and Ideas

Peanut Butter Cookies

I grew up absolutely loving Full House. Actually...I loved Uncle Jesse. It was right around that critical time of dating for me that he went from being a womanizing rebel to falling in love, getting married, and having a family. Confession: Turning into a famiy man made him all that much hotter. When making these cookies, I thought of the episode where Michelle wants to buy her lunch from school but can't because her Dad "makes her peanut butter smile."


I think I have unintentionally made peanut butter a star this week. First with my peanut butter banana quesadillas , now with a wonderful cookie that uses honey instead of sugar. Again, I'm not a fan of plain old peanut butter, but turned into a cookie and watch out. I hope you enjoy this sweet treat and have a wonderful weekend! 


Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup ground peanuts


Directions
Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl, set aside. Beat the applesauce, juice, honey, and peanut butter until smooth. Add the flour mixture and blend until just mixed. Stir in the peanuts. 


Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. 


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat. Roll dough out on a floured work surface to 1/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or cutting dough into toast shaped pieces, place on cookie sheets 1 inch apart and bake for 15 to 17 minutes until edge are golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool. 


Once cool, spread jam or peanut butter on cookies. Place 4 tablespoons of cream cheese in a pastry bag (I cut the tip of a sandwich bag) and pipe the mouth and eyes. 


Source: Crazy About Cookies

Brown Sugar Sandwich Cookies

Not too long ago, I faced my fear of baking multi-step cupcakes for a birthday celebration at work. Multi-step cookies are on the same page in my book. I can make chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles like it's my job. Throw a few more steps and make it more complicated - my confidence flees as well. I guess that's progress though?


As I'm becoming more confident in the kitchen, I notice that I can handle kitchen adversity surprisingly well. Take these cookies for instance. When I read whole wheat pastry flour, I thought of the whole wheat flour that I had in my pantry. I set about making the recipe but something did not seem right. It was gritty, grainy, and similar to something that I might find in DJ's sandbox at school. Frustrated but not defeated, I tried again. This time, with regular flour with a wonderful result that reminded me of my favorite store-bought cookies, Milanos. I have adapted the recipe slightly to reflect the different variety of flour. 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

scant 1 teaspoon salt

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup good-quality brown sugar / natural cane sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon big flaky sea salt (optional)

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)

6-7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 - racks in the top 1/3 of the oven.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside. In a separate bowl, either by hand or with an electric mixer, beat the butter until it is fluffy and creamy. Add the sugar and mix some more, scraping the sides of the bowl once along the way. Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla extract, scraping the sides again if needed.

Being careful not to over-mix, stir in the flour mixture by hand. If the dough is on the dry side stir in the milk as well. Turn the dough out onto the counter-top, kneed it once or twice (just so it comes together) to form one large ball.

Cut the dough into four quarters and shape each piece into a ball. Flatten each of the four balls into 1/2-inch thick pancakes, and wrap each piece individually in plastic before chilling in the refrigerator for at least a half an hour.

Roll out the dough thin as can be on a lightly floured surface - wafer thin, about 1/8-inch, and stamp out using the cookie cutter. Arrange cookies 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets before sprinkling with a small pinch of salt and sugar. Bake for about seven minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet or until the cookie edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack.

When ready to assemble the cookies, place the chocolate in a double boiler (or a bowl placed over a bit of simmering water) to melt. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of melted chocolate onto the center of the flat side of one cookie. Top with another cookie - matching flat side to flat side. Repeat with the remaining cookies, setting them aside to let the chocolate set.

Source: 101cookbooks.com

Healthy Cookies...with Chocolate!

Santa, you are a glutton. You consume mass quantities of cookies one day each year, and then spend the rest of the year trying to get yourself back into shape. I prefer to space out my consumption of cookies and use healthier ingredients. That said, my beloved chocolate chip cookie recipe becomes a special treat...normally I'd cry (not kidding),  but I found these amazing cookies. They are delicious. And all natural. And addictive. And gone. Really gone. Didn't even make it from the silpat to cookie jar kind of gone. If you're trying to eat better or be more mindful of the ingredients you're using, try this cookie recipe. Just trust me. And come back and tell me that you've made them and now find every excuse - cleaning! - to walk into the kitchen and snag a couple of these babies. 

Ingredients

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup almond meal (think almonds pulsed in blender until crumbs)

1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.

In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and olive oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop dough, about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.

Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. 

Source: adapted from 101cookbooks.com

Chocolate Wafer Cookies

Aw, look at this sad, lonely cookie. It is so alone. But that's a good thing - a very good thing. If it is the only cookie left in my household, that means that this is a winner of a cookie recipe because that cookie tray was definitely full. 

If you're a nut-person and like them in your baked goods, feel free to add a cup of chopped nuts to the batter and adorn the top of this delicious cookie with one too. 

So, with that - cookie season is a game on. Happy baking all!


Ingredients 

Two eggs
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecan nuts (or peanuts, if preferred) - I didn't add these.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


Beat eggs well. Gradually beat in sugar and cocoa until mixed. Fold in flour and salt sifted, tablespoonful at a time. Add nuts, if using. Drop by teaspoonful on silpat or greased cookie sheet. If using nuts, place a half nut on top of each. 


Bake in a moderate oven 15 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack immediately after taking from the oven.


Source: Homemade Dessert Recipes

In The Kitchen With Ria

She was being so dainty taking the cookies off the tray.

To get ready for DJ's third birthday party, my sister Maria came over to help me in the kitchen. I am so excited that my sister has caught the baking and cooking bug. It gives us something to bond over other than beer or $4.99 chicken teriyaki from the mall. 



That's my sister, always the kidder.


Ria came over to help bake 18 dozen of various types of cookies. Her favorite of the night? Thick, chewy chocolate chip. Of the two dozen that were made, a few short of a dozen remained after that night. I have to say, they are my favorite cookie too. The recipe is my ideal chocolate chip cookie, which I found on one of my favorite food blogs, Annie's Eats. I have made these so many times, I don't even need to look at the recipe anymore. My favorite part of this cookie definitely has to be the perfect balance of dough and chocolate chips that result in a bit of chocolate in every bite. My picky grandmother, who doesn't eat anything, ate about half the tray yesterday. 

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

12 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions.  Preheat oven 325°.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.  With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined.  Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll a scant half-cup of dough into a ball.  Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves.  Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.  Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes).  Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Source: Annie's Eats, adapted from Blonde Ambition in the Kitchen, originally from Baking Illustrated