Category: Cookies

Butter Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

butter cookies with chocolate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My grandmother used to buy tins of Royal Dansk Danish butter cookies, and their signature blue tin meant one thing to me as a child: the pretzel-shaped cookie sprinkled with enormous granules of sugar. It was my favorite, followed closely by the one with the tiny chocolate chips in it. This recipe reminds me a bit of the Royal Dansk cookies; it is simple, with few ingredients, and easily adapted into various shapes. Before today, I’ve baked these as twists and pretzels, both dipped in chocolate. Because chocolate makes everything better, especially sturdy butter cookies like these.

The chocolate drizzle is incredibly easy to make and convenient for both drizzling or dipping, depending on what you prefer. Next time, I might coat each cookie entirely in chocolate.

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

For the chocolate drizzle

  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon shortening

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and cream together until combined.

Add vanilla and egg white and mix until combined.

Add salt and one-half cup flour; mix until incorporated. Add remaining flour slowly, mixing until well incorporated.

Using a one-inch cookie scoop, scoop out dough and roll into balls. Place a few inches apart on prepared cookie sheets and flatted into discs using the bottom of a glass.

Bake for 14-16 minutes, until cookies are light golden brown.

Allow to cool completely before drizzling or dipping.

Once cookies are cool, combine chocolate chips and shortening in a small saucepan. Melt on low heat, stirring frequently.

Drizzle chocolate over cookies, or dip half of each cookie into chocolate and allow to set on waxed paper.

 

Molasses Applesauce Raisin Drops

raisin molasses drops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baked goods often employ interesting ingredients to yield certain textures, and this cookie calls upon applesauce to produce soft, chewy results. Mike requested these some time ago, and they involve many of his preferred ingredients, including raisins, molasses, and cinnamon.

Applesauce is usually used in baking to reduce the fat content in a recipe, but as this one contains a cup of butter, the purpose of applesauce here is more flavor- and texture-based. While cooking the applesauce, raisins, and lemon zest, keep a close eye on the mixture and don’t allow it to go above a simmer and stir it frequently to avoid burning. Be sure to use a very large mixing bowl, as this yields a large quantity of dough.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened applesauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 1/2 cups raisins
  • 3 3/4 cups flour
  • 2 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • generous 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons sugar, for shaping

Preparation

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine applesauce, raisins, and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat until mixture is thickened and raisins are reconstituted, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently and take care not to let the mixture burn; remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl to cool just slightly.

Add butter, brown sugar, and molasses to raisin mixture and stir until butter melts.

Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir to combine.

Add flour and stir until evenly incorporated.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared sheets, spacing about two to three inches apart.

Grease the bottom of a large drinking glass and dip in sugar, then press to flatten cookies.

Bake for 15 minutes, until edges are slightly darker than centers.

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

Butter Biscuits with Apricot Preserves

apricot jam biscuits 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some bakers are loyal to kitchen scales, relying on grams and ounces rather than tablespoons and cups. I’ve never used a kitchen scale, though one is certainly on my dream-kitchen-supply wish list. Today, one would have come in very handy, because I found this recipe on the BBC’s website, and its ingredient volumes were listed in grams and ounces.

Using an internet conversion program, I translated the ounces into more familiar measurements—several tablespoons here, a cup plus a few tablespoons there. This made me think about how the rest of the world uses the metric system and Americans don’t, but that’s another story for another day. This recipe turned out to be a very quick and easy way to use up the two egg yolks I didn’t need in this morning’s icing for my Easter sugar cut-outs.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plus 4-5 tablespoons flour
  • 7 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 14 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
  • 2 egg yolks
  • About 8 tablespoons apricot preserves

Preparations

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour and the powdered sugar.

Add butter and, using your hands, rub together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add egg yolks and stir with a fork to make a soft dough; add one tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough is firm enough to handle, but still very pliable.

On a lightly floured counter top, roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thickness.

Cut with desired cookie cutters (heart or flower shapes probably work best); cut a small hole in the center of half of the shapes for the top of the sandwich, through which the jam will show once the cookies are assembled.

Bake for about 14 minutes, until cookies are firm and just golden brown.

Cool completely on a wire rack.

Flip each whole cookie over and spread about one teaspoon of jam on each.

Top each cookie with a cut-out cookie to create the sandwich.

Hamantashen (Raspberry and Apricot)

hamantashen 2

 

 

 

 

 

Today marks the Jewish festival of Purim, as well as Mike’s 36th birthday, and I couldn’t let my Jewish husband’s birthday pass without baking this traditional Purim treat.

For our Purim celebration last year, I made poppy seed hamantashen, and that dough, while not as pliable as this recipe, stayed together much better during baking. Mike liked the taste of that dough better as well, so I think I’ll go back to my original recipe next time. It’s amazing how many recipes exist for the same treat; you can scour cookbooks, online recipe hubs, and blogs and probably find dozens of varieties. This is another thing that I love about baking; there are so many possibilities.

Ingredients

  • 1/3cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • About 3 tablespoons each raspberry jam and apricot preserves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream together sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice, egg, and vanilla.

Add cream cheese and beat until combined.

Add baking powder, salt, and flour; beat until the dough forms a ball.

Tape a sheet of parchment paper to your counter top and sprinkle very lightly with flour.

Turn dough out onto the parchment and roll to 1/8 inch thick.

Cut into circles and transfer to the baking sheet.

Place about 1/4 teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle—be careful not to over-fill.

Fold each circle into a triangle, sealing the edges well.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until edges are golden.

Cool on a wire rack.

Baltimore’s Best

baltimores

 

 

 

 

 

There are two conditions under which I, an avid Steeler fan, can cheer for the Baltimore Ravens: any time they play the New England Patriots, and when they play any team other than the Steelers in the playoffs. You may wonder how a Steeler fan could ever cheer for the Ravens, even one who attended college and lived for some time in the Great State of Maryland. There is a single driving force behind my ability to support our arch nemesis, and his name is Robb Mowery.

Robb is my cousin by marriage; he and my cousin Barb are parents to the adorable Maureen, my goddaughter (who, for her first Halloween, dressed as a Ravens cheerleader). Robb is one of my favorite people ever, even if he has sketchy taste in sports teams. He’s genuine, has a great sense of humor, and would do anything for his family. We enjoy taunting one another throughout football season, and today, I’m happy for him because the Ravens have made it to the Super Bowl for the second time. Robb is an extraordinarily devoted fan, so I hope that, for his sake, they win tonight.

The recipe below is an adaptation of the classic Berger cookie, a Baltimore favorite.

Ingredients

Rich Chocolate Icing

  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Cookies

  • 5 1/3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup milk

Preparation

Begin by making the icing, so it can cool to a warm room temperature as the cookies bake.

Place sifted powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate chips, corn syrup, vanilla, and heavy cream.

Heat until very hot and the cream begins to bubble; remove from heat and stir until smooth.

Pour mixture over powdered sugar and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the cookies.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, salt, vanilla, and baking powder.

Beat in sugar, followed by the egg.

Add flour and milk alternatively, starting and ending with the flour. Do not over-mix; the lowest mixer setting or a spoon work well.

Using a one-inch cookie scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 1/2 inches between each cookie. Lightly wet your fingers and press the cookies into circles.

Bake for 11 minutes, until bottoms are just brown. The tops should not have any color; these cookies are cake-like and should not be over-baked.

Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

When cookies are cool, gently beat the icing to restore a smooth, even texture. Dip the flat bottom of each cookie into the icing, swirling to generously coat. I admit that I dipped half of the cookies on the wrong side, but I’m sure they’ll taste just fine. Once dipped, top the cookies with the remainder of the icing – while it seems like a lot, that’s the point!

Allow icing to set and store cookies in a single layer.

 

 

Sand Tarts

sand tarts

In most cookbooks, you’ll find a recipe for pecan sandies, wedding cookies, tea cakes, or sand tarts. These treats are all similar, but can have subtle differences – some use pecans while others use walnuts, some are shaped into balls instead of crescents, and so forth. But the end result is usually an absolutely delicious, buttery, not-to-sweet treat that is sure to please.

These sand tarts actually remind me very much of one of my favorite cookies, the Russian Tea Cake, which Mike calls “nut bombs.” My mom famously tried to make them one Christmas when I was a kid and they turned out like rocks, so she called them “Christmas bombs.” Mine, I’m happy to say, turned out very well.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preparation

Preheat oven to 270 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add vanilla and beat to combine. With the mixer running on low, gradually add flour. Stir in pecans.

Using floured hands, shape dough into tablespoon-sized balls, then shape into crescents.

Bake for 40-45 minutes; remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes, then roll in powdered sugar.

Once cookies are completely cool, roll in powdered sugar again.

ANZAC Biscuits

anzac biscuits

 

 

 

 

 

Baking and history are two of my favorite things, so when I find a recipe with a great story behind it, I have to give it a try.

ANZAC biscuits originated in World War I, when the families of troops in the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) needed a sturdy treat that could make a successful trip from the kitchens of Sydney or Wellington to the Mediterranean, where ANZAC troops were stationed. This is a hearty cookie, and the finished product is definitely one that could stand up to the tests of shipping halfway around the world. I like to imagine the delight of the men who received packages from home, with letters from their wives and tins of these cookies to give them a smile and the smallest sense of normalcy amid chaos.

ANZAC biscuits are baked with Lyle’s Golden Syrup, which would have been a common pantry staple in the British Commonwealth during World War I. Scottish businessman Abram Lyle discovered that after sugar cane was refined it produced a syrup that could be further refined and used as a sweetener in cooking and baking. The syrup became wildly popular and by 1922 was even used by the British royal family. I bought my golden syrup at Soergel Orchards, but for those outside of the Pittsburgh area, it is also available online from King Arthur Flour.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons Lyle’s Golden Syrup
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 tablespoons boiling water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line three baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, and coconut.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and syrup together.

Place baking soda in a small glass measuring cup and carefully add the boiling water, one tablespoon at a time; stir to combine.

Add the baking soda water to the melted butter and syrup, stirring to combine.

Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine; you may need to use your hands to fully incorporate the ingredients.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets and flatten with your hand.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until cookies are golden brown and firm, but not hard.

Note: the dough begins to harden once the butter cools, so it is best to scoop and place on baking sheets immediately after mixing.

 

 

Almond Crinkles

almond crinkles

 

 

 

 

 

Almond paste and marzipan are both confections made of ground almonds and sugar, with some recipes including egg whites as a stabilizer. Throughout the world, almond paste and marzipan are interchangeable, but here in the US, they’re different products for different purposes.

According to American Almond Products Co., almond paste contains equal parts ground almonds and sugar. It is commonly used in fillings for tarts, pastries, and cakes and can be used to make marzipan, which has a higher sugar to ground almond ratio. The higher quantity of sugar in marzipan makes it more pliable and suitable for molding, which explains why cake decorators use it to fashion tiny fruits, vegetables, animals, and all manner of objects.

I had six ounces of almond paste left over from my Christmas baking and had to scour the internet to find a recipe that called for this amount, fortunately finding the simple cookie below. The end result is a buttery, almondy, sugar-type cookie that would welcome a drizzle of melted chocolate.

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 6 ounces almond paste
  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups flour

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line several baking sheets with foil or parchment.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening, almond paste, and sugar until very fluffy.

Add egg and beat until combined.

Add baking soda and flour, beating until combined.

Using a one-inch cookie scoop, scoop out dough and roll into balls. Place two inches apart on baking sheets.

Bake for 10-11 minutes, until tops are just golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack.

 

Gingerbread Cookies

gingerbread cookies

 

 

 

 

 

Gingerbread has a long history among religious men and women in Europe, but when the Brothers Grimm published Hansel and Gretel, spicy treat catapulted into mainstream German culture and folks began to decorate gingerbread houses like the one in the story. When German immigrants came to America, they brought this tradition, along with many other Christmas standards we now think of as American, right along with them.

This was the first time I’d ever made gingerbread cut-outs, and next year I hope to make a house with this recipe. It is sturdy enough to hold up, I think…but only time and royal icing will tell!

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1/3 cup sugar

For the glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons hot (just below boiling) water

Preparation

In a medium bowl, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, salt, and pepper; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, and molasses until fluffy, about three minutes.

Add flour in two batches, beating until well-combined.

Divide dough in half and flatten into discs (dough will be very sticky); refrigerate about one hour, until easy to handle.

Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes.

Bake for about 12 minutes; you do not want the gingerbread to burn, so keep an eye on it.

Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

If glazing:

Combine 1 cup powdered sugar and one tablespoon very hot water; gradually add more water, 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until icing can be piped through a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip.

Pipe as desired, or thin out icing further and drizzle.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

pb blossoms

 

 

 

 

 

My mom, Genny, made these cookies every Christmas when I was growing up. Her recipe involved a box of yellow cake mix, and I suspect that’s because she was a busy lady with a full-time job, two children, a million things to do at Christmas, and very little time for completely scratch-made treats.

Charlie Brown asked the immortal question “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is really all about?” and the ever-earnest Linus Van Pelt (who I suspect became a minister when he grew up) gave him a thoughtful answer in this clip. I think we’d all do well to remember, in this time of door-busters and inflatable snowmen and pop stars crooning about chestnuts and drummer boys and reindeer, what Christmas is really all about. So enjoy your friends and family. Bake some cookies (these ones, maybe?). Buy creative gifts from local merchants. Hang out in your pajamas. And take some time to reflect on what Christmas is really all about, and what it really means to you.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar, for rolling
  • 36 Hershey’s Kisses

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line several baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.

Unwrap 36 Kisses and set aside in a cool place, away from the heat of the oven so they don’t start to melt.

In a small bowl, measure out 1/4 cup sugar for rolling; set aside.

In another small bowl, measure out 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat shortening and peanut butter until smooth.

Add sugar mix and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add flour and beat until well-combined.

Using a one-inch cookie scoop, scoop out dough and roll into balls; roll balls in sugar and place two inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 10-11 minutes; remove from oven and immediately press one Kiss in the center of each, then transfer the entire baking sheet to a wire rack away from the oven to cool for about 5 minutes.

Remove cookies and cool completely on a wire rack.