Vanilla Sugar Cookies

vanillasugarcookiesHere’s a classic: the sugar cookie. But not one of those way-too-sweet, only-take-a-few-bites sugar cookies you can find at almost any bakery. These (admittedly enormous, at four inches wide) sugar cookies have nutmeg and vanilla bean paste in them, which means they’re just delicious without being too sugary and have a more mellow flavor. These treats also have great texture, with a crispy edge and soft middle.

One caveat: be careful not to overbake these. Pull them from the oven when the middles are still puffy and look just a bit underdone but the edges are golden, as they’ll continue to bake while they cool.

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons butter, slightly softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar for coating

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for about 1 minute; add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and egg and beat until well combined. Add flour and beat to combine.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, scoop dough, roll into balls, and dip in sugar to coat completely.

Place cookies at least 2 inches apart on baking sheets; they will spread some when baking. I put 6 cookies per sheet, and that worked well.

Bake for 10 minutes, until edges are barely beginning to brown and centers still look puffy. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes 22 four-inch cookies; you can use a one-inch cookie scoop if you’d like smaller treats and a bigger batch.

Raspberry Truffle Brownies

raspberrytrufflebrowniesIf dark chocolate and intense flavors are your thing, these treats are for you. They really do taste like truffles, which I’ve only made once because they’re incredibly messy. And not unlike those little high-end confections, these brownies are best consumed in just a few bites; a little goes a very, very long way.

The original recipe comes from the King Arthur Baking Essential Cookie Cookbook and included raspberry extract in both the brownies and glaze, but I didn’t have any so I left it out. They’re still delicious, though.

Ingredients

For the brownies

  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup Dutch-process (aka Hershey’s Special Dark) cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup flour

For the glaze

  • 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 baking tin with foil and spray lightly with baking spray. Sprinkle the bottom with sugar; this is my tip for a slightly crunchy bottom crust that adds a nice texture to otherwise soft treats like brownies.

In a large pot, melt butter over low heat. Stir in sugar and continue heating for another minute while stirring, until the mixture is just hot. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder, then whisk in eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in flour, then spread evenly in prepared pan.

Bake for 28-30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze, combine raspberry jam, semisweet chocolate, light corn syrup, and butter in a medium saucepan on low heat; stir until melted and smooth. Spread over brownies; allow to set before cutting. Makes 24.

Dolci di Noci (Walnut Cookies)

dolcidinociDespite not being Italian, I always end up baking Italian treats at Easter. So here we are with some dolci di noci, walnut cookies made with just three basic ingredients. They’re easy to make, and also gluten-free if that’s your thing.

There are various recipes online for this treat with varying quantities of sugar, but all you need for these are walnuts, sugar, and an egg. No need for a mixer either – just a food processor (or blender) and a bowl. I wonder how you say “easy” in Italian.

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups walnuts
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine walnuts and sugar in your food processor; pulse until fine, like sand. Pour into a bowl and add egg, then mix to form a paste. Divide into four equal portions and roll into 9-inch logs, then cut each log into 6 pieces. Place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 11-13 minutes, until the edges are just brown and cookies are set. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 24.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

oatmeal reeses barsWant to make a cookie or bar look like it does in a cookbook? Reserve some of your add-ins, like chocolate chips and Reese’s Pieces in these oatmeal bars, and sprinkle them on the top so they’re not all hidden inside the dough. As they bake, they’ll settle in.

These bars are on their way to North Carolina for my nephew Roman for Easter, and they’re pretty sturdy (strange way to describe a treat, perhaps?) so they should hold up well. The dough is quite thick, so you actually need to mix the chocolate chips and Reese’s into it with your hands – a spoon will absolutely not do it. The basic recipe can be tweaked to include butterscotch chips, cinnamon chips, or whatever other candy/toppings you like. I actually feel like these bars would be great warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on them. So much for Lent, eh?

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3 cups oats (old-fashioned or quick-cooking; I used quick-cooking)
  • 3/4 cup Reese’s Pieces
  • 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking tin with baking spray.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat, then mix in flour and oats. Add Reese’s Pieces and chocolate chips, then mix with your hands to fully combine; if you prefer, leave a few tablespoons of your pieces and chips out to sprinkle on the top.

Press dough into prepared baking pan and bake for 25-28 minutes, until top is light golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center  comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in the pan, then cut into bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature. If shipping, pack between layers of waxed paper. Makes 24.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies

pbtoffeeoatmealcookiesOatmeal is good for you. Probably less so when blended with flour and sugar and turned into a cookie that also happens to include toffee bits (read: little nuggets of brown sugar and butter cooked beyond the stage of caramel or butterscotch), but let’s not get too technical.

This recipe comes from The Cafe Sucre Farine, another baking blogger I found on Pinterest. I used my stand mixer for this, but if you’ve softened your butter enough so that you can blend it by hand, go for it. I altered the recipe slightly to include just a half-cup of peanut butter and an 8-ounce bag of toffee bits; the end result is delicious twist on a classic oatmeal cookie. I’m curious to see what this recipe would be like with chocolate-covered toffee bits, so stay tuned.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned (rolled) oats
  • 8-ounce bag plain toffee bits (I use Heath Bits O’Brickle)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

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

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugars and beat to combine, then add eggs and vanilla and beat to fully incorporate. Add flour mixture and beat to combine, then stir in oats and toffee bits.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, drop scoops of dough onto the baking sheets, leaving a few inches between; I baked 8 cookies at a time first, then 6 cookies at a time; I think the smaller batches turned out better and browned more evenly. Bake for 13 – 17 minutes, until edges are set but centers still look puffy and a bit wet. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Makes 40.

Sparkling St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookies

sparkingstpatrickscookiesThis weekend I stood in the baking aisle of my local craft store, staring at the “sorry, we’re out” tag hanging from the rod where the green sanding sugar should have been. To the left were dinosaur sprinkles; to the right, some type of “cactus mix.” And while I’d love to bake with dino and cactus sprinkles someday, I really needed plain old green sanding sugar for my sparkling shamrock cut-outs. To the grocery store I went, only to meet the same fate.

And so I returned home, consulted the internet, and made my own colored sugar. You could probably use regular granulated sugar, but I used the larger crystals known as sanding sugar that you can get at baking supply and craft stores. I had a bottle of white, so I placed about a half-cup in a glass container, added a few drops of green gel food coloring, and shook the container until all the granules were coated. I’m very pleased with how it turned out; the light shade of the shamrocks goes well with the gold coins, all of which are on their way to my favorite young ladies in Maryland, Mo and Margo.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla
  • Green and yellow sanding sugar

Preparation

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add vanilla and about half the flour mixture, beating until combined; beat in remaining flour. If necessary, add 1-2 teaspoons of water for a less crumbly dough; you’ll need a more pliable dough to roll and cut later.

Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until just barely firm, about 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper, then place green sanding sugar on a plate; place yellow on another.

Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into shamrock shapes, then press the tops of each cookie into the green sugar to coat. Repeat with a small round cutter for coins and press into the yellow sugar. Place on baking sheets about 1-2 inches apart – they don’t spread much when baking, but you don’t want to crowd your baking sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheets for 2-3 minutes before carefully transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days; if shipping, pack between layers of waxed paper. Makes about 3 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Apple Cider Donut Cake

apple cider donut cakePinterest is the ultimate rabbit hole for me, taking me down winding paths of cookies, pies, cakes, and all manner of treats. Some recipes turn out well while others leave a lot to be desired, and I’m happy to say that this apple cider donut cake from Broma Bakery is one that turned out very well.

The flavor profile is absolutely delicious; apple and cinnamon, with a hint of nutmeg. I added nutmeg to my sugar coating as well for an extra kick, because it’s one of my favorite spices. While coating the cake is a messy business, it’s well worth the trouble. Alternatively, you could just whip up a cider glaze for an easier option. As you can see in the photo below, even Tucker was interested. Much to his chagrin, he didn’t get a slice.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 2 3/4 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 2/3 cup applesauce
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 12 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature

For the coating

  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour a standard 10-cup Bundt pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; set aside. In a medium glass measuring cup, combine applesauce and apple cider; set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle (or whisk, as the original recipe is written) attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs and mix to combine. Add flour mixture and applesauce mixture in three batches alternatively, mixing to just combine between each.

Pour batter into Bundt pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for about 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

While the cake is still warm, brush it with melted butter. Stir together coating ingredients of sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and sprinkle over the top, then press into the sides of the cake. This is a bit messy, but it’s worth it. Serve warm or allow to cool and serve at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Makes about 16 servings.

tucker with donut cakeAt left, Tucker lingers in the kitchen hoping for a taste of what to him looks like one giant donut. His begging endeavors proved unsuccessful. 

Applesauce Raisin Cookies

applesauce raisin cookiesMike worked from home last week, so when I sought out something to bake, he requested “some kind of applesauce cookie.” At first I planned to just make an old reliable oatmeal applesauce cookie, but instead I searched Pinterest and found a recipe at Savory Experiments that I adapted to include golden raisins, as Mike is a raisin fan.

This recipe yields a very tender, cake-like cookie that you could certainly leave plain, but I decided to jazz up with an apple cider drizzle icing. The original recipe called for a melted white chocolate drizzle, which you could certainly do if you’re a white chocolate fan (I’m not). The cookies look incredibly homemade regardless, but they definitely look better with a drizzle on them. My un-drizzled cookies reminded me a bit of rocks – definitely not appetizing!

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 2 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2/3 cup applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins

For the drizzle

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons apple cider

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and applesauce and mix to combine; stir in flour until just combined, then fold in raisins.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, drop scoops of dough onto prepared baking sheets and flatten slightly with your hand. Bake for 10 – 14 minutes, until edges are set and bottoms are just brown; cookies will puff up when baking, so you want to ensure they have enough time to fully bake inside. Remove from oven and remove to a wire rack to cool.

To make drizzle, combine powdered sugar and enough cider to make a drizzly consistency; drizzle over cookies. Allow to set before storing in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper. Cookies can sit at room temperature for 3-4 days. Makes 24.

Cinnamon Crisp Coffee Cake

cinnamoncrispcoffeecakeEvery year, King Arthur Baking – one of my favorite product makers and recipe sources – publishes their “recipe of the year.” For 2023, it’s this cinnamon crisp coffee cake, an aromatic creation that I already plan to tweak.

No offense to the fine folks at KAB; they are genius bakers and know far more about baking than I ever will. But the recipe includes a cocoa-cinnamon filling, and for me, it was an odd combination. Next time, I think I’d like to use some nutmeg, or maybe some orange zest. But that’s the beauty of baking – once you find a good base recipe, you can tweak it however you like to get the flavors you want.

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon*
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

For the crumb topping

  • 1 cup flour
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon*
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake

  • 2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk

For the glaze

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 2-3 teaspoons water

*If using regular cinnamon, increase quantity to 1 tablespoon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking tin with parchment paper, extending over the sides.

Make your filling layer: Combine sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder and set aside.

Make your crumb topping: Combine flour, sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cubed butter and vanilla and rub in with your fingers until no dry spots remain; you should have irregular crumbs varying in size.

Make your batter: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add butter and mix on low speed until sandy, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and eggs until no dry spots remain; scrape down your bowl, then slowly pour in buttermilk with the mixer running on low speed and mix until batter is smooth.

Pour about 1 1/2 cups of batter into the parchment-lined tin; top with filling in an even layer. Spoon remaining batter over the filling and use an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer; some of your filling will probably peek through the top of the batter, and that’s okay. Top with crumb mixture, pressing gently to help it stick.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool to room temperature, then prepare glaze: In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and cinnamon; add enough water to make a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake. Store at room temperature for a few days; this cake did dry out for me a bit faster than I’d expected, but I think it’s because I kept it in a cake dome instead of tightly wrapped. Makes about 8-10 servings, depending on how generously you slice it.

Apricot Thumbprints

apricot thumbprintsThumbprint cookies: you know you love them. But do you prefer thumbprints with a blob of icing in the middle, or jam? For me, it depends on the day. And yesterday I decided that an apricot thumbprint would be a great idea, thanks to the jar of apricot preserves I had on hand. Fortunately I found this recipe from Knead Some Sweets, and it is absolutely delicious; I adapted it slightly because I didn’t have salted butter on hand, but you can always just add some salt to your dough to make up for that.

This dough is incredibly buttery – and honestly would make a great cookie on its own, without any thumbprinting. You could certainly substitute a different jam if you like, but I think the sharper apricot flavor balances the buttery flavor of the dough really well. These would be great with raspberry or blackberry jam, too.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • About 1/2 cup apricot preserves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars, and salt until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat to combine, then add flour and mix on low to combine completely.

Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, scoop generous portions of dough and roll into balls – you want the portions to be about the size of a gumball, or walnut. Place on the baking sheets and use a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to make the thumbprint indentation. Spoon (or pipe from a piping bag, as I did) apricot preserves into the thumbprints. You can be a little more generous with your preserves, as these cookies spread a bit when baking and you’ll want the preserves to fill out the thumbprint.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden. Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Makes 27.