Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lately I find myself thinking lately about several things that hindsight would have “fixed”.  Ranging from relationships, experiences, choices, and that horrendous hair cut I had throughout high school (think Pat), I think  know I should have known better.  A reasonable person in my position would have surely known better, made better decisions, and ultimately have been better for it.

When I first began baking (high school), cookies were not my forte.  In fact, I sucked at baking cookies.  I would end up with bready cookies without any chew.  As a baker who threw away more batches of cookies than I’d care to admit, I was convinced that Nestle’s recipe or any other popular recipes didn’t work for me.  Obviously, it wasn’t the recipe.  It was me.  During law school, one of my best friends vetted my issue through to her baking expert mother and found me an answer: “You shouldn’t pack anything except the brown sugar.”  Brilliant!  I was packing flour in measuring cup and was too daft to make the connection to the final result.  And that did it.  This seemingly minor change fixed a problem I was working to solve for 8 years.

Looking back, I should have known better.  Obviously the cookie will be more bready with more flour.  Insert cliché statement about the clarity of hindsight.  But, I was so set on measuring out everything perfectly that I didn’t actually measure properly at all.  Similar to not taking time to measure that 5 inches off my hair length would yield a gender-bending hair style.  ::Shudder::

Bad hair aside (because there is no excuse for that kind of mistake), I realize that there really isn’t much to “fix.”  I’ve made some very dumb decisions and gone through experiences that could have been avoided if I just made the obvious right choice.  But, I wouldn’t be where or who I am if I had.  Deluding myself to believe that I would be a better person without making the foolish mistakes I’ve made is a falsity in and of itself.

If I had reduced the flour at the onset, I wouldn’t have known myself to be the type of person that tries everything I could without resigning myself to think I couldn’t bake a great cookie.  If I had made the “right” decisions, I would not be the type of person who could examine the mistakes, shortcomings and areas of improvement in my life, and be strong enough to dust the flour off my apron and keep moving forward.  And, again, I wouldn’t be as proud to share a great cookie recipe with you.  This is one of those cookies.

SIDE NOTE!  CONGRATS to Eileen at Ham Pie Sandwiches for winning the 4-Piece Le Creuset Mug Set!!!  Eileen, email me so I can send out your gift! 🙂

Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies

slightly adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

•  1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups good-quality white chocolate chunks
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 4 ounces)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Cream butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Mix in eggs one at a time until combined. Stir in vanilla.
2. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.  Gradually stir into butter mixture until combined.  Stir in oats, chocolate, coconut, and walnuts.
3. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake cookies until golden, 16 to 17 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 2 minutes.  Transfer cookies to cookie cooling racks to cool completely.

Lemon Poppy Seed Biscotti

When I was a child, I thought as a child.  Cookies were always chocolate chip and always dipped into ice cold milk.  As an adult, I still think like a child.  But, I have managed to expand my cookie repertoire to include the ever adult biscotti.  A cookie for those who don’t need the comfort of the soft, chewy and chocolaty.  A cookie for those who can understand the comfort of sturdy and stable without being overly sweet.

While I usually reserve biscotti to the colder months, I felt compelled to create a summery version of a favorite treat.  I’m glad I did.  Lemon really adds a spark and the addition of poppy seeds do not go unnoticed.  I thought the crunch of the biscotti would make the poppy seeds invalid.  Not the case.  I love this twist on a flavor combination that’s usually reserved for muffins.

Lemon Poppy Seed Biscotti

adapted from here via Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 3  1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/3 t salt
• 1  1/2 cup sugar
• 1  1/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 2 T lemon juice (usually it’s the juice of one small lemon)
• zest of 1 small lemon
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Mix sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl.
4. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
5. By hand, not using an electric mixer, incorporate the flour mixture in three batches into the sugar/butter mixture.
6. Incorporate until everything is blended and smooth.
7. Add poppy seeds to cookie dough and mix to incorporate.
8. Divide dough in half and shape into two logs onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. Make each dough into a 13-inch-long and 2-inch-high log.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
11. Remove from oven, but do not turn off oven.  Or, if you have to turn off the oven, note that you must have the oven back at 350 F when you re-bake the cookies.
12. Cool completely.
13. Once cool, transport the cookies (holding onto the parchment) to a cutting board.
14. Cut each log into 1/2 wide slices.
15. Lay each slice back on the cookie sheet with cut sides facing down.
16. Bake for 12 minutes.
17. Turn the cookies over and bake for another 8 minutes.
18. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.

 

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Growing up, desserts were not readily available in my house.  Rather, my mom’s versions of dessert consisted of digestive cookies, cake rusk, or the Goya Maria cookies.  For fear of her children getting diabetes or other health problems, warm chocolate-y sugar-y baked goods never came out of the oven.  In fact, our oven was where my mom store her pots/pans.  No joke.  Even today, the only other purpose my mom’s oven serves is to keep food warm when she has company.

I, on the other hand, am the extreme opposite.  Once a week, I bake something sweet.  And, I see my mom at least once a week.  Whenever she sees the sweets, she always has a comment.  You know – the mom comments.  But, after about 15 minutes, she relents and has a piece.  She usually fits in another comment as she finishes off her piece and thinks about reaching for another.  And this is our routine.

So, here and there, I offer sweets with healthy alternatives.  This time, I changed up the flour.  Usually, I reserve my whole wheat flour for breads and chapatis, I wanted to lend the nutty flavor to a cookie – none better than one studded with chocolate chunks.

I fully expected to hate this cookie.  Whether it would be too bready from the flour or not sweet enough, I anticipated a shed load of problems that would render this an experiment never again to be repeated.    The exact opposite.  This cookie will be made for years to come.  I can pretty much guarantee that this will be a staple in our household.  The whole wheat shines in all the right ways.  Beautifully nutty and dark, the flour is sturdy enough to hold up against the dark chocolate without compromising the cookie texture.  After eating this cookie, I fear that going back to the all-purpose chocolate chip cookies might leave me wanting something a bit more complex, like this.  As the cookie is not overly sweet, I know my mom will be less hesitant to take one.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from  Good to the Grain via Orangette
yields about 24 cookies, using a heaping tablespoon scoop

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 kosher salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line cookies with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  Set aside.
3. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and white granulated sugar.
4. Once creamed, add the eggs and vanilla extract.
5. Add the flour mixture in two parts, mixing well between each addition on low-speed.  Scrape down the bowl as you go to ensure even combination.
6. Mix in the chocolate by hand.
7. Using a cookie scoop, place cookie dough scoops on cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes rotating the sheets half-way through.  Remove from the oven and move the cookies on the parchment paper to a rack to cool.

 

 

Nutella Stuffed Sugar Cookies

Nope.  Not an ordinary sugar cookie.  I’m all about food surprises.  Talk about being given an unassuming sugar cookie only to bite in to find this.

My sister came over and she wanted to bake.  As if I would say no.  My sister does whatever she can to incorporate Nutella or Biscoff to anything and everything she eats.  No joke.  I know because she’s polished of several Biscoff and Nutella jars in my house before I had the chance to get to them.  She also loves sugar cookies – more than chocolate chip cookies – she’s one of those.

We got our bake on.  And we got creative.  My sister did this.  Obviously.

I wouldn’t recommend topping with Nutella unless you intend to serve and eat right away because the Nutella doesn’t necessary ‘set’.  These cookies were served and eaten right away.

Nutella Stuffed Sugar Cookies
– adapted from Cookin’ Canuck

Ingredients:

• sugar cookie dough
• 1/2 cup Nutella

 Directions:

1. Using a teaspoon measure, scoop out spoonfuls of Nutella onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. Prepare your sugar cookie dough.
4. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out one piece of dough into your hand.  Split the dough in half and flatten both halves.  Place a frozen Nutella piece in the middle of one piece.  Top that with the other flattened piece.  Seal the edges with your fingers.  Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  Place each dough two inches apart.
5. Bake 10 minutes, rotating the sheet half-way through the baking.  Remove from the oven after 10 minutes or until edges are golden.  Cool in baking sheet for 10 minutes.  Remove from baking sheet and cool on a cookie rack.  Feel free to eat them warm, as well.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookie recipes are abundant and with everyone saying that their recipe is the best in the whole world, sorting through and finding a favorite is quite difficult.  After eating several cookies from several sources, I realize that you don’t necessarily have to have a favorite.  For instance,  I have a recipe that I adore that’s similar to what you find in most chocolate chip cookies, similar to the Bouchon cookie.  However, a friend of mine once made me chocolate chip cookies that tasted like toffee.  After years, I can still remember the crisp cookie, which tasted like candy with a beautiful crunch and chew.  I wasn’t able to get it out of my head.

I promise you that you will eat more than one cookie.  Lucky for us, the recipe makes about 50 cookies.  Lucky for my waist line, you can scale down the recipe easily.  I didn’t.  With a weekend full of people in and out of the house, they went fast.  These are also perfect paired with ice cream.  With a great combination of crisp and chewy textures in this cookie, this cookie has been saved as a favorite in the ultra-thin variety of chocolate chip cookies.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking sheets
• 3 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups best-quality chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Cream the butter until pale.  Add both sugars until smooth.
4. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.  Mix until incorporated.
5. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mix.
7. After fully incorporated, stir in the chocolate chips.
8. Using a cookie scoop, scoop spacing 3 inches apart.  You do not want to crowd them as they spread quite a bit.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Check at 8 minutes and then check every minute until you figure out the right time.  These brown easily.

Funfetti Cookies

As a kid, 24 was my “I’m old” age.  When, I got to be 20, the age became 30.  As I approach 30, I find this exercise unnecessary and meaningless.  Age is a number and despite the fact that my back aches almost every morning until I walk it out, I’ll be as old as I feel.  One morning, I walked it out on my way to the kitchen.  And, I baked these cookies.

Because when you went to sleep the night before wondering how that wrinkle got there and assuming it is because you have not slept a solid 8 hours in more than a year, you need a little pick-me-up.  Pick-you-up?  My feeble mind doesn’t mind either.

Whatever it may be that ails you, I encourage you to make these cookies.  In addition to the use of the mood-lifter sprinkles,  I adapted the recipe, adding lemon zest to give the cookie a bright flavor.

While these cookies may not have solved my back ache, they did give me the sugar rush I needed to forget about it.  Until my next sleep-deprived morning.

What ails you?  And do you have an “I’m old” age?

Funfetti Cookies

adapted from Tasty Kitchen via Two Peas And Their Pod originally from Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body

yields approximately 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 and 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• grated lemon zest from one lemon
• 1 egg
• 2 and 3/4 cups cake flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sprinkles
• 3 tbsp nonpareil sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar in a mixer for about 2 minutes until light/fluffy and pale.
3. Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest and egg and mix well until completely incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking soda and salt.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture.  Mix on low-speed until all combined.
6. Finally, mix in the sprinkles.  Do not over mix at all because you do not want the color to bleed into the dough.
7. Scoop cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie pan and bake for 10-12 minutes.  You want the cookies to remain quite pale in the center and only lightly browned on the edges.  Don’t let it get too browned or golden because then you will just end up having a crispy cookie.
8. Cool on a wire cookie rack and store in an airtight container.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Meet one of my all-time favorite cookies. I can almost guarantee that they are my second favorite, right after the obvious chocolate chip. I prepare these cookies often, as they are a favorite among all members of the family. I also prepare them for my family because they are not overly sweet and the flavors are subtly sweet and rich from the walnuts. I have also displayed them on the blog several times on the blog as well. I cannot say enough about these cookies. So, instead I just eat them.

As I make them often, I have adapted it over time to perfect the balance of all flavors. If you have not yet tried these cookies, I highly suggest that you. Perfect for any occasion, these light and crisp cookies can be made all-year round.

Mexican Wedding Cookies
– adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar, for rolling the cookies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a pan, over medium-high heat, roast the walnuts for about 3-5 minutes. Do not burn. Once cooled, chop the walnuts quite finely. Set aside.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter.
4. Add vanilla extract.
5. Slowly add the powdered sugar and flour until fully incorporated.
6. Add the chopped walnuts.
7. Using a cookie scoop, place each cookie an inch apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake for 12 minutes. When cooled, roll twice in powdered sugar.
9. I place them on cupcake liners to keep them in tact.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nutella? Yes.

Chocolate Chip? Oh yes.

Cookies? Good gracious yes.

The aforementioned was my mental dialogue as I decided the type of dessert I wanted to make for our recent all-nighter work session. With days spent working on one motion with a strict deadline, I look forward to the breaks to do anything but work, including but not limited to work work, house work, family work, administrative work, and anything with work attached to the end of it.

Baking is anything but for me. I spend other break times to determine what to bake during my breaks.

Using Nutella in the dough gives you a soft and smooth consistency. You shouldn’t expect an overwhelming Nutella flavor. Rather, what you get is a layers of flavor in the different chocolates. Use good quality dark chocolate chips to really increase the depth of chocolate you can experience in this cookie.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Everyday Italian
Yields about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, cream together the Nutella, butter and sugars.
4. Add in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
5. Mix in the chocolate chips by hand.
6. Drop by scoopful onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.
7. Bake for 8 minutes. Once you remove from the oven, keep on the sheet for five minutes. Then, remove to a cookie sheet to cool.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my favorite cookies is the chocolate chip coconut cookies from Paradise Bakery.  Have you had them?  If you have a Paradise Bakery near you, I highly recommend it.  I have had it exactly two times.  I was pregnant for both of those times.

Time #1:  Random day wherein we passed Paradise Bakery on the way home and happened to stop by for a treat.

Time #2:  (Later on in the pregnancy where food was on my mind constantly)  A long day after coming back from a court hearing where I talked about the cookie and how wonderful of a treat it would be after the long day.  So, Binks (probably sick of me talking about the cookie) said he would take me, despite the fact that the bakery was not at all on the way home.

We got the cookie.  Delicious, especially paired with a cup of decaf coffee with tons of milk.  I devoured it in the car while Binks looked on (probably waiting for me to offer him a bite).  Five minutes after I finished the cookie, and while we were driving home, the car starts coming to a slow stop.  I quickly realized that I had ignored the empty gas light for a couple of days.  ‘Twas my car and Binks had no clue.  It was quite hot that day.  Unfortunately, my iPhone was dead and Binks’ phone was on the verge of dying.  Both our computers and important case-related documents were in the car.  “Luckily” we were near a local library.  Unfortunately, the entrance into the library required us to push the car up an incline.  At my 8-month pregnant stage, any ability for me to push was to be saved for another month.  Binks was left with this task.  “Luckily” some police offers came by after an hour of just being on the road and helped Binks pull the car into the parking lot.

Well, turns out that the police officers could only do that much, for which I’m grateful.  When we asked them to take us to the gas station, a mile away, they said they couldn’t.  So, Binks walked it.  In the heat.  And walked back.  In dress clothes – suit and uncomfortable dress shoes.  I waited in the library.  I made myself useful by perusing the movie section.  I also observed this random guy managing his online dating account using the public internet.  A much more interesting selection than the movie section.

Binks came back, sweaty and cranky.  He put gas in the car and we drove home.  On the way, he turned to me in disgust and said, “your cookie better have been worth it.”

It was.

Ever since that day, when we drive by Paradise Bakery, I hold back from any urge to say, “let’s get a cookie.”

Instead of dealing with the wrath of Binks, I decided to replicate this beloved cookie.  And, believe me – this cookie is worth it.

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookie

Adapted from Allrecipes
Yields about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup sweet flaked coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg until incorporated.
4. Add vanilla and mix.
5. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. In three portions, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until it’s all mixed together well.
7. Fold in the chocolate chips and coconut.
8. Drop onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
10. Take the cookies out of the oven and let it sit for another 10 minutes on the cookie sheet.  After 10 minutes, remove the cookies to a cookie rack for complete cooling.

Happy Valentine’s Day {Sugar Cookies}

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

I must say that I have never been a fan of Valentine’s Day.  Whether I was single, dating or married, the purpose of the day was lost on me.  All purposes save one.  The delicious factor.  You know what I mean.  Chocolates.  Desserts.  And of course, cookies.

With sugar cookies on the brain lately, I finally sat down and decorated sugar cookies for friends.  My experience has been that most cut-out decorated sugar cookies have lacked great flavor.  Well, not these.  These cookies are perfect.  Full of flavor and tender crumb.  The cookies are not overly sweet, which works well when paired with the royal icing, which let’s admit may not be the most delicious thing to put on top of a cookie.

And, as a novice at the decorated sugar cookie, I fully expected my cookies to be imperfect and composed of minor, superficial blemishes.  However, with a superior base product, I would gladly eat and share these cookies with my family and friends.

Sugar Cookies
–  from Annie’s Eats

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 and 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 and 1/2 cup sifted flour

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Cream butter until fluffy and add powdered sugar until fully incorporated and light.
3. Add egg, almond extract, vanilla extract, salt and flour to the butter mixture until well blended (in that order).
4. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours, until the dough has firmed up.
5. Once chilled, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the cookie dough to a 1/4 inch thickness.  If your dough keeps sticking, I suggest alternating between flour and powdered sugar to powder to the surface.  This way you won’t run the risk of adding too much flour to the mixture.
6. After rolling, cut out your desired shapes with cookie cutters.  Transfer the cookies to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes until only barely browned on the bottom.  You do not want to brown these cookies.
8. Allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack completely before decorating.  If you don’t intend on decorating right away, store in an airtight container until it is time to decorate.