Tag: Cookies

Christmas Is All about Giving

Carrie1 Comment

IMG_0152Take a look back to the early 90’s.  These were the days when it was exciting to get a toaster oven for Christmas.  We now find ourselves in the 21st century when it is exciting to get the latest version of the iPad.  Thanks to the recession and life, most of us cannot afford to give our friends such lavish gifts.  Instead of searching around TJ Maxx to buy something luxurious for your friend at a bargain basement price that you can afford, give them something that will make a lasting impression.  Nothing says you care like something homemade.  I decided this year that I would make an assortment of cookies and other treats to share with my close friends.  You can make cupcake platterss, cookie trays, gift baskets.  Don’t forget that you can even have small dinner parties for your friends to enjoy your homemade delights.  I can guarantee that they all will appreciate the time you have put into your creations.  My grandmother always told me that the greatest gift you can give is your time.  Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.  Make sure you step back and take time to enjoy it yourself!

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These are lemon cream cheese frosted vanilla cupcakes topped with a ginger molasses cookie.IMG_0214
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This is a picture of my dining room all decked out with Christmas. ‘Tis the season.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sadie3 Comments

Let’s be honest, what is there not to like about the title of this post? This past weekend I needed to bring some food to a cookout, and since I haven’t done much baking this summer, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to put my new kitchen to work. This is officially the inaugural batch of cookies in my new apartment.

As you may or may not know, I eat bananas quite regularly, and I’m always worried about keeping a ripe supply at all times for my morning smoothies. Last week, however, I got a little overzealous and I ended up with some extras that got ripe real fast. And thus: cookies with bananas.

I quickly searched some of my favorite food blogs and ended up with this great recipe from How Sweet It Is. I love that blog!  Let me tell you something. These are the best cookies I’ve made in a while. They are a great chewy texture that make them soft but not too light and cakey. Plus, I feel like the peanut butter and banana add some healthy components to a typical chocolate chip cookie, without making it a full on granola bar.

BTW, These get even healthier when they are transported in an organic spinach container.
BTW, These get even healthier when they are transported in an organic spinach container.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from How Sweet It Is, yields 18-20 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plus 2 Tbs AP Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 8 Tbs Butter, melted and cooled
  • 6 Tbs Peanut, Butter melted and cooled
  • 1 egg yolk, room temp
  • 1 cup brown sugar loosely packed
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 medium ripe bananas mashed
  • 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
  1. Preheat oven to 350 (How Sweet It Is recommends 325, but my oven needed to be hotter).
  2. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl: flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

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    I decided to play the game: use every bowl and every utensil in the kitchen. It makes cleanup a breeze!
  3. Combine melted and cooled butter and peanut butter in a different bowl. Wisk it together with the sugars and egg yolk. Then wisk in the mashed banana and vanilla extract. The mixture will not be smooth. DSCN1856
  4. Slowly add the dry to the wet and use a wooden spoon to mix it (no hand mixer needed). And finally fold in the chocolate chips.ummmm chocolate
  5. Portion out the cookies onto parchment lined cookie sheets and bake 10-15 minutes at 350 (again, my oven was way off from what the original recipe suggested so use your judgement). Cookies should be a light golden brown.scoop it outout of the oven
  6. Allow to cool, and enjoy!

Chocolate Biscotti

SadieLeave a comment

I love a good biscotti!  Remember how I was making a few cookie trays for that “coffee break” at school a couple weeks ago?  Well I thought a good way to add chocolate to the tray would be in the way of a biscotti.  I looked around at a few of my favorite recipe sites and found a good double chocolate walnut biscotti that fit the bill on Epicurious.com.  I’ve found good biscotti recipes there in the past.

Since I was trying a new recipe I was a little worried.  Especially because the dough was a little more crumbly than I was expecting.  Even though the dough was crumbly, I was able to form it into logs and it baked quite well.  So it was a testament to keeping the faith and following through.

These biscotti were a great chocolate flavor with a nice walnut crunch.  The next time I make them I might add a little instant coffee or espresso powder (I didn’t have any in my cupboard at the time).  Coffee always intensifies the chocolate flavor a little bit.cookie tray

Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

Make about 30 small biscotti, adapted from Epicurious.com

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 stick (6 Tbs) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350.
  2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
  3. In a different bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
  4. Gradually add the flour mixture into the wet mixture.  This is when the dough might be kind of dry and crumbly. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.
  5. Form the dough into two logs on a parchment lined cookie sheet. The logs should be kind of flattened on top and about two inches wide. Bake for 35 minutes until logs are pretty solid.logs
  6. Allow the biscotti to cool for about five minutes, then slice on a diagonal about 3/4 of an inch thick. Lay the slices on the cookie sheet cut side up. Bake for 10 more minutes.  Allow to cool completely.