Cookie Dough

I love the scent of freshly baked cookies and lately I have been using one dough to make both chocolate chip and white chocolate, macadamia nut cookies.  I make the typical dough, divide it in half and stir in the appropriate chips.  I get a total of about 4 dozen cookies from this recipe; two dozen of each kind.

Chocolate Chip/White Chocolate, Macadamia Nut Cookies
Makes approximately 4 dozen

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, (6 ounces)

1 cup white chocolate pieces, (6 ounces)
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Divide dough in half.  Stir semi-sweet chocolate chips into one half of the dough.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

To second portion of dough, stir in which chocolate and nuts.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased sheets as above and follow same baking directions.

Recipe altered from Nestle Chocolate Chip Package

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Magic in the Middle Cookies

We traveled from Port Aransas to South Padre Island on Sunday.  We explored the area briefly yesterday afternoon since it was beautiful out (mid 80's in the afternoon) and then made some steak fajitas for dinner.  The weather took a dramatic change with a cold front coming in with a storm this morning and the temperatures stayed pretty much at 58 degrees all afternoon.  I decided it was the perfect day to bake some cookies and these are what I chose.

These are a sugar coated chocolate cookie with a peanut butter filling.  The filling is just simply peanut butter combined with confectioners sugar.  The chocolate cookie part was made with cocoa, peanut butter and chocolate chips.  The filling was rolled into balls made from 1 teaspoon of the dough and the chocolate cookie dough was wrapped around the filling.  The cookies were then dredged in granulated sugar and flattened before being baked.  These reminded a little of eating a cookie version of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  Gerry's comment on them was "these need to go on the Christmas cookie platter"....high praise for a cookie from him.

Magic in the Middle Cookies
Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies

For the Dough
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for dredging
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate

For the Filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

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

For the Dough
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand-held mixer, cream together the butter, sugars, and peanut butter until light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.  With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Fold in the chocolate.

For the Filling
In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.

Scoop the chocolate dough into 26 tablespoon portions, make an indentation in the center of the dough with a finger and place one of the peanut butter balls in the indentation.  Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together to cover the center.  Roll the cookie in the palm of your hands to smooth it out.  Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Place extra sugar in a shallow bowl.  Roll each cookie in the sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.  Using the bottom of a drinking glass, flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick.  Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until they have set (and you can smell chocolate). Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Bake the remaining cookies on a cooled baking sheet.  Enjoy!

Note:  These cookies are better once cooled (Gerry will attest to this)

Recipe slightly adapted from The Galley Gourmet

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Frosted Molasses Cookies

I started my day with an hour long walk on the River Walk trail right by our RV park.  It has been overcast every morning with fog on a couple of days.  The sun usually starts peeking through the clouds about mid-morning.  The mornings have been a little cool (in the 50's on average) and the afternoons warming up to the high 60's to mid 70's - just perfect.  Here are a couple of shots I took this morning while walking.

I crave these cookies every once in a while and they are always on the Christmas cookie platter.  These are a soft molasses cookie with raisins and glazed with a light vanilla flavored frosting.  I grew up on these cookies so they are definitely a comfort food for me.  I happen to be very lucky that Gerry loves all things containing molasses.

Frosted Molasses Cookies
Makes 2 dozen

For the cookies:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup raisins

For the frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon.

Cream shortening and brown sugar.  Add the beaten egg and molasses.  Beat until smooth.

Add dry ingredients to batter, mixing by hand until smooth.  Fold in raisins.

Drop by tablespoon 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Frost while warm.

Frosting:  Cream all ingredients together.


Recipe from my childhood

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Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Sunday night dinner was all about slow cooked beef short ribs. I went back to my Red Wine and Cola Braised Short Ribs that I just love and I have made before. I also have already posted that recipe. It was the perfect Sunday afternoon to let these simmer away in the oven for 3 1/2 hours.

While the ribs were simmering away, I decided to make cookies and the thought of chocolate and peanut butter had my mouth watering. These are really a soft, chewy chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips. They turned out beautifully.



Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Makes about 4 1/2 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 ounce package Reese's Peanut Butter Chip

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition and add vanilla extract. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in peanut butter chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.) Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

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