Saturday, November 22, 2014

Sweeeeeeet Cookies

With the same basic ingredients, you can create literally dozens of cookies. This Master cookie dough recipe is reminiscent of a sugar cookie, thereby enabling even the home cook to add, subtract and vary the preparation method to result in your own creation.


I have given you a couple of ideas below and, as usual, play with this recipe a little, with the recipe for Santa's Favorites being the Master recipe. Just remember that the more you alter the liquid, the more you will NEED to alter the dry. The dough, when finished, should hold together in a ball when you have finished stirring, or beating, it. It will resemble the preparation method of pizza dough, when it leaves the sides of the bowl and clings together.


 

 
 

 

Chocolate Crispy Quickies


Want crispy cookies with enough gooeyness to liken them to a fat, moist, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie? Here is the answer! Cooked in as little as 5 minutes with textures to please both palates. These cookies are also great thinned out with 1/2 cup corn syrup so that they flatten out even more, creating a crispy crust on top and bottom, and still maintaining that melted chocolate center.

6 tablespoons butter or margarine
Nonstick cooking spray
1/3 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Coat a baking or cookie pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, beat together the butter, corn syrup, sugar and lemon juice until smooth with an electric mixer on high. Reduce speed to low and beat in the flour and cinnamon until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by the rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet, leaving 3 inches between each mound. Bake 5-6 minutes, or until you notice the cookies starting to brown on the bottom edges. Immediately remove to cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a plate or rack to cool further.

 

Makes 28-30 crispy, gooey cookies.

 

 




'Tis The Season Mint Swirls

You certainly can make the red portion of this dough more vibrant by adding more red food coloring, but my daughter wanted a pink, so.....It IS the Holiday season after all.



1/2 cup(1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Red, green and blue food coloring(or any combination)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 teaspoons peppermint extract, divided
Nonstick cooking spray
Film wrap


 

In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer on high, beat together butter, 1 cup sugar, egg and milk until creamy and smooth. In another bowl, mix together flour, cream or tartar and baking soda. Slowly add the dry to the wet and continue beating, on low, until well combined. Separate the dough into three separate bowls. With a wooden spoon, or continue using beater on low(cleaning between each bowl) add 2 drops red food coloring and vanilla extract, stirring well. Yes, I said 2, the taste is reflected beautifully once cooked. and stir well. In another bowl, beat in 6 drops blue food coloring and 2 teaspoons peppermint extract and stir well. In third bowl, beat in 4 drops green food coloring and 2 teaspoons peppermint extract, stir well.

On a large sheet of film wrap, or waxed paper, add whichever bowl of dough desired. Place another sheet of film wrap over the top and roll out to a half-inch thickness, in a rectangular shape. Do the same with the other two bowls of dough, trying to make them the same size. Now peel off the top sheet of wrap from each rectangle. Lay one rectangle on top of the other and trim to even out the sides. Carefully roll up this layered dough like you would a jelly roll, by the long end. You don't need to do it tightly and if it cracks, that isn't a biggie either. Once rolled, fold the plastic over the ends and refrigerate at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Spray a large cookie sheet or two with nonstick cooking spray. Remove the dough log from refrigerator and cut into 3/4-inch thick slices. Place on prepared baking sheets, leaving 1-inch between each cookie. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar, evenly, and bake 12-14 minutes, or until you see the edges of the bottom of the cookies starting to brown. Immediately remove from oven to cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a rack or platter to cool completely.

Makes 10-12 cookies

 




Santa's Favorites

Crunchy candy canes in a soft cookie, spiced with orange and graham. What a treat! You choose which coating you want. Sugar for that Holiday rush or graham crackers for a less sweet, yet just as crunchy bite. Either way, these candy canes are a hit with children and adults alike.

1/2 cup(1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar, separated
2 teaspoons orange extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Nonstick cookie spray
4 candy canes, crushed
1/2 cup crushed graham crackers

 

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on high, beat butter and 1 cup sugar together until smooth and creamy. Reduce speed to low and beat in orange extract and egg until well combined. In another bowl, mix flour, cream of tartar and baking soda. Slowly beat the flour mixture to the wet, on low, until well incorporated. Stir in crushed candy canes. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cookie spray. By the rounded tablespoon, scoop out dough and roll in the palm of your hands. Roll in crushed graham crackers or remainder of sugar and place on prepared pan. Continue with remaining cookie dough, leaving 3 inches between cookies. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until they are crisp on bottom. Remove to cool slightly before transferring to rack or platter.

Makes 12-14 cookies

 

Cocoa Caramel Hideaways

A cross between a sugared cocoa crinkle and a caramel lava cookie, but with the benefits of each. These filled delights are easy to make and can be 'stuffed' with a variety of items, such as broken peanut butter cups, pulled taffy or even jelly of your choice. Get the kids involved in making these, just don't let 'em eat the cookie dough, it has raw egg.

1/2 cup(1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or 1 tablespoon imitation vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup Dutch cocoa
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 caramel candies, cut into thirds
Nonstick cookie spray

 

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on high, beat butter and 1 cup sugar together until smooth and creamy. Reduce speed to low and beat in vanilla and egg until well combined. In another bowl, mix flour, cocoa, cream of tartar and baking soda. Slowly beat the flour mixture to the wet, on low, until well incorporated. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cookie spray. Remove a rounded tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball with your palms. Make a large indent in the middle, place a cut caramel in the center and reseal, rolling once again. Dip in either graham crumbs or remaining sugar, continuing to roll so crumbs adhere well. Place on prepared cookie sheet and repeat with remaining dough, leaving 3-inches between balls. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the bottom is crisp. Remove to cool slightly before transferring to a rack or platter.

 

 

Gooey Chocolate Drippers

Blossom cookies...Look out! The melted chocolate dripping off the sides of these tangy, soft cookies can only be topped by washing them down with a rich, frothy, hot cocoa. I think what separates these cookies from others is the touch of fruit mixed throughout the dough. It is such a great way of offsetting pure sugar, don't you think?

 

1/2 cup(1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup apricot fruit spread*
1 egg
1 cup flour
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 chocolate bar, broken along lines to form rectangles
Nonstick cooking spray

 

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on high, beat butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Reduce speed to low and beat in fruit spread and egg until well combined. In another bowl, mix flour, crushed grahams, cream of tartar and baking soda. Slowly beat the flour mixture to the wet, on low, until well incorporated. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cookie spray. Remove a rounded tablespoon of dough and drop it on prepared baking pan and repeat with remaining dough, leaving 3-inches between balls. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the bottom is crisp. Remove from oven and immediately stick a small rectangle of chocolate in the center of each cookie. Let cool for another minute before transferring to a rack or platter.

Makes about 12 cookies.

*Mint Apple Jelly would go well here, or your favorite fruit spread.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amazing!!!!! I am trying 3 of these this week. Can't wait, but you should have called the ones with chocolate melted over the sides, Chocolate Tongues, hahaha.

Katie said...

perfect!!!! And still have time to make these for Thanksgiving. thanks again,Chef

Anonymous said...

Delicious as usual Jim.

Ribbinson said...

Just made the caramel cookies and they came out great. Any more or should I go to your site?

The Yankee Chef said...

Sorry it took so long to respond. I am always adding to my site so by all means take a peak. I just posted some new treats yesterday so check above. And as always, thank you for the kind words.