Domino Cookies

Do you hear the knocking on the door?  Who could it be?  You weren’t expecting anyone?  Throw the kid’s mitt behind the chair, wipe off the table, hide the newspaper and smile.  Say, “Hi, Aunt Mary, what a surprise ……. and you brought the 6 kids.  How delightful?  Are you staying for a while?  You are?????? Oh. Um.  How wonderful.  Where did the children go?  No kids, get off of the dining room table……..”

After you have everyone seated, except for the two, climbing over the couch with their shoes on, and the little one, pulling off his diaper, you offer a snack.  Everyone is thrilled and the kids begin to chant, “Cookie, cookie, cookie, cookie”.  What do you do?

You pull an empty pie crust out of the freezer and leave it on the counter while you get the six-year-old off of the buffet.  Why is the 8-year-old cutting up your magazines?  That is Cooking Light ——-NO NO NO.  By the time, you get them seated, Aunt Mary is playing games on your computer and the kids are back to chanting, “Cookie.”

Brave you takes the children back to the kitchen and tell them they can use your cookie cutters.  Fortunately, the older daughter seems to know what she is doing and she even rolls out the pie crust dough and starts to cut out stars and circles.  You get the chocolate chips, the cookie sheet and parchment paper and leave her, in charge, while you go in the closet, and cry.

When you emerge, you see wonderful domino cookies, made in a jiffy and yummy to taste.

Ingredients

One pie crust

chocolate chips

cinnamon sugar – optional

What to do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the dough.

Cut out shapes with cookie cutter.

Place chips in pattern, you desire.

Bake at 400 degrees F, checking at 5 minutes.  I made a few batches, some were ready at 5 minutes, others need an extra minute or 2.  I would check at 5 minutes and if they have browned slightly on the bottom, remove from oven.

Cool for a few minutes.  I took mine off  right away and they stayed intact.  I sprinkled a little cinnamon sugar on top of the cookies, when I put the chocolate chips on.;

Eat every crumb.

I hope that Emily, John, Major, Leah, Sam and Penny are happy with their cookies and have gone home and given you some peace.  You should wake up Aunt Mary so she can catch up with the children.

This is linked to Sweet and Simple Sunday      What Makes you Say Mmmm?    Gallery of Favorites    Hearth and Soul    A Little Birdie Told Me

Candy Filled Brownies

I have been reading many recipes with candy in cookies, brownies or cake.  I have made cookies with candy lentils and they were cute but not the same as, chocolate in chocolate.  I had chocolate fudge candies in the house that I certainly should not eat, plus the man of the house does not like chocolate, so I baked the brownies.  You would think, I would be smarter.  Now, instead of indulging on the candies, I was eating the brownies and the candy.  No, I did not eat them all.

The candy adds a wonderful burst of flavor to the brownie. Suddenly, my mouth was filled with a wonderful sweet taste—-like chocolate fudge, melted.  Of course, that is what it is but who expected this?  Delicious does not have enough meaning for these.  The candy leaves pocket of rich chocolate throughout the brownies and when you get one of these pockets and there are about 30 of them in an 8 x 8 square tin of brownies, you get that special smooth taste.

Candy Filled Brownies

Ingredients

spray cooking oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup melted margarine

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ( I love vanilla.)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon  milk

3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix (3 parts brown rice flour, 1 part potato starch, 1/3 part  tapioca flour )

1/2 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

6  fudge squares, cut into small pieces

Instructions

Spray an   8 inch square pan with cooking oil  and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a mixer, cream together the melted margarine and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Then add the vanilla and milk.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add the liquid  ingredients to this bowl.

Add the pieces of candy and just stir to combine.

Pour batter into the pan and bake 30-35 minutes.

Cool completely. Cut into squares.

This is linked to  Tuesday’s Tasty Tidbits   Mrs. Fox’s Sweets Party      Crazy Sweet Tuesdays      Muffin Top Blog Hop   Scrumptious Sunday

World Peace Cookies —- Dorie Greenspan

This is a delicious cookie that caused me to “pull my hair out”.  Keep in mind, I said it is delicious.  The dough was difficult to work with.  It did not hold together well and often cracked, when sliced.  Dorie suggested, simply pushing them back together, and I did, hoping against hope, I would have something edible.

The first batch did not fare well and crumbled into delicious pieces and crumbs.  No problem with waste.  I nibbled as I attacked the second batch.  This is a no-egg cookie and I was just about to throw one into the mix when I discussed the topic with myself.  I asked why should I put in an egg if Dorie didn’t.  It will work and while I repeated that mantra over and over, I sliced the next batch of cold cookie dough.  Such care, I took with these gems and then I broke away from Dorie and took each piece of dough and squished it together into a ball which I flattened and imitated the look, the best I could.  I needed Dorie, standing behind me, at that moment.  I was sure, nothing good would come out of this, but it did and IT was the most delicious chocolate cookie.  These were not shaped correctly but I am taking bets, they tasted just like they should.

For me, this was a great success and once,  I discover how to make them look good, I will be glad to serve them to guests.

World Peace Cookies    from Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons margarine, at room temperature
⅔ cup (packed) light brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips or a generous ¾ cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

Method

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.

Working with a stand mixer,  beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy.  Add both sugars, salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.

Turn off the mixer.  Pour in the dry ingredients.  On low speed, mix for about a minute, just until the flour disappears into the dough— for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don’t be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly.  Toss in the chocolate pieces, and mix only to incorporate.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divid it in half.  Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1½ inches in diameter.  Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours.  

Line two baking sheets with parchment. 

Using a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are ½-inch thick.  (The rounds are likely to crack as you’re cutting them— don’t be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.)  Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes — they won’t look done, nor will they be firm, but that’s just the way they should be.  Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack .

Crazy Sweet Tuesdays    Sweet Temptations    Mrs. Fox’s Sweets   Tea Party Tuesdays   Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy’s Recipe Box),

 Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training), Trick or Treat Tuesday (Inside BruCrew Life), Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Measles

I have been doing a lot of baking and I decided to share with you a cookie that is either a success or failure.  I don’t know what to call it but I do know that I love to eat these.  When I say, I am going to share this with you, that is a lie, an absolute lie.  I am not going to give you the recipe or even tell you whose recipe, it is.  No, I am not selfish.  You should know better than that.  I am, actually, embarrassed.

I can’t figure out, what I did wrong, with this recipe.  I followed the directions as presented except for using all dark chocolate rather than half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate.  I can’t imagine that making my chocolate act as it did.  I even put the chocolate through a strained to get rid of the small pieces.  In the baking book, I used, there were luscious pieces of chocolate sticking out of the cookies and you will see mine just melted into the cookie and almost turned these into completely chocolate cookies.  As I said, they taste terrific.  Chocolate is chocolate and it tastes good.

I welcome suggestions as to what I have done wrong.  I am going to make these again and no matter how they turn out, it is my plan to share where they come from, with you.  In the meanwhile, this will be my secret.

I leave you with the question – have you ever been afraid that the author of the cookbook will come upon your recipe?  In this case, I am petrified.

This is linked to Sweet Indulgences Sundays     A Themed Baker’s Sunday

4 C Cookies – chocolate, cinnamon, coffee and caramel

I told a friend, I would make cookies for her daughter’s engagement party.  I don’t make fancy, frosted cookies so I debated what I should make.  I have been looking at old recipes that we liked.  This is one of them.  My guess is that most people can’t turn down a good chocolate cookie.  I used both caramel and chocolate chips plus coffee and cinnamon, in the cookies.

I found this on King Arthur’s Flour.  I am always successful there.  Try their chocolate chip cookies and brownies.  

Double Dark Mocha Drops (Slightly adapted)

• 1/2 cup melted margarine

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon instant coffee

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1  egg

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup Dutch Dark Cocoa

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups chips: caramel and chocolate (I had more chocolate than caramel, only about 1/2 cup caramel)

  

  Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line with parchment.

2) Combine the melted butter, sugars, baking soda, salt, espresso powder, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.

3) Beat until the mixture is smooth.

4) Add the egg and vanilla, and again beat until thoroughly combined. The mixture will look a bit grainy; that’s OK.

5) Beat in the cocoa.

6) Add the flour, beating slowly to combine.

7) Add the chips, mixing until they’re well-distributed.

8) Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. A teaspoon scoop works very well here. If the dough begins to stick, simply dip the scoop in cold water. Space the cookies at least 1″ apart.

9) Bake the cookies for 7 to 8 minutes; the cookies should seem barely done. If you attempt to pick an oven-hot cookie off the baking sheet, it’ll fall apart.

10) Allow the cookies to cool right on the baking sheet.

This is linked to Whatcha Got  and Sweets For a Saturday  See Ya in the Gumbo     Frugal Antics of a Harried

Brownie Mounds

I do find the best recipes on All.recipes.  They always have what I am looking for, usually in multiples.  I was definitely not looking for any kind of brownie or any kind of mound.  I think, that is when I was looking for a chocolate cake to make a birthday cake for one of my granddaughters.  We have a lot of birthdays, in the family, at this time of the year.  The cake is easy.  The presents are difficult to select.

Since the kids are not local, I have no idea if any toys or books have been added, since visiting them.  Then there is the age appropriate lingo.  Do we believe the boxes and the guidelines?

Of course, we can’t forget color.  Each one has a favorite but who remembers who wants what.  In three families, each has a daughter with the same name.    The boys are less considerate.  They have different names except when I call them by the other’s name. I should remember colors? No, I should remember names.

Back to discovering these brownie mounds.  They are super simple to make and as luck would have it, delicious to eat.  If you are in a hurry, try these.  If you are not in a hurry, try these.  Either way, I am sure you will like them.

Brownie Mounds    (adapted from All.recipes)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 egg
• 3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

 Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add corn syrup and egg; beat well. Stir in chocolate and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to chocolate mixture; beat well. Stir in chocolate chips.
2. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.

This is linked to Tuesday’s Tasty Tidbits   Two Maids a Baking      Tuesdays at the Table             Totally Tasty Tuesday       Strut Your Stuff     Tea Party Tuesdays             Sweets  for Saturdays

Cherry Almond Chocolate Cluster – Ellie Krieger

It is rare that I make recipes from Ellie Krieger that are desserts or sweet.  I like her recipes for the soups, salads and casseroles.  That makes this recipe, even more than a treat.  It was not what I expected from Ellie.  It should have been.  It was simple, not overly done; not too sweet.  Ellie represents, “Just right,” to me.  These clusters were just right.

Cherry Almond Chocolate Cluster

Ingredients

1 cup(s) nuts, almonds, toasted in a dry skillet over a medium-high flame until fragrant, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup(s) cherries, dried tart, coarsely chopped

6 ounce(s) dark chocolate, 72% cacao, finely chopped

* I did not coarsely chop any of the above.  I did not think, that the dried cherries whole, were a problem.  The nuts already were  cut into slivers and only had to be roasted. 

I broke the chocolate into pieces.

Procedure

In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and cherries. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Melt half the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over 1 inch of barely simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate. Remove the top pan with the chocolate in it, gently wipe the bottom, and set it aside for a moment. Replace the simmering water in the bottom pan with warm tap water. Put the pan of melted chocolate on top of the warm water. This will keep the chocolate at the right temperature while you make the clusters.

Stir the fruit/nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.

As far as I am concerned, you can mix and match, with this recipe.  I would like dried apricots with pecans or dried blueberries with walnuts.  Use your imagination and have fun with this.  Go through your cabinets and see what you find that would work with the chocolate.

This is linked to The 36th Avenue            Turning the Table Thursdays

 

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies – Martha Stewart

My six year old granddaughter was visiting and we decided to make cookies together. We were on a tight schedule but I figured an hour for a simple drop cookie would make it easily.

The young lady wanted a chocolate cookie with white chips – that sounded easy. Check out some of your cookbooks for a recipe for this. I could not find a good chocolate cookie recipe. I was not concerned about the chips. They would get placed where they would belong. Four cookbooks later, I decided it would be faster to go to the Internet for out million dollar cookie.

We found a Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie that is delicious but had a problem. The chocolate chunks melted into globs in the cookie. How delicious! We skipped the white chips since I had none and stuck to the chocolate chunks. We ended up with a flat, pitch dark cookie that tasted rich in chocolate.

Martha Stewart Living, June
Yield – Makes about 3 dozen

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies (adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces good-quality chocolate, 4 ounces coarsely chopped, 4 ounces cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1 stick (8 tablespoons) margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Melt coarsely chopped chocolate with the butter in a small heatproof bowl in the microwave.

Transfer chocolate mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks.

Scoop batter using a teaspoon cookie scoope; place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces begin to crack, about 9-11 minutes.

Transfer on parchment to wire racks. Let cool 5 minutes. Cookies can be sto

red in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

This is linked to Homemaker Haven       Sweet Indulgences Sunday                Sweet Temptations              

Apples and Cream Caramel Brownies

I discovered this recipe and many other fantastic ones on Picky Palate, a blog, you should not miss.  I was thinking of joining in the fun on the new Improv Challenge and was thinking of baked goods to make.  Brownies popped into mind and a did a search for Apple Caramel Brownies and I hit the jackpot.

Apples N’ Cream Caramel Topped Brownies

1 Box Pillsbury Brownie Mix, Family size, 9×13 (I made my own brownie recipe – below)

8 ounces Tofutti cream cheese

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons margarine

4 small-medium baking apples, peeled and thinly sliced

4 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or other nut of choice)

Prepared Caramel sauce, warmed in microwave

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare brownies  as below or use a mix.  Pour into a 11×7 inch  baking dish that’s been sprayed with Canola Oil.  Place softened Tofutti cream cheese and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.  Place dollops of cheese over brownie batter.  Use a butter knife to carefully swirl without dragging against the bottom of dish.

2.   Place butter into a large skillet over medium heat to melt.  Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped walnuts.  Cook and stir for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and pour evenly over brownies.  Bake for 45-55 minutes or until center of brownies are cooked through.  Remove and let cool completely before cutting into squares.    (Instead of a drizzle, I used caramel chips, which melted into topping.)

Brownie Recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup Canola Oil
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (Second third)
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Grease and flour a baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cocoa and baking soda. Add 1/3 cup vegetable oil and boiling water. Mix until well blended and thickened. Stir in the sugar, eggs, and remaining 1/3 cup oil. Finally, add the flour, vanilla and salt; mix just until all of the flour is absorbed. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Go back to directions for the whole recipe, above.

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Puffy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I see an interesting looking cookie, I can’t just walk away.  I want to make it and I want to make it, at that moment.  Rarely, does it work out that way but when I saw this cookie, I followed my desire and made the cookies.   I am not at all sorry that I did.  These are delicious gems.  They are easy to make.  I am not sure why but I don’t think the peanut butter was the predominant flavor.  They almost tasted like a regular chocolate  chip cookie.  Wait!  I must get one and do a taste test.  …………  Moments later——whatever the flavor is, these are great.

I made some according to directions, making balls out of them.  They came out puffy.  Others, I used my cookie scoop and they looked wrinkled and bumpy like a chocolate chip cookie.  I like the latter look, better.

Puffy Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

8 tablespoons of salted butter, melted and cooled

6 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, melted and cooled

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg and 1/2 egg beaters

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add butter and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl, and heat in 30 second increments until melted. Let cool completely.  (My oven is variable and ended up using the oven at 350 degrees.  I made a smaller cookie so I baked them from 8 – 10 minutes.)

Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the cooled butter/peanut butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg and vanilla and stir until mixed. Gradually add flour and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Shape the dough into a ball. Place on a baking sheet two inches apart and bake for 8 – 10  minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. The centers should be soft and puffy. Do not over bake.

Kids and adults should like this cookie.

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