Summer sweets

I have been doing some baking. I prepared these chocolate chip cookies despite the name of the recipe being the WORST chocolate chip cookies.  After reading the recipe and blog post, I realize these cookies are so DELICIOUS that you cannot only eat one, therefore this cookie could ruin your life.  Or at least your waist line. The recipe also includes a secret ingredient:  maple syrup.  I love maple syrup, buying it by the jug from Sprout's.  

Next I made this banana pudding cake for a coworker's birthday.  The cake was super moist with a nice banana flavor and a lemony glaze.  The only change I would make is to double the glaze and the banana garnish is a must.

Cookie exchange, December 13, 2015!

I hosted my 2nd (next year, annual) cookie exchange and it was a great hit! I served various appetizers and this fall sangria.

 The cookie exchange winners...

• Prettiest Cookie:  Tonya, Christmas Tree Meringues (see below)
• Tastiest Cookie:  Mary, Chewy Almond Cookies  (and also very pretty!)
• My Cookie (and 2nd runner up to Tastiest):  Fudgy Meringue Cookies

An interesting fact is that none of the cookies have flour!  Under certain cookie nazi rule books, cookies without flour WOULD NOT be allowed at a cookie exchange.  

 

 

 

Christmas Tree Meringues

Ingredients

• 4 Egg Whites
• 1 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 TSP Salt
• 1/4 TSP Cream of Tartar
• Green Gel Food Coloring
• Parchment Paper
• Piping Bag
• Large Star Tip
• Sprinkles & Stars (I ordered Wilton gold stars online)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 150-170 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer place egg whites. Let the whites come to room temp.
2. Beat egg whites until white and foamy. Mix in 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Set timer for 7 minutes. Slowly add in sugar a bit at a time taking the entire 7 minutes to do so.
3. Add food coloring and mix well.
4. Fill piping bag with meringue using a large star tip (I used Wilton #1M). 
5. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet pipe small mounds of meringue, moving in a tiny circle. 
6. Add sprinkles and stars. If placing stars on the soft meringue is too difficult, you can also add them with a small dab of royal icing after baking.
7. Now bake at a very low heat (about 150-170) for about two hours to two and a half hours until they are nice and crisp. I just checked on mine every so often to make sure they haven’t started to brown. Every oven is different. I have found in the past that a low temp for a much longer time is far better then a higher temp with a risk of browning.

The best chocolate cookie ever...

A chocolate cookie with an Andes Mint melted on top.  YUM and pretty!  Tastes like a chewy thin mint.

A coworker brought these and I cannot stop thinking about them.

¾ c. butter

1 ½ c. brown sugar

2 tbsp. water

12 oz. bag chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 ¾ c. flour

½ tsp. salt

1 ¼ tsp. baking soda

1+ boxes of andes mints ( I used like 3 mints from a second box when I made them so you can get away with just one box)

Melt butter, brown sugar and water.

Add Chocolate chips and stir until melted.

Let cool for 10 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and then chill dough for at least an hour.

Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 8 to 9 minutes.

Remove from oven and place half an Andes mint on top and place back in the oven for around 10 seconds.

Once removed swirl the top of the cookie with a spoon and let cool.

Winning Cookie, 2012

I think I neglected to post this back in December.  This was my winning "cookie" from my office's 2012 Cookie competition.  And here is my trophy (and Claire).

S'mores Cookies

I challenged my fellow Gourmet Gals to send me their latest, tried recipes to post.  Tonya found this recipe for S'more Cookies on pinterest.  In Tonya's words, these cookies were "crazy delicious and addictive!"  Not to mention they are VERY cute!! This may be my entry into the Christmas Cookie competition this year. 

Clean Out the Cupboard Cookies

I found a recipe for chocolate chip coconut pecan cookies on The Happy Cooker and I modified it in order to use up all the opened bags of treats in the pantry.  I received many compliments on the cookies this morning, including someone asking me to not bake anymore because their waistline cannot take it.  YES.  Success.  The coconut makes the cookies very moist and chewy, even after cooled.

Clean out the Cupboard Cookies

2 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tbs vanilla extract

6 oz chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi sweet)

6 oz toffee bits

1 cup sweetened coconut

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.  Add vanilla and slowly add flour mixture while mixing.

Add chocolate chips, toffee bits and coconut and stir with large spoon until incorporated.

Spoon onto baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes.  Cookies will spread so leave space between each.

Cookie Competition 2011

I entered my company's Christmas cookie competition this year and the best place I finished was third.  My third place cookie was Betty Crocker's Chocolate-Marshmallow Pillows.  This cookie, according to the website, was a prize winning cookie in 2009.  The prize was probably THIRD place.  I thought this was a delicious cookie and a chocolate lovers dream.  Some hints I learned:  

• Cut the marshmallows with kitchen shears.  
• When you first put the marshmallow in the cookie, it is not that important to push it down.  After you cook it for 2 minutes, THEN really push it down and make is spread over the entire cookie.

My other cookie, which did not place, but was delicious nonetheless, was Oatmeal Toffee Cookies.  These were super easy to make and I liked them alot.  I think nuts would have been nice in them as well.  Or maybe chocolate chips.

The winning cookie, also from Betty Crocker, was AMAZING!  It is a bar cookie, which makes it quicker to produce large quantities.  The Praline Crumb Caramel Cheesecake Bars are tasty as well as pretty.  Very nice choice for a cookie competition and I was happy to pass my trophy on to the winner and end my reign of 3 years running.

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

The recipe I used for Molasses Crinkle Cookies is on the back of the jar of Grandma's Molasses.  However, I could not find it on the Internet.

This was a super easy recipe that only requires a spoon for mixing.  The dough is chilled and then you form balls the size of walnuts and roll in sugar.  Finally, sprinkles of water cause the cookies to crack and crinkle.

I used a small ice cream scoop that is about twice the size as recommended in the recipe.  I made 2 dozen cookies and the recipe says it makes 4 dozen.  These are delicious and have a soft texture.  The spices blend together beautifully.

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

3/4 cup softened shortening (use the baking blocks)

1 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses (spray measuring cup with Pam for easy pouring)

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

sugar for rolling

Mix shortening, sugar, egg and molasses.  Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill dough.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll dough into balls the size of walnuts and then roll in sugar.  Place balls on greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with water for a cracked surface.  Bake 10-12 minutes.

Cookies!

In one of my daily recipe emails I received a recipe for Sweet and Salty Peanut Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I made them and they turned out great! The only substitution I made was since I used salted nuts I did not add any salt.

Butterscotch Toffee Pecan Cookies

Update: This cookie won 1st place in my office's cookie exchange in 2010!!!

I found a new recipe website, The Happy Cooker, that has a weekly newsletter of recipes. I have been collecting the ones I like (you have to print them as they are not archived) and finally made one.

I liked all the ingredients in these Butterscotch Toffee Pecan Cookies, especially the part where it starts with a yellow cake mix! These received rave reviews by my friends and I liked the way they stayed chewy. Enjoy!

Butterscotch Toffee Pecan Cookies

1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup melted butter or oil
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 (11 oz) package butterscotch morsel chips
1 cup Heath toffee bits
1 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together butter/oil, water, egg and vanilla until mixed well. Add cake mix and stir by hand just until mixed. Stir in butterscotch chips, toffee bits and pecans until combined. Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until lightly browned on edges. Makes about 3 dozen.