Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies

 Speaking of man food (were we? yes), here is the smoky, crunchy, salty, sweet snack they've all been waiting for (and some of us girls, too.)  I just about died when I saw these in Joy's book - so awesome and up my alley!  I've got to remember to make these for the school bake sale next fall - they're like breakfast, lunch, and dessert in a sugar-coated cookie package.  Absolutely perfect.

Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies (print recipe)
Makes about 2 dozen

8 slices bacon
1 cup all-natural peanut butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp baking soda
Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted, salted peanuts

1.  Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and place bacon slices in a single layer.  Bake bacon until cooked through and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove from oven (keep oven on), let cool slightly, then transfer to paper towels to cool completely.  When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the bacon and set aside.

2.  Line a clean cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the peanut butter, 1 cup of the sugar, and the molasses until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes.  Add the egg, baking soda, and nutmeg, and mix on medium speed for another 2 minutes.

4.  Remove the paddle attachment and the bowl and use a wooden spoon to fold in the bacon and peanuts.  Roll the dough into large walnut-sized balls and roll in the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar.  Place on lined cookie sheet, and use a fork to make that distinctive peanut butter cookie crisscross pattern.  If the cookie dough begins to stick to the fork, dip it in sugar before pressing into cookie.  Dough will be a little crumbly, just press together with your fingers as necessary.

5.  Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned.  Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Cookies will be crumbly and delicious!  Cookies will last up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Joy the Baker by Joy Wilson

1 year ago:  Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
2 years ago:  Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Sweet Cinnamon Butter
3 years ago:  Strawberry Flip Cookies 

Double Chocolate Cookies

I made these a long time ago - early last year, I think.  One of those recipes that just never got typed up but is totally worth repeating, and therefore keeping.  Crispy-chewy and surprisingly complex.  Buttery and chocolatey.  Dress them up, dress them down.  It's hard to beat a cookie like this.

Double Chocolate Cookies (print recipe)
Makes about 3 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 ounces milk chocolate
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-size bowl.

2.  Coarsely chop 6 ounces of the chocolate, and finely chop the remaining 6 ounces.  Microwave coarsely chopped chocolate with butter for 1 minute, stirring halfway through.  Microwave an additional 15 seconds if necessary; stir until smooth.

3.  Transfer chocolate mixture to bowl of an electric mixer and add sugars, eggs and vanilla; beat until well combined.  Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in remaining finely chopped chocolate pieces.

4.  Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

5.  Bake at 375 for 9 to 11 minutes or until set.  Let the cookies cool on baking sheet on a wire rack for 2 minutes.  Transfer the cookies to rack; let cool completely.

Recipe from Family Circle, February 2011

1 year ago:  Dessert Club - "Gadgets"
2 years ago:  Pistachio-Raspberry Tea Cakes
3 years ago:  Peanut Butter Melts

Chocolate-Cherry Cookies with Hazelnuts

 These little biscuits are unbelievable.  And, one my current favorite recipe features, quick and easy.  No batches in and out of the oven.  No wasted space on the baking sheet.  These darlings cook in one big corner-to-corner cookie, which you later slice into diamonds with your pizza wheel, but not before melting and spreading a boatload of chocolate on them, and sprinkling with toasted hazelnuts.  YUUUUUUUUM!

"But, Kari," you say, "your cookies aren't diamond-shaped!"  And that would be because I took geometry in the summer of 1989 - yes, summer school, to get a year ahead in math, and because the guy I liked was in summer school that year and I could ride the same bus as him, and it was sooo worth it - and haven't used a lick of it since.  I thought, Diamonds.  That means go diagonal.  So I went diagonal.  In both directions.  And ended up with squares.  Not very even ones, either.  Turns out, to get diamonds you have to go straight in one direction and diagonal in the other.  Thank you, summer school. 

Chocolate-Cherry Cookies with Hazelnuts (print recipe)
Makes about 50

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped dried cherries
3/4 cup (5 1/2 ounces) superfine sugar
1/4 tsp salt
16 T unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into sixteen 1/2-inch pieces
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 T cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped

1.  Place an oven rack in the lower-middle position and preheat to 375 degrees.  Line an 18" x 12" baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the flour, cherries, sugar, and salt at low speed until combined, about 5 seconds.  With the mixer running on low, add the butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until the mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer.  Add the vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until the dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.

3.  Press the dough in an even layer into the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

4.  Immediately after removing the baking sheet from the oven, sprinkle evenly with the chocolate chips; let stand to melt, about 3 minutes.

 5.  Use an offset icing spatula to spread the chocolate into an even layer, then sprinkle evenly with the chopped hazelnuts.  Cool on a wire rack until just warm, 15 to 20 minutes.

6.  Use a pizza wheel to cut the cookies into 1 1/4-inch diamonds - this is done by cutting strips straight in one direction, and diagonally in the other.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Baking Illustrated: The Practical Kitchen Companion for the Home Baker

1 year ago:  Cranberry Lime Scones
2 years ago:  Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake and Frosting
3 years ago:  Blue Blueberry Muffins

Glazed Citrus Doodles

 My taste buds thrill at anything citrusy.  And if there is a glaze involved, that has zest in it, that much greater the thrill.  Slip a zingy butter cookie underneath, and well, that's a lot of thrillin'.  I took these, and a tray of Chipotle Brownies (wait for it), to the annual family BBQ at my uncle's house this summer.  I liked these cookies a lot myself, but I was still surprised at how much everyone else liked them.  My cousin Aaron couldn't stop the praises (and I didn't try to make him) - he should have written this post.  He said they were so light but still sweet, perfect for a summer sweet tooth.  I almost didn't take pictures - we were in a rush going out the door.  But good thing I did.  Because not even one came back home with us.

Glazed Citrus Doodles (print recipe)
Makes 3 dozen

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 tsp fine salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 T grated orange zest, plus 3 T juice (from 2 oranges)
4 tsp lemon zest, plus 3 T juice (from 2 lemons)
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350, with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, 1 T orange zest. and 2 tsp lemon zest on medium-high until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Add flour mixture; beat to combine.

2.  Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place, 2 inches apart, on parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake until edges are lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.  Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks and let cool completely.

3.  Whisk together 1 T orange zest, 2 tsp lemon zest, citrus juices, and confectioners' sugar until smooth.  With a small spoon, spread glaze over each cookie.  Let set 1 hour.  (Store in airtight containers, up to 3 days.)

Recipe from Everyday Food

1 year ago: Coconut-Filled Lemon Cake
2 years ago:  Cardamom-Lime Sweet Rolls
3 years ago: Death by Chocolate Cookies

Mexican Hot Chocolate Skillet Cookie

 A couple of weeks ago I was craving something very rustic and comforting, but different than my usual go-to's.  A skillet cookie was amazingly just the thing - one big awesome cookie, that just happened to call for some of the Mexican chocolate I got in my Easter basket, loaded with butter and sugar, and a delicate hint of cinnamon, all packed into one heavy cast iron skillet, and baked in it, just like a trail cook would make.  Exactly. 

But, you know, I'm not really a pioneer.  And I didn't have enough Mexican chocolate, so I did part Mexican, part Trader Joe's pound plus bittersweet chocolate bar, which was delicious.

And we served it up with vanilla ice cream and some Fat Toad Farm Goat's Milk Caramel Sauce I picked up in Vermont a few months ago.  Just like a trail cook would.  You know, if he could.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Skillet Cookie (print recipe)
Makes approximately 8 servings

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups grated Mexican chocolate (like Ibarra brand or Nestle Abuelita; if you can't find Mexican, semi-sweet American may substitute)

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cast iron skillet and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.  Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and continue to beat.  Beat in dry ingredients, mixing just until a smooth, uniform dough has formed.  Beat in chocolate for a uniformly chocolate dough.

4.  Press your finished dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake for 28 to 35 minutes, being careful not to overbake.  The finished cookie will be puffy with a cracked crust over the top.  Remove the baked cookie; slice and serve immediately or allow to cool for 15 minutes and serve warm with ice cream.

Recipe from Scarletta Bakes

1 year ago: Rhubarb-Ginger Sorbet
2 years ago: Parker House Rolls (although these are better)
3 years ago: Chocolate Everything Cookies 

Cranberry Christmas Sandies

Well I best get these posted tout de suite or else they'll have to wait a year; rolled in Christmas nonpareils, they would just look stupid any other month.  I made these for my neighbor goody plates.  Which I took pictures of.  Which my camera erased.  So here's the stock photo off the internet.  But mine looked just like these!

Regular sandies are not my #1 favorite cookie - they're so bland and taste like flour.  But I was intrigued to find a sandy with lemon and cranberry - that is a crumbly cookie I can get behind!  The recipe worked like clockwork, and this time, I didn't mind them melting in my mouth.  ZING, wowza!  I've got my new Christmas Sandies!

Cranberry Christmas Sandies (print recipe)
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
White, red and green nonpareils

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.  Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds.  Add powdered sugar.  Beat until combined, scraping bowl.  Beat in vanilla.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in the cranberries, lemon peel, and any remaining flour.

2.  Shape mixture into 1/2-, 3/4-, or 1-inch balls.  Roll dough balls in nonpareils.  Arrange balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.

3.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes for 1/2-inch balls, 13 minutes for 3/4-inch balls, or 15 minutes for 1-inch balls or until bottoms of cookies are light brown.  Transfer to wire racks and let cool.  Makes about 144 (1/2-inch) cookies, 72 (3/4-inch) cookies, or 36 (1-inch) cookies.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Paula's Dipped Christmas Cookies

 Well, it just ain't real Christmas without a Paula Deen recipe, y'all. A couple weeks ago the girls and I were watching Paula's Best Dishes on a Sunday morning, and she was cookin' a holiday meal with her brother, Bubba, and her nephew, I-forget-his-name.  Some kind of crown roast and rich side dish.

And these cookies.  They are full of everything delicious and crunchy and sweet, then dipped in white chocolate and candy canes to make them extra crazy Christmas-y.  Plus the recipe makes a ton, love that about Paula.  So the next week we whipped up a huge batch of these for the church Christmas party.  Yee-haw, it's almost Christmas!

Paula's Dipped Christmas Cookies (print recipe)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup puffed rice cereal
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
1 (8-ounce) package toffee bits
White chocolate, for dipping (about 24 ounces)
Hard peppermint candies, crushed, for garnish (most of a 1-pound bag)

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.

2.  Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars.  Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl and beat in the oil, egg and vanilla until smooth.  Beat in the flour mixture in 3 small additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each one.  Slowly beat in the rice cereal, coconut and oats.  Fold in the toffee bits and refrigerate the dough, covered, for 1 hour.

3.  Preheat oven to 350.

4.  Drop rounded tablespoon of dough on 2 cookie sheets, leaving at least 1 inch of space around each drop.  Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes.  Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

5.  Using a double boiler, melt the white chocolate gently.  Dip the front of half of each cookie in the chocolate and roll or sprinkle with crushed peppermint to decorate.  Allow to cool and set on waxed paper.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe from Paula Deen's Best Dishes

Snowy Lemon Balls

 I think every holiday goody plate should have something citrusy; it just adds balance.  Plus it is so delicious, and offers a flavorful relief from some of the heavier treats of the season.

I also love that sandy-melt-in-your-mouth texture of shortbread.  But let's be honest; a lot of those sandy texture cookies, not so big on flavor.  Which is why I offer you these.  With almonds and crushed lemon drops, these are big on flavor, to match their wonderful texture and gorgeous wintery facade. 

This is the time of month when you just might be looking for that one more thing to add to your goody plates.  This is just what you need.

Snowy Lemon Balls (print recipe)
2 cups finely crushed shortbread cookies (7 ounces)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and finely chopped
1/2 cup finely crushed lemon drop candies
2 T light-colored corn syrup
2 T milk
2 T butter, melted
1/3 cup powdered sugar
Finely crushed lemon drop candies, for garnish

1.  In a large bowl stir together  the crushed cookies, the 1 cup powdered sugar, the almonds and the 1/2 cup crushed candies.  In a small bowl stir together the corn syrup, milk and melted butter.  Stir the corn syrup mixture into the cookie mixture until well combined.

2.  Shape cookie mixture into 1-inch balls.  Place the 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl.  Roll balls in the powdered sugar.  Place balls on a large cookie sheet.

3.  Cover and chill balls on baking sheet for at least 2 hours.  Roll balls again in powdered sugar just before serving.  If desired, garnish with finely crushed lemon candies.  Makes about 36 cookies

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, 2011
Cookies made by my friend Shanna

Cherry Tart Cookies

 I say this every year, but I LOVE getting the December issue of Cook's Country because it always has the winners of their Christmas cookie contest.  Which means new, and usually quite unique, fare for my holiday baking.  This year was no exception.  The $1,000 Grand Prize went to the maker of these adorable, delicious, nice-and-big filled cookies.  The crust is a soft almond sugar cookie, the filling is cherry preserves - get the best you can find - and on top of it all is a crispy thin vanilla glaze that reminds me of Hostess pies.  But of course these are a million times better.  They were easy peasy to make, and a huge hit with Dessert Club, and, I later heard, the take-home-leftovers husband crowd as well.  Yum yum.  Yum.

Yum.

Cherry Tart Cookies (print recipe)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
12 T unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk, divided
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
1 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup cherry preserves
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in bowl.

2.  Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and granulated sugar on med-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add 2 T milk, whole egg, and almond extract and beat until incorporated.  Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in 3 additions and mix until just combined, scraping down bowl as needed.

3.  Lightly beat egg white in bowl.  Working on lightly floured counter, divide dough in half and form each into 4-inch disk.  Roll each disk into 1/4-inch-thick circle.  Using 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out rounds, gathering and rerolling dough as necessary.  Transfer half of rounds to prepared sheets, 1 inch apart.  Place heaping teaspoon of preserves in center of each round.  Top with remaining rounds and crimp with fork.  Brush filled rounds with beaten egg white and cut 1/2-inch X into center of each.

4.  Bake until edges are lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.  Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely, about 1hour.  Whisk confectioners' sugar, remaining 2 T milk, and vanilla in bowl until smooth.  Brush cookies with glaze and let sit for 30 minutes.  Serve.  Makes about 18 large cookies.

Recipe from Sara Cowley of Winamac, IN - 2011 Cook's Country Christmas cookies contest Grand Prize Winner

Cashew Caramel Cookies

 My Dad loves cashews.  Whereas my Mom had chocolate stashes all over the house, my Dad usually had an enormous can of cashews somewhere in the couch/TV vicinity.  Unfortunately, I inherited both their loves.  A happy Christmas was when I got my OWN can of cashews in my stocking.  Then I'd stop sneaking Dad's for a week or two. 

As I got older, my nut interests moved on, to peanuts, then pistachios, and most recently smoked almonds.  But biting into these sweet & nutty cookies from Dessert Club member C.D. hurtled me back to Christmases of my childhood, when a little candy and my own cashews were all it took to feel the joy of the season.

Didn't hurt that she also served them with a huge bowl of extra caramel sauce, for dipping.  You should have seen me, I had caramel all over the place.  Luckily, we don't take pictures of faces at Dessert Club.  What happens at Dessert Club usually stays at Dessert Club.

Cashew Caramel Cookies (print recipe)
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups roasted salted cashews
2 T plus 1 tsp canola oil
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
24 cubes soft caramel candy (7 ounces)
1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour and salt together. Coarsely chop 1 cup cashews; set aside. Process remaining 1 1/2 cups cashews in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour in oil. Process until mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. Put cashew mixture, butter, and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture. Mix in reserved chopped cashews.
3. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; space 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 6 minutes; gently flatten with a spatula. Bake until bottoms are just golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
4. Melt caramels with cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring. Let cool. Using a spoon, drizzle caramel over cookies; let set. Store airtight in single layers.  Serve with extra caramel sauce, if there is any.

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Chocolate Chip Peppermint Kisses

 I had never made meringues.  Still haven't; these came from Dessert Club member J.B., who is notorious for successful experimentation.  I love the minty essence and rich chocolate chips that stud these extremely easy but really fun cookies. 

Chocolate Chip Peppermint Kisses (print recipe)
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg chocolate chips
1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Heat oven to 300 degrees.  Beat egg whites til foamy, then add salt and cream of tartar and continue beating until whites are stiff enough to hold up in peaks (but not dry).  Add sugar, two Tbsp. at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Fold in chocolate chips and peppermint, and drop from tsp onto cookie sheets lined with heavy paper.  Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly brown -- just barely visible.  Remove from paper while cookies are slightly warm.  Makes about three dozen. 

Toffee Crunchers

 These cookies are just plain crispy fun! You know how toffee is buttery, and crunchy, and chewy all at the same time? So are these cookies. The toffee flavor and chewiness comes from the toffee bits and brown sugar. But the crispy crunch comes from some super star players that are rarely found on the VGP: Rice Krispies and potato chips. I know, it sounds gimmicky, but they are the perfect crispy addition, and also keep the cookies from being too unilaterally sweet. These were made for milk dunking, but would also be great with ice cream!

Toffee Crunchers (print recipe)
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups (5 3/4 ounces) lightly crushed plain salted potato chips
2 cups (1 3/4 ounces) Rice Krispies
1 1/3 cups (6 3/4 ounces) toffee bits

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease or line with parchment two baking sheets.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, baking soda and baking powder. Mix in the flour, then gently stir in the potato chips, rice cereal and toffee bits.

3. Drop the dough by tablespoon fun onto prepared baking sheets. If dough is very crumbly, form tight balls by hand, and slightly flatten, like a patty. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

VARIATIONS:

• Substitute 2/3 cup butterscotch chips and 2/3 cup chopped pecans for the toffee bits.
• Substitute 2 cups gently crushed cornflakes for the rice cereal.

Recipe from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion

Nobody Better Lay a Finger on My Butterfinger Cookies

 When I was like 11 years old, Butterfinger was my FAVORITE candy bar.  So crispy-buttery!  So crumbly yet stick-in-your-teethy!  And I was more than a little proud when Butterfinger won the sponsorship of none other than Bart Simpson.  I knew Bart had good taste.

 

But I don't know when was the last time I bought and ate a Butterfinger.  I guess I probably had some at Halloween some time or another.  It's kinda got Halloween colors with that orangey center.

 This month I've been making a concerted effort to plow through my backlog of cooking magazines that have been piling up under my coffee table for a year.  Or two.  I tear out the recipes I want and file them in the appropriate folder in my recipe file box.  And dream that someday I'll make them all.

 But some skip to the front of the queue by nature of being either seasonal, intriguing, or downright irresistible.  This recipe was all three.  

 As you can see, they're a bit thin.  But they are very soft and homemade-tasting.  And chock-full of broken Butterfinger bars.  Tip: You don't even need to chop them because they fall apart easily.  I just put them in a Ziploc bag and very gently tapped them with a hammer.  That's all you need to do.  And voila, YUM in a cookie!

Butterfinger Cookies (print recipe)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 1/4 cups chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 ounces Butterfinger candy bars, chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.

2.  In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Add egg whites; beat well.  Blend in peanut butter and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Stir in candy bars.  Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on baking sheets.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire racks.  Makes about 4 dozen.

Recipe from some Taste of Home magazine from a long time ago

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

I think it's hard to get much more decadent than these. And I know a bit about decadence. I'm not saying it's impossible; never say that, but these are up there. Let me put words to the picture you are drooling over. Chocolate-chip-graham crust. Creamy vanilla cheesecake filling. Chocolate-chip-cookie-dough topping. Drizzled with melted chocolate chips. Can you guess what kind of cookbook I might have gotten this from?
And here is the deal with the cookie dough and why it doesn't just bake into a cookie in the oven - no eggs. It has the real deal taste of cookie dough, but I think it's like the cookie dough in ice cream - no dangerous raw stuff, which also means it's still very cookie-dough-ish even after it bakes. Clever, clever!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars (print recipe)
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 T unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup (4 ounces) mini semisweet chocolate chips

Cookie Dough:
5 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 T granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Filling:
10 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Make the crust. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 325. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line the pan with a piece of parchment paper that is long enough to extend over two opposite sides of the pan. Butter the paper. (OR spray a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.)

2. In a medium bowl, stir the crumbs and melted butter together until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

3. Make the dough. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and add the flour, mixing just to incorporate it. Stir in the chocolate ships. Set aside.

4. Make the filling. In a large bowl, using clean beaters, beat the cream cheese and sugar on low speed just until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla, beating just to blend them in. Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust. Drop teaspoonfuls of the cookie dough over the top of the batter. Bake until the top feels dry and firm and looks set if given a gentle shake, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack.

5. Make the topping. Put the 1/3 cup chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl and place it over a saucepan of barely simmering water; the water should not touch the bowl. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and smooth. Use a teaspoon to gently drizzle thin lines of melted chocolate over the top of the bars. Cool the bars completely in the pan, about 1 hour. The chocolate topping will be set when the bars are cool.

6. Loosen the sides of the bars from the unlined sides of the pan and use the ends of the paper to lift the bars from the pan. Use a large kitchen knife to cut the bars into 16 pieces, wiping the knife clean as needed, and slide the bars off the parchment. The bars can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Recipe from The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook by Elinor Klivans

1 year ago: Chocolate Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
2 years ago: White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

Caramel-Stuffed Snickerdoodles

Since I made these the first time, I cannot believe how many people have told me snickerdoodles are their favorite cookie. Are they yours, too? And if that is so, why does it still get the squiggly red line, as if I have misspelled it? Don't the spellcheck makers know this cookie is a national, maybe even global, treasure? ("Spellcheck" also gets the line.)

So if snickerdoodles are such a cherished cookie, how could there be any possible way to improve on them? Arguably, there is at least one, and this is it. Fill them with caramel. Seriously! They are a dream come true, the realization of a dream I never knew I had until now! They are as easy to make as...snickerdoodles, and as delicious as they look...or moreso. And with fall coming up around the corner, keep these in your back pocket (not literally - sticky mess!) for Halloween parties, bake sales, and Christmas goody plates. Everyone will love them!Caramel-Stuffed Snickerdoodles (print recipe)
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 large eggs
2 T ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
48 soft caramel candies (one 14-oz. bag Kraft) -OR- Rolo candies, unwrapped

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper.

2. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients and beat to combine.

3. In a small bowl or lidded Tupperware container, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small ice cream scoop to form balls of the dough. Press a caramel candy into a ball, using thumb and fingers to cover the caramel completely with dough; roll completely in cinnamon sugar. Hello. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

4. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet after 5. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before transferring cookies to the rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container up to 1 week. Makes about 4 dozen.

Recipe from The Baker Chick

Build-Your-Own-Ice-Cream-Sandwich Party

I have been so excited about this, I moved it to the front of the queue! On Sunday, National Ice Cream Day, we hosted an ice cream sandwich party, inspired by this California ice cream shop, which I saw on this jaw-dropping wedding feature (yes, yes, yes, go through all the pictures. You will be astounded, as I was, and wish you could be, or at least know, people that cool.)

My friend Ashely and I collaborated on the menu, and we both spent all week baking and churning. The goal was to have at least two ice creams that could go with each cookie, and at least two cookies that could go with each ice cream. You gotta have options. The lineup:

COOKIES (clockwise from top): Peanut Butter, Lime Meltaways, Double Chocolate, Caramel-Stuffed Snickerdoodles (recipe coming), Chocolate Chip
ICE CREAM (clockwise from top): Salted Caramel, Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet, Toasted Marshmallow (wait for it), Toasted Coconut, Chocolate

TOPPINGS (for rolling your edges in): chopped smoked almonds, mini chocolate chips, toasted coconut, black & white krispies, graham cracker crumbs, rainbow sprinkles
We had twenty-one people over. And, putting my college credits to use, we had 150 possible combinations. Or 750 if you use two different kinds of cookies on the top and bottom. Which many did.

Here's the one I made: peanut butter cookie, toasted marshmallow ice cream, caramel-stuffed snickerdoodle, rolled in smoked almonds.
Unfortunately, it's hard to be mom, hostess and photographer all at once (plus my camera batteries died), so there are no more pictures of the party, or the glorious sandwiches it produced. But it was SO much fun, and something I'd like to try again, of course with new flavors.

So. Two questions for you:
1. What unique combination would you make from the options above?
2. If you were throwing your own BYOICS Party, what cookies and ice creams would you include?

Chocolate Chunk Nutella Cookies

Can you see those chocolate chunks or are you blind? SO chunky. SO chocolatey. SO hazelnutty (you can see them, too.) And on top of it all, there is NUTELLA in the batter. Oh, it's like heaven in a cookie! I was at Costco the other day and saw a big old two-pack of Nutella vats. I immediately thought, That would make a lot of cookies. But you can never have too many.

Chocolate Chunk Nutella Cookies (print recipe)
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup Nutella or hazelnut paste
2 large eggs, room temperature
Scrapings from 1 split vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
3 cups (12 oz.) bittersweet chocolate (60-66%), coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch pieces or larger
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts, optional (I used 14 oz. of a large dark chocolate bar with almonds, chopped up in big ol' nice hunks)

1. Position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat to 375. Line two or three rimmed baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper.

3. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer; beat on medium speed until creamy. Reduce the speed to medium-low, then add the Nutella and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition, then add the vanilla bean scrapings, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until the dough comes together. Stir in the chocolate pieces and, if desired, the nuts.

4. Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets, flattening them slightly by hand as needed. (At this point the mounds of dough can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to a month.)

5. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back*. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing. Repeat to use all of dough. Makes 38 to 42 cookies

*If you like a chewier cookie, underbake them a little. If you like crispy, then bake away.

Recipe from The Perfect Finish: Special Desserts for Every Occasion by Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark

Chocolate Toffee Cookies

These are the kind of perfect-brownie-toffee-sticky-comfort-hoard-them-drool-yummyumyum cookies everyone should know about. In fact, I think everyone does know about them. I didn't until recently, but that was quickly remedied.

On December 1 I went to a cookie exchange where I didn't know anyone but the hostess, so it was a chance for lots of meeting and measuring up. I admit, the spread impressed me and exceeded my expectations. These cookies are the perfect example.

Lara was the first woman I met at the exchange. She couldn't stay long so we got right to it. She's a food blogger, I'm a food blogger. Exchange URLs. Her intended recipe didn't work out (been there a million times), so she had to scramble for something good but reliable for the exchange. And of course they were my favorite treat in the massive spread. So favorite, that while I divvied up the rest of my haul for give-away treat boxes, I snuck all of these into the back of my freezer and ate them slowly over the month. And no one else got a crumb.

THAT is how I feel about these cookies.

Also, Lara's the one that told me how to do printable recipes. I think we can all thank her for that!

Chocolate Toffee Cookies
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

2. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

3. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto sheets, spacing two inches apart. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if you’re using it. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Makes about 4 1/2 dozen

5. I know that it will be impossible to let them cool completely, but they really taste a lot better cool, as they continue baking once they come out of the oven.

Slice and bake option: After struggling a bit to scoop these cookies, I rolled the dough into a log 1.5 inches in diameter and chilled it. When I was ready to bake the cookies, I cut it into 1/2-inch slices. You can store the dough log in the freezer, wrapped in waxed paper and then two layers of plastic wrap for up to a month, just baking the cookies off as you need. Cookies baked straight from the freezer may need an additional minute or two in the oven, depending on their thickness.

Recipe from Lara at Recipe Shoebox, who got it from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from Bon Apetit. Like I said, these cookies get around.

Click here for printable recipe

Apricot Almond Cookies

These cookies are so fabulous - sweet, chewy, chunky, but not too many flavors. They have become one of my friend Shanna's regulars, and you know it takes a lot to become a regular, in anyone's kitchen, and especially Shanna's. When you need something that's not too heavy, not too rich, but still sweet and satisfying, this is it!
Apricot-Nut Cookies with Almond Icing
Cookies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
-OR- for chunkier cookies, use chopped almonds instead of sliced and pine nuts

Icing:
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 to 7 tablespoons almond flavored liqueur OR a little water and almond extract, to achieve spreading consistency

1. For the Cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.

2. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes*. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.*The longer they cook, the crunchier they will be. Slightly undercook for a soft, chewy cookie.

5. For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond flavor (and water, if using) until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.

6. Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, 2008

Cookies made by Shanna S.
Click here for printable recipe