Cookies Cookies Cookies!!

Its that time of year to bake some delicious cookies! In a few short days Santa will be visiting our home and what better way to welcome him then with some fresh baked cookies. At my house we love our traditional chocolate chip and cream cheese cookies, but this year we tried some new recipes too!

One of the cookies I made this year is Black and White Cookies: Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Dark Chocolate Brown Sugar, they take some more time than the traditional cookies but in the end they are a tasty treat.

Black and White Cookies:

Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (use cream cheese in a block or spreadable tub; don't use fat-free, light or whipped)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
2 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks 

Dark Chocolate Dark Brown Sugar Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed (light brown sugar may be substituted)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened natural dark cocoa powder ( regular unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch-processed may be substituted)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste

Directions:

Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

To the bowl of a KitchenAid Stand Mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, cream cheese (measure it by smooshing it into a 1/4-cup measure), sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use an electric hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes).
Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
Add chocolate chips and chunks, and beat momentarily to incorporate, or fold in by hand.
Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop , form heaping mounds. Place mounds on a large plate or cookie sheet , flatten slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.


Dark Chocolate Dark Brown Sugar Cookies
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use an electric hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes).
Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the remaining ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop , form heaping 2-tablespoon mounds (I made 15). Place mounds on a large plate or a cookie sheet , flatten slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.


After both doughs are made and have chilled...
Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Non-Stick Silicon Baking Mat   or spray with cooking spray; set aside.
Smoosh a cream cheese dough ball and a chocolate dough ball together, making sure they're tightly combined. Depending on how chilled your dough is, you may really need to squeeze firmly. Be careful that any chocolate dough that rubs off onto your palm doesn't stain the vanilla dough. Wipe your hands frequently and as necessary. Repeat, combining the doughs, until all dough is gone. You'll likely have about 1 dozen un-matched Cream Cheese Cookie dough balls leftover because that recipe makes a bigger batch. When you're ready to bake the unmatched Cream Cheese Cookies, bake for 8 to 9 minutes. Unbaked dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 4 months.
Place black-and-white mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart. I recommend baking 6 to 8 cookies per sheet, no more. Flatten slightly before baking.
Bake for about 12 to 13 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set. Don't over bake because the chocolate cookie portion is prone to drying out and getting crumbly if over baked. Cookies may look loose and unset on baking tray, but they firm up as they cool. If your cookies stayed domed while baking, tap them gently with the back of a spoon to flatten. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

These turn out to be big cookies and I ended up with extra of the cream cheese chocolate chip ones that didn't have chocolate sugar cookie mates, so I just baked them and those cookies are good on there own. These cookies are more dense than your normal cookie and the chocolate sugar cookie side I think needed something, I suggest maybe adding chocolate chips to that side as well.  They take longer to make since you are making two different cookie batters as well as refrigeration time, but the end product is pretty and tasty, could be a great addition to a gift basket or cookie swap!

The next cookie I made was Oatmeal Toffee Cookies, I like regular oatmeal cookies but I wanted something different. I had left over toffee pieces from thanks giving and didn't want them to go bad and I had come across this recipe on Pinterest and thought why not give it a try!

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons maple extract {or vanilla if you don't have maple}
2 large eggs
2/3 cups toffee bits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a KitchenAid Mixer and beat at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Stir in toffee bits. Drop dough with cookie scoop 2 inches apart on 2 cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Cool on pans for 1 minute. Do not over bake! The cookies don't look quite done when you pull them out, but they'll be perfect once they're cooled. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

These are very easy to make and take very little time. My husband enjoyed these so much that I was not able to get a picture of the finished product. The toffee bits add some sweetness and a hint of toffee flavor to the cookie, and the cookie itself is soft and very tasty.

I also tried out for the first time Gingersnap Cookies, I've enjoyed gingersnap cookies since I was little but have never attempted to make them myself until now.

Ginger Snaps
Makes 40-50 cookies

2 cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
11 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup mild-flavored molasses* (sometimes called 'light' molasses)
1 large egg, at room temperature
optional step: coarse sugar crystals for coating the cookies


Stir together the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a KitchenAid Mixer , or by hand, beat the butter just until soft and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until smooth, stopping the mixer to scrape down any butter clinging to the sides of the bowl. Stir in the vanilla, molasses and egg. Mix in the dry ingredients gradually until the dough is smooth. Divide the dough in two equal portions and roll each on a lightly-floured surface until each is about 2-inches around. Don’t worry if they’re not perfect; you can neaten them up in a second. Wrap each in plastic wrap then roll them lightly on the counter to smooth them out. Refrigerate, or better yet, freeze the cookie logs until firm.To bake, preheat the oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Non-Stick Silicon Baking Mat . Slice cookie dough into 1/4-inch rounds with a sharp knife. Dip one side and press firmly in a bowl of coarse sugar if you want (you can also use granulated sugar instead), and place sugar-side up on baking sheet, evenly-spaced apart. Leave a couple of inches, about 5 cm, between cookies since they’ll spread while baking.Bake for 10-14 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet midway during baking, until deep-golden brown. The cookies will puff up a bit while baking, then settle down when they’re done. Bake on the lower end of the range for softer cookies, and more for snappier ones, depending on your oven. Let the cookies cool two minutes, then remove them with a spatula and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Storage: The dough can be refrigerated for up to five days, or frozen for up to three months. Once baked, the cookies can be kept in an air-tight container for a couple of days but like anything made with butter, of course they’re best the day they’re baked.

These cookies also take some extra time to make with the refrigeration process, but overall they a simple to make. These aren't my family's cup of tea but I enjoyed them and the dough makes a lot of cookies, so these too would make a great addition to gift baskets or cookie swaps.

The last cookie I made is a tradition in my family, we have made it for years and has been passed along through generations, it is the delicious Cream Cheese Cookies.

Cream Cheese Cookies

Makes 2 dozen
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 oz Philadelphia brand cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sifted flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. With a KitchenAid Mixer or a hand mixercream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and cream well. Stir in vanilla extract. Slowly, add flour. Mix well, we add a couple drops of food coloring to batches and make Christmas trees, wreaths, etc. Using a Cookie Press , press cookies out on ungreased cookie sheet (I unfortunately do not have a cookie press so I just use a cookie scoop and put them on the cookie sheet that way and flatten them some), decorate with sprinkles, if desired, and bake 8-10 minutes, until they start to slightly brown. Transfer to wired rack to cool 

These are my favorite cookie, its not the holidays without them. They are light and buttery and so tasty. I always double the recipe because just one batch is not enough. My kids love to decorate these cookies, as well as I did when I was a kid. The cream cheese cookies are a big hit with my family!

I hope you all enjoy these recipes, let me know how they turn out! I would also love to hear some of your favorite cookie recipes, maybe I could give them a try! Happy Holidays!

Preparing for the holidays

I'm having my family over for Thanksgiving, close to 20 people, so I have a lot of food to prepare. I love to cook (the reason most of my posts are cooking related) and love cooking for others, so my Thanksgiving day menu is an extensive one. Everything from drinks, several appetizers, main course and lots of sides and a few desserts. So to keep me from going insane on Thanksgiving I am preparing some of the food in advance.

On my menu I have three cranberry sauces planned (seems a little excessive I know, but like I said I love to cook). I like to make homemade cranberry sauce instead of buying canned. Cranberry sauce is easy to make and has a better flavor when made at home.  I have a plain cranberry sauce, better than canned but a simple taste for those in my family that like a bare bones flavor.

Cranberry Sauce

 Ingredients:
4 cups or 1 12oz bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup of orange juice
1 cup of sugar
2 tsp of cornstarch

Directions:
In a medium size sauce pot bring all ingredients to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the cranberries burst open and the sauce thickens, about 10-15 minutes.  Combine the cornstarch and some of the cranberry sauce together in a small bowl, add the cornstarch mixture into the cranberry sauce, stir and cook for an additional 3 minutes to thicken the sauce even more. Remove from heat allow to cool and serve.

Like I said this is a simple recipe and the flavor is great, just enough sweetness to take away some of the tang of the cranberry but still keeps the cranberry flavor.





My next cranberry sauce recipe is Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Sauce, it's very flavorful and hearty.

Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 12oz bag of fresh cranberries
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 cup sugar
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 teaspoons corn starch

Directions :
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add cranberries, cinnamon and sugar, it may seem dry at first but the cranberries will release their juices so don't fret. Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have softened and apples are tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove 8 ounces of the liquid to a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch. Slowly add the cornstarch-juice mixture to the cranberry sauce, stirring constantly. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and pour into a serving bowl. Refrigerate until thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve.

*if you feel the sauce is too thick you can add a cup of orange juice or water.

I modified this recipe, at the time I did not have the cranberry juice and dried sweetened cranberries it called for so I worked with what I had. The sauce came out fantastic! It's definitely going to be the hit out of the three. It has a great bouquet of flavors, not a traditional cranberry sauce, but brings some fall flavors I love together (cranberries, apples and cinnamon).

The final sauce I made was Tequila Lime Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce, this recipe is not the traditional cranberry sauce you'd expect on Thanksgiving. It has some kick to it and is a great deviation from the norm.

Tequila Lime Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

4 cups (1 12 ounce bag) cranberries

1 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons tequila

Directions:

Bring the cranberries, water, sugar and jalapeno to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the the sauce starts to thicken, about 10-15 minutes.Mix in the lime juice and tequila and remove from heat.

The cranberry sauce has lots of flavor you get the kick from the tequila and lime and at the end you get the heat from the jalapeno. My husband and I enjoyed this one, not a traditional sauce at all but a tasty addition to our Thanksgiving menu.

With all the sauce I allowed them to cool and sealed them in zip-lock bags and put the in the freezer (cranberry sauce can be frozen for up to one month).  These are easy to make and take up hardly any space in the freezer, so they are great make ahead dishes.

Here is a helpful chart on thawing your turkey, to make sure you are prepared ahead of time and to ensure its defrosted in time for Thanksgiving, thanks to Jennie-O.

If you plan to brine your turkey add an additional day or you can also use the brine as a way to "cold water" defrost it. However, only brine the turkey for 1-2 days, any longer and you could end up with a very salty bird. I also like to have my turkey rest for a day out of the brine, it helps to makes it moist and tasty by allowing the turkey to distribute and lock in the flavor.

My Husband's Special Birthday Meal

My husband just celebrated his birthday, it's a tradition that we make each other a meal for our birthdays. I gave my husband some options and he decided on Rustic French Onion Soup for his dinner and for dessert Bacon Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

This french onion soup is a very simple (there was some tears shed but only from slicing the onion :)) and very tasty recipe. I was a little worried it wouldn't come out good because I'm use to making french onion soups with more herbs. This one used simple ingredients and still turned out fantastic, even the next day!

Rustic French Onion Soup:


Ingredients:
Serves 8
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 lbs medium yellow onions (about 5), thinly sliced
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
8 cups Beef Stock
2 cups local dry red wine
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 cups cubed baguette, toasted
41/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese (about 1 lb)
2 tsp minced fresh thyme

Directions:
In a large, heavy pot, heat butter and oil over medium-low heat. Add onions, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add sugar and salt; sauté, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot, until onions are softened and a deep, rich brown, about 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium, sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in 2 cups of the stock, then add the remaining stock and wine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Divide baguette cubes among 8 individual ovenproof bowls. Fill bowls with onion soup and sprinkle each with a thick layer of cheese. Set bowls on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cheese is browned, about 8 minutes. Garnish with thyme.

We left out the thyme, only because we forgot and were so hungry from smelling the wonderful aroma all afternoon, we couldn't wait to eat. We also used red cooking wine since it was all we had, it tasted great. My 7 year old daughter even enjoyed the soup both days with us she really loved the broth from it.




 My Husband is not a big fan of cakes so when I told him about the Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chunk Cookies he was all for it. These cookies take a bit longer to make then the traditional chocolate chip cookies, but are a great spin on the traditional.

Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 pound center cut thick bacon, 1/2-inch diced
2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup reserved bacon fat, chilled
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tablespoons Bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I used Hershey's dark chocolate bars)

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until the bacon pieces are golden brown and crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet and onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Reserve the bacon fat in the pan. You'll need 1/2 cup of the bacon fat- spoon it into a 1/2 cup measuring cup and refrigerate it until it has solidified.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, bacon fat, sugars, bourbon and vanilla. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in the flour mixture. Then stir in the bacon and chocolate (hint: if you want your cookies to look really pretty, save a few bacon and chocolate pieces to add to the top of each cookie dough blob before baking). Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment or silpat-lined baking sheets- about 2 inches apart.
Bake 9 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Let stand on the cookie sheets for about 5 minutes, then remove the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or store in a covered container or zip bag in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.

The bacon fat gives the cookie a bacony flavor throughout however, if you don't want all the bacon flavor just the bacon bits in it, omit the bacon fat and replace with another 1/2 cup of butter (making it a full cup/one stick in the recipe instead). We found that if the bacon isn't crispy enough it turns out to be chewy, chewy wasn't bad but I feel it would of been better crispy, so make sure that you get your bacon nice and crispy. My husband, kids and I all enjoyed this cookie, it was a good change from the normal.

On my next post: Getting ready for the holidays, I'll have three different cranberry sauce recipes. Why buy the canned stuff when these recipes are easy and much tastier!