Category Archives: cookies

Sally’s Peanut Butter Cookies

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I was about to run out of chocolate calettes so decided to make Sally’s Peanut Butter Cookies. Good choice. In case you were wondering my favorite chocolate calettes are Callebaut Recipe No. 811 Belgian Dark Chocolate Callets 54.5%

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature*
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter*
• 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• optional: 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, for rolling

METHOD

  1. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and peanut butter and mix on high until combined. Set aside.
  2. In a separate bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be thick, yet very sticky. Cover dough tightly and chill for at least 3 hours (and up to 2 days) in the refrigerator.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  4. Roll balls of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and roll into granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Press fork into the tops to create the criss-cross pattern. Bake for 11 minutes or until very lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft and undone. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to “set” on the baking sheet during this time.

NOTES

  1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 3. Baked cookies freeze well – up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well – up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.
  2. Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter is softened, not melted in the slightest. Do not soften in the microwave – that makes it sort of melty and greasy. Place out 1 hour before beginning. Room temperature eggs are preferred. Good rule of thumb: always use room temperature eggs when using room temperature butter.
    Peanut Butter: Chunky peanut butter works as well. I do not suggest using natural style, oily peanut butter. Brands such as Jif or Skippy work best

Efficient Saturday Bake

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I had an idea for making sandwich meringue cookies filled with raspberry curd folded into cream cheese whipped cream. I did not consider the effect of putting wet filling between to layers of meringue. (Bring a spoon.)

Making meringue cookies requires many egg whites. So what do you to with a bunch of egg yolks? Make creme patisserie, of course. What do you do with a bowl of creme patisserie? Make eclairs of course.

I did all of the above.

Choux Pastry

INGREDIENTS
• 250g Water
• 80g Butter cut into small pieces
• 150g Bread Flour
• 6 or 7 Eggs
• 1/8 tsp Salt

METHOD

  1. In a saucepan that can hold four times the quantity of liquid to be used, add the water, salt and the butter.
  2. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Be sure the butter is completely melted before the water comes to a boil ; if not, a portion of the water will evaporate, rendering the batter too dry.
  3. Remove the boiling water/butter mixture from the heat and add the flour (this is done off the heat to avoid excessive evaporation of the liquid). Make sure the flour is added all at once to avoid lumps.
  4. Work the mixture with a spatula, moving slowly at first to avoid splashing the water or spilling out any of the flour. Work with the spatula at an angle to the mixture, to avoid splashing and ensure a smoother mixture. Once the mixture begins to stiffen, work it rapidly until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
  5. Put the saucepan back on a high heat while working the batter rapidly with the spatula. Continue stirring until the mixture coats the bottom of the pan with a heavy film.
  6. When working the batter over the heat, it is preferable to stop the process early rather than overworking.
  7. Transfer the batter to a stand mixer bowl and beat at medium speed until it cools to 115 deg
  8. Add one third of the eggs and mix until fully absorbed, then incorporate the remaining eggs carefully, one beaten egg at a time, until the desired consistency is obtained
  9. The batter should form a ‘ribbon’. Take a small quantity of the batter on the end of the spatula and hold it 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) above the surface of the bowl, at a 45 degree angle. The batter should fall off slowly without breaking or running off as a liquid.
  10. Run a finger through the batter at about 1 cm (1/2 in) depth. The indentation left in the batter should slowly close in on itself.
  11. Take a small quantity of the pastry on the tip of the finger and hold the finger upright. The pastry should form a small hook at the end.
  12. For large pastries and for individual-sizes, a #12 pastry tip should be used. For ‘petits fours’ pastries, use a #7 tip.
  13. Be sure to arrange the pastries in staggered rows, to allow the heat of the oven to circulate among the individual pieces. – Brushing these pastries with egg wash improves their appearance. Be sure to use a very little egg wash. If too much is used, it drips down the sides, hardens during the cooking, and prevents the pastries from rising. Once the egg wash has been applied, lightly streak each pastry with the back of a fork that has been deep in cold water (to prevent sticking). That will even out the shapes of the pastries and break up the bubbles that may be trapped in the pastries, Wich would distort their shape during the cooking.
  14. Places the pastries in a very hot oven preheated at 500 F. Turn it off and leave the pastries 15 min. Turn on the oven at 160 C (320 F) and bake the pastries for 15-20 more minutes. The choux must be golden brown and not light
  15. The cooking of the pate å choux is complete when it is firm enough to not fall when taken from the oven. The pastries should have a golden brown color on all their surface and should be slightly paler on the sides. As soon as they come out the oven, it is best to remove them to a cake rack to cool. Otherwise, moisture is likely to accumulate on the bases and cause them to dampen and become soft. If, however, they seem too dry, it is best to cover them with a towel after transferring them onto cooling racks.

Meringue Raspberry and Cream Cheese Filled Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 4 (120g) large RT egg whites

• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

• ⅛ teaspoon salt

• 200g (1 c) granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 225F (105C) and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large, completely clean, grease-free bowl.
  3. Using a stand mixer with the whisk, stir on low speed until mixture becomes foamy then Increase speed to high.
  4. With mixer on high, gradually add sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition until sugar is dissolved (about 15-20 seconds between each addition).
  5. Beat until mixture is thick, shiny, and has increased in volume. Mixture should have stiff peaks and sugar should be completely dissolved (you can test this by rubbing a small bit of the mixture between your fingers, if it feels gritty, the sugar isn’t dissolved).
  6. Stir in vanilla extract and any other extract you may like to use. If using food coloring, add the food coloring at this stage, too.
  7. Fit a large disposable piping bag with a large tip and transfer meringue to prepared piping bag and pipe onto prepared cookie sheet. The meringue cookies can be pretty close to each other as they won’t spread, and you will want to bake all of the cookies at the same time, so make sure you make enough space.
  8. Bake on 225F for 1 hour. Turn off the oven once the baking time has passed, and do not open the oven. Leave the oven door closed and allow cookies to cool completely in the oven (1-2 hours) before removing.
  9. Meringue cookies should be crisp and can be stored in an airtight container. Keep away from heat and moisture as it can soften your meringues.

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream


INGREDIENTS
• 85g (3 oz) full-fat block RT cream cheese
• 240g (1 c ) heavy cream, cold
• 23g (3 Tbl) confectioners’ sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

METHOD

  1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and beat until completely smooth (absolutely no lumps!).
  2. Add a few Tablespoons of the cold heavy cream, and beat until the mixture loosens and smooths out.
  3. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the remaining heavy cream.
  4. Increase to medium high speed and whip until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Spread or pipe as desired

Summery Shortbread Cookies

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I need a variety of summery cookies for QC’s Mah Jongg group who will meet at our house. Some people do not like chocolate (philistines), some do not like tart and unbelievably, some do not like sweet. I dredged cookies in tempered 54% chocolate, hard setting key lime and raspberry icing to try to satisfy most of them.

Shortbread Cookies

INGREDIENTS (Half Recipe)
• 336 g = 3 sticks, 36 Tbl (170g = 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at RT
• 200 g = 1 c (100g = ½ c) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 tsp (½ tsp) pure vanilla extract
• 420 g = 3 ½ c (210g = 1¾ c) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp (⅛ tsp) salt
• 175-200 g semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• Optional: 3 Tbl fresh orange zest

METHOD

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla, (and zest if using.)
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into two flat rectangles ~ ¾ inch thick each. Do not overwork it and the flour will hydrate some in the freezer. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
  3. Roll the dough ~1/2-inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet dock with a fork (and optionally sprinkle with sugar.)
  4. Preheat the oven to 350⁰F. Refrigerate cut cookies while the oven heats. (~ 15 minutes)
  5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  6. If chocolate coating, when the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
    a. Temper the chocolate as described below
    b. Drag ½ of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.
    c. Optional: dust still warm chocolate lightly with zest

Tempering Chocolate with Mycryo

INGREDIENTS
Weigh 1% of the mycryo butter so it’s ready to add.
• 100g/3.5oz chocolate + 1/2 tsp (1g) Mycryo cocoa butter
• 200g/7oz chocolate + 1 tsp (2g) Mycryo cocoa butter
• 1kg/35.27oz chocolate + 5 tsp (10g) Mycryo cocoa butter.
METHOD

  1. Melt chocolate to 122-126°F (microwave or bain-marie). Leave the chocolate to cool to 93-95° F (or 91-93° F for milk, white or colored chocolate) at ambient temperature.
  2. When cooled, sprinkle the 1% Mycryo® cocoa butter as per table above and wait a few seconds as it melts then stir in to combine.
  3. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the chocolate off the sides and fold into the middle.
  4. Stir well and continue to stir well frequently
  5. Use immediately. To keep the chocolate in temper, maintain it within working temperatures: 88°F–91°F for dark chocolate, and 82°F–84°F for milk/white/colored chocolate.
  6. If the chocolate starts hardening, then heat it up and stir well until it warms back up to working temperature and the chocolate is smooth again. (Do this carefully, putting it in the microwave in 5 second bursts, stir vigorously and repeat until desired temperature is achieved.)

Key Lime Icing – Hardening
Sets Firm/Shiny
This creates a classic, hardened sugar glaze, which is perfect for bundt cakes and cookies.
INGREDIENTS
• 113 g (1 c) powdered sugar,
• 1 -2 Tbl fresh key lime juice
• ½ – 1 tsp meringue powder (optional, but helps it dry faster and harder).
• Zest from 1 small lime
METHOD

  1. Add ingredients to a small bowl
  2. Beat until completely smooth. The icing should be thick enough to slowly drip in a ribbon.
  3. Let it sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours to set completely dry and crisp.

Raspberry Icing – Hardening

INGREDIENTS
• 113 g (1 c) Powdered Sugar
• 40 g (⅛ c) Seedless Raspberry Jam
• 2 – 3 ½ Tbl Milk or Heavy Cream
• ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of salt
• ½ – 1 tsp freeze dried raspberry powder

METHOD

  1. In a medium bowl, beat the ingredients, and 1 tablespoon of milk.
  2. Beat until completely smooth. If the icing is too thick and difficult to pour or drizzle, add the remaining milk ½ teaspoon at a time until you reach a pourable yet thick consistency.
  3. If you want a perfectly leveled, mirror-like “melted” glaze that hardens quickly, gently warm the mixture in a double boiler or microwave for 10–15 seconds before pouring.
  4. Pour, dip or drizzle over your cookies, cakes, or pastries. Let it sit at room temperature for 1–2 hours to harden into a firm crust

Mini Key Lime Pies and Graham Cracker Cookie Sandwiches

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It was a busy weekend. I made Mini Key LIme Pies for a party/luncheon today and with made some Chocolate Frosting filled Graham Cracker Cookies with the leftover graham cracker. Did I mention we also went to a wine tasting south of Sacramento?

The pies took two attempts as the first was a disaster. I over whipped the batter and cooled the pies to quickly causing them to collapse. I made them a second time and swapped the whisk for a paddle attachment after the eggs and cream cheese were well blended. I also left them in the oven when they were at the “jiggle” stage, turned the oven off and opened the door. This allowed them to cool slower. Once I could move the pan with bare hands I let them cool on the counter until they were room temperature, then moved them to the fridge.

The Graham cracker cookies can use and chocolate frosting you like.

The left picture shows the finished mini pie in the foreground and a disaster one in the back and a “recovered” bad one in the center

Mini Key Lime Pies – Sally

INGREDIENTS
Crust
• 180 g (1 ½ c) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)
• 85g (6 Tbl) unsalted butter, melted
• 50 g ( ¼ c) granulated sugar
Filling
• 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 4 large egg yolks
• 396 g (one 14-ounce can) full-fat sweetened condensed milk
• 120 ml ( ½ c) key lime juice*
optional: lime slices and whipped cream for garnish

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with liners and a second 12-count muffin pan with only 4 (since this recipe makes only around 16). Set pans aside.
  2. Use a food processor or blender to grind graham crackers. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar together with a silicone spatula in a medium bowl until combined. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Press a heaping Tablespoon of mixture down into each liner, making sure the crust is tight and compact. You might have a little crust leftover. If so, press a little more into each liner—if desired! Pre-bake the crusts for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.
  3. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. On medium-high speed, beat in the egg yolks, scraping down the sides as needed. On high speed, beat in the sweetened condensed milk and lime juice until combined. DO NOT OVER MIX.
  4. Pour the filling evenly into each crust. Bake for 15–16 minutes or until the centers of the pies only slightly jiggle. Turn off the oven and open the door. Allow the pies to cool until the pans can be moved with bare hands, then let them cool to room temperature. Once completely cool, place the pan in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
  5. Once chilled, serve the key lime pies cold with whipped cream or Italian meringue and a lime slice if desired. I also drizzled some blueberry sauce over the pie.
  6. Store leftover pies in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 1 week. If they last that long!

The Long and Short(bread) of it

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I spent the last few days out of the bakery and took a short(bread) cut to return this afternoon.

I made variations of these cookies before (search abatteroldsuitecase.com for “shortbread”.)

I also included the recipe for making tempered chocolate for coating the cookies

Shortbread Cookies

INGREDIENTS (Half Recipe in parentheses)
• 336 g = 3 sticks, 36 Tbl (170g = 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at RT
• 200 g = 1 c (100g = ½ c) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 tsp (½ tsp) pure vanilla extract
• 420 g = 3 ½ c (210g = 1¾ c) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp (⅛ tsp) salt
• 175-200 g semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• Optional: 3 Tbl fresh orange zest

METHOD

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla, (and zest if using.)
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into two flat rectangles ~ ¾ inch thick each. Do not overwork it and the flour will hydrate some in the freezer. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
  3. Roll the dough ~1/2-inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and dock with a fork (and optionally sprinkle with sugar.)
  4. Preheat the oven to 350⁰F. Refrigerate cut cookies while the oven heats. (~ 15 minutes)
  5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  6. If chocolate coating, when the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
    a. Temper the chocolate as described below
    b. Drag ½ of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.
    c. Optional: dust still warm chocolate lightly with zest

Tempering Chocolate with Mycryo

INGREDIENTS

Weigh 1% of the mycryo butter so it’s ready to add.
• 100g/3.5oz chocolate + 1/2 tsp (1g) Mycryo cocoa butter
• 200g/7oz chocolate + 1 tsp (2g) Mycryo cocoa butter
• 1kg/35.27oz chocolate + 5 tsp (10g) Mycryo cocoa butter.

METHOD

  1. Melt chocolate to 122-126°F (microwave or bain-marie). Leave the chocolate to cool to 93-95° F (or 91-93° F for milk, white or colored chocolate) at ambient temperature.
  2. When cooled, sprinkle the 1% Mycryo® cocoa butter as per table above and wait a few seconds as it melts then stir in to combine.
  3. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the chocolate off the sides and fold into the middle.
  4. Stir well and continue to stir well frequently
  5. Use immediately. To keep the chocolate in temper, maintain it within working temperatures: 88°F–91°F for dark chocolate, and 82°F–84°F for milk/white/colored chocolate.
  6. If the chocolate starts hardening, then heat it up and stir well until it warms back up to working temperature and the chocolate is smooth again. (Do this carefully, putting it in the microwave in 5 second bursts, stir vigorously and repeat until desired temperature is achieved.)

Our Party Went Semi-dark Last Night

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For our synagogues yearly fundraiser dinner last night I made Sally’s Almond Butter Chocolate Chip and Chocolate/Chocolate Cookies plus a Chocolate/RaspberryChocolate Ganache Brownies and Lavender/Mint/Lemon Shortbread Cookies.

Despite a major storm cutting the power as the buffet opened, everyone took in stride and used cellphone flashlights to continue the party.

Chocolate Brownies with Black Chocolate

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My “go to” dark chocolate cocoa cannot be found anymore so I substituted black chocolate. It’s available from both King Arthur or Modern Mountain and is a very dark, decadent chocolate.

I added 2 tablespoons of Hersheys unsweetened cocoa powder to moderate the intensity of the black chocolate.

The origin of this recipe is lost in the misty past, but it remains my favorite. It includes KAF raspberry jammie bits and Callebaut 54% chocolate chips. The ganache is the same chocolate chips, cream, corn syrup and vanilla.

Chocolate And Raspberry Half Recipe Brownie Bars

INGREDIENTS

BROWNIES
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup + 2 Tbl dark cocoa
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup + 2 Tbl sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup + 2 Tbl AP flour
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup jammy bits
• 1 ½ Tbl honey or seedless raspberry jam
• ½ Tbl water
CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ¼ Tbl light corn syrup (20g)
• ⅓ cups (200 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 9″ x 9″ pan. To make very even bars, line the pan with aluminum foil before baking, leaving foil sticking up above the edges of the pan. Wrap a wet cake band around the pan to keep the edges from over-cooking.
  2. Crack the 2 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth.
  3. Add the sugar and melted butter, stirring until smooth.
  4. Add the flour, chips, and Jammy Bits, again stirring well. The batter will be very thick.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth.
  6. Bake the brownies for about 25 minutes, checking the temperature after 20 minutes. The brownies are done when a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (200 degrees,) or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look moist, but not uncooked. Do not over bake! Remove them from the oven.
  7. Heat the 2 Tbl honey or seedless raspberry jam with 1 Tbl of water and stir until smooth. Brush over the warm brownies. Set aside to cool for an hour or longer before topping with the ganache.
  8. To make the ganache, heat the cream and corn syrup until they begin to steam (60 sec in 1000W microwave.) Pour over the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, add any flavorings, and whisk until smooth. Let cool for 15 minutes or so.
  9. Pour ganache over the brownies while it’s still warm but has begun to thicken — reheat if it thickens too much as you work. Allow several hours for the ganache to set up fully. You may refrigerate the brownies to hasten the setting of the ganache.
  10. Remove the brownies from the pan using the aluminum foil sling. Heat a knife in hot water, wipe dry and use to cut the brownies. Repeat with each cut.
  11. Just before serving, garnish brownies with fresh raspberries and confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Last week I made Almond Butter Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookes and they were great. Today I made Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (note the missing “Chocolate”.) These are also great, maybe even outstanding.

I cut the amount of chocolate chips back some to make the cookies more cohesive and it worked well,

Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – Sally

Yield: ~16 cookies

INGREDIENTS
• 1 large egg
• 250g (1 c) almond butter or peanut butter, at room temperature or cold (not warm)*
• 90 (½ c) light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed*
• 2 tsp baking powder (If using natural cocoa powder use 1 tsp baking soda)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 100g ( ½ c) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, peanuts, peanut butter chips, etc.

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg until beaten. Mix in the almond butter, then the brown sugar, baking soda, and vanilla (if using). Mix everything together very well. Depending how thick and/or cold your almond butter is, you’ll have to use some arm muscles. Fold in the chocolate chips until combined.
  3. Scoop the dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons each, onto prepared baking sheet. Gently press down on the dough mounds with the back of a spoon. If you find the cookie dough balls are a little oily from your almond butter—mine usually are—blot each with a paper towel. If desired, press a couple chocolate chips onto the tops of each cookie dough mound.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will look very soft—that’s ok! For crispier cookies, bake for up to 12 minutes. Sometimes I press a couple more chocolate chips into the tops of each cookie immediately after coming out of the oven. This is optional and only for looks.
  5. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 7 days

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookie

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I was going to photograph these cookies next to a margarita in honor of National Margarita Day, but then considered the pairing and propriety of such an image, and chose milk instead.

Sally’s post explains that these cookies being, flourless and butter-less, provide a healthier treat than traditional chocolate cookies. I can attest they do not have less taste.

Sally provided the basis of this bake. I modified the recipe slightly as with only one egg the mixture would not come together into a dough. This likely made the dough stickier than the original recipe but the cookies are still delicious and a great texture. Definitely returning here soon.

Also I used light brown sugar and coconut sugar in equal proportion to make the 90g.

And finally, as I only have Dutch Processed Cocoa I substituted 2 tsp of baking powder for the 1 tsp of baking soda. Natural cocoa is more acidic than Dutch Processed and using baking powder provides the additional acidity required to make the cookies rise.

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookie

Makes about 12 cookies
INGREDIENTS
• 2 large egg
• 250g (1 c) creamy almond butter, at room temperature*
• 90g ( ½ c) lightly packed light or dark brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 2 tsp baking powder (If using natural cocoa powder use 1 tsp baking soda)
• 21g ( ¼ c) Dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
• 180g (1 c) dark chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until beaten. With a big spoon or silicone spatula, or using an electric mixer, mix in/beat on medium speed the almond butter, then the brown sugar, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Beat/mix everything together very well. Depending how thick your almond butter is, you’ll have to use some arm muscle! Fold in the chocolate chunks until combined.
  3. Scoop about 2 Tbl of dough each onto prepared baking sheets and arrange 3 inches apart. The dough is very sticky. I wet a tablespoon as needed to scoop and place on the cookie sheet. I shaped the cookies with wet fingers to avoid sticking.
  4. Gently press down on the dough mounds with the back of a spoon. If you find the cookie dough balls are a little oily from the almond butter blot each with a paper towel.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and that’s expected. For firmer cookies, bake for 12 minutes.
  6. Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. During this time, I like to press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies. (This is optional and only for looks.) Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
  7. Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
    Notes
  8. I modified Sally’s recipe by adding another egg. The mixture did not come together with only one. The second egg allowed the mixture to turn into a dough, but likely made it stickier.
  9. Freezing Instructions: Cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature, if desired, before enjoying.
  10. Natural cocoa delivers a more intense, bright, fruity chocolate flavor. It’s used in traditional American recipes like chocolate cake, devil’s food cake, or chewy cocoa cookies.
  11. Dutch-processed cocoa is darker, smoother, and more mellow. It is used in European-style cakes, dark chocolate sauces, where you want a rich, almost black color. It effortlessly mixes into liquids and fat-rich batters like buttercream, ganache, or pudding.

Raspberry Swirl Shortbread Cookies

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I saw this recipe online and as they are shortbread and raspberry I couldn’t resist. As expected they are delicious.

They are fairly easy to make and after my first attempt I made several notes on how to change the METHOD next time, and there will be a next time.

Raspberry Swirl Shortbread Cookies

INGREDIENTS
• 227 (1 c or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (not melted)
• 150g (¾ c) sugar
• 1 large RT egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 310 (2½ c) AP flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup raspberry jam
• 1 Tbl cornstarch

METHOD

  1. In a stand mixer bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla; beat until combined.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
  3. Gradually add to the wet mixture by hand or mix on low speed only until a soft dough forms.
  4. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle (about ¼-inch thick).
  5. In a small bowl, whisk the raspberry jam with the cornstarch.
  6. Remove the top layer of parchment paper and spread a thin, even layer of the jam mixture over the dough rectangles, leaving a small border at the edges.
  7. Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log. See note below on rolling the dough.
  8. Wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or freeze for 30 minutes). See note below for additional info on firming up the logs before slicing.
  9. Preheat oven to 350°F. Use a sharp knife to slice the cold log into ½-inch thick rounds.
  10. Place cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies so you will likely need two cookie sheets.
  11. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets after 7 minutes. Start checking for browning after 10 minutes. The edges should be barely golden. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.

NOTES:

  1. If the dough is too wet and sticky, refrigerate for 5 minutes before tying to roll up. 10 minutes was too long and the initial roll cracked.
  2. The dough sticks to the wax paper. I used a clean offset spatula to slide under the dough to separate it from the wax paper.
  3. The jam ran out while rolling when logs were frozen for 30 minutes
    a. Next time I will freeze for 1 hour to freeze the jam
    b. Also, cut both frozen logs in half and slice one while leaving the others in the freezer
  4. The cookies spread and lost definition. Next time I will freeze for 30 minutes after slicing and arranging on the parchment lined cookie sheets