dark and white chocolate cherry cookies

In less than 6 months of dating, Andy and I have managed to cover Christmas, Valentine's Day, and, as of tomorrow, both of our birthdays. And while I'm not really into the whole Hallmark holiday aspect of V-day, I do appreciate the notion of expressing your feelings to the one you love. That, and I went to see Valentine's Day, the new Gary Marshall film, the week before and melted into a puddle of mush. I succumbed to the fervor. And I made these cookies. Half went to Andy, and half went to my brother and sister-in-law (because the recipe makes so many!).

I really like these cookies, and thought to make them for Valentine's because my mom used to send them to me for Valentine's Day when I was in college. Though rather decadent, the tang of the cherries offsets the rich, sweetness of the chocolate. The cookie base, isn't all that different from the standard Toll House recipe. And I imagine, if you really wanted to, you could probably throw some chopped pecans in there. In case four cups of chocolate isn't quite enough for you.

White and Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies

The InnKeeper’s Kitchen at the Dilworthtown Inn

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

12 oz. butter

2 eggs

2 heaping cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white chocolate (chips or bar, chopped)

2 cups dark chocolate (chips or bar, chopped)

1 cup dried cherries, soaked in warm water

¼ tsp. baking powder

Pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and mix until incorporated.
3. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, mixing well.
4. Combine the salt, baking powder and flour. Slowly add to the batter mixing until about half the flour is incorporated.
5. Drain the cherries. Add the chocolates and cherries to the batter.
6. Scoop about a tablespoon sized ball onto parchment paper lined sheet pans, keeping about 1 inch between each ball of cookie. When you have filled the tray, lightly press down on the dough to flatten out.
7. Place in oven and bake for about 7 minutes. Rotate pan around and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until the cookies become golden brown on the edges.
8. Cool completely on racks before packing.
9. Makes 30-40 cookies (or more like 60!).

Enjoy!

- e

holiday baking and candy-making

The weather outside is frightful, as snowflakes spiral through brisk winter air and the streets are blanketed in snow. What better day to stay in with a hot cup of tea, holiday tunes playing, and catching up on the Yumcoast?

Last weekend, in a rush of holiday spirit, I decided to invite my friend Joan (that's her below, sprinkling chopped hazelnuts over the toffee) over for some holiday candy making. I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, and given my love for toffee and all things coffee, just had to make it. As an inexperienced candy maker, I followed the directions to the letter (with one exception – Whole Foods was all out of molasses, so I purchased I deep, dark, rich buckwheat honey. It tastes nearly as rich as molasses, without the bitterness. I can’t wait to use it in other baking projects!), realized that I may have a faulty candy thermometer, and ended up burning the first batch. The second try garnered better results, but erring on the side of caution, we slightly undercooked the sugar, resulting a texture closure to fudge – or, dare I say it, Butterfingers – than a nice, crisp toffee. It is still quite delicious, and I’m thinking of using it in cookies . . .



And because simply making toffee isn’t quite enough for one Sunday afternoon, we also decided to make Ina Garten’s Ultimate Ginger Cookies. The recipe was a little odd for a cookie recipe – oil instead of butter, a very dry dough – but the end result was pleasant. I would like to try making them again, possibly replacing the ground ginger with freshly grated ginger, and attempting to replace the oil with melted butter.



Ultimate Ginger Cookies
From Barefoot Contessa at Home

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups chopped crystallized ginger (6 ounces)
Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

no bake chocolate peanut butter bars

My mother introduced me to these delicious and super easy bar cookies over 4th of July weekend. I was slightly skeptical at first, afraid they would be too sweet, but one bite and I was hooked. So as soon as I was back in Boston, I had to make them!

Of course, me being me, I could not leave well enough alone, and decided to make my own chocolate wafers. To be fair, I could not for the life of me find Nabisco Classic Chocolate Wafers, and was ultimately really pleased with this chocolate wafer cookie from Smitten Kitchen. And with my extra wafers, I made delicious little ice cream sandwiches. Who wouldn't love that!

These must be kept in the fridge, which makes them the perfect summer treat! They are apparently fantastic frozen as well. And when you cut the bars up, you will inevitably have lots of little crumbles. If you can resist eating these crumbs right away, save them in the fridge to sprinkle over vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
from Martha Stewart, August 2008

Vegetable oil cooking spray

9 ounces chocolate wafers (about 40 wafers), finely ground (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
5 ounces (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup chunky peanut butter
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, melted

Coat a 9-by-13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides.

Combine the ground wafers, oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the chunky peanut butter and 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, whisking until well combined. Transfer to a baking dish, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or an offset spatula (or your fingers!) to firmly press the mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Pour melted semisweet chocolate over chilled mixture and, using a offset spatula, spread into a thin layer that covers the entire surface. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 15 minutes.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter in a small saucepan until runny. Drizzle peanut butter over chilled chocolate. Repeat with milk chocolate. Refrigerate until hardened, about 15 minutes (fyi - if you use all natural peanut butter, it lacks stabilizers, and never completely hardens).

Use parchment to lift chilled block of bars out of the pan. Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry well, and cut into 24 squares, wiping knife between cuts. Sliced bars can be refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 1 month.

- e

urban s'mores

Continuing on with the cracker theme, and the yumcoast's mutual unemployment equation (too much free time + a creative itch = tasty treats) I whipped up a batch of homemade graham crackers yesterday. They come from Smitten Kitchen, and you can find the recipe here. Given that the recipe does not have eggs, you could easily vegan-ize it by using margarine instead of butter. And they are super easy too! Essentially a rolled cookie, cut into rectangles, and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar! Mmmmmm.


And what better use of a homemade graham cracker, than a delicious s'more? I have had an inexplicable craving recently for s'mores, those oozy, perfect campfire treats of my youth. So, I invited some friends over, and in the absence of a proper camp fire, cranked up the gas stove top and roasted some marshmallows. Smeared said toasty mallows onto tasty grahams topped with a chocolate square and sandwiched the whole thing with a second graham. Again, mmmm.

cran-apple oatmeal cookies

now that the muffins are gone, i thought it was time to put another apple to use. this time? in cookies! i love oatmeal cookies and how they lend themselves so well to playing around with different fruit/nut/spice combinations. this time i left out the nuts and went for finely chopped apples and dried cranberries with a hint of cinnamon and ginger.

cran-apple oatmeal cookies
ingredients:
3/4 cup margarine
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup soy milk (or non-dairy milk of your choice)
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 apple, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup dried cranberries
3 cups oats

preheat oven to 350.

beat together margarine, sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. add soy milk and mix until well combined.

add flour, baking soda, salt spices and stir until well mixed. add remaining ingredients and mix to combine.

drop balls of dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. bake 12-15 minutes.

-d

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you happen to live on the East Coast, you are probably covered in snow at the moment, dreaming of summertime and tropical getaways and fruity drinks with cute little umbrellas. And cursing winter in general. Since I was not prepared to invest in a team of huskies, I am stayed in today, admiring the white stuff from the comfort of my apartment and dreaming of something different. Namely, cookies. I don't know what it is this winter - ahem - that has inspired this cookie-baking zeal, but I am fairly certain that I could eat a cookie - or five - every day until they have to remove me from my apartment with a crane. So this morning, while watching news reports of the snow and subsequent school cancellations, I started scheming. What kind of cookies would I make? What did I have on hand to make said cookies with (because going outside, even around the corner, was just not an option today)? I decided I wanted something classic but substantial. Oatmeal raisin? Chocolate chip? Something with nuts? In the end, I decided on these - a little oatmeal chocolate chip goodness. Wholesome and yet a touch decadent. Not too sweet, with a delightful interplay of cinnamon and chocolate. And just perfect with a cup of tea on a wintry New England day. Yum.


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
yields about 24 cookies

1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (optional)

Beat together butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla, mixing well after each addition.

Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt (you can sift these together, if you like) and mix well. Add in oatmeal, choco chips and walnuts (if using) and mix until just incorporated.

Drop by the heaping teaspoonful onto baking sheets and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool for a minute on baking sheets before transferring to baking racks to cool completely. Enjoy!

- e

a little lovin'

As you all know, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. And while I personally do not buy into the saccharine, Hallmark-fueled, chocolate heart love fest, I do believe in romance. And baked goods. And while candy is dandy, cookies are the way to my heart (flowers don't hurt either). So in honor of the holiday, I made a batch of these delightfully light, nicely ginger-y cookies. When mixing up the dough, I was a little worried, as it seemed a tad crumbly, but I persevered, and everything worked out! So I recommend you make these for your sweetie, or for yourself! And Happy Valentine's Day! xoxo.



Ginger Sugar Cookies
from Martha Stewart, February 2009

makes 24 heart-shaped cookies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 ounces (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
6 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp finely grated ginger
1 large egg yolk
sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Cream butter and sugar with mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in ginger, then yolk.

Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture gradually, beating until just combined. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Turn out dough onto lightly floured parchment. Roll out until 1/4 inch thick, and cut out cookies using 2-inch heart-shaped cutter. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheets. Brush each cookie with a damp pastry brush, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake until cookies are set and light gold around edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and let cool. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

- e

raisin pecan oatmeal cookies

A very dear friend of mine is going through a rough spot, and despite being the pickiest eater I have ever encountered, he loves desserts. Especially cookies. So, because I love baking, and because what nourishes the body nourishes the soul, I decided to make him cookies last night. I flipped through a few new cookbooks, and came upon this one in the newest Barefoot Contessa book, a classic with a twist. I also need to take a moment to mention how much I love the Barefoot Contessa (aka Ina Garten). I love her show. I love the melodiously soothing tone of her voice. And I love love love her kitchen. Basically, I want to be her new best friend, and be invited over for dinner every weekend.

Now that I have expressed my super-fanatacism, I must say these cookies are DELICIOUS! They are both chewy and crunchy and bake beautifully. For most of my life, I harbored an intense dislike of raisins, and only in the past few years have I come to terms with them. I still cannot eat them straight out of the box, but enjoy them in things, like these cookies. So if you have a friend who needs some comforting, or need a little yourself, these are just perfect!



Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
from The Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

makes 30 to 35 cookies

1 1/2 cups pecans
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed (I used light brown sugar)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
3 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, add eggs one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix until just combined.

Using a small ice cream scoop (or a tablespoon), drop 2 inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper (ed. note: the parchment is not necessary, but makes clean up easier). Flatten dough mounds slightly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

*before baking, I sprinkled the cookies with granulated sugar for a little extra crunch!

e