Cookies
I love homemade cookies. They make the whole house smell good, they're small enough that you can have two or three at a time, with enough to share with others.
That said, here are six yummy cookie recipes to help you through the day, including Double-Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies and Chocapocalypse Cookies. Enjoy!
GUMDROP COOKIE MIX IN A JAR
Long since forgotten email list.
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups (10 oz.) spiced gumdrops, cut into pieces
Directions
Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda, and add to the jar. Add the brown sugar, and press down gently to form a layer. Combine the granulated sugar and the gum drops to coat the cut pieces of the candy with sugar, to prevent the candy from clumping together. Add them to the jar.
Put lid on the jar and attach the following instructions to a gift tag:
GUMDROP COOKIES
Ingredients
1 jar Gumdrop Cookie Mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Directions
Remove the gumdrops from the jar and set aside. Empty the remaining cookie mix into a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Add butter or margarine, egg and vanilla. Mix until completely blended. Add the gum drops, and mix gently. shape into walnut-size balls, and place 2 inches apart on sprayed or parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes 2-1/2 dozen cookies.
3 INGREDIENT PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
This comes from Kristina Vanni at The Spruce Eats. For this recipe, she wrote, " Get ready for the easiest cookie recipe ever. These delicious peanut butter cookies require only three ingredients: peanut butter, sugar, and one egg. They take mere minutes to mix up and bake, perfect for last-minute cravings. It sounds too good to be true until you give it a try for yourself.
"You can use your favorite brand of peanut butter, creamy or chunky, but we recommend using a mainstream brand and not a drippy, natural nut butter. Since there are variations in texture from brand to brand, sometimes the cookie dough can be a bit soft and hard to roll. If so, simply refrigerate until it's firm enough to roll.
"Make these soft, nutty cookies with kids. The recipe doesn't require a mixer and is lightning fast for instant gratification. Plus, it's naturally gluten free."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Makes 24 cookies (24 servings)
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/3-ingredient-peanut-butter-cookies-recipe-5119147.
Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for decoration
1 large egg
Directions
Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the peanut butter, sugar, and egg. Stir until smooth and creamy.
Roll into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Place a small amount of sugar on a small plate. Dip a fork in the sugar and press into each ball of dough, flattening it slightly and making a crosshatch pattern. Dip the fork back in the sugar between each cookie.
Bake in the preheated oven until just golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
Continue cooling completely on a wire rack. Enjoy.
Tips
Commercial salted, creamy peanut butter works best for this recipe, such as Skippy, Peter Pan, or Jif. If using unsalted, add a pinch or two of salt to the recipe.
Be sure to use gluten-free peanut butter if you're on a gluten-free diet.
Recipe Variations
For a little extra sweet flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Add up to 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips or drizzle the finished cookies in melted chocolate.
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to three days.
To Freeze, form the dough on the baking sheets and stick in the freezer for an hour. Once frozen, transfer the unbaked cookies to a zip-top freezer bag and store for up to three months. The cookies can be baked from frozen; add a minute or two to the bake time.
How do you make peanut butter cookies taste better?
Peanut butter cookies should taste like peanuts. The ratio of peanut butter to the other ingredients in the recipe will ensure that the peanut flavor shines in every bite. You can add ingredients like vanilla or chocolate chips for extra flavor.
Should you refrigerate peanut butter cookie dough before baking?
Some peanut butter cookie recipes call for chilling the dough before baking to ensure the cookies don't spread too much. These simple three-ingredient peanut butter cookies don't require chilling since they aren't prone to spreading. It's best to follow the instructions for the recipe you're using.
Why are my peanut butter cookies falling apart?
If your cookies are falling apart, first double-check the measurements and directions and make sure you followed everything exactly. Did you thoroughly incorporate the ingredients? If you find the cookies are difficult to roll, try refrigerating the dough for one hour. This will firm up the dough and make it easier to handle.
NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 stick butter
2 heaping tablespoons cocoa
2 heaping tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1-teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups quick-cook oats
Directions
Mix the first 5 ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and oats. You can add 1/3 cup finely chopped & toasted walnuts or pecans. Mix well and drop a spoonful of oat mixture on to wax paper. Let cool.
DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES
This is from Dorie Greenspan in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this yummy cookie recipe, Dorie wrote, "Deeply chocolaty like devil’s food cake, speckled with sugar on the outsides and filled with soft chocolate or jam in the centers, these cookies are a double pleasure: delightful to eat and fun to make. While “thumbprints” is an adorable name, it’s a misnomer: You use every part of your hands to form these. The cookies need to be pinched, patted, rolled around and poked before they’re sent into the oven. It’s a great project to do with kids — small thumbs are perfect for forming little dimples in the dough. What you fill the centers with is up to you. Chocolate with chocolate is great — naturally pink ruby chocolate is particularly pretty — and jam is delicious, too."
Yield: About 40 cookies; Time: 45 minutes, pus chilling
This was featured in "Mistakes Happen. In the Kitchen, That Can Be the Best Thing." (which was Dorie's final column for the Times), and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023005-double-chocolate-thumbprint-cookies.
By the way, I have to add this note: Dorie, you'll be missed! Thanks for all the yummy recipes over the past few years!
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1-1/3 cups)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cold large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sanding or granulated sugar, for coating (about 1/3 cup)
For the Filling:
4 ounces chocolate (white, milk, dark or ruby), chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon canola oil (optional)
Directions
Make the cookies: Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Place a heatproof medium bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water; don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Drop in the chunks of butter and scatter over the chocolate. Heat, stirring now and then, until the butter and chocolate are melted, but not so hot that they separate, 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk in the sugar. (Don’t be alarmed when the mixture turns grainy.) One by one, add the cold eggs, whisking vigorously until the mixture is thick and smooth, and the whisk leaves tracks. Beat in the vanilla, then switch to a spatula and add the flour in 3 additions, stirring gently between each addition, until the flour disappears into the dough. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 4 days.
When you’re ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and heat it to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Put the sanding or granulated sugar in a small bowl and, if you’ve got one, have a cork from a wine bottle at hand.
Using a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon, scoop mounds of dough, each a scant tablespoon. Roll the dough into balls and then roll the balls in the sugar to coat. Place the balls on the baking sheets, giving them 1-1/2 inches or so of space to spread. Press the cork into the center of each cookie or use your thumb to make an indentation.
Bake 1 sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies feel firmish. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack. The indentations will have puffed in the oven, so you’ll want to press them down again. Repeat with the second sheet. Let cookies cool completely.
Fill the prints: Melt milk, dark or ruby chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. If using white chocolate, add oil before melting and stir until smooth. While the chocolate is still warm and fluid, use a small spoon to fill each indentation to the brim, letting the chocolate fall from the end of the spoon. Slide the cookies into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate. The cookies will keep for about 5 days in a covered container at room temperature.
LEMON MERINGUE COOKIES
This is from Dorie Greenspan at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Dorie wrote, "Like their inspiration, lemon meringue pie, these cookies have three elements. They’re built on simple, slice-and-bake French shortbread cookies, rich, buttery and flavored with vanilla. The shortbread base is almost classic, except that the cookies are baked in muffin tins, so they’re straight-sided and deeply golden brown. The 'filling' is lemon curd, and the topping is crunchy bits of meringue. You get crumbly, velvety and crackly, sweet and tart in every bite. These cookies were created for an imaginary friend, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, the hero of 16 Louise Penny novels, and a man who considers lemon meringue divine."
Yield: 24 cookies; Time: 2 hours
This was featured in "A Lemon Meringue Cookie Good Enough to Be Imaginary", and can be found online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021686-lemon-meringue-cookies.
Note: If you didn't click on the link to the featured article that this cookie recipe came from (or if you did, but didn't read the article), you really should read it. Dorie Greenspan's article is well worth the read; heck, it's worth several reads. Maybe make up a batch of these, then sit back to enjoy both cookies and the article. (Thanks for both, Dorie!)
Ingredients
For the Meringue:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon distilled vinegar (or lemon juice)
Pinch of fine sea salt
For the Shortbread:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into chunks and brought to room temperature, plus more for greasing the muffin tin
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
About 1/3 cup store-bought or homemade lemon curd
Preparation
Make the meringue: Heat oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together both sugars.
Working with an electric mixer, beat the egg white, vinegar and salt on medium-high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition. Once the sugar is incorporated, beat 2 minutes more; you’ll have stiff, glossy, white peaks. Put the meringue on the baking sheet and spread it 1/4-inch thick. (It will cover only a small part of the sheet.)
Bake the meringue undisturbed for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, prop open the oven door and let it dry for 1 hour. When you’re ready to use it, chop it into pieces about the size of chocolate chips. Precision doesn’t matter.
Make the shortbread: Working with a mixer (use the paddle if it’s a stand mixer), beat the butter, both sugars and the salt on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until smooth but not fluffy. On low speed, beat in the yolks, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Add the flour in three additions, mixing on low until the dough comes together in large clumps. Turn out the dough and knead it into a ball. Cut the ball in half.
Shape each half into a 6-inch log. Wrap it and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (You could also freeze it for up to 2 months; leave it on the counter for 1 hour before baking.)
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 1 or 2 muffin tins with butter (or nonstick baking spray).
Slice each log into 12 rounds (each 1/2-inch thick); drop one into each muffin cup. (If you don’t have enough tins, you can work in batches.)
Bake for 21 to 23 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the rims. Transfer the tin(s) to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then lift the cookies out and onto racks; cool to room temperature.
Just before serving, top each cookie with lemon curd, then top with ample chunks of meringue, pressing them into the curd. The meringue will keep in a cool, dry place for a few days, and the cookies can be kept at room temperature for about 3 days. But once you top the cookies, they’re best eaten soon after.
CHOCAPOCALYPSE COOKIES
This is from Alton Brown of the Food Network's show, Good Eats. Total Time: 2 hr 30 min; Prep: 45 min; Inactive: 1 hr 15 min; Cook: 30 min; Yield: 55 cookies; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocapocalypse-cookie-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
6 ounces 54-percent bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1-3/4 ounces all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces 70-percent bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces 40-percent milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces cocoa nibs
Directions
Place the 54-percent bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate in a medium glass mixing bowl and microwave on high for two 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval. If still not smooth, heat for 10 additional seconds at a time and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool to 90 degrees F, approximately 15 minutes.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together, transfer to a paper plate and set aside.
Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until combined and looks like wet sand, about 2 minutes.
Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix to combine. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until integrated. Add the 70-percent bittersweet chocolate, 40-percent milk chocolate and the cocoa nibs and mix until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Scoop the dough using a 1-1/4-inch-diameter disher or ice cream scoop onto parchment-lined half-sheet pans, placing 2 inches apart, 12 cookies per pan. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, rotating after 5 minutes. Do not over-bake; the cookies may look wet and doughy.
Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer on the parchment paper to a cooling rack to cool completely.
That said, here are six yummy cookie recipes to help you through the day, including Double-Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies and Chocapocalypse Cookies. Enjoy!
GUMDROP COOKIE MIX IN A JAR
Long since forgotten email list.
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups (10 oz.) spiced gumdrops, cut into pieces
Directions
Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda, and add to the jar. Add the brown sugar, and press down gently to form a layer. Combine the granulated sugar and the gum drops to coat the cut pieces of the candy with sugar, to prevent the candy from clumping together. Add them to the jar.
Put lid on the jar and attach the following instructions to a gift tag:
GUMDROP COOKIES
Ingredients
1 jar Gumdrop Cookie Mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Directions
Remove the gumdrops from the jar and set aside. Empty the remaining cookie mix into a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Add butter or margarine, egg and vanilla. Mix until completely blended. Add the gum drops, and mix gently. shape into walnut-size balls, and place 2 inches apart on sprayed or parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes 2-1/2 dozen cookies.
3 INGREDIENT PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
This comes from Kristina Vanni at The Spruce Eats. For this recipe, she wrote, " Get ready for the easiest cookie recipe ever. These delicious peanut butter cookies require only three ingredients: peanut butter, sugar, and one egg. They take mere minutes to mix up and bake, perfect for last-minute cravings. It sounds too good to be true until you give it a try for yourself.
"You can use your favorite brand of peanut butter, creamy or chunky, but we recommend using a mainstream brand and not a drippy, natural nut butter. Since there are variations in texture from brand to brand, sometimes the cookie dough can be a bit soft and hard to roll. If so, simply refrigerate until it's firm enough to roll.
"Make these soft, nutty cookies with kids. The recipe doesn't require a mixer and is lightning fast for instant gratification. Plus, it's naturally gluten free."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Makes 24 cookies (24 servings)
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/3-ingredient-peanut-butter-cookies-recipe-5119147.
Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for decoration
1 large egg
Directions
Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the peanut butter, sugar, and egg. Stir until smooth and creamy.
Roll into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Place a small amount of sugar on a small plate. Dip a fork in the sugar and press into each ball of dough, flattening it slightly and making a crosshatch pattern. Dip the fork back in the sugar between each cookie.
Bake in the preheated oven until just golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
Continue cooling completely on a wire rack. Enjoy.
Tips
Commercial salted, creamy peanut butter works best for this recipe, such as Skippy, Peter Pan, or Jif. If using unsalted, add a pinch or two of salt to the recipe.
Be sure to use gluten-free peanut butter if you're on a gluten-free diet.
Recipe Variations
For a little extra sweet flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Add up to 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips or drizzle the finished cookies in melted chocolate.
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to three days.
To Freeze, form the dough on the baking sheets and stick in the freezer for an hour. Once frozen, transfer the unbaked cookies to a zip-top freezer bag and store for up to three months. The cookies can be baked from frozen; add a minute or two to the bake time.
How do you make peanut butter cookies taste better?
Peanut butter cookies should taste like peanuts. The ratio of peanut butter to the other ingredients in the recipe will ensure that the peanut flavor shines in every bite. You can add ingredients like vanilla or chocolate chips for extra flavor.
Should you refrigerate peanut butter cookie dough before baking?
Some peanut butter cookie recipes call for chilling the dough before baking to ensure the cookies don't spread too much. These simple three-ingredient peanut butter cookies don't require chilling since they aren't prone to spreading. It's best to follow the instructions for the recipe you're using.
Why are my peanut butter cookies falling apart?
If your cookies are falling apart, first double-check the measurements and directions and make sure you followed everything exactly. Did you thoroughly incorporate the ingredients? If you find the cookies are difficult to roll, try refrigerating the dough for one hour. This will firm up the dough and make it easier to handle.
NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 stick butter
2 heaping tablespoons cocoa
2 heaping tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1-teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups quick-cook oats
Directions
Mix the first 5 ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and oats. You can add 1/3 cup finely chopped & toasted walnuts or pecans. Mix well and drop a spoonful of oat mixture on to wax paper. Let cool.
DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES
This is from Dorie Greenspan in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this yummy cookie recipe, Dorie wrote, "Deeply chocolaty like devil’s food cake, speckled with sugar on the outsides and filled with soft chocolate or jam in the centers, these cookies are a double pleasure: delightful to eat and fun to make. While “thumbprints” is an adorable name, it’s a misnomer: You use every part of your hands to form these. The cookies need to be pinched, patted, rolled around and poked before they’re sent into the oven. It’s a great project to do with kids — small thumbs are perfect for forming little dimples in the dough. What you fill the centers with is up to you. Chocolate with chocolate is great — naturally pink ruby chocolate is particularly pretty — and jam is delicious, too."
Yield: About 40 cookies; Time: 45 minutes, pus chilling
This was featured in "Mistakes Happen. In the Kitchen, That Can Be the Best Thing." (which was Dorie's final column for the Times), and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023005-double-chocolate-thumbprint-cookies.
By the way, I have to add this note: Dorie, you'll be missed! Thanks for all the yummy recipes over the past few years!
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1-1/3 cups)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cold large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sanding or granulated sugar, for coating (about 1/3 cup)
For the Filling:
4 ounces chocolate (white, milk, dark or ruby), chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon canola oil (optional)
Directions
Make the cookies: Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Place a heatproof medium bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water; don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Drop in the chunks of butter and scatter over the chocolate. Heat, stirring now and then, until the butter and chocolate are melted, but not so hot that they separate, 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk in the sugar. (Don’t be alarmed when the mixture turns grainy.) One by one, add the cold eggs, whisking vigorously until the mixture is thick and smooth, and the whisk leaves tracks. Beat in the vanilla, then switch to a spatula and add the flour in 3 additions, stirring gently between each addition, until the flour disappears into the dough. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 4 days.
When you’re ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and heat it to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Put the sanding or granulated sugar in a small bowl and, if you’ve got one, have a cork from a wine bottle at hand.
Using a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon, scoop mounds of dough, each a scant tablespoon. Roll the dough into balls and then roll the balls in the sugar to coat. Place the balls on the baking sheets, giving them 1-1/2 inches or so of space to spread. Press the cork into the center of each cookie or use your thumb to make an indentation.
Bake 1 sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies feel firmish. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack. The indentations will have puffed in the oven, so you’ll want to press them down again. Repeat with the second sheet. Let cookies cool completely.
Fill the prints: Melt milk, dark or ruby chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. If using white chocolate, add oil before melting and stir until smooth. While the chocolate is still warm and fluid, use a small spoon to fill each indentation to the brim, letting the chocolate fall from the end of the spoon. Slide the cookies into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate. The cookies will keep for about 5 days in a covered container at room temperature.
LEMON MERINGUE COOKIES
This is from Dorie Greenspan at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Dorie wrote, "Like their inspiration, lemon meringue pie, these cookies have three elements. They’re built on simple, slice-and-bake French shortbread cookies, rich, buttery and flavored with vanilla. The shortbread base is almost classic, except that the cookies are baked in muffin tins, so they’re straight-sided and deeply golden brown. The 'filling' is lemon curd, and the topping is crunchy bits of meringue. You get crumbly, velvety and crackly, sweet and tart in every bite. These cookies were created for an imaginary friend, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, the hero of 16 Louise Penny novels, and a man who considers lemon meringue divine."
Yield: 24 cookies; Time: 2 hours
This was featured in "A Lemon Meringue Cookie Good Enough to Be Imaginary", and can be found online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021686-lemon-meringue-cookies.
Note: If you didn't click on the link to the featured article that this cookie recipe came from (or if you did, but didn't read the article), you really should read it. Dorie Greenspan's article is well worth the read; heck, it's worth several reads. Maybe make up a batch of these, then sit back to enjoy both cookies and the article. (Thanks for both, Dorie!)
Ingredients
For the Meringue:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon distilled vinegar (or lemon juice)
Pinch of fine sea salt
For the Shortbread:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into chunks and brought to room temperature, plus more for greasing the muffin tin
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
About 1/3 cup store-bought or homemade lemon curd
Preparation
Make the meringue: Heat oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together both sugars.
Working with an electric mixer, beat the egg white, vinegar and salt on medium-high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition. Once the sugar is incorporated, beat 2 minutes more; you’ll have stiff, glossy, white peaks. Put the meringue on the baking sheet and spread it 1/4-inch thick. (It will cover only a small part of the sheet.)
Bake the meringue undisturbed for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, prop open the oven door and let it dry for 1 hour. When you’re ready to use it, chop it into pieces about the size of chocolate chips. Precision doesn’t matter.
Make the shortbread: Working with a mixer (use the paddle if it’s a stand mixer), beat the butter, both sugars and the salt on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until smooth but not fluffy. On low speed, beat in the yolks, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Add the flour in three additions, mixing on low until the dough comes together in large clumps. Turn out the dough and knead it into a ball. Cut the ball in half.
Shape each half into a 6-inch log. Wrap it and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (You could also freeze it for up to 2 months; leave it on the counter for 1 hour before baking.)
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 1 or 2 muffin tins with butter (or nonstick baking spray).
Slice each log into 12 rounds (each 1/2-inch thick); drop one into each muffin cup. (If you don’t have enough tins, you can work in batches.)
Bake for 21 to 23 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the rims. Transfer the tin(s) to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then lift the cookies out and onto racks; cool to room temperature.
Just before serving, top each cookie with lemon curd, then top with ample chunks of meringue, pressing them into the curd. The meringue will keep in a cool, dry place for a few days, and the cookies can be kept at room temperature for about 3 days. But once you top the cookies, they’re best eaten soon after.
CHOCAPOCALYPSE COOKIES
This is from Alton Brown of the Food Network's show, Good Eats. Total Time: 2 hr 30 min; Prep: 45 min; Inactive: 1 hr 15 min; Cook: 30 min; Yield: 55 cookies; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocapocalypse-cookie-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
6 ounces 54-percent bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1-3/4 ounces all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces 70-percent bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces 40-percent milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces cocoa nibs
Directions
Place the 54-percent bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate in a medium glass mixing bowl and microwave on high for two 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval. If still not smooth, heat for 10 additional seconds at a time and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool to 90 degrees F, approximately 15 minutes.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together, transfer to a paper plate and set aside.
Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until combined and looks like wet sand, about 2 minutes.
Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix to combine. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until integrated. Add the 70-percent bittersweet chocolate, 40-percent milk chocolate and the cocoa nibs and mix until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Scoop the dough using a 1-1/4-inch-diameter disher or ice cream scoop onto parchment-lined half-sheet pans, placing 2 inches apart, 12 cookies per pan. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, rotating after 5 minutes. Do not over-bake; the cookies may look wet and doughy.
Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer on the parchment paper to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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