Cookies

Who doesn't love cookies?

Okay, that borders on being a trick question. Most of us can point to someone we know who doesn't love cookies. For the rest of us, though, today's cookie recipes are sure to please. Check out the Raisin Oatmeal Cookies, the Chocapocalypse Cookies, and the rest of today's yumminess. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY MAPLE OAT COOKIES

This is from Crofter’s Organic, and was featured in the December 2018 issue of Taste For Life, which I’d picked up at one of my favorite places, Rollin’ Oats in St. Petersburg, Florida. If you’re ever in St. Pete (especially if you live nearby), check it out!

Anyway, the recipe begins, “This recipe is far from your grandma’s oatmeal cookie. These cookies are the epitome of summer - chewy oatmeal goodness bursting with juicy strawberry flavor all thanks to our strawberry premium fruit spread. Count us in. This flavor combination is one for the books and will take your cookie game to the next level. Not to mention, they’re healthier than your average cookie but shhh no one needs to know. That’s because they taste great. Give them a try and see for yourself! Yum!”

Serves 6 - 8; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes.

Check them out online at https://croftersorganic.com/recipe/strawberry-maple-oat-cookies/.

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt

1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/2 cup coarsely ground walnuts

1 egg

2 tablespoons coconut oil melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup Crofter’s Organic Strawberry Premium Fruit Spread

Directions

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients - flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Add spices and walnuts. Mix all together until combined.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg, coconut oil, vanilla, and maple syrup. Mix well with a whisk until well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix. Finally, stir in the diced strawberries. Mix gently with a spoon. Let the mixture sit for few minutes.

Preheat oven to 356F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

With a scoop or spoon, scoop the dough, and place it on the baking sheet. Arrange the cookies 2-inches apart. Slightly flatten the dough with the spoon.

Bake 12-15 minutes until the edges of the cookies begin to brown.

Remove cookies from the oven, and let them cool for few minutes on a baking sheet. Then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

PERFECT BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES

This is from Melissa Clark at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “Tender, moist and scented with vanilla, almond and lemon, these classic confections popular all over the Midwest and the state of New York are more cake than cookie, with a fine crumb and velvet texture from the sour cream in the batter. Even better, they are glazed with both vanilla and chocolate, so you don’t have to pick favorites. These are best eaten within 24 hours of baking, when the cake is at its softest and the glaze at its snappiest. But if you store them in an airtight container at room temperature, they’ll be good for a few days longer.”

Yield: 12 to 14 cookies; Time: 1 hour, plus cooling

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020254-perfect-black-and-white-cookies.

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup sour cream or whole-milk yogurt

1/3 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoonsgranulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the Glaze:

2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Boiling water, as needed

1-1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of fine sea salt

2-1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

2-1/2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Preparation

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds, and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sea salt and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, vanilla, lemon zest and almond extract.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Reduce speed to low and beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/3 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat until both mixtures are incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. (Mixture will be the consistency of thick poundcake batter.)

Dollop heaping 1/4-cup scoops of batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. (You should have 12 to 14 cookies.) Bake for 6 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets. Continue to bake until the cookies have firmed up and spring back when lightly pressed in the center, 6 to 9 minutes. (They’ll brown only on the bottoms.) Take care not to overbake, or they will dry out.

Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 15 minutes, then transfer cookies directly to racks to cool completely.

While the cookies cool, make the glaze: Place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and whisk in 3 tablespoons boiling water, the corn syrup, vanilla and salt. Continue to whisk, adding more boiling water as needed, until you have a thick yet spreadable frosting that is the texture of hot fudge sauce. (Too thick is preferable to too thin.) Flip each cookie over and spoon glaze over half of its flat side, spreading to edges with the back of the spoon. Place on wire rack to set. You will have vanilla frosting left over.

Whisk melted chocolate into vanilla frosting, then whisk in cocoa and enough room temperature water to make a thick yet spreadable glaze. Glaze the bare half of each cookie. Let glaze set for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving.

PUMPKIN SWIRL COOKIES

This is from the Food Network, and begins, “Break open these oversized cookies, fragrant with pumpkin and spice, to reveal a soft interior with a beautiful swirl.”

Level: Easy; Total: 4 hr 20 min (includes chilling and cooling times); Active: 55 min; Yield: 12 large cookies

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Dough:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pumpkin Cookie Dough:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting (see Cook's Note)

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1-1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

1-1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup milk

Directions

For the sugar cookie dough: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat together the granulated sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scraping down the bowl and paddle once, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to fully combine. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Turn off the mixer. Add half of the dry ingredients and turn the mixer to low; beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and increase the mixer speed to medium low for 1 minute to make sure the dough is well combined.

Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap. Use a rubber spatula to spread and press the dough into a flat rectangle. Add a second piece of plastic wrap on top, and flatten the rectangle using a rolling pin to approximately 8 by 10 inches. Wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

For the pumpkin cookie dough: Whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat together the brown sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scraping down the bowl and paddle once, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to fully combine. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and beat to combine. Turn off the mixer. Add half the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and beat on medium low for 1 minute to make sure the dough is well combined.

Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap. Use a rubber spatula to spread and press the dough into a flat rectangle. Add a second piece of plastic wrap on top and flatten with a rolling pin to approximately 8 inches by 10 inches. Wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Unwrap the pumpkin cookie dough and place on a lightly floured piece of parchment. Lightly flour the top and a rolling pin and roll into a larger rectangle about 10-1/2 by 16 inches (see Cook's Note). Slide the parchment with the dough onto a baking sheet and refrigerate while you repeat the process with the sugar cookie dough. Roll and refrigerate the sugar cookie dough in the same manner.

Use a pastry brush to dust off any excess flour from the top of the pumpkin cookie dough. Using the parchment to help you, flip the pumpkin cookie dough onto the sugar cookie dough, lining up the 2 rectangles as closely as possible. Cut the dough in half crosswise with a very sharp knife or pastry cutter so you now have 2 rectangles that are 10-1/2 by 7 inches. Stack the dough rectangles on top of one another so you now have 4 layers of alternating cookie dough. Cut this stack crosswise into 6 rows, then lengthwise into 4 rows so you end up with a total of 24 squares. Stack one layered square on top of a second one and, using lightly floured hands, gently press the edges together and round into a domed ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining squares, evenly spacing 6 dough balls on each lined baking sheet.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies are puffed in the center and golden brown around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on the pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet to cool completely.

For the glaze: Meanwhile, whisk together the confectioners' sugar with the pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl. Add the milk and whisk until completely incorporated. Transfer to a quart-sized resealable plastic bag or piping bag. Snip the end and drizzle the cooled cookies with the icing. Let set, about 20 minutes.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.) The pumpkin dough will be much softer than the sugar cookie dough so you will have to use more flour when rolling out to prevent sticking. Work quickly; if the dough gets too soft or warm, place the whole piece of parchment on a sheet pan and place in the freezer for a few minutes.

GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES

This yummy recipe is from Jessie Sheehan at The Spruce Eats. Jessie wrote, "Our chewy ginger molasses cookies are a true holiday cookie dream. Take a bite of chewy centers, crispy edges, and the best fall spices like ginger, cinnamon, and a dash of white pepper for a little kick. Tossed in granulated sugar before baking, the resulting cookie is a sparkly treat with a wonderful bite. These cookies travel well when packaged carefully and are a perfect addition to any dessert table after the Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. They also make a great everyday dessert when served on their own or with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel.

"Making the cookies does not require a stand or hand mixer and they freeze beautifully, either pre- or post-bake, making them a fabulous choice if you like to plan and make ahead."

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 12 minutes; Chilling the Dough: 80 minutes; Total Time: 117 minutes; Servings: 18 servings; Yield: 36 cookies

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/ginger-molasses-cookies-5086423.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon white pepper, optional

6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup molasses

Granulated sugar, for rolling

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and white pepper, if using.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar until smooth.

Add the egg and yolk one at a time, whisking after each addition.

Add the vanilla and molasses and whisk until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold with a flexible spatula to combine. Place the dough in the refrigerator until it has a scoopable texture, or about 20 to 30 minutes.

Scoop the dough into 1-1/2 tablespoon balls using a small ice cream scoop or measuring spoons.

Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place on the prepared cookie sheets, about 12 balls per sheet. Place the sheets in the freezer to firm up for about 30 minutes to an hour. This will prevent the cookies from spreading when baked.

Roll the cookie balls in granulated sugar again for extra sparkle. Bake for about 12 minutes until the tops are cracked and the cookies are slightly puffy. Once removed from the oven, flatten each cookie lightly with a spatula. Serve warm or cold.

For Great Results

Follow our expert advice to make unforgettable ginger cookies:

Bake for 12 minutes for a chewier cookie. For a crispier cookie, bake for 14 minutes.

Refrigerate the dough overnight and up to 72 hours for extra-chewy cookies.

Re-sugar the baked cookies by dipping each side in a shallow bowl of granulated sugar while still warm for even more sparkle.

Keep in an airtight container on the counter for three days or freeze in a resealable plastic bag for up to a month.

Other Flavors and Additions

For a different flavor profile, here are some of our favorite variations:

Add cayenne pepper instead of white pepper for a different kind of heat.

Add 3/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks for a delicious ginger chocolate cookie.

Add 3/4 cup macadamia nuts, almonds, or cashews for a nutty flavor and extra texture. If needed, use sunflower seeds for a cookie that's free of tree nuts.

Use turbinado sugar, rather than granulated, for even more sparkle and crunch.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, rather than just granulated, for an even spicier finish.

Scoop the cookies with a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop, rather than one sized at 1-1/2 tablespoons, and make jumbo ginger molasses cookies.

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.

RAISIN OATMEAL COOKIES

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, though it looks like it was from a diabetic list.

Yield: 2-1/2 dozen cookies (1 per serving)

Ingredients

6 tablespoons margarine, softened

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins for baking

Directions

Mix margarine, sour cream, egg, and vanilla in large bowl; mix in brown sugar. Mix in combined oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix in raisins.

Drop dough onto greased cookie sheets, using 2 tablespoons for each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees F. until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 cookie): Calories: 90, Fat: 2.7 g, Cholesterol: 7.1 mg, Sodium: 57 mg, Protein: 1.5 g, Carbohydrate: 15.3 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Bread/Starch, 1/2 Fat

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