Cookies
If you love Cookies, today's post is sure to please. Check out the Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, the Caramel Apple Snickerdoodles, and the rest of today's yumminess. Enjoy!
ORANGE RICOTTA COOKIES
This interesting recipe is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Tired of making the same, old cookies? These cookie sandwiches are delightfully different. Both the cookies and the filling are made with whole milk ricotta cheese and fresh orange, for a light and fluffy texture and amazing fresh orange flavor. They are a great choice for baby or wedding showers, afternoon teas, or other gatherings where you want cookies that say, “special.” Only you need to know that it took just 45 minutes of hands-on time to make them!
"Hailing direct from our Cookie cookbook, these cuties look fancy, but really aren’t complicated to make. The orange-ricotta cookies are dipped in colored orange sugar for a bit of sparkle and crunch. Filled with a creamy, dreamy orange-ricotta filling, then garnished with candied orange slices and mint leaves to make them extra-special. The soft, tender cookies and creamy filling are an intoxicating combination of flavors and textures that will have your guests coming back for seconds!"
Prep Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes; Servings: 48
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cookies
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (from 8-oz container)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
4-1/2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon orange gel food color
1 tablespoon water
Filling
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (from 8-oz container)
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
Garnish
Candied orange slices, cut into small triangles, if desired
Small mint leaves, cut in half, if desired
Directions
In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Beat in 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon orange zest, and the orange juice until well mixed. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; beat until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Heat oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.
Onto cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart (dough will be sticky).
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
In small resealable bag, add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the food color; seal bag and shake to color sugar. Transfer colored sugar to small bowl. Lightly brush tops of cookie with pastry brush dipped in water; dip tops in colored sugar; return sugar-side up to cooling rack for sugar to dry.
In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and 1/3 cup butter until no lumps remain. Stir in 1/2 cup ricotta and 2 teaspoons orange zest until mixed well.
To assemble cookies, pipe or spread about 2 teaspoons filling on the flat side of one cookie; press flat side of another cookie to filling at one spot to look like an open clam. Press a piece of candied orange slice and mint leaf into filling for garnish and place on tray. Loosely cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes or until filling is firm.
SHORTBREAD COOKIES
This yumminess is from Ina Garten on the Food Network.
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Inactive Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Yield: 20 cookies
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 to 7 ounces very good semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. 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 a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.
CHEESECAKE-STUFFED RED VELVET COOKIES
This comes from the Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “The classic flavors of red velvet cake are transformed into cookies with the cream cheese baked right inside.”
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes; Active Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 12 cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Filling:
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cookies:
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled (see Cook's Note)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, scooped and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Confectioners' sugar, for coating
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Make the filling: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling at a time onto the parchment so that you have 12 dollops. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
Make the cookies: Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together the granulated sugar, butter, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and eggs in another bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the sugar mixture with a rubber spatula until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes (it will still be soft).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Coat your hands generously with confectioners' sugar and scoop a heaping tablespoon of the cookie dough into your hand. Put one of the frozen cream cheese dollops in the middle of the dough and place another tablespoon of the dough on top of the cream cheese. Shape the dough around it to completely enclose the cream cheese, and then roll to coat in the confectioners' sugar. Repeat with the remaining dough and cream cheese, coating your hands in confectioners' sugar as needed.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are firm around the edges and can be easily lifted with a spatula, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the trays for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
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.)
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.
CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES
This is from Leah Maroney at The Spruce Eats. This recipe begins, "These peppermint cookies are bursting with chocolate and minty goodness. The dark chocolate treats are chewy and fudgy—like a brownie in cookie form. We add extract peppermint extract to the dough and top them with crushed peppermint sticks for a nice crunch.
"Bake up these cookies for Santa Claus or bring them to your annual holiday cookie swap. They’re different from your average sugar cookie, but still embrace classic Christmas flavors. Pair them with a steaming cup of peppermint hot chocolate on a cold winter night. They're sure to please every mint chocolate fan in your life."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 12 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/chocolate-peppermint-cookies-4768572.
Ingredients
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 cup peppermint candy canes (crushed)
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in one-minute increments. Whisk after each increment until the mixture is totally smooth. Be careful not to overheat as the chocolate can scorch.
Beat the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and peppermint extracts together in a large bowl.
Beat the chocolate mixture into the egg and brown sugar mixture and continue to mix until a smooth batter forms.
Gradually add in the flour mixture until it is combined. Be careful not to overbeat.
Scoop the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet with a cookie scoop. Leave a few inches in between each scoop.
Use a spatula to flatten the tops of the cookies. Keep the shape round and smooth the top as best as you can.
Place the cookies on the center rack of the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies have spread and the tops are cracked.
Spray each cookie with cooking spray and sprinkle the crushed peppermint sticks over the top. Make sure to do this immediately while the cookies are still warm.
Serve immediately with a glass of milk or store them in an airtight container for up to three days.
Tips
You can freeze these cookies for up to three months.
If you’d prefer to keep the cookies puffy then don’t flatten them before cooking. You can also replace the small amount of baking soda with a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. This will make smaller and rounder cookies. They will still be chewy, but a little more on the cakey side.
Recipe Variation
You can add in chopped walnuts to the dough or extra chocolate chips. The mini ones work especially well and keep the nice fudgy texture.
CARAMEL APPLE SNICKERDOODLES
This comes from the Tablespoon newsletter. It begins, “Dulce de leche is the secret ingredients that gives these cookies their gooey hidden center.” Prep Time: 20 min; Total Time: 1 hr 45 min; Servings: 9
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk)
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated sugar cookies
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
Directions
Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Spoon 9 heaping teaspoons dulce de leche on cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in freezer 1 hour. Transfer remaining dulce de leche to covered container, and refrigerate for another use.
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or spray cookie sheet. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in flour until well combined. Form dough into 9 balls. Flatten each ball into 2-inch round; place 1 frozen dulce de leche dollop on center of each round. Shape dough around dulce de leche, sealing to cover completely. In small bowl, mix sugar and apple pie spice. Roll each ball in sugar mixture. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
ORANGE RICOTTA COOKIES
This interesting recipe is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Tired of making the same, old cookies? These cookie sandwiches are delightfully different. Both the cookies and the filling are made with whole milk ricotta cheese and fresh orange, for a light and fluffy texture and amazing fresh orange flavor. They are a great choice for baby or wedding showers, afternoon teas, or other gatherings where you want cookies that say, “special.” Only you need to know that it took just 45 minutes of hands-on time to make them!
"Hailing direct from our Cookie cookbook, these cuties look fancy, but really aren’t complicated to make. The orange-ricotta cookies are dipped in colored orange sugar for a bit of sparkle and crunch. Filled with a creamy, dreamy orange-ricotta filling, then garnished with candied orange slices and mint leaves to make them extra-special. The soft, tender cookies and creamy filling are an intoxicating combination of flavors and textures that will have your guests coming back for seconds!"
Prep Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes; Servings: 48
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cookies
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (from 8-oz container)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
4-1/2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon orange gel food color
1 tablespoon water
Filling
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (from 8-oz container)
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
Garnish
Candied orange slices, cut into small triangles, if desired
Small mint leaves, cut in half, if desired
Directions
In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Beat in 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon orange zest, and the orange juice until well mixed. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; beat until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Heat oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.
Onto cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart (dough will be sticky).
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
In small resealable bag, add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the food color; seal bag and shake to color sugar. Transfer colored sugar to small bowl. Lightly brush tops of cookie with pastry brush dipped in water; dip tops in colored sugar; return sugar-side up to cooling rack for sugar to dry.
In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and 1/3 cup butter until no lumps remain. Stir in 1/2 cup ricotta and 2 teaspoons orange zest until mixed well.
To assemble cookies, pipe or spread about 2 teaspoons filling on the flat side of one cookie; press flat side of another cookie to filling at one spot to look like an open clam. Press a piece of candied orange slice and mint leaf into filling for garnish and place on tray. Loosely cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes or until filling is firm.
SHORTBREAD COOKIES
This yumminess is from Ina Garten on the Food Network.
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Inactive Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Yield: 20 cookies
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 to 7 ounces very good semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. 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 a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.
CHEESECAKE-STUFFED RED VELVET COOKIES
This comes from the Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “The classic flavors of red velvet cake are transformed into cookies with the cream cheese baked right inside.”
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes; Active Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 12 cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Filling:
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cookies:
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled (see Cook's Note)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, scooped and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Confectioners' sugar, for coating
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Make the filling: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling at a time onto the parchment so that you have 12 dollops. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
Make the cookies: Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together the granulated sugar, butter, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and eggs in another bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the sugar mixture with a rubber spatula until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes (it will still be soft).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Coat your hands generously with confectioners' sugar and scoop a heaping tablespoon of the cookie dough into your hand. Put one of the frozen cream cheese dollops in the middle of the dough and place another tablespoon of the dough on top of the cream cheese. Shape the dough around it to completely enclose the cream cheese, and then roll to coat in the confectioners' sugar. Repeat with the remaining dough and cream cheese, coating your hands in confectioners' sugar as needed.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are firm around the edges and can be easily lifted with a spatula, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the trays for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
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.)
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.
CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES
This is from Leah Maroney at The Spruce Eats. This recipe begins, "These peppermint cookies are bursting with chocolate and minty goodness. The dark chocolate treats are chewy and fudgy—like a brownie in cookie form. We add extract peppermint extract to the dough and top them with crushed peppermint sticks for a nice crunch.
"Bake up these cookies for Santa Claus or bring them to your annual holiday cookie swap. They’re different from your average sugar cookie, but still embrace classic Christmas flavors. Pair them with a steaming cup of peppermint hot chocolate on a cold winter night. They're sure to please every mint chocolate fan in your life."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 12 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/chocolate-peppermint-cookies-4768572.
Ingredients
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 cup peppermint candy canes (crushed)
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in one-minute increments. Whisk after each increment until the mixture is totally smooth. Be careful not to overheat as the chocolate can scorch.
Beat the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and peppermint extracts together in a large bowl.
Beat the chocolate mixture into the egg and brown sugar mixture and continue to mix until a smooth batter forms.
Gradually add in the flour mixture until it is combined. Be careful not to overbeat.
Scoop the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet with a cookie scoop. Leave a few inches in between each scoop.
Use a spatula to flatten the tops of the cookies. Keep the shape round and smooth the top as best as you can.
Place the cookies on the center rack of the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies have spread and the tops are cracked.
Spray each cookie with cooking spray and sprinkle the crushed peppermint sticks over the top. Make sure to do this immediately while the cookies are still warm.
Serve immediately with a glass of milk or store them in an airtight container for up to three days.
Tips
You can freeze these cookies for up to three months.
If you’d prefer to keep the cookies puffy then don’t flatten them before cooking. You can also replace the small amount of baking soda with a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. This will make smaller and rounder cookies. They will still be chewy, but a little more on the cakey side.
Recipe Variation
You can add in chopped walnuts to the dough or extra chocolate chips. The mini ones work especially well and keep the nice fudgy texture.
CARAMEL APPLE SNICKERDOODLES
This comes from the Tablespoon newsletter. It begins, “Dulce de leche is the secret ingredients that gives these cookies their gooey hidden center.” Prep Time: 20 min; Total Time: 1 hr 45 min; Servings: 9
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk)
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated sugar cookies
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
Directions
Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Spoon 9 heaping teaspoons dulce de leche on cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in freezer 1 hour. Transfer remaining dulce de leche to covered container, and refrigerate for another use.
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or spray cookie sheet. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in flour until well combined. Form dough into 9 balls. Flatten each ball into 2-inch round; place 1 frozen dulce de leche dollop on center of each round. Shape dough around dulce de leche, sealing to cover completely. In small bowl, mix sugar and apple pie spice. Roll each ball in sugar mixture. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
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