Cookies
If you love Cookies, today's post is sure to please. Check out the Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, the Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies, and the rest of today's offerings. 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.
GINGERSNAP COOKIES
This is from Kristina Vanni in The Spruce Eats. Kristina wrote, "Gingersnaps have been enjoyed for centuries. In fact, the early versions of these spiced cookies were likely invented by medieval monks in Germany as early as the 13th century. The recipes were passed down through the generations and found their way to America with the early colonists. They are still enjoyed to this day, especially around the holidays.
"The moment you smell the aroma of molasses, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg wafting from the oven, you know the holidays are near. These classic cookies make the perfect edible holiday gift. They're easy to roll and bake and they keep well in an airtight container. Bake up a few batches to give away to friends and family and take a batch along to your next holiday cookie exchange. The spiciness of the ginger and the richness of molasses pairs well with a warm cup of tea or coffee..."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 12 minutes; Total Time: 22 minutes; Makes 18 servings; Yield: 36 cookies
View this online at https://www.thespruceeats.com/gingersnap-cookies-4768986.
Ingredients
3/4 cup shortening, or softened butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
4 tablespoons molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare two cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper.
Combine the butter or shortening, sugar, molasses, and egg in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg in another bowl.
Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture.
Form the dough into 1-inch balls using a 1 tablespoon scoop, and roll in additional granulated sugar.
Place each ball 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes for a softer cookie and longer for a crisper cookie.
Cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container.
Softened Butter vs. Shortening
This recipe works well with either softened butter or shortening.
Shortening tends to yield a higher, lighter-textured baked goods, while butter tends to result in cookies that are flatter and crisper.
Butter imparts more of its own rich flavor in a recipe while shortening remains a neutral flavor, allowing spices to really shine.
Shortening is soft at room temperature, so if time is of the essence and you don't have any butter softened, it is a good option.
You may be pleased to know that many major shortening brands now make all of their shortening products without trans fats.
BEST SUGAR COOKIES
This is from Susan Spungen in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Susan wrote, "This easy sugar cookie dough is perfect for rolling and cutting and bakes into cookies ideal for frosting. It holds its shape well during baking, tastes great, and the flavor can be changed according to whim: Swap out the vanilla and try adding orange zest, lemon zest, finely chopped rosemary or almond extract. You can also give these cookies a radical makeover by decorating them with icing. A few drops of gel food coloring turn them into Color-Field Cookies; red stripes transform them into Peppermint Stripe Cookies; or a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and pistachios create Abstract Art Cookies. Rubber spacers on your rolling pin are especially helpful here: They’ll help you roll the dough to an even thickness, resulting in beautiful, uniform cookies."
Total Time: 1 hour; Yield: 2 dozen cookies
This was featured in "12 Stunning Cookies That Will Impress Everyone You Know," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020651-best-sugar-cookies.
Ingredients
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Scrape the bowl and fold a few times to make sure everything is well combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/4-inch thick. Use 3-inch floured cutters to cut out cookies, and transfer to two parchment- or silicone mat-lined baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1-1/2 inches apart. Reroll scraps as needed, chilling as needed until firm before rolling and cutting again. Freeze until very firm, about 10 minutes.
Bake until golden brown at the edges, 12 to 14 minutes.
Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or frozen up to 3 months.
SOFT AND CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES
This is from Samantha Seneviratne at The New York Times cooking enewslettler. For this yumminess, Samantha wrote, "For perfectly tender, highly addictive sugar cookies, use the most flavorful salted butter that you can find and good quality vanilla extract. For the freshest, most delicious cookies, only bake as many cookies as you plan on eating in a day. To store extra dough, scoop it and roll it into balls and store them in an airtight container in the freezer. Bake them from frozen, rolling in sugar just beforehand."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Yield: About 18 cookies
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025780-soft-and-chewy-sugar-cookies. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewslettler, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
12 tablespoons salted butter (1-1/2 sticks), at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in the egg and egg yolk until creamy, then add the vanilla, again scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined.
In a small bowl, place the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Roll the dough into golf-ball-size balls (about 2 tablespoons each), then roll each one in the sugar.
Transfer the dough to parchment-lined baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies until just set and dry in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer each sheet to a rack to cool for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely.
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.
ITALIAN LEMON COOKIES
Recipe Yield: Yield: 27 ServingsServing Size: 2 cookies
Source: Splenda
Recipe and image appear courtesy of Splenda.
You can view this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/italian-lemon-cookies.
Ingredients
1/2 cup light butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup egg substitute
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet and set aside.
Blend together butter, Splenda Granulated Sweetener, and vanilla in a medium sized mixing bowl until butter is softened. Add egg substitute, lemon juice and zest. Mix briefly. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder and nutmeg. Mix using a hand mixer on low speed (or by hand) until dough is formed. Do not over mix.
Remove dough from bowl and divide in half. Roll each half into a log approx. 1 inch thick in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 1-2 hours, allowing dough to chill and become firm.
Remove dough from freezer, unwrap and cut into slices approximately 1/4 inch thick. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheet.
Bake in a preheated 325 degrees F oven 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Notes:
These delicate lemon cookies have excellent flavor and an interesting texture. They are perfect for adding variety to a cookie tray.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 160; Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 55 mg; Cholesterol: 30 mg; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Sugars: 7 g
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.
GINGERSNAP COOKIES
This is from Kristina Vanni in The Spruce Eats. Kristina wrote, "Gingersnaps have been enjoyed for centuries. In fact, the early versions of these spiced cookies were likely invented by medieval monks in Germany as early as the 13th century. The recipes were passed down through the generations and found their way to America with the early colonists. They are still enjoyed to this day, especially around the holidays.
"The moment you smell the aroma of molasses, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg wafting from the oven, you know the holidays are near. These classic cookies make the perfect edible holiday gift. They're easy to roll and bake and they keep well in an airtight container. Bake up a few batches to give away to friends and family and take a batch along to your next holiday cookie exchange. The spiciness of the ginger and the richness of molasses pairs well with a warm cup of tea or coffee..."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 12 minutes; Total Time: 22 minutes; Makes 18 servings; Yield: 36 cookies
View this online at https://www.thespruceeats.com/gingersnap-cookies-4768986.
Ingredients
3/4 cup shortening, or softened butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
4 tablespoons molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare two cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper.
Combine the butter or shortening, sugar, molasses, and egg in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg in another bowl.
Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture.
Form the dough into 1-inch balls using a 1 tablespoon scoop, and roll in additional granulated sugar.
Place each ball 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes for a softer cookie and longer for a crisper cookie.
Cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container.
Softened Butter vs. Shortening
This recipe works well with either softened butter or shortening.
Shortening tends to yield a higher, lighter-textured baked goods, while butter tends to result in cookies that are flatter and crisper.
Butter imparts more of its own rich flavor in a recipe while shortening remains a neutral flavor, allowing spices to really shine.
Shortening is soft at room temperature, so if time is of the essence and you don't have any butter softened, it is a good option.
You may be pleased to know that many major shortening brands now make all of their shortening products without trans fats.
BEST SUGAR COOKIES
This is from Susan Spungen in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Susan wrote, "This easy sugar cookie dough is perfect for rolling and cutting and bakes into cookies ideal for frosting. It holds its shape well during baking, tastes great, and the flavor can be changed according to whim: Swap out the vanilla and try adding orange zest, lemon zest, finely chopped rosemary or almond extract. You can also give these cookies a radical makeover by decorating them with icing. A few drops of gel food coloring turn them into Color-Field Cookies; red stripes transform them into Peppermint Stripe Cookies; or a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and pistachios create Abstract Art Cookies. Rubber spacers on your rolling pin are especially helpful here: They’ll help you roll the dough to an even thickness, resulting in beautiful, uniform cookies."
Total Time: 1 hour; Yield: 2 dozen cookies
This was featured in "12 Stunning Cookies That Will Impress Everyone You Know," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020651-best-sugar-cookies.
Ingredients
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Scrape the bowl and fold a few times to make sure everything is well combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/4-inch thick. Use 3-inch floured cutters to cut out cookies, and transfer to two parchment- or silicone mat-lined baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1-1/2 inches apart. Reroll scraps as needed, chilling as needed until firm before rolling and cutting again. Freeze until very firm, about 10 minutes.
Bake until golden brown at the edges, 12 to 14 minutes.
Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or frozen up to 3 months.
SOFT AND CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES
This is from Samantha Seneviratne at The New York Times cooking enewslettler. For this yumminess, Samantha wrote, "For perfectly tender, highly addictive sugar cookies, use the most flavorful salted butter that you can find and good quality vanilla extract. For the freshest, most delicious cookies, only bake as many cookies as you plan on eating in a day. To store extra dough, scoop it and roll it into balls and store them in an airtight container in the freezer. Bake them from frozen, rolling in sugar just beforehand."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Yield: About 18 cookies
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025780-soft-and-chewy-sugar-cookies. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewslettler, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
12 tablespoons salted butter (1-1/2 sticks), at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in the egg and egg yolk until creamy, then add the vanilla, again scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined.
In a small bowl, place the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Roll the dough into golf-ball-size balls (about 2 tablespoons each), then roll each one in the sugar.
Transfer the dough to parchment-lined baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies until just set and dry in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer each sheet to a rack to cool for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely.
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.
ITALIAN LEMON COOKIES
Recipe Yield: Yield: 27 ServingsServing Size: 2 cookies
Source: Splenda
Recipe and image appear courtesy of Splenda.
You can view this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/italian-lemon-cookies.
Ingredients
1/2 cup light butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup egg substitute
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet and set aside.
Blend together butter, Splenda Granulated Sweetener, and vanilla in a medium sized mixing bowl until butter is softened. Add egg substitute, lemon juice and zest. Mix briefly. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder and nutmeg. Mix using a hand mixer on low speed (or by hand) until dough is formed. Do not over mix.
Remove dough from bowl and divide in half. Roll each half into a log approx. 1 inch thick in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 1-2 hours, allowing dough to chill and become firm.
Remove dough from freezer, unwrap and cut into slices approximately 1/4 inch thick. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheet.
Bake in a preheated 325 degrees F oven 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Notes:
These delicate lemon cookies have excellent flavor and an interesting texture. They are perfect for adding variety to a cookie tray.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 160; Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 55 mg; Cholesterol: 30 mg; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Sugars: 7 g
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