Crystallized Ginger Cookies

Though I am not much of a baker, I LOVE fall baking. The smell of pumpkins and apples and sweet potatoes; cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger fill our home around this time.  These delicious cookies are my first contribution to this year's fall baking rotation!

Crystallized Ginger Cookies

Adapted from:  http://www.athoughtforfood.net/chewy-ginger-molasses-cookies/

What you need:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1 egg
• 4 ounces crystallized ginger, finely chopped (optional)

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. 
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray, set aside
• In medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.  Set aside
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, vegetable oil, sugar, molasses and egg until well mixed, about 3-5 minutes
• Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat just until combined.  
• Stir in crystallized ginger if using.
• Using about one heaping tablespoon of dough (more or less depending on the size you want your cookies), gently roll the dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
• Let cool for a few minutes before transferring cookies to a cooling rack.

Browned Butter Sugar Cookies

 

I do not like sugar cookies but I like these sugar cookies.  

Browned butter stays winning over here. I use it every chance I get. I've made for real Cookie Dough Ice Cream (not vanilla ice cream with cookie dough chunks) with browned butter, I've tossed browned butter in pasta with garlic and red pepper flakes and I have, legit, just dipped warm, soft, crusty bread in browned butter with fresh, crushed garlic! This stuff makes me swoon!  I love the flavor browned butter brings to a recipe.

Browned Butter Sugar Cookies

yield: about 2 dozen

What you need:

• 14 tablespoons butter (1 3/4 sticks)
• 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

What to do:

• Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a small stainless steel pan over medium heat until melted
• Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to let it burn
• Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the browned butter to a large heatproof bowl.
• Stir the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into the hot butter to melt; set aside until slightly cooled, about 15 minutes
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Line 2 large baking sheets non-stick cooking spray or parchment paper
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt,set aside
• Add the brown sugar to the cooled butter and mix until no sugar lumps remain, 1 minute or so
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula
• Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 1-2 minutes
• Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Give the dough a final stir with a rubber spatula to ensure that all of the flour has been incorporated
• Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place them on the e prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart
• Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will be soft in the middle but will have residual heat that will finish cooking the middles.  Cookies should look set around the edges, with a soft puffy center. Be careful not to overcook!
• Cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheets and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Butterscotch, Chocolate Chips, Toffee

Funky combination right? I promise it works!  

I'm working hard to get my cookie weight up and this one will definitely get added to the rotation.  I sprinkled the cookies with sea salt immediately after removing them from the oven to balance out some of the sweetness but that's optional.

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip and Toffee Cookies

Adapted from: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/butterscotch-toffee-chocolate-chip-cookies/

What you need:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted room temperature butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
• 3/4 cup toffee bits
• Sea Salt, for sprinkling on cookies, optional

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and creamy, about 7 minutes.
• Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat for an additional 2 minutes.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until flour is just combined. 
• Stir in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and toffee bits.
• Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheet, placing the cookies 2-inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown. 
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt if using.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Note: You will get about 3 dozen cookies out of this batch of dough.  I froze the baked and cooled cookies for a week.  Just set the cookies out and allow them to come to room temperature before eating...though they were delicious frozen.

All By Herself

This school break has been long. I love my B but it is time for her to go back to school! Back I say! LOL 
B was a bored one day and first started posing with a tutu on her head. Duck lips and all

*sigh*
She then announced that she wanted to bake some sugar cookies from scratch...without my help. I have no problem with B cooking as long as she cleans up afterwards and ask for assistance if necessary.

She found the recipe on her own, made sure we had all of the ingredients and went to work. She only had a couple of questions but she really did it all by herself. I most certainly laid up in my bed while she baked!
While I am not a sugar cookie lover, these were not bad at all! If she keeps this up I might have her cooking dinner up in here!

Go B!

Now Churning: Cookie Dough Ice Cream

It was seriously as good as it looks. Cookie dough ice cream that is actual cookie dough flavored and not chunks of cookie dough! This is one of B's favorite flavors and she definitely had her share!

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Adapted from http://www.takeamegabite.com/cookie-no-dough-ice-cream/

What you need:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 t pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

What to do:

• In small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and egg yolks until pale and fluffy. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter until it’s a deep golden brown color. There will be brown tiny flecks at the bottom of the pan and have a delicious nutty smell
• Add the half and half and heat until just about to boil
• Take the half and half mixture off the heat, and *temper the eggs until about half of the half/half is mixed into the egg/sugar mixture. 

*Temper: to gradually introduce hot liquid to eggs while stirring. Do this so you won't cook the eggs with the hot liquid.

• Pour everything back into the sauce pan. Heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon; be sure to consistently stir the mixture while heating.
• Off the heat add the whole milk and vanilla
• Cool the mixture in the fridge; I usually do this overnight.
• Transfer to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions for churning
• When the ice cream is almost fully churned, add the chocolate chips
• Freeze overnight

Oatmeal Cream Sandwiches

Do ya'll know how much I love Pinterest? Seriously I could spend hours upon hours pinning stuff. I've decorated my entire house, filled my closet with shoes and clothes and hats and every accessory imaginable...all on my Boards! LOL


Two of my most favorite boards are 'Recipes to Try' and 'Pinterest Recipes I've Tried.' Recipes to Try is slowly getting out of control so I am on a mission to make what's already there before I add anymore. 


I couldn't wait to make these delicious cream filled cookies!

The only thing I changed about this recipe was adding chopped pecans to the batter for the last batch. The cookie alone was soft and chewy and could totally stand on its own. These will most definitely be among the rotation at 18082!


Oatmeal Cream Sandwiches
http://www.burning-down-the-house.com/2011/09/01/oatmeal-cream-pies/


What you need:



For the cookies

• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats

For the marshmallow frosting

• 2 egg whites
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla

What to do:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cover baking sheets with parchment paper. Set the baking sheets aside.
• In a medium bowl cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and honey and beat until the ingredients are incorporated.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Stir in the oats until evenly distributed. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the fridge and place 1 Tbsp of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. 
• Bake the cookies 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. The cookies will be soft but will firm up a bit as they cool. Let cookies cool completely before spreading with marshmallow cream.

While the cookies are cooling, prepare the marshmallow cream. 

• In a double boiler (or using a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water) combine the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. 
• Whisk the mixture frequently until it is very frothy.
• Place the mixture into a clean bowl.  Whisk on high speed until the egg mixture holds stiff peaks and is a light texture (several minutes). 
• Carefully fold the vanilla into the egg whites mixture. 
• Add the frosting to the underside of one cookie and assemble.

Originally posted March 2012