Dark Chocolate Cookies with Sea Salt

Chocolate and sea salt. YUM!

I made these for a going away party for a work friend. I was sitting and chatting with people and coworkers would walk by me, hold the cookie up and smile and nod. I like that. I like watching people enjoy what I enjoy doing.

These were really good and the small sprinkle of sea salt really brings out the quality chocolate flavor. Make sure to use a good brand of dark chocolate here.

Double Dark Chocolate Cookies with Sea Salt
Source: The Novice Chef
Yield: 12 cookies

3 oz dark chocolate (60-80%), chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour


1/4 cup double dutch process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

Fleur de Sel (or large-flake sea salt) for topping

Preheat oven to 325°F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, melt chopped chocolate bar and butter in 15 second increments in the microwave, until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Stir in sugar and egg -- into the chocolate mixture -- until smooth. Add in dry ingredients, mixing until fully combined.

Roll 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough into balls and place on cookie sheet, leaving room for spreading. Sprinkle lightly with Fleur de Sel.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until center is no longer puffy. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling tray. Serve warm or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Flu Fighter Cookies

Have you had your flu shot??

I was late getting mine but I did get it.

All this hype about the flu has made me think of these cookies I saw a few years ago. Packed with goodness to boost your immune system they just might help you keep the flu at bay.

Ginger, cinnamon, walnuts, oats, lemon. All they need is garlic! Wait. That would be weird, right?

Flu Fighter Cookies
Source: Food Network Mag

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1 1/4 cups golden raisins

1 1/4 cups dried cranberries

1 1/4 cups roughly chopped walnuts, toasted

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Add the molasses, yogurt, ginger and lemon zest and beat until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture to make a sticky batter (do not overmix). Fold in the oats and half of the raisins, cranberries and walnuts. Mix the remaining dried fruit and nuts in a small bowl and set aside.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Top each with some of the reserved dried-fruit-and-nut mixture and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the cookies until dark golden but still soft, 10 to 12 minutes; cool on a rack. 

Studded and Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are the bee's knees. What?

They are a soft peanut butter cookie studded with milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips AND Reese's pieces. Dang.

I had a wonderful little helper in making these. My two year old cried when I had to put the peanut butter chips away. 

Make these. I promise you won't be sorry.

Studded and Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Source: Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Yield: 2 dozen

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup reese's pieces

1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat the oven to 35o°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and pudding; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla extract and honey and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, beat to combine. Add chocolate chips, reeses pieces and peanut butter chips and mix until incorporated. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball between your palms and then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart (you should be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet). Using your palm, gently flatten the dough balls until they are about ¾ inch thick.

Bake 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 2 minutes before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Pumpkin Whoopies with Cinnamon Maple Cream Cheese Filling

It's been a while but I couldn't keep these from my foodie friends. These are based on a recipe from Hannaford's Fresh Magazine that you pick up at the grocery store. I think it is a few years old and now I have tried all of the whoopie recipes that was in this particular issue. All of them are amazing and perfect.

The changes I made are minor. I added a little maple extract to the cake part. For the filling I didn't have 8 ounces of cream cheese - just 6 ounces. So I added 2 more ounces of butter to make up for it. I also added 2 teaspoons of maple extract and two shakes of cinnamon.

Perfection.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cinnamon Maple Cream Cheese Filling
Source: Adapted from Hannaford Fresh Magazine
Yield: 2 dozen small

11/2 cup Light brown sugar

3/4 cup Canola oil

2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

2 each Egg

15 oz Canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

3 cup All purpose flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground

1/4 teaspoon Cloves, ground

1/4 teaspoon Ginger, ground

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground
1 teaspoon maple extract 

8 oz Cream cheese

1/4 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature

41/2 cup Confectioners` sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons maple extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to mix brown sugar, oil, and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth after each egg. Add pumpkin and mix until incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Add half the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down sides with a rubber spatula, and remaining flour mixture, and mix well.

4. Drop 2-Tbsp. portions of batter onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each portion to allow for spreading. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until puffed and set but still soft when touched lightly with fingertips. Let cakes cool for 3 minutes on baking sheets before transferring them to wire racks to finish cooling, about 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

5. Prepare filling while cakes are baking and cooling. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to mix cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and half the confectioners' sugar; mix on low at first to combine, then on high until smooth. Add remaining confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Assemble whoopie pies. Spoon filling onto the flat sides of half the cakes, dividing it evenly. Top with remaining cakes, flat side against the filling, rounded side up. Serve immediately, or wrap each whoopie pie individually in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to two days, or in freezer for up to two months.

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

A couple years ago Hannford put out a bunch of whoopie pie recipes in their Fresh magazine. Those are the best recipes I have found. I love all of them and my favorite of them might be the reverse whoopie pie. I dunno, this one is pretty close to number one too.
I thought it was really weird that there is cream cheese in the peanut butter filling. Belive me people, it works. It is amazing. So creamy. Wonderful. GIVE ME SOME!




Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
Source: Fresh Magazine
Yield: 15 or so


7/8 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (I took this directly from their site, I think it is 2 sticks...I'll check later)
1 cup Sugar
2 each Egg
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
3 cup All purpose flour
2/3 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
11/2 cup Cultured low fat buttermilk
6 oz Cream cheese
1/2 cup Creamy peanut butter
41/2 cup Confectioners or powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoon Milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to mix butter and brown sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth after each egg. Mix in vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add half the flour mixture to mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until combined. Add half the buttermilk and mix again on medium until smooth. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk, and mix until smooth. Batter will be thick and slightly springy.

Drop 2-Tbsp. portions of batter onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each portion to allow for spreading. Bake 11 to 13 minutes, until puffed and set but still soft when touched lightly with fingertips. Let cakes cook for 3 minutes on baking sheets before transferring them to wire racks to finish cooling, about 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

Prepare filling while cakes are baking and cooling. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to mix crea, cheese, peanut butter, vanilla and salt until creamy. Add half the confectioners' sugar and mix on low first to combine, then on high until smooth. Add remaining confectioners' sugar and milk and blend on low, then on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Assemble whoopie pies. Spoon filling onto the flat sides of half the cakes, dividing it evenly. Top with remaining cakes, flat side against the filling, rounded side up. Serve immediately, or wrap and store at room temperature for up to two days, or in freezer for up to two months.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

It is 90 degrees in Maine.

We Mainers - we don't deal with the heat too well.

Throw us a Nor'Easter and frigid temperatures and we are fine. Once the mercury goes over 80 we get melty.

You know what helps me cope...ice cream. You know how to take ice cream to the next level...put it between two awesome cookies.

Yes. These are amazing and awesome. I would have made my own ice cream but the freezer is packed with frozen baby food so I have no room for the ice cream bucket.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies for Ice Cream Sandwiches
Source: Laura's Recipe Collection (who's Laura??)
Yield: about a dozen or more sandwiches

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
sugar for rolling

Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, roughly 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined, then reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Beat until just combined.

Form the dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about an hour until firm.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Shape the dough into 1¼ inch balls and roll each ball in the sanding sugar. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are set. They will still look a bit gooey when removed from the oven. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes then remove from the cookie sheet and cool completely.

Black Bottom Peanut Butter Cookies

Damn.

I made these peanut butter cookies on a whim. I decided they needed to be kicked up and I couldn't decide what to do to them.

Um. Dip them in chocolate.

Fantastic idea.

I melted dark chocolate chips with a bit of shortening and dunked the bottom of these into it. Then I let the chocolate harden. Very. Very. Very delicious.



So I wrote down that I used Martha Stewart's recipe but when I Google it...her recipe is different. It wasn't the most fantastic peanut butter cookie (I mean...until you dip it in chocolate) so use your favorite recipe and then add the chocolate. You're welcome.

Chocolate Cannoli Sandwich Cookies

Do you like cannolis?

Do you like sandwiches?

And you like cookies?

Me too!!

The cookie part of these was fantastic. Absolute perfection. The filling tasted divine...but was a bit runny which made for messy eating. As they sat in the fridge the filling did thicken a bit but was still more runny than I thought it would be. Either way...I suggest making these.



Chocolate Cannoli Sandwich Cookies
Source: Food Network
Yield: 18-24 sandwiches

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces and at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

For the Filling:
1 1/2 cups chopped roasted unsalted pistachios
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt

Make the cookies: Beat the butter and both sugars with a mixer until creamy. Beat in the milk and vanilla until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, if desired. Scoop the dough onto a sheet of wax paper
and shape into a 2-inch-thick log. Wrap in the wax paper and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the dough into 1/3-inch-thick rounds with a sharp knife. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Cool the cookies for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine 3/4 cup pistachios, the mascarpone, ricotta, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt with a mixer on low speed until just blended; do not overmix or the filling will be too thick. (It can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.)

To assemble, sandwich about 1/2 inch filling between 2 cookies. Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling. Roll the edges in the remaining 3/4 cup pistachios.

Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies

I have a really nice neighbor. He comes over and snow blows our driveway after every storm. We never asked him to, he just started doing it. I baked him these cookies and delivered them as a thank you. I told him he was a good Samaritan. He said that someone used to it for him when he was working overnights and he wanted to pay it forward. I pay forward with sweet treats.


Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies
Source: Baked Explorations
Yield: 2-3 dozen

3 1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 T ground ginger
2 t cinnamon
1 t ground cloves
1 T baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
5 T unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 oz bitter sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Glaze
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 egg white
1 t lemon juice

Whisk the flour, cocoa, spice, soda, powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of mixer beat butter and shortening. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the egg and beat. Add the molasses and then the chocolate and beat after each. Add the dry mixture in 3 batches. Divide the dough into two disks and refrigerate until chilled.

Preheat oven to 350.

Roll the dough out on floured surface. Cut into shapes. Bake about 7 minutes.

Glaze: mix confectioner's sugar, egg white and lemon juice and either decorate or drizzle over cookies. Allow to harden.

Pretzel M&M Cookies

Pretzel M&Ms. Add a little peanut butter and we are talking! I thought the M&Ms were pretty good. I wouldn't sit down and eat a whole bunch but in these cookies I thought they were great. The cookies were chewy and had a nice crunch of pretzel. The girls at book club thought they were great! I love sharing my treats with them.


Pretzel M&M Cookies
Source: Bakegirl
Yield: 24 cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pretzel M&Ms
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to the butter mixture and mix together well.

Stir in chocolate chunks and M&Ms, adding more of each if desired.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

Pumpkin everywhere! I can't get enough of it. This kid is going to come out orange! Or maybe chocolate colored.

This is another treat that I brought into the office to share. I wasn't sure how the butterscotch chips would go with the pumpkin but it was fabulous. This cookie is nice and soft and fresh out of the oven the chips are so smooth and melty. Mmhmm.

Pumpkin Butterscoth Cookies
Source: Joy the Baker
Yield: 2 dozen or so

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or corn oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips

Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool cimpletely.

Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these awesome cookies last year and can't believe I never told you about them! They are soft and pumpkiny but the best part is the melty chocolate chips that pair so well with the pumpkin flavor. Oh. And they come together really quick and easy...which is nice when you are 38 weeks pregnant!

These are one of my most favorite pumpkin treats to make. Thanks to Lori G. for the recipe!!


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Lori G.
Yield: 2 dozen

2 1/2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease or line two baking sheets.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat together the sugar and butter until well blended. Add in pumpkin, egg and vinilla, beat until smooth. Gradually add in the dry mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop onto prepared baking sheets. I used the cookie scoop and it was perfect. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges are firm.

Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Last weekend I had two girlfriends over for lunch. I made a fabulous spicy sweet potato soup and served it with a sesame bread. Then for dessert I was so excited to make pumpkin whoopie pies. I was going to try a new recipe that I found in Bon Appetit last year. What a flop. The cake part of the whoopie was flat as a pancake and the filling was boring. I was so disappointment. But I'm glad I tried it out so now I won't wonder about that recipe.

Anyway, we are here to talk about these chocolate whoopie pies. These were wonderful. The cake part is perfection. The middle was pretty good. I did add more powdered sugar to sweeten it and thicken the filling. Other than that...perfect.

I brought these into the office and they were gone in a flash.


Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Source: Burn Me Not
Yield: 12 decent sized whoopie pies

For the cookies
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the filling
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (I added another 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup canned solid pumpkin
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheet with non-stick baking mat or parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, shortening, and both sugars. Using the paddle attachment, mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then milk and vanilla, and finish with the remaining flour mixture.

Drop about a tablespoon of dough onto prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake 12-14 minutes or until cookies spring back when lightly touched. Place baking sheet on wire rack and let cool 5-10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, and confectioners sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until smooth, scraping down bowl as necessary.

Pipe or spoon filling on the flat sides of half the cookies then sandwich with remaining cookies.

Zucchini Whoopie Pies

I did it! I found a fabulous zucchini whoopie pie recipe. I tried to make up my own recipe by altering a muffin recipe. Nope. That didn't work very well. Then I found this old recipe in my binder, and by old I mean over 10 years old. I didn't realize my recipe binders were that old!!

Seth and I were invited to his coworkers party a month or so ago. I offered to bring a treat and one of the girls wanted something with pumpkin. I said it wasn't quite pumpkin season so I decided on zucchini. Now, Seth is a retail manager so he tends to work with younger people. We went to the party and boy did I feel old. Seth was the only male and the girls were around 20-24. There was a lot of giggling and lot of shots. I remember those days.

God I'm old.

Anyway. These whoopie pies were a hit. I filled them with my own filling but if you wanted to do a cream cheese filling you could do that too. Yum!


Zucchini Whoopie Pies
Source: I dunno...the binder?
Yield: A dozen or so


1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup white sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2 cups plus 2 T flour
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup milk


Preheat oven to 375.


Mix zucchini, sugar, shortening and egg. Sift all the dry ingredients and add to the zucchini mixture alternating with the milk. Mix until smooth. Bake 8-10 minutes. Fill with your favorite whoopie pie filling.

No Bakes

No bake cookies. So simple but not really. It took me a long time to make a batch of these and have them come out right. I learned that you must use real butter. Not margarine. And here is the trickiest part; if you boil the mixture too long they become crumbly and dry. If you don't allow it to boil long enough they will not set up. I've learned that 2 minutes is about right. NOT under 2. Another tip; a boil means a full boil. Not a few bubbles. Start counting when it is really going.


No Bake Cookies
Source: I think Grammy Bossche
Yield: 2 dozen or so

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 stick butter
3 T peanut butter
3 cups quick oats
1 t vanilla

Combine the sugar, milk, cocoa, and butter in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes.

Remove from the stove and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Drop by spoonful onto parchment or silpat and allow to set.

Glazed Lemon Cookies

Isn't it nice to eat lemony things in the summertime? Things taste so fresh with some lemon juice and zest.

I nearly lapped the cooling pan that this lemon glaze had dripped on. OK. Maybe I did. Don't judge me, alright? I mean, I AM pregnant! (Like I wouldn't have done it anyway.)

I brought these cookies into to work and they were gone before 10:00. I think people liked them! I think you will too!

Glazed Lemon Cookies
Source: Martha Stewart
Yield 2 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 2 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread cookies with Lemon Glaze and let set, about 1 hour.

Lemon Glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, and 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice until smooth.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk

I like to say thank you with a sweet treat. A friend of mine recently did me a favor and to say thank you I gave her a plate of these delightful little cookies.

These cookies are awesome for a variety of reasons.

1. They come together super quickly.
2. The texture is fantastic. Nice and soft.
3. A perfect balance of peanut butter and chocolate
4. They are the perfect size.

And they come from Martha Stewart so you know they are good. Right??!


Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Source: Martha Stewart
Yield: 3 dozen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup peanut butter
4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat peanut butter, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two large baking sheets. Bake until golden, 13 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Everyday is Valentine's Day.

I made these little delights for Valentine's Day to share with my husband and my in-laws. It has only taken me a half a month to upload the pictures and write some text!

Valentine's Day isn't really that big of a deal at our house. We tend to either make a really nice meal or go do something out of the ordinary. This year we went to the Seadog for brunch. It was fantastic.

I used my mother's Sugar Cookie recipe for these cookies and frosted them with royal icing. You will find my notes and a link for more info on royal icing in the Sugar Cookie link. Frosting cookies with royal icing is a process! I spent a full afternoon doing this! BUT they are so pretty!!

Isabelle's Cookies

I think I've mentioned before that we have a little cookbook that my mother started and my sister and I finished it after she died. It is full of family recipes and stories and jokes. I love it. I was looking for a recipe when I saw a recipe that I had never tried, Isabelle's Cookies. It included this note from my mother, "Isabelle was our neighbor when we were little kids, living on Kinderhook Street. These are delicious ginger snap type cookies." Now, I mentioned this to my father and he claims that HIS mother made Isabelle's cookies. I don't know who she is or which town she lived in...but she made some gooooood cookies.

Isabelle's Cookies

Source: Isabelle (whoever she is)

Yield: 2 dozen

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup shortening

1 egg

4 T molasses

1 t cloves

1 t cinnamon

1 t ginger

2 cups flour

2 t baking soda

Mix together to form a smooth dough. Form into balls. Roll in sugar.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Good For You Cookies

I take one bite of these cookies and I am 7 again. I've just gotten off the school bus. My mother is standing in the sunny kitchen and the house smells homey, like cookies and Pine Sol. I get really excited that there are fresh cookies and she says I can, "have one for each hand." I ask what kind they are and she says, "good for YOU cookies" with the accent on YOU. I take two, sit on the couch and watch the Jetsons. Life is good.

Why my mother put the accent on YOU, I have no idea. Anyway you want to say it, these cookies are awesome. I think she called them "good for you" because of the oats, raisins, and peanut butter. It makes sense...right?!


Good For You Cookies
Source: Mummy
Yield: 2 dozen


1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1 t. baking soda
2 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup raisins

Cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Beat in eggs, followed by vanilla, peanut butter, and baking soda. Stir in oats, chips, and raisins. Place 1 inch balls on cookie sheet, flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.