2011 Cookie Challenge: White Chocolate Coconut Cookies

These cookies were really pretty good, I made them more bite sized than a full cookie and I think it worked perfectly in this ratio!

Ingredients

1 tsp baking powder (3/4 tsp for high altitudes)

1 tsp baking soda (3/4 tsp for high altitudes)

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour (2 ½ c for high altitudes)

1/2 tsp salt

1 c butter, softened

1/2 c packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c quick cooking oats

3/4 c shredded coconut flakes

For garnish:

8 ounces white chocolate, melted

3/4 cup toasted, shredded coconut flakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, flour and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy with a hand held electric mixer. Beat in the egg. Add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Fold in the oats, vanilla extract and shredded coconut flakes.

Form walnut-sized balls of the mixture and drop 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined sheet pans. Bake in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.

When the cookies are cool, dip them halfway into the melted white chocolate and then into the toasted shredded coconut flakes. Set them down onto parchment paper-lined sheet pans to dry completely.

2011 Cookie Challenge: Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love chocolate malts!  So I thought it would be fun to make a cookie with those types of flavors.  Well, I wasn't really impressed with this cookie - so far it was my least favorite.  It was flat, more crispy than chewy and I much prefer chewy cookies to crispy.  The malt flavor wasn't very noticeable.  So it was okay, doubt I would make these again.

Ingredients

3 c flour

1 c plain malted milk powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 c white granulated sugar

1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed

1 c butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk

2 c milk chocolate chips

Cookie Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl combine flour, malted milk powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well and set aside.

2. Cream sugars and butter in large bowl of electric mixer using medium speed. Add eggs, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

3. Stir in flour mixture and then chocolate chips until just combined. Do not overmix.

4. Form 1 1/4-inch balls and place onto an un-greased cookie sheet, about 2-inches apart. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until cookies are slightly brown along the edges. Let cool on a cookie sheet for 3 minutes before removing to cooking rack.

2011 Cookie Challenge: Cookie #3 - Snickers Cookies

Snickers Cookies

Makes about 60

1 c margarine 


1 c creamy peanut butter 


1 c sugar 


1 c brown sugar 


2 eggs 


2 tsp vanilla 


3 c flour 
(3 1/4c. flour for high altitude)

1 tsp baking soda 
 (3/4 tsp for high altitude)

1 tsp baking powder 
 (3/4 tsp for high altitude)

appx 60 miniature (bite-size) Snickers candy bars 


chocolate glaze (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream margarine, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to peanut butter mixture. Take 1 tablespoon of dough and flatten into round shape in palm of your hand. Place Snickers bar in center and fold dough around it. Roll in palms of your hand to form a smooth ball with the Snickers bar totally covered with the dough. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to cool. Drizzle top of cookies with chocolate glaze. 




Chocolate Glaze



1 c powdered sugar 


2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa 


1 Tbsp milk

Mix powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa and milk. Add additional milk as needed to thin mixture enough to drizzle from a spoon.

2011 Cookie Challenge: Cookie #2 - Black Forest Cookies

Black Forest Cookies

1 (11.5-ounce) package milk chocolate morsels, divided use

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 c all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 (6-ounce) package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Cherry Flavor Sweetened Dried Cranberries

1 c pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

1.              Preheat oven to 350º F.

2.   Pour 3/4 cup morsels into an uncovered large microwave-safe bowl. Set remaining morsels aside. Microwave morsels on high in 30 second increments until creamy (stir occasionally, do not over heat/cook it will ruin the chocolate). Stir until chocolate is smooth.

3.   Stir in brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. Add flour and baking powder, mixing until thoroughly combined. Stir in remaining morsels, cherry flavor sweetened dried cranberries and nuts.

4.   Chill dough for approximate 15-20 minutes.

5.   Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are puffed and set to the touch. For a firmer cookie bake for 14 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Cookie Challenge '11 - Recipe 1: Eggnog Snickerdoodles

The very first suggestion I got was from Cally Rockwell, for eggnog snickerdoodles... sounded like a good new year's day (1st) cookie to try.  I had never made snickerdoodles before, let alone eggnog ones!  They turned out pretty good.  Below is the regular recipe, after making them I would change the recipe just a little bit for altitude adjustments (I will include those as well)!  eat and enjoy! :)

1/2 c butter, softened

1/2 c shortening

1 3/4 c sugar, divided

2 eggs

1/2 tsp rum extract

2 3/4 c all-purpose flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp ground nutmeg

(for altitude adjustments – decrease baking soda to ¾ tsp and add ¼ c. flour)

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

                  In a shallow bowl, combine the nutmeg and remaining sugar. Roll dough into 1-in. balls; roll in sugar mixture. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to  cool. Yield: about 6 dozen.

2011 Cookie Challenge!

During my baking spree over the holidays I thought how much fun it would be to try making a new cookie each week, yes 52 cookies!  I solicited ideas via facebook and got a lot of fun ideas which I will try.

I am hoping to make a list of 60 or so different kids of cookies and will chose the next one a week out.  I will add the full list here soon!

Possibilities, possibilities... just the start to the list of ideas for cookies!

Eggnog Snickerdoodle
Milk Chocolate with walnuts
Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip
Peanut Butter
Monster Cookies
Rosemary Pinenut
Ann's Truffle Cookies
Cherry Chocolate Cookie Cups
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Treats
Chocolate Marshmallow Pillows
Spumoni Chuck Cookies
Chocolate Dipped Coconut Snowballs
Coconut Crunch Cookies
Raspberry Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookie
Chewy Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies with Orange Icing
Black Forest Cookie
Black and White Cookie
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Molasses Cookies
Caramel Apple Cookies
Snickers Cookies
Triple Chocolate Kisses