Cookie Challenge 2011: Oreo Cookies

Oreos are sooo yummy!  Last week I made some cookies and cream chocolate cupcakes with cookie and cream buttercream.  As always I had way more butter cream left - both plain and cookies and cream!  So what to do with left over butter cream??? Make OREOS! :)

Since I had extra buttercream I made 3 different kinds of filling. I left some as plain butter cream, still had some cookies and cream butter and then I also made mint butter cream!

Here's the Oreo Recipe

1 1/3 c. Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 tsp. salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 c. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Prepare the dough: Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt in a large bowl.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, incorporating each ingredient before adding the next. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Refrigerate dough for at least an hour. Then place small round balls (I have a cookie scoop or you can use a tsp) on silpat lined cookie sheets.  Bake for 9 – 9 ½ minutes. When you take it out of the oven use a glass or other flat surface to flatten the cookies.  Remove from cookie sheet and cool.

Here’s an alternate cookie preparation:

Divide the dough into 2 pieces; place one piece between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Refrigerate both rectangles, covered with the parchment sheets, until firm, at least 1 hour or up to several days.

Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the dough into 64 circles. (You can reroll the scraps once.) Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Bake the cookies until they are set and slightly darker around the edges, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.

Buttercream/Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. vegetable shortening

3 c. powdered sugar, sifted (may need more depending on desired consistency)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

heavy whipping cream as needed to get the right consistency

Cream butter and shortening, then add sugar slowly, add in vanilla. continue mixing until well mixed.  Add in heavy whipping cream slowly to get desired consistency.

You can add all kinds of things in with the butter cream

Mint: peppermint extract and green food coloring

Cookies & Cream: Crushed up oreos

Raspberry: either frozen (defrosted and well drained) raspberries or red food coloring and raspberry extract

Almond: almond extract

~ super easy!

Monkey Bread

This is one of my favorite weekend breakfast things to make!  It's easy and makes enough for leftovers throughout the week!

4 cans of refrigerator biscuits (they usually come in a 4 pack all together)
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Combine sugars and cinnamon. Cut biscuits into 4s, add to the sugar mix and coat.  Place into an angel food cake pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Continue with all refrigerator biscuits. Once filled, set aside and make sauce.

Sauce
3/4 c. butter/margarine
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar

Melt butter and sugars together. Cook until well mixed and has thickened. Pour over biscuits and bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven at 350 degrees.

Cookie Challenge 2011: M & M Cookies

These are super easy!  Just take your favorite chocolate chip recipe and substitute m & ms for the chocolate chips! :)

Below is my favorite high altitude chocolate chip cookie recipe:

1 c. margarine - softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 - 3 1/2 c. flour (I use unbleached)
bag of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix margarine and sugars until creamy.  Mix in eggs, one at a time, making sure it's thoroughly mixed before adding in the next. Add vanilla. Next add dry ingredients in order. Finally add in chocolate chips (or M & Ms, and any other mix in you'd like).  Drop ball on to a baking pan lined with a silpat. Bake for 12-15 minutes depending on size of the cookie.

Enjoy! :)

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.