Cookie Challenge 2011: Ginger Spice Cookies

Ginger Spice Cookies

Ingredients

4 c all-purpose flour (add 1/3c for over 5000 ft altitude)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

2 tsp baking soda (1 ¾ tsp for over 5000 ft altitude)

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

1 c granulated sugar

1 c packed brown sugar

1 c butter (or margarine) at room temperature, cut into cubes

2 large eggs

1 TBS vanilla extract

4 TBS chopped crystallized ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon, and ground ginger. In a different mixing bowl, add the sugar, brown sugar and butter. With an electric mixer, beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time until well incorporated. Scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula, add the vanilla extract and the crystallized ginger and mix well. Once the wet ingredients are incorporated, add the flour mixture in batches. Mix until the dough begins to form into a ball. Using an ice cream scoop, place the dough onto 2 parchment-lined sheet pans about 2 inches apart. Press the dough with the back of a spoon. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. When the cookies are done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

High Altitude Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

So I will start of this entry with stating the fact that I don't like bacon... so then why on earth would i make a cookie that I wouldn't eat??  Because I take requests and like challenges! :)  So when my neighbors, Wendy and J said how about bacon in a cookie... with chocolate... I thought that sounds like a great challenge!  Knowing that there has been a trend of chocolate and bacon things recently I thought okay why not!  Should be simple enough... take my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and add some bacon!  Please note, I used actual, real bacon... not turkey bacon, not bacon bits but the real stuff!  So bacon aficionados.... ENJOY!!!

 ** if you are not at an altitude of 4000 ft or higher just use a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe as a base**

Ingredients

1 c butter or margarine

1 c white sugar

1 c packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 1/2 c all-purpose flour

16 oz (1 bag) semisweet chocolate chips

2 ½ lbs of bacon, cooked/baked crispy and then crumbled

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, stir together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, and then stir in the vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until blended, then mix in the chocolate chips so they are evenly distributed. Finally mix in bacon (cooled and crumbled).

Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to turn golden, 11 to 14 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

2011 Cookie Challenge: Soft Lemonade Cookies

Spring time in the rockies can be quite a roller coaster.  It was only a few weeks that it was 80 degrees and sunny!  This morning it was snowing and gloomy. I have been loving the rain we have been getting recently, as it is much needed - it's been a really dry winter. I'm hoping my lawn can get ahead start before it gets hot and I have to water regularly. So to brighten the day I made lemonade cookies - in remembering that soon enough it'll be warm and sunny and able to enjoy the outdoors!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup thawed lemonade concentrate, divided
• Additional sugar

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with 1/3 cup lemonade concentrate, beating well after each addition.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Brush with remaining lemonade concentrate; sprinkle with sugar. Cool. Yield: 6 dozen.

2011 Cookie Challenge: Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

These cookies are really rich, you don't need many to really get a good taste and the flavor is wonderful! They are much like those chocolate covered cherries you can find during the holidays only in cookie form! Enjoy and Share! :)

Ingredients

                      1/2 c. butter

                      1 c. sugar

                      1 egg

                      1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

                      1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

                      1/2 c. baking cocoa

                      1/4 tsp salt

                      1/4 tsp baking powder

                      1/4 tsp baking soda

                      maraschino cherries, blotted dry (enough for each cookie)

           


FROSTING:

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

1 to 3 tsp maraschino cherry juice

Directions

In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture (batter will be very firm). Shape into 48 balls, about 1 in. round, and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Push one cherry halfway into each ball, immediately after removing from the oven.

For frosting, melt chocolate chips in milk in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; add cherry juice and stir until smooth. Spoon 1 teaspoon of frosting over each cherry to cover completely (this also helps keep the cherry on the cookie!

Cool on wire racks. 

Cookie Challenge 2011: Breakfast Cookies

These are good enough to have for breakfast... with cranberries, orange juice and oatmeal who could argue with that! :)

3/4 c. butter or margarine softened
1 c. packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. grated orange peel
2 c. quick cooking oats
1 c. all purpose flour
2/3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c. dried cranberries

icing
1 c. powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
 3 - 4 tsp. orange juice

* I made no alterations for altitude and they turned out great!

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and orange peal on medium, until well mixed.  Mix in the remaining ingredients.

Line a pan with silpat or parchment paper. Drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart. Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool completely (about 15 minutes).

In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar, vanilla and enough oj until thin enough to drizzle over the cookies!  Spoon into small ziploc and cut off tiny corner of the bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle icing over cookies.

Enjoy! :)

Cookie Challenge 2011: Chocolate Raspberry with White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Raspberry with White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1/2 c. raspberries, pureed (and a little extra)

3 c. all-purpose flour (3 ¼ c flour at altitude 5000ft)

3/4 tsp. baking soda (1/2 tsp at altitude 5000ft)

3/4 tsp. salt

1 c. white baking chips

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate and raspberries. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 6 dozen.

Cookie Challenge 2011: Pecan Praline Cookies

Pecan Praline Cookies (from food network website):

Ingredients

1/3 c. sugar

2 TBSP water

1 c. toasted pecans, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

1 c. butter, at room temperature

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tspn vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (2 ¾ c. flour for higher altitudes)

1/2 tspn baking soda (3/8 tspn for higher altitudes)

4 ounces white chocolate

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Praline:

In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together constantly the sugar and water. Cook until boiling for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until the syrup is golden brown in color. It is important to remove the saucepan from the heat just as the sugar begins to darken to an amber color. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup pecans. Carefully pour the hot mixture onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Let cool until completely firm. Transfer to a plastic bag, crush with a rolling pin, and reserve for the cookie dough.

Cookies:

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with a hand mixer. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Stir in the flour and baking soda and mix until incorporated. Fold in the reserved crushed praline until combined. Drop 1 tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop of the dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.

While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and stir until smooth. When the cookies are done drizzle the white chocolate over the cookies and sprinkle with the chopped pecans.