Tag

cookies

Santa Fe Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

written by Ali

This post is sponsored by Imperial Sugar. All opinions are mine alone.

One of my favorite parts about #Choctoberfest is getting to work with Imperial Sugar as a sponsor. I received a generous package of sugar, stacking measuring cups, and a silicone baking mat, all of which were positively instrumental in creating these Santa Fe Style Chocolate Chip Cookies. The silicone baking mat was perfect for baking these cookies. Imperial Sugar has a great contest going on through October 20^th: The Scary Scramble. Each day this week, Imperial Sugar will post a scrambled recipe title and a clue for you to find the recipe in their Halloween recipe collection. Once you complete the entry form with the unscrambled recipe name, you’ll be entered to win a great prize package of a cookie decorating kit, a silicone baking mat and 10 free sugar vouchers. Just think about all the great cookies you could be making this season!

When the days start to cool off in fall and the leaves start to turn, I am always transported back in time to New Mexico. The leaves, the light, the shorter days – I can practically smell chilies roasting in the air. I also start thinking about spending time in Santa Fe and enjoying chocolate chip cookies with pine nuts. It is such a nostalgic taste for me. On rainy and cool days here on the coast, I just want to hunker down with a cookie and a cup of tea and read for hours on end. These Santa Fe Style Chocolate Chip Cookies represent the best of both worlds for me – the nostalgia of fall in New Mexico and the present day rainy-day bliss.

Yum

Santa Fe Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup lightly packed Imperial Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Imperial Sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup pine nuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
Cream the sugar, egg, and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla.
Stir the flour mixture into the sugar and butter mixture.
Fold in the chocolate chips and pine nuts. Mix just till combined.
Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or using a silicon baking mat.
Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the sheets. Each baking sheet can hold six to eight cookies.
Bake for 8 - 10 minutes until lightly browned.
Makes 2 dozen cookies.
Enjoy!

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October 15, 2019 3 comments

Baked Goods Holiday Recipes

Chocolate Chai Sugar Cookies

written by Ali

This post is sponsored by Sprinkle Pop. All opinions are mine alone.

Chocolate Chai Sugar Cookies are going to hit the spot for any of the major holidays coming up. Really - they’re good any time of the year.

One of our fantastic sponsors this week is Sprinkle Pop - a company that creates one of a kind sprinkle mixes that you can’t find anywhere else. I have always been such a sprinkle fan. My favorite cookies as a child were sugar cookies loaded with frosting and sprinkles and if I’m going to have a donut, it had better have sprinkles on it. Sprinkle Pop takes the sprinkle concept to the next level. I was so inspired by their collection, and landed on getting sea glass sprinkles, cactus flower sprinkles, and fall leaves confetti.

There were so many options on their website! The sprinkles are so versatile - I thought about making all sorts of sprinkle goodness. However, the thought of making sugar cookies with sprinkles, so reminiscent of my childhood, was pretty irresistible.

Chocolate Chai Sugar Cookies loaded with royal icing and sprinkles are a great treat for this time of year. I could go either way for a Halloween party - fall themed or mermaid themed. I just had to decorate the cookies both ways.

Yum

Chocolate Chai Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

Chai Spice

2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons ground cardamom
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chocolate Chai Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chai spice

Royal Icing

2 egg whites
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Chai Spice

Combine all the ingredients for the chai spice in a small bowl. Store in an airtight jar.

Chocolate Chai Sugar Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and chai spice in a small bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mix a bit at a time until fully incorporated. Knead the cookie dough until it is smooth.
Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters. Continue until all dough has been used.
Place each cookie on a parchment covered cookie sheet. (You'll need two cookie sheets or will need to do two batches).
Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 8 - 12 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are crisp.
Let cool thoroughly before icing. Makes 2 dozen small cookies.

Royal Icing

Beat the egg whites until they are frothy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until the frosting forms stiff peaks. Add the vanilla and beat to incorporate. Divide and add food coloring if desired.
Frosting can be piped on the cooled cookies or spread with a knife.
Decorate with your favorite Sprinkle Pop sprinkles and enjoy!

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October 18, 2018 1 comment

Baked Goods Breakfast

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

written by Ali

I’ve been longing to bake lately - probably because of the gloomy, rainy and snowy weather we’ve had. Given that I didn’t want to do too much cooking today and the rain was raining sideways off the ocean, it seemed like the perfect day to bake some chocolate chip biscotti. Biscotti are my favorite cookie - they are crisp and pair so well with coffee and tea. I made up a batch of chocolate chip biscotti for me and then thawed out some pureed red kuri squash and made a batch of dog-friendly biscotti for Daisy (the dog friendly recipe will be in my March newsletter - sign up now to get access to a bonus recipe each month).

I realized after I’d made the chocolate chip biscotti that there was some serious nostalgia going on. Life here on the southern Oregon coast often reminds me of my two years living in Majuro in the Marshall Islands. There’s a small island feel here - we are geographically remote, surrounded by ocean and bay in most places. The air feels like ocean most days. Major differences are, of course, climate. In Majuro, the temperature was a steady 80 degrees with 90 percent humidity year round. Here, while temperatures are generally steady, it’s possible to drop into the freezing range and get a little snow. Regardless, chocolate chip biscotti so strongly remind me of my first months in Majuro. I would often frequent a little coffee shop on the island, just to feel a sense of “normal”. I was still pretty culture-shocked my first few months there. The coffee shop made a serviceable vanilla latte, though at 80 degrees, a latte wasn’t exactly a great choice. The shop also sold individually packaged chocolate chip biscotti. Sometimes, I would just sit with my vanilla latte, sweating, watching the world go by and enjoying a biscotti.

And here I am, finally, living back near the Pacific. I don’t drink vanilla lattes anymore - I’ve traded in sweet and milky drinks for the more aggressive Americano. But I still love biscotti - and as I watched the rain this afternoon and sipped my tea, I was transported back to those two years, which are now nearly fifteen years in my past.

Enough of the nostalgia - enjoy these chocolate chip biscotti wherever you are.

Yum

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (softened to room temperature)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugars together. Add the egg and vanilla.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt and combine until you have a smooth dough.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Pat the dough into a rectangular loaf on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is slightly firm to the touch on top.
Let the biscotti loaf cool for 30 minutes.
Slice into 1/2 inch cookies. Lay the cookies flat on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for ten minutes and then flip the cookies to the other side. Bake for another eight to ten minutes or until the cookies are crisp.
Let cool completely.
Makes 1 dozen. Enjoy!

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February 26, 2018 0 comment

Baked Goods Foodie Parties Holiday Recipes

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

written by Ali

If you are looking for a great holiday cookie to enjoy with your coffee, triple chocolate peppermint biscotti are perfect! While I am happy to make biscotti anytime, I made these for the 2017 Food Blogger Love Cookie Exchange. I had so much fun making cookies for other bloggers, but also receiving cookies! All the cookie recipes will be available on Dec. 4 and I’ll be sure to post the link. I received three dozen of the most lovely cookies, including white chocolate dipped ginger cookies from Kate at Kate’s Recipe Box, chocolate caramel chip cookies from Renee at If Spoons Could Talk, and chocolate dipped coffee shortbread cookies from Rebekah at Making Miracles. All were so yummy!

So if you are looking forward to a cookie exchange, dust off your baking supplies and make some triple chocolate peppermint biscotti! These take a bit of time. Biscotti are twice baked to get that lovely crisp texture, which makes them absolutely ideal for dunking in coffee. I’m a huge fan of sitting around on a Sunday morning with a good book, a cup of coffee, and a couple of biscotti - especially if it’s raining. I can safely say that’s my very definition of a cozy happy place.

Use the best cocoa you can find for these. I fell in love with Rodelle’s Gourmet Baking Cocoa during Choctoberfest this year (check out my rum brownies here). I used up the very last of my supply for these triple chocolate peppermint biscotti. It was totally worth it. Dark chocolate chips add to the deep chocolate flavor for these. A little melted white chocolate to finish with just a dash of peppermint and you have a great holiday, or any time, cookie.

In fact, I think I need to make some more of these very soon. They will help me get through the rush of the holiday season.

Yum

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

Ingredients

12 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups dark chocolate chips
3 cups white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter, sugar, eggs,and vanilla together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and incorporate until the dough comes together. Add the 2 cups dark chocolate chips.
Shape the dough into two even sized logs, each about 12 inches long. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
Let the logs cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to cut dough into 3/4 inch cookies. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake for another 10 minutes or until cookies are crisp. Let cool.
Add the white chocolate chips and peppermint extract to a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Dip each biscotti in the white chocolate and place on a cooling rack to dry. Store cookies in an airtight container.
Makes 36 cookies. Enjoy!

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December 4, 2017 2 comments

Baked Goods Holiday Recipes

Mini Gingerbread Cookies

written by Ali

I’m pretty sure that this is the first year I’ve ever made gingerbread cookies, and certainly the first year I’ve ever made these mini gingerbread cookies. I think it may be because growing up, we were a sugar cookie family rather than a gingerbread cookie family. I remember decorating sugar cookies when I was quite young and then taking over making sugar cookies in my early teens. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I ever even made gingerbread: for several years in a row, I made Heidi Swanson’s black sticky gingerbread recipe instead of Christmas cookies for our Christmas dinner.

So what started my gingerbread cookie baking marathon this year? It had everything to do with Food ‘n Flix and the December movie pick: Krampus. After all, I had to have a gingerbread man to set on fire for this week’s Friday Happy Hour post. Come back on Friday to see both the flaming gingerbread man, along with a flambe gingerbread cocktail. Can I just say - setting booze on fire - best thing ever. I digress. In order to get a gingerbread man, I had to figure out how to make gingerbread cookies. After some experimentation, I landed on this recipe. It’s not a great construction gingerbread recipes (as I learned the hard way after an attempt to make a rudimentary gingerbread structures), but it does make an absolutely delightful cookie.

All the gingerbread shenanigans were also a great way to spend the first snow day I’ve experienced since moving to the Portland area. My initial reaction last week was to scoff at the snow day without snow (which was how the morning began) and then later to realize that ice storms up here are no joke. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my car encased in ice before. I was glad to have these mini gingerbread cookies to enjoy with a cup of coffee in the afternoon. These have also made great treats for lunch throughout the week.

Yum

Mini Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cookies
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons gingerbread spice mix (below)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Gingerbread Spice

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Gingerbread Spice

Combine all the spices for the gingerbread spice in a small jar. This makes sufficient gingerbread spice for several recipes. Set aside.

Gingerbread Cookies

Combine all the dry ingredients, from flour through the freshly grated ginger in a small bowl.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix. Knead the dough a bit in the bowl to incorporate all the dry ingredients and to get the gingerbread to a smooth texture.
Separate the gingerbread dough into four smaller balls. Roll out one ball at a time to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out using your desired cookie cutters. For mini gingerbread cookies, use small cookie cutters. Place the gingerbread cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Cookies can be placed fairly close to one another without sticking.
Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, checking after 10 minutes. Cookies are done when they are lightly browned on the bottom. Ice with your favorite icing. Enjoy!
Makes anywhere between 36 - 48 cookies depending on the size of cookie cutter.

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December 14, 2016 10 comments

Baked Goods Breakfast Farmer's Market Holiday Recipes

Pumpkin Pie Spice Biscotti

written by Ali

I’m so delighted that fall is here! I couldn’t resist baking a batch of pumpkin pie spice biscotti this weekend, just to celebrate the start of October. These cookies make the entire house smell like the holidays – the pumpkin pie spice is so fragrant. I’m pretty generous with ginger in my spice blend and it comes through in a nice subtle way in these cookies.

I’ve been thinking some about the pumpkin pie spice craze – I’ll admit that as soon as it started raining, I was in line at Starbucks for my first Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte for the year, which really, honestly, tastes nothing like pumpkin or spice. I’ve since been sampling similar lattes at other coffee shops and have found a few favorites to get me through the season. I’ve also thought a lot about pumpkin pie spice – I don’t know when it became de rigueur to DIY pumpkin pie spice. I remember buying the premixed spice and having it around as a staple in the spice pantry. It’s so simple to mix up the spices yourself though, so I’m happy about this particular cooking trend.

And since this post is all about starting fall off with pumpkin, I recently read an interesting article that most canned pumpkin isn’t actually pumpkin at all, but is generally a blend of other winter squashes, like butternut squash because other winter squashes are less stringy than pumpkin and make a smoother puree. This was a bit of a revelation for me: I’ve been making my own pumpkin puree for years now and every time I open up a roasted pie pumpkin, I’ve thought – this thing looks more like an orange spaghetti squash than pumpkin puree, so what am I doing wrong? Then I put the thought aside, mash it up some, and throw it in the freezer to be used in things like these pumpkin pie spice biscotti or pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. The stringiness isn’t noticeable when it’s cooked into a baked good or even when it’s blended into a smoothie, so I’ll keep on making my pumpkin puree with pumpkin.

The bottom line here is that pumpkin and spice is a winning combination. Enjoy these pumpkin pie spice biscotti with a cup of coffee (or a pumpkin spice latte) or a cup of tea and sit back and watch the leaves fall.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Biscotti
Makes 2 dozen

½ cup pumpkin puree (recipe for DIY pumpkin puree here)
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see below to make your own)
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
To dip or drizzle:
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Add the pumpkin puree and egg and mix. In a smaller bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine until all the dry ingredients are mixed in.

Turn the dough out onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Divide it into two sections and form each into a loaf. Flatten each loaf out a bit on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Remove the biscotti loafs from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Use a serrated edged knife to slice the loafs into ½ slices – you’ll be able to get about 12 cookies from each loaf. Place the biscotti back on the baking sheet in a single layer. As they will not rise anymore at this point, they don’t need space between them, so you can fit all the biscotti on one baking sheet.

Bake the sliced biscotti at 325 for 25 minutes or until they are brown and crispy looking. I usually flip them over about half way through to ensure even baking on both sides.

When the biscotti are baked, open the oven door and let the cookies cool in the oven for 15 minutes for a very crisp biscotti. Pull them out of the oven and finish cooling on a cooling rack.

When the biscotti are cooled, melt the chocolate chips (in two separate saucepans) and use them to drizzle to decorate. You can also dip the cookies in chocolate and nuts or just in chocolate. Let the cookies air dry and then store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Spice
3 tablespoons cinnamon
2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
2 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons allspice
1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves

Mix all the spices together in an airtight container.

October 4, 2016 0 comment

...and a little cocktail, too

cookies

Santa Fe Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chai Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

Mini Gingerbread Cookies

Pumpkin Pie Spice Biscotti

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