Peanut Butter Cookies with Milk Chocolate Chunks

You really can't get much better than the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Reese's? I mean, the ultimate in the merger of flavors. But I'm biased- I love anything with peanut butter- jam, chocolate, bananas and  a few other things that I dare not mention for fear of being thought of as even weirder than I am. 

The recipe calls for chunks of milk chocolate. With all the fancy chocolates around that cost a fortune, when it comes to milk chocolate , I always come back to basics. This is Israeli milk chocolate called "para" which means" cow". Best stuff around- for baking, eating, melting or whatever you need milk chocolate for. It is an icon here in Israel and has been around since 1934. I don't think there is an Israeli that didn't grow up with a few bars of these in their kitchen cupboards 

(or wherever Mom's would hide them). I always loved the imprint of the cow on each chocolate square.

This recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking is simple to make, amazingly melts in your mouth and, unfortunately for me, quite addictive. I made the dough and kept it in the fridge, making only a few at a time so I didn't devour the entire output at once. ( Which didn't stop me from eating a spoonful or two of unbaked dough straight from the fridge- no words!!)

Ready to bake!

 Hot out of the oven- that's the way I like them- soft, warm and melt in your mouth!

OMG, those huge chunks of chocolate!!

You can find the recipe here at Baked Sunday Mornings!

Enjoy!

Exceedingly Chocolate Crinkles

The recipe for this week on Baked Sunday Mornings was Apple Pie. I love apple pie, but having just finished the season of the fall Jewish holidays, where EVERYTHING is apples, I decided to go rogue this time. I made cookies from the book we recently finished- Baked Occasions.

There were quite a few "assignments" I missed during the baking of the book, and this was a perfect opportunity to catch up.

These cookies have a million different versions in books and online, but the basic concept is the same for all- that crinkly look. This recipe is easy, straightforward and if directions are followed, should come out, well, crinkley!

Baking is all about chemistry and the interaction between and among various ingredients, how they work together - or against each other- to produce the desired results. I wanted to know what it is that makes these balls rolled in powdered sugar, spread slightly and crinkle during the baking process. I did some simple research and there are a few explanations.n Some recipes say that the combination of baking soda and  baking powder, give the cookie the right amount of lift to spread just enough so that the rolled cookies produces "fissures " or cracks as they bake. All fine, but this recipe has no baking soda in it and they turned out just beautifully "cracked"!

One recipe also says the key is to roll the balls in granulated sugar before rolling them in powdered sugar. Also not required here and the results-again- were perfect.

What is important here is to use quality ingredients(as always), do not over mix the dough, and chill before forming the circles, and rolling them so they are thoroughly coated in powdered sugar.

The result is a soft, cakey center with a slightly crisp edge that just melts in your mouth! Delicious right out of the oven or cooled. ( But who can resist "right out of the oven?!)

You can find the recipe for Exceedingly Chocolate Crinkles here at Baked Sunday Mornings.

Enjoy!

LEBKUCHEN

Lebkuchen (German pronunciation: [ˈleːpˌku:xn] , or Pfefferkuchen, traditional German baked Christmas treat, somewhat resembling gingerbread.

I've never tasted these before so I had no references as to comparisons. But just knowing that they have some relation to gingerbread and all those delicious ,warm spices that go with it, was enough for me.

Now mind you- at the present moment it is close to 100℉ here in Israel; humidity is, well, let's just say two showers a day are a minimum to feel "not sticky". So baking cookies that have a Christmas, wintery association is a bit out of sync for me, but I haven't baked in so long that I just had to give these a try.

Interesting. That's my word to describe them. Interesting. The combination of spices is soothing and warm, with the added chocolate coating on top to give it just the right amount of sweet ( but not too much).

The recipe calls for chopped candied orange peels, so I decided to make them myself. Saturday,most grocery stores are closed here and I was too lazy to go out in the heat to the one or two places that are open. Making the candied orange peels was easy enough and if I were to make them in large batches, I would definitely dip them in melted chocolate! Only warning if you want to try them is to allow enough time for them to dry out.

I think what I like about these cookies is that one was certainly satisfying ( I tend to overindulge!) and the taste of the spices sort of lingered in my mouth and just kept on going for quite a while. Like I said- interesting.

If you'd like to give these a try, you can find the recipe here at Baked Sunday Mornings.

Enjoy!

OLD-SCHOOL OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Everyone has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. My personal favorite is from Jacques Torres. Then there are the famous Tollhouse cookies that we were all brought up with- just a so- so in my opinion. These definitely are up in running for a tie with first place!

The addition of oatmeal, both ground and chunks, gives the cookies a texture that is hearty and down to earth. The sprinkling of fleur de sel on top gives  that extra zing that takes them over the top. Both old and young loved them!

Apologies for the low quality iPhone pics- no time to get out the camera and set up the tripod etc.
You can find the recipe  here at Baked Sunday Mornings. Enjoy!

S Cookies

This recipe came just in time to finish off the last of the flour in my house until after Passover. 

I have always looked at baking as a kind of therapy( for me at least). These simple, yet delicious (and addicting, I may add!) cookies really hit the mark on that note. I found the rolling of the dough so soothing  ( weird, I know, but...) and relaxing. They were easy to put together- the recipe calls for using a mixer and I did. I think they could be made without by just hand mixing. They are somewhat similar to a biscotti recipe I have which is completely in one bowl- which I love. Next time I try these I will see if they turn out just as well by hand mixing. 

The "S" shape is fun to do and as explained in the recipe, they are the perfect  dunking cookie. That's where the addicting  part comes in. You can't just dunk one or two- you have to keep dunking until all the tea or coffee ( or a glass of milk, for that matter) is GONE!  Anyways, that's my personal rule!

You can find the recipe here at Baked Sunday Mornings. Enjoy!

Derby Cookies

As a child, I loved horses. Even took riding lessons and collected horse figurines. I wasn't a particular fan of horse races, but just to see the beautiful horses run the Kentucky Derby was a treat.

These are easy cookies to make. I was expecting them to come out more like actual balls, but they sort of flattened out on the bottom, while retaining the rounded top. No matter- delicious in any shape. 

The addition of bourbon to the demarra sugar for rolling, really kicks these cookies up a notch. That, with the 2 tablespoons of bourbon in the recipe- well, we're set for the day!

You can find the recipe here, at Baked Sunday Mornings. Enjoy!

MAE'S CRESCENT COOKIES

I love cake, and I love pie, but what I really love the most are COOKIES! All kinds and shapes.There are cookies that are the "usuals"- chocolate chip ( although there are some very "unusual" varieties), oatmeal, sugar.  There are cookies from different countries and cultures and cookies of all shapes and sizes. The fun part about cookies (besides eating them) is that you can play around with additions and easily make them your "own" cookie.  Pretty quick to put together,  a great gift when wrapped in an interesting package, and of course- always have that cookie tin filled with cookies for the kiddies when they visit!

                             

These cookies fill all those categories for me. A simple, ton of butter cookie with walnuts (I substituted pecans), shaped into a delicate crescent shape and drowned in powdered sugar for that extra zing. Easy?- check. Pretty gift in a tin or jar?- check.  Kid ready?- check. Taste more than good?- check , check , check! Not a crunchy cookie, they just melt in your mouth as soon as you bite  pop a whole one onto your tongue. A bit addictive, yes, but what kind of cookie isn't?

Crescent cookies go onto my list of  "go-to's" for sure. You can find the recipe here, at Baked Sunday Mornings, as well as see the creations of other members from our baking group. Enjoy!

Gingersnaps with Lemon Sugar

Winter arrives, and like clockwork, my throat starts to scratch, nose runs and the coughing sets in. This time it hit me like a snowball gathering snow as it rolls down the mountain. Bronchitis, no less, and let me tell you- a week in bed , antibiotics and no strength to do ANYTHING!! I probably should have spent more time in bed , but work calls and the kiddies are waiting in class. So now I'm left with a lingering , hacking cough and a general lack of energy, though each day is a bit better. 

I spent an unreasonable ridiculous amount of time searching for all kinds of old-fashioned remedies for the cough, throat, etc. Some very weird, but the majority  talk about a few things over and over. Honey, lemon, ginger, hot liquids (hot liquids were the only thing that relieved some of the chest pain). I am now drinking hot ginger water numerous times during the day. 

This weeks' selection for Baked Sunday Mornings was just the thing I needed to get back into baking.

Gingersnap cookies that are #1 : easy to make- no mixer-yay! #2 :come together very quickly #3: very good to eat!

They're rolled in lemon sugar (just rub some grated lemon zest -I used lime since that is what I had) in 1/2 cup of sugar and roll the little balls of dough in it.

I like my gingersnap cookies to have a "snap" so I left them in the oven for the recommended extra few minutes. If you like them soft, just cut the time .

Great with a hot cup of ginger water, tea, coffee or even a glass of milk if you prefer! 

Enjoy!

You can get the recipe here at Baked Sunday Mornings.

Date Squares

When I think of dates, I think of the Middle East. And that's where I live. Date palms all around, both natural and on farms that grow dates for both local and export use. The varieties are great and each type has its own qualities regarding size, moisture, taste and sweetness. The most popular and my favorite are the medjool dates. Plump and meaty, they are rich in flavor and are good for just munching or cooking. So many possibilities  for using dates, both in baking and cooking.

Here, you can get dates by the box, by weight in the open markets as well as in spread form and chunks of date paste all ready to use. Below is a kilo block of date paste which I sliced into and used instead of cutting up whole dates. Makes life much easier!

I tried this recipe a few weeks ago and it was so so. Felt like it needed an upgrade. I was looking for a thicker crust , more cookie like.

Some of the changes and addition I made : 

1. A smaller baking pan and used less than the called for amount of dates. It was too thick for me last     time.

2. Added a touch of salt to the date mixture and much less sugar. The dates are so sweet to begin             with, the extra sugar just overpowered it. I also added some orange zest and two tablespoons of o.j.     to the date mix. Just brought it up a notch!

3. Added a touch of cinnamon to the crumble mix as well as an egg. This made the crust more cookie     like and crispier.

The end result is much more to my liking, but of course taste is such a personal thing. These are easy to make, easy to store, for a quick snack or even for freezing so you can take them out as you wish.
Yummy in the tummy!

Here's the link for the original recipe on Baked Sunday Mornings.
Enjoy!

Campfire Cookies

Girl Scout camp, outdoors, bonfires- all a reminder of times long past, but the taste of the famed s'mores remains forever in my memory ( or in my mouth , for that matter!)

Graham crackers ( which, by the way are very difficult to find here, and if you're successful, then they cost half a monthly salary), half a bar of chocolate and gooey marshmallows, all wrapped in tinfoil and roasted over an open fire. How can you go wrong?

These cookies have all those ingredients and don't disappoint. I went for the whole deal and made homemade marshmallows. Once you taste a homemade marshmallow, it's hard to go back to the store-bought stuff. No comparison- not even close! Given that, using store-bought marshmallows in this recipe would be just fine.

Since graham crackers are so hard to come by, I substitute Biscoff cookies in almost every recipe that calls for them. They add a different taste to the results but just as good if not better. A definite cinnamon flavor, gooey marshmallows that sometimes make for a not so pretty cookie, and yummy melting chocolate chips. They are very sweet and I might cut back on a bit of sugar next time- oh yes, there WILL be a next time! If any one wants to send me a package or two of graham crackers.............

You can find the recipe here at Baked Sunday Mornings. Enjoy!

Election Palmiers

This is the first selection from the new book Baked Occasions.   After looking through the book, I can say that I am looking forward to some of the recipes- others, I'm not so sure about.

These cookies are familiar to me as "elephant ears" and usually are made quickly and simply with store-bought puff pastry. This was from scratch and the dough comes out melting in your mouth. They really are delicious, but I don't know if I would go through the somewhat drawn out process for such a simple cookies. That being said, the box they are in, is quickly emptying! The addition of the cayenne pepper ( I used ancho chili powder - that's what I had in the house) is a nice, subtle addition that adds an extra zing to the cookies.

You can find the recipe here at Baked Sunday Mornings. Enjoy!

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

"Potchky" is a Yiddish word I heard as a kid. I don't know if this is the correct meaning, but in my house, it referred to something that required a lot of small steps and fussing around to make. These cookies were a lot of  "potchkying" but worth every little second.
I made them for one of the many desserts for my granddaughter's 4th birthday and they went over really big! More with adults than children( this is the cake i made for the kiddies), but well received with the young ones as well.

The "potchkying" steps were making the dough, chilling, rolling into balls, dipping in egg whites, rolling in chopped pecans (had to toast them too, so that's another step), making a thumbprint indentation, after 8 minutes in the oven, making the indentation again, baking another 4 minutes, removing from the oven and making the last thumbprint impression to hold the filling. More "potchkying"- make the caramel filling, fill the thumbprint and top with a whole, roasted (another step!) pecan on each.

It may sound like I'm complaining, but understand- I'm not. I love the whole process. It's just not the same as mixing a batter, pouring into a pan and shoving in the oven. These babies require a bit extra attention and TLC, but are exquisite when done. Worth every second of effort!

You can find the recipe here, at Baked Sunday Mornings! Enjoy!

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

It's been a very long time since my last post. Life just seems to get in the way and take over. Sometimes I feel like I'm standing on the corner, watching my life go by but not participating in it.

Too fast, too much- gotta slow down and take things easy, get priorities in order and do what I need but also what I love. And that is baking! The summer has been so hot here ( I know it's already October, but here you'd think it was the middle of July) that the thought of going into the kitchen and turning on the oven has been a complete no-no.

I have also returned to work after a wonderful sabbatical year and it has been much more difficult getting back into the groove than I had imagined. But that's another story altogether.

To keep my sanity and follow my thoughts of doing what I love, I am finally getting back to some baking. 

Snicker doodles are a basic old-fashioned type of cookies, that believe it or not, I had never tried. They sounded uninteresting and dry to me - just never caught my fancy. This was my opportunity to give them a try since I trust and respect and love just about every recipe that comes from Baked. If they make them, then they've got to be good. 

Browning the butter was easier than I had expected. The cookies came out great, with the amazing help of my granddaughter , Ronny. She did all the rolling in cinnamon and placing them on the cookie sheet. We had so much fun!

You can find the recipe here, at Baked Sunday Mornings. Give them a try, you won't be sorry!

in the oven

Ronny doing her thing

Malted Milk Sandwich Cookies

These cookies almost didn't make it to the blog. I thought I was being so efficient, making them in advance, being ready to photograph and post on time. They went over so big that I sent whatever was leftover from Friday night dinner, home with my daughter. Suddenly realizing I hadn't photographed even one cookie, I quickly called her and asked if any were left. Yes! Save a few , I asked, and I'll come over tomorrow morning to take a few shots before they disappear into my granddaughter's stomach!

And so it was. These cookies really were delicious, easy to make and have a beautiful warm, deep flavor. The recipe calls for a vanilla filling, which I'm sure is perfect with it, and I will try it next time. This time, I took a short cut and used some the leftover butter cream from a previous recipe, that I had frozen. I defrosted the butter cream and re-whipped to fluff it back up -worked just wonderfully. It's definitely worth freezing frosting if you have leftover- you never know when it may come in handy.

 You can find the recipe here- give them a try!