Category: Cookies & Bars

Lemonade Sugar Cookies

My hubby and I are hoping to move sometime within the next year. Keep your fingers crossed that the stars align for us.

I bring this up not only because I hope for your well-wishes (perhaps some money can fall from the sky on us?) but because I have my housewarming present to myself all picked out. I’m going to buy myself a mini lemon tree. Yep. For a while, I was feeling like so many recipes called for lemon juice or lemon zest – baked shrimp scampi, Parmesan artichoke pesto, crab cakes and mini crab cakes, herb grilled shrimp, roasted shrimp with tomatoes and feta, pomegranate cosmos and many other mixed drinks, lemonade, and so many fruit desserts. So when I move, you’ll know it because of the large number of posts with lemons as an ingredient.

Oh, and now there are these cookies. They are slightly sweet and have a little tang from the lemon juice and lemon zest. These cookies are just barely crispy on the outside but are still soft on the inside. Even though I don’t normally enjoy desserts with a strong lemon flavor, I enjoyed these very much, as did my coworkers. I brought a batch to work and they were gone within an hour.

Note: You do need to chill the dough for these cookies. I point this out here because I missed that when I started baking, and was very disappointed to have to wait!

PS I started a photo album of kitchen tips & tricks. Check it out here and be sure to follow me!

Lemonade Sugar Cookies

Adapted from Sweet Stuff:  Karen Barker’s American Desserts via Just Baked

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
  • 1 stick (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 c. canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 1/4 c. granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice, from about 1 1/2 lemons

Instructions:

  1. Make the Dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and lemon zest on medium-high speed until smooth. Lower speed to low or medium-low and add vegetable oil. When thoroughly mixed, add granulated sugar. Scrape down sides of the bowl and briefly beat to make sure everything is incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla and lemon zest. Slowly sprinkle in baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour. Continue mixing until completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  2. Cover bowl of dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for several hours to overnight. (I was impatient and only chilled mine for 3ish hours, and the cookies came out just fine. Just be sure to make sure the dough is properly chilled.)
  3. Make the Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1/4-1/2 c. granulated sugar in a small bowl or on a salad plate that has a lip. Using a small ice cream scoop or two tablespoons, portion out dough and roll into balls slightly smaller than golf-balls. Roll dough in sugar and place on prepared baking sheet about 2-inches apart. Press down slightly on each ball of dough. Bake for 9-12 minutes, until cookies are cooked through and edges starting to brown just barely. (Keep extra dough in the fridge between batches to keep it chilled.) Remove from oven, allow to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Growing up, I was never really a big fan of chocolate chip cookies. Any cookies really. I’d always opt for salty popcorn or potato chips instead. My brothers certainly didn’t care – more cookies for them! My mom used to make chocolate chip cookies from the recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag. However, when my mom found this recipe, I became a chocolate chip cookie convert.

I use both semi-sweet chocolate and half milk chocolate for a little change. Use chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate – with the chopped chocolate, you’ll get wonderful little flakes of chocolate throughout the dough. My favorite part is that these cookies stay super soft for several days. No, one batch may not last in your house that long, but a massive double batch like the one my mom brought for Thanksgiving might.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Fine Cooking No. 68 p. 86d

Makes 3 dozen large cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 c. granulated sugar
  • 3/4 c. + 2 Tbs. light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 c. + 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 1/2 oz. milk chocolate, chopped or chips
  • 4 oz. semi sweet or bitter sweet chocolate, chopped or chips

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract, beating until combined, 1-2 minutes.
  3. Lower speed and add flour, salt, and baking soda until combined.
  4. With a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate.
  5. Use an ice cream scoop to portion dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 3-inches between cookies. They spread a lot!
  6. Bake 14-16 minutes, until slightly browned. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes & Chocolate Chip Cookies

There’s really no words to describe these cupcakes. My hubby has declared that these are his all time favorite cupcakes. For me, they rank among the top three – the S’mores Cupcakes and Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes all rivaling for the top three slots. I brought a batch of these to work for a mini bake sale (proceeds going to Susan G Komen and breast cancer research), and some of the guys were walking away with up to 4 cupcakes. Oh yes, they’re that good. Or maybe I should have charged much more. Anyway, make these and you’ll win over the hearts of your significant other, family, friends, coworkers…. and if you’re fundraising, you can probably make a pretty penny off of these. No more commentary needed. Enjoy!

Baking Notes: When I made the recipe, I used a single batch of the cupcake base, a 1/2 batch of the cookie dough filling, and a 1/2 batch of the icing. These changes are reflected below. I note this specifically in case you run out of filling or icing. It is perfectly fine to make another 1/2 batch. I did make a whole batch of the chocolate chip cookies (full batch reflected below), although you’ll only need about 1/3 of a batch for the cupcakes. The rest I packaged and sold at my mini bake sale, at least the ones I managed to hide from the hubby.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Cupcake recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats;

Chocolate chip cookie recipe adapted from Baking Illustrated (p 434) via Annie’s Eats

Makes 24 cupcakes and 7+ dozen mini chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients for the Chocolate Chip Cookies:

  • 2 c. plus 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 12 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 c. brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 c. semi-sweet mini chocolate chips*

* If making normal sized cookies, use regular chocolate chips

Ingredients for the Cupcakes:

  • 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1½ c. light brown sugar, packed
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 c. milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Ingredients for the Cookie Dough Filling:

  • 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 Tbs. light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 c. plus 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
  • 3.5 oz. sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/8 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips

Ingredients for the Cookie Dough Icing:

  •  1/2 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ c. light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 to 2 c. confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • heaping 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/2 Tbs. milk
  • 1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Garnish:

  • Mini chocolate chip cookies
  • Mini chocolate chips

Make the Cookies:

  1. Ensure oven racks are placed in upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat oven 325°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butters and sugars on medium speed until thoroughly combined. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Sprinkle in dry ingredients and beat on low until combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl, add chocolate chips, and beat briefly until everything’s mixed in. If chocolate chips aren’t evenly distributed, stir with a wooden spoon.
  3. For this next step, you’ll either use a teaspoon (for mini cookies) or a half cup measuring scoop for large cookies (or a tablespoon or 1/4 cup measuring scoop for something in between). Portion out cookie dough – a teaspoon for mini cookies or a scant 1/2 cup for large) and roll into a ball. Pull apart into two equal halves. Place halves on prepared cookie sheets with jagged surfaces facing up. Yes, I thought this was weird too, but the cookies were tasty and stayed soft, so just do it. 🙂 (Actually, I was curious so I googled it. Beantown Baker used the same recipe and said that this step gives the cookies “the crinkled and craggly bakery cookie look.”)
  4. Bake for 11-14 minutes if making the full-size cookies, rotating pans halfway through cooking. If making the mini cookies, start at 6 minutes and keep checking the cookies until the cookies are lightly golden. Outer edges should start to harden but middle should still be soft. Don’t overbake!
  5. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Cupcakes:

  1. Preheat an oven to 350° . Line two cupcake pans with liners and set aside.
  2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each.
  3. Scrape down sides of the blow and on low speed, slowly add baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add half of flour, the milk and vanilla, and the remaining flour. Again, scrape down bowl and beat until all ingredients are just combined.
  4. With a spatula, fold in chocolate chips.
  5. Fill prepared cupcake pans with batter, about 2/3-3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for a few minutes before removing to a baking sheet to cool completely.

Make the Cookie Dough Filling:

  1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add flour, condensed milk, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.
  2. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make the Icing:

  1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (yes, your mixer is getting a work out with this recipe!), beat butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth. With the mixer still running, add flour and salt. Finally, add milk and vanilla extract. Icing should be smooth yet thick enough to pipe.

Assemble the Cupcakes:

  1. When cupcakes are completely cooled, using a paring knife to core out the center, forming a cone-shaped center. Remove cookie dough filling from fridge. Fill each cupcake with 1/2 tsp. cookie dough (I rolled it into a little ball).
  2. Top with frosting. I piped frosting on with a large Wilton star tip.
  3. Garnish with mini chocolate chips and a mini chocolate chip cookie.
  4. Try to restrain yourself from having more than one cupcake.

Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies

This summer, my best friend moved from one side of the city to the other. While moving is never fun, I’m selfish and loved every minute of it. But that’s because she moved 5 minutes away from me. I get to see her so much more often than I used to. So close that despite our busy schedules, there’s always time for an evening glass of wine. But, knowing how stressed out my bestie was about moving (and starting a new job), I decided to make her a little moving in package – homemade hot chocolate mix and a batch of homemade brownies. Now, I’m not even a big fan of brownies, but these? These were amazing. I allowed myself one out of the pan – gotta make sure it’s good enough to gift and to blog, right?. My own little brownie was covered in chopped up walnuts and was gone much faster than I would have liked. These bad boys turned a non-brownie eater into a brownie eater.

Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies

Adapted from Fine Cooking No. 76 (p 59)

Makes a 8×8 (or 9×9) pan, about 9 brownies

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 c. unsalted butter, plus more for pan
  • 2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 2/3 c. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 c. all-purpose flour
  • 4 oz. (3/4 c.) coarsely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
  • 1/2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter bottom and sides of a 8×8 or 9×9 inch Pyrex or baking pan.Line with parchment paper and butter again. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Remove from heat. Whisk in the following ingredients, one at a time. The mixture should be smooth before adding the following ingredient:

  • cocoa
  • sugar & salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2nd egg & vanilla

Switch to a rubber spatula and sprinkle in flour. Stir until just blended.

Add chopped chocolate, stirring until combined.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with nuts, if using.

Bake 33-38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a little bit of clumps stuck to it. Don’t overbake or brownies won’t be fudgy. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

When cool, use the parchment paper to lift brownies from pan. Cut into 9 pieces, peeling each piece from the parchment paper.
Enjoy!