Category: Cookies & Bars

Last year, I had a semi-successful attempt at making Barefoot Contessa’s Jam Thumbprint Cookies, a sweet vanilla cookie with coconut flakes and a jam center. While 8 cookies came our beautifully (and tasted amazing), the recipe just didn’t go right for me. The dough was too crumbly, I’m guessing because the butter wasn’t at the correct temperature. The couple that came out were fantastic, so I chalked it up to an error on my part, and put the recipe back in the stack to make again at a later date.

Recently, I was cleaning out the kitchen and noticed 3 half-empty jars of jam in the fridge. Forgetting about last year’s failure and my hope of remaking the recipe, I made Southern Living’s Thumbprint Cookies – an almond cookie with a pecan crust. These were equally as good as Ina’s, a slightly sweet butter cookie with the spark of flavor from the jam. I did have a similar problem with the dough being crumbly, again contributing it to the temperature of the dough. I solve the problem this time, by warming the dough slightly in my hands, while rolling them into balls.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies, Recipe II

Adapted from Southern Living’s Best Loved Cookies, Thumbprint Cookies (p. 46)

Makes 3-4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 c. chopped pecans (optional)
• 1/2 c. jam, one flavor or multiple flavors

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until creamy, 1-2 minutes. Gradually add sugar until light and fluffy, another 1-2 minutes. Lower speed and add egg yolks and almond extract, until just combined. With the mixer on low-speed, sift in flour and salt.

Cover and chill dough for an hour.

Just before removing dough from fridge, preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Lightly beat eggs whites and spread chopped pecan pieces on a plate or in a small bowl.

Remove dough from fridge and roll into 1-inch balls. If the dough won’t stick together, warm it slightly in you hands. Flatten slightly, dip in egg white, and then dip/roll in pecans. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch or so in between each cookie. Just before putting into oven, press the center of each cookie down with thumb or knuckle, making a small indentation.

Bake 14-16 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Once on wire racks, while cookies are still warm, press centers again and fill with jam.

Quick & Easy Palmiers: Cinnamon & Cardamom

I have a new favorite cookie recipe – this is it. I think I made it three times in one week (once for work and twice as a dessert for a friend’s house). Sweet and crunchy, they look impressive but are so incredibly easy to make. Four ingredients and requires just a mixing bowl, rolling pin, and knife. Can’t get easier. These were wonderful alone, but it would also be fantastic with ice cream or along side a mousse or pudding.

The original palmier recipe came from Ina, but I made some pretty substantial modifications to it. I felt that 1 c. was just way too much sugar, as there was quite a bit of sugar that didn’t get absorbed into the puff pastry dough. I also played with the flavorings in the sugar, trying out cardamom, which I liked even better than the cinnamon. The flavor was just slightly sweeter but still more subtle than the cinnamon (hence, I used 1 tsp. of cardamom instead of 1/2 tsp. called for in the cinnamon palmier recipe). This flavor was such a hit, I look forward to trying out some other flavors!

Cinnamon Palmiers, Heavily adapted from Ina Garten

• 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
• 2/3 c. sugar, divided
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Cardamom Palmiers, A Books n’ Cooks Original, inspired by Ina Garten

• 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
• 2/3 c. sugar, divided
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 450F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix 1/3 c. sugar, salt, and either 1/2 tsp. cinnamon or 1 tsp. cardamom. Set aside.

Sprinkle a large cutting board with 1/3 c. sugar. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry onto sugared board. Sprinkle sugar-cinnamon/cardamom mixture over puff pastry, so that the pastry is completely covered. It’s alright if you have a little left over. Just set it aside.

Using a rolling pin, lightly roll out puff pastry until measured 13×9 inches and sugar is pressed into pastry. As you’re rolling, feel free to add the extra sugar, if any lightly-sugared spots pop up.

Lay the puff pastry lengthwise. Fold one end to the center, and then the other. The puff pastry will look like a book. Again, fold each end toward the center. You should have 4 layers of pastry folded on both sides. Use a sharp knife in a sawing motion (don’t press down!) to slice the puff pastry into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces. (I got about 16 cookies out of each puff pastry sheet.) Place on prepared cookie sheets, cut side up. If the cookies don’t stand up straight, bend them slightly at the center.

Bake 6-8 minutes, until sugar begins to caramelize. Flip, and cook another 3-5 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes on the making sheet before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

I’m don’t normally crave sweets. I’ll eat a cookie or try a piece of cake, but it’s not often that I want to have seconds. However, if you give me a plate of french fries or a bowl of potato chips, it’s another story. I love the saltiness and will eat more than my fair share of fries and chips. Anyway, these cookies are the exception to the rule – they’re sweet and they stayed soft, even a couple of days after baking them. I have one and keep going back for me.

I did make these cookies twice, and adjusted the recipe slightly. The original recipe called for 3 c. flour, 2 c. white chocolate chips, and 1 c. coarsely chopped pecans. I found that the dough was just too crumbly, and the chocolate chips and nuts were not well mixed into the dough. The second time, I used a little less flour and half the recommended quantities of chocolate chips and nuts, and found the ingredients were all incorporated into the dough much better. These changes are reflected in the recipe below.

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from Southern Living’s Best Loved Cookies, p. 10 (also online here)

Makes 3 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 c. uncooked oats
• 1 c.  white chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans (or slivered almonds)

Preheat oven to 350F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on high-speed until light and fluffy, about a minute. Add sugars slowly until well combined. Lower speed to low, and add eggs (one at a time) and vanilla. Slowly add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour, with the mixer still on low-speed, until jut incorporated. Add oats, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts – either with the mixer on low-speed or by hand using a wooden spoon.

Using tablespoons or an ice cream scoop, portion dough onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake 12 minutes, until cookies are slightly browned. Allow to cool for a few minutes on baking sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Molasses Cookies are a holiday classic. This copycat version of the cookie sold at a popular coffee shop is slightly crispy on the outside and super soft on the inside, making it one of our favorite versions of the classic cookie.

Is there a cookie that, for you, represents Christmas and the winter holidays?

For me, it’s a Polish fried dough sort of cookie that we called Chrust, although the proper name is chrusciki. I grew up with memories of making it with my mom and her parents. Mom, Grandma and I would spend hours rolling out the dough, cutting it out, and then tying it into bow-tie shapes. We’d then pass the cookies to my grandfather to fry them and finish it off with a coat of confectioner’s sugar. My brothers and I would all try to sneak cookies, but the trail of sugar we left behind always gave us away.

The other cookie that feels like winter holidays to me is molasses cookies. To be honest, I was never a huge fan growing up, but it was the one time a year when we made them – the are one of my dad’s favorite cookies.

So one year, I went searching for a new recipe to treat my dad to cookies for his December birthday. Dad’s never been real big on gifts. If his kids call him, he’s usually happy. However, Dad is like a big kid and loves getting surprises in the mail (especially if I send it to his office). These cookies were Dad’s birthday surprise.

And they were a surprise to me too. I hadn’t had a molasses cookie in years, but these were wonderful. I don’t know if it was the new recipe or my tastes changing as I got older, but I would totally make these all year round. This particular molasses cookie – a copycat recipe from a popular coffee shop – is slightly crunch on the outside (thanks to being rolled in sugar before baking) and super soft on the inside. And they stayed soft!

In case you’re wondering, Dad enjoyed receiving his cookies at his office – enough to enjoy for his birthday with a little extra to pop in the freezer to enjoy at a later date. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

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Molasses Cookies

Molasses Cookies are a holiday classic. This copycat version of the cookie sold at a popular coffee shop is slightly crispy on the outside and super soft on the inside, making it one of our favorite versions of the cookie.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 144 kcal

Author Liz

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 3/4 c. unsalted butter softened
• 1 c. light brown sugar
• 1 extra large egg
• 1/4 c. unsulphured molasses
• 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour granulated sugarin a small bowl or salad plate. Set aside.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on high-speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Lower speed to medium and add egg and molasses. Scrape down sides of the bowl and beat at high-speed until mixture no longer looks curdled, about 1 minute more.
3. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger into wet mixture. Beat on low-speed until well combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
4. Use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to portion out dough. (If the dough is sticking, light spray the scoop or measuring cup with vegetable spray before portioning out each cookie.)

5. Roll the dough into a ball, and then roll each ball in the plate of sugar. Place on baking sheet. Flatten each ball slightly.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are firm to the touch. If baking more than one baking sheet at a time, rotate the baking sheets mid-way through.
7. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

This recipe was rewritten but barely adapted from GroupRecipe’s Starbucks Chewy Molasses Cookies.

This post was updated in November 2018, to add a recipe card and update the photos. The original recipe stayed the same.