Category: Cookies & Bars

Dec 2009 Update: So very sorry to all my readers! A friend pointed out a typo in this recipe in the amount of flour used. The correct amount is 2 1/4 cups of flour!

Cranberry White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Adapted from Ocean Spray

Makes 5 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 1 c. confectioner’s sugar
• 2 1/4 c. flour
• 1 c. dried cranberries
• 1 c. white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F and prepare a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.

Cream together butter and confectioner’s sugar, until light and fluffy.

Gradually add flour, beating until combined. Dough will be a bit crumbly looking.

Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Gather dough into small balls, using a 1/8 measuring scoop for guidance. Roll dough together.

Put dough onto baking sheet and press down slightly.

Bake for 14 minutes (less if you pressed the cookies fairly flat). Let sit on the cookie sheet for a minute or two before moving to a wire rack to cool, as cookies will be very soft.

Enjoy with a cup of tea or an afternoon coffee.  🙂

These were quite yummy, especially when slightly warm. My favorite was is that they bars stayed soft, even after a couple days.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

Source: Recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten

Makes 24 bar cookies

Ingredients:

nocoupons

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 c. creamy peanut butter (recommended: Skippy)
• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 c. raspberry jam or other jam (I used blackberry preserves)
• 2/3 c. salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.

Grease a 9×13 pan. Grease and lightly flour the pan. (You can also lay parchment paper on bottom of pan, and grease & flour that.)

Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. Lower the mixer to low speed and add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter. Mix until all ingredients are combined.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and gradually add to peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared pan and spread over the bottom with a spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small bits of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. (Note: The original recipe said that the dough would spread in the oven, but mine did not.) Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of bar cookies and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown.