24 Jan
An OREO® Knockoff
Posted by Chelle as Chocolate, Cookies | 13 Comments
I am admittedly not really wowed so much by chocolate cookies. I’m not sure why, as I love chocolate, but an actual chocolate cookie usually doesn’t do much for me. Give me an ooey gooey chocolate chip cookie any day. However, when I saw this cookie on Shawnda’s blog, I was reeled in. Yes, she had an awesome picture, but that wasn’t it. It was four little letters hidden in her description: O-R-E-O. I am a sucker for those little two-toned sandwich cookies… and my favorite cheesecake is an OREO® cheesecake. When Shawnda claimed that these tasted just like that little cookie, the deal was sealed. The post was starred, white chocolate was added to my grocery list, and off I went!
And let me tell you - these taste exactly like an OREO® cookie - a very moist, chewy OREO®. Perhaps the best part of this recipe is that there are no eggs, so go ahead and eat this dough straight from the bowl until your heart is content (I could be speaking from experience). I actually think that this dough would be wonderful frozen and incorporated into an ice cream cake or used in a million different ways. It’s just THAT good.
My cookies didn’t spread quite as much as hers did, which was a bit of a bummer because hers were so very pretty. But taste was not sacrified - these are fabulous! They take just a few minutes to mix together, so what are you waiting for? Go make them! Now!
02 Jan
TWD: Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies (and my 100th!)
Posted by Chelle as Cookies, Tuesdays with Dorie | 22 Comments
Okay, first things first… you are reading my 100th post! I started blogging back in February of 2007 with the idea to share some recipes with friends and family that might be checking out my new hobby. Almost a year later I feel that both my blog and my cooking and baking prowess have grown significantly. I have a greater understanding of fundamental cooking and baking concepts, I have gotten much better at photographing my creations, I joined the Daring Bakers and have stretched my baking muscle, I have made connections and friends through the online food blogging community. I am having a great time and hope that my blog continues to grow and entertains and inspires you!
Now, moving on… what is this TWD business, you ask? Well, TWD = Tuesdays with Dorie, which was created by Laurie over at Quirky Cupcake. She received the Dorie Greenspan cookbook “Baking: From My Home To Yours” for Christmas and challenged herself to make one recipe per week (on Tuesdays) until she gets through the book. Having received the same book for Christmas and being equally excited to dive right in, I asked if I could be her partner in crime each Tuesday, and lucky for me, she said yes! We plan on taking turns choosing which recipe to tackle each week. Laurie started off by selecting Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies.
I had somewhat of an advantage here since Laurie made these a day before I did and she said that her cookies spread an awful lot. She recommended popping them back into the refrigerator to chill after cutting them and before baking them. I did just that, for about 15-20 minutes and then baked them off as the recipe reads. Mine also spread, but not to the extent that Laurie said hers did, so we think that the additional chill may be the key. Perhaps even a stint in the freezer before going into the oven. The flavor, however, is absolutely fabulous. The brown sugar gives them a caramel cookie taste. And let’s be honest - spread or no spread, you really can’t go wrong with shortbread! To read Laurie’s take on the recipe, go here.
Quick note for any of you not yet aware of my allergy - I am allergic to all nuts, so that is why they are omitted from any recipe that calls for them!
21 Dec
Christmas Baking: The Peanut Butter Blossom
Posted by Chelle as Christmas Baking, Cookies | 5 Comments
These are the quintessential Christmas cookie. They show up, without fail, at every cookie exchange and on every cookie tray. If there is anyone who tires of these cookies I’d love to find them. Yet another peanut butter cookie I can’t enjoy, but back in the “good old days” I’d gobble them up without abandon. This is your basic peanut butter cookie with a chocolate kiss pressed down into the middle as soon as they come out of the oven. Mmm, Christmas in a cookie!
19 Dec
Christmas Baking: Chocolate Chip Tea Cookies
Posted by Chelle as Christmas Baking, Cookies | 8 Comments
I have made these cookies numerous times over the years and they are one of my favorites because of their light and airy texture. They taste like a buttery shortbread ball with little chocolate chips. You can’t go wrong with this one!
19 Dec
Christmas Baking: Biscotti - A New Recipe
Posted by Chelle as Christmas Baking, Cookies, Italian | 2 Comments
Behold the beautiful biscotti that will be gracing my gift tins to family and friends. Now I know that I just posted a biscotti recipe not too long ago, but I wanted to share this one as well because they have somewhat different properties. The previous biscotti recipe produced a soft and tender cookie, which was very good. This recipe, however, mimics what I have grown up to know and love about the biscotti - hard, crunchy, and it withstands multiple dips into a cup of coffee without falling apart. So both of these are good; if you want one that’s a little softer to enjoy eating with your tea I would suggest my previous entry. However, if you’re Italian or a dunker, you’ll want to use this recipe, as I feel it’s much more authentic. Also, the previous recipe made significantly smaller biscotti, whereas these are substantially larger and look like they came from a coffee shop. A little drizzle of chocolate and they were ready for my tins!
