Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Here I am baking on Sunday again. I've had my eye on this recipe for a while (i.e. it has been pinned to my Pinterest board for a while). I needed to make sure I had an exit strategy for these cookies, like I do with most baked goods. A potluck, a gift, a party...they just gotta get out of my kitchen before I eat them all. After a quick trip to Paper Source, the problem was solved: work teammate Christmas gifts.

They'll be gone by tomorrow and I get to feel like Santa. Win, win.

These cookies are only slightly more hands-on than chocolate chip cookies. They require hand rolling into balls, dredging through more sugar, and placing them at least 3" apart from each other. I learned the importance of that quickly with the first pan. Look, butt cookies!

I had originally planned to do my nutrition reading today since I'm a little behind, but I opted for cookie baking instead... which feels a little hypocritical somehow.

Gratitude Journal Entry: I'm grateful for the holidays. In addition to the pretty Christmas lights, red coffee cups and festive parties (excluding Santa Con - not grateful for that), we all get some much needed time off. Not going anywhere for the holidays? Lie and say you are! Throw up an out-of-office on your email for a few days, everyone else will be doing it. It's time to regroup!!

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
(Recipe from Gimme Some Oven, I halved it)

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 minute until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs and molasses, and beat on medium-low speed until combined. Gradually add in the dry ingredient mixture and beat until combined.

Roll the dough into small balls, about 1.5-inch in diameter. Fill a small bowl with sugar, and roll each ball in the sugar until it is completely coated. Place on cookie sheet at least 3 inches apart, then bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the cookies begin to slightly crack on top.  (They may crack more while cooling.)  Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute or two. Then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Serve immediately or store in a sealed container for up to 1 week.

*This recipe made 40 cookies.

Double Chocolate Chip Avocado Cookies

I was asked the other day what autumn means to me, and what I do in autumn that makes me the happiest. To me, autumn is hands down the best cooking season. The flavors and seasonal produce, the temperature outside, the holidays - food ties it all together. I am the happiest when I'm curating new recipes to make for people I love. My mom is coming over for dinner next week and I'm already excited about the recipe hunt for that special occasion. 

In the last 10 months, I've faced a new challenge: cooking without dairy. Now that I am with someone who is allergic to dairy, I've expanded my horizons to include vegan and dairy-free blogs, and taught myself the art of substitutions. These cookies are one of my first baking attempts employing the substitution technique. Because, gosh darn it, I will bake chocolate chip cookies for my boyfriend. 

Gratitude journal entry: I'm grateful for the dairy free cooking movement. There are now so many recipes and products available to substitute out the white stuff that I can cook the things I love in creative, healthier ways and share them with N.

I spotted this recipe on True Aim. 

Double Chocolate Chip Avocado Cookies

1 Medium Ripe Avocado

4-5 tablespoon Honey (Agave, or Stevia)

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

½ cup Peanut Butter or Almond Butter

½ cup Cocoa Powder

½ cup Chocolate Chips (Cacao chips, or dark/semi sweet)
Sprinkle brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare a baking sheet with parchment.

Cream together the avocado and sweetener until smooth. Then add the egg and mix until no lumps remain.

Next add the peanut butter and slowly add the Cocoa Powder 2 tbs at a time. If the mixture looks too sticky, leave 1 or 2 tbs out. You want the consistency to be smooth just like the peanut butter. Stir in the Chocolate Chips by hand and put the mixture in a plastic sandwich bag. Cut a hole the size of a nickle in one corner and squeeze out 1 inch rounds onto the parchment. (Or scoop them with a spoon, like I did.) *I also sprinkled brown sugar on the top.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the middle of the cookies look set, not shiny. Makes 12-18 cookies. Store in the refrigerator.

Kale, Goat Cheese, Apple & Sausage Stuffed Delicata Squash / Olive Oil & Sea Salt Brownie Cookies

We made it to Friday, team. Great work out there. Do you ever wonder if you might not make it? It’s kind of a silly fear, but every Friday there is a unanimous feeling of relief. This makes Friday evening the perfect time for a “treat yourself” meal (read: healthy and filling dinner, glass of wine and decadent dessert).  

My homie, Quin and I discussed the menu during our lunch break, while walking through Nordstroms in the zoo that is Westfield Mall. Look who found me and needed a home in the purse section:

Plus, a 25% off Tory sale doesn’t happen every day.

But I digress. Dinner had to be fall themed, as we are both obsessed with all things fall. For dessert, the chocolaty goodness of Something Swanky’s brownie cookies topped with TJ’s pumpkin ice cream (To. Die.)  For wine, Merlot.

Cheers to making it to the other side!

Kale, Goat Cheese, Apple & Sausage Stuffed Delicata Squash

2 delicata squash, halved and seeded
olive oil
salt and pepper
½ cup quinoa
1 spicy Italian sausage, removed from casing, crumbled and cooked
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried sage
pinch cayenne
pinch nutmeg
1 Honey Crisp apple, diced
1 cup kale, chopped
2 tablespoons white wine
2 ounces goat cheese
red pepper flakes
¼ cup panko crumbs
2 tablespoons parmesan

To prepare squash, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place halved and seeded squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with a touch of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.

In a small sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add turkey sausage and onion, cooking until sausage is cooked through and onions are soft about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir sage, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper into the sausage mixture. Add chopped kale, apple, and white wine. Give a good stir and then cover pan with a lid for 3-5 minutes, stirring a few times, until kale is starting to wilt and most of the moisture has evaporated. Remove filling from the stove and let cool 10 minutes.

Lastly, stir in goat cheese until mixed through and add salt and pepper to taste. Divide mixture among 4 halves and top with panko crumbs and parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until squash is cooked through.

Recipe inspired from Mountain Mama Cooks.

Chocolate Chip Cookies topped with Warm Banana

My mom always said “you should always have the ingredients on hand to make chocolate chip cookies.” She actually does say that. And to my credit, I consistently keep the ingredients stocked. You can never predict when the chocolate chip cookie craving will strike, but when it does, you’ll be glad you were prepared. Just this morning when I was reading the news (and when I say the news, I mean HuffPost Taste) and LA’s M Street Kitchen was being recognized for their “Chocolate Banana Cookie” which was essentially a large chocolate chip cookie topped with sliced banana – simple but freaking genius. So yeah, that had to happen today.

Don’t feel like trying to find 20 mouths to finish off 50 chocolate chip cookies that typically come out of one batch? Here’s the halved recipe below. Also, I wrapped the second half of the dough in tin foil and threw it in the freezer to make freshly baked chocolate chip cookies off the cuff at a later date.

Banana atop Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 stick butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup bakers sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces (1 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour)
~shallow 1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 banana, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 360. Cream butter and sugars until combined and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together. Slowly beat in flour mixture until the entire batch is incorporated into sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop 2 tablespoons worth of batter balls onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until edges are lightly brown but center is doughy. Remove and top cookies with banana slices. Bake for remaining 2-3 minutes, until cookies are desired level of doneness. Eat and smile, you’re in chocolate banana heaven.

Foggy Day Chili & Two Cookies

Lazy Sundays are best enjoyed when it’s foggy outside. Once I got my grocery shopping out of the way, I felt entitled to lay on the couch all day watching Mystery Diners, briefly migrating to my bed to take an hour and a half nap. Somewhere in there I managed to find time to make a pot of chili. Being too lazy to commit to and follow a recipe, naturally, I relied on my instincts to create this batch. Tasting as you go is all it takes.

Seeing as how I tasted as I went, blindly grabbing spices, chopping up vegetables and pouring in liquids, this is more of a chili ingredient suggestion list than a real recipe. Everyone has taste buds – you can be your own chili connoisseur! Alanna came over to sit at my kitchen table and chat over big bowls of foggy day chili, reminding me not to sweat Monday until it’s Monday…make your Sunday nights count. Cheers!

Foggy Day Chili Suggestion List

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bell pepper, diced
1 spinach and fontina chicken sausage, diced
handful broccoli and carrot slaw
1/2 bunch kale, roughly chopped
1 can corn, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup white wine
2-3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 lemon, juiced
garlic powder
chili powder (2+ tablespoons)
cinnamon
cayenne
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese
avocado slices
Greek yogurt

In a large pot, sauté garlic, onion and bell pepper for a few minutes to soften. Add in remaining ingredients in sequence, stirring as you go and allowing to cook down briefly before adding next ingredient. Finally – taste, taste, taste. Add ingredients to adjust flavor as desired. Simmer away for 15-20 minutes. Top with avocado, cheese, Greek yogurt, tortilla chips, cilantro etc.

I saw this recipe on a blog earlier today and was too curious not to try it: Single Serving Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Just right.

SK Popcorn Cookies

Home, sweet home in Portland for the holidays! Surprising to no one, I’ve eaten really well today. I’m not sure what other people do when they go home, but we like to spend our quality time in the kitchen. I bought the Smitten Kitchen cookbook for my mom’s birthday this year and it is the gift that keeps giving. Deb has some winners in this book, including these popcorn cookies.

A marriage of salty and sweet. Soft and crunchy. Not too rich and incredibly addictive. Make these for your family, friends, imaginary friends…just make them.

SK Popcorn Cookies

1 package microwave popcorn (or two snack size bags)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Pop popcorn, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars, egg and vanilla until fluffy. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Incorporate flour mixture into sugar mixture, then fold in popcorn. Spoon tablespoon sized balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly brown. Remove and let cool on rack.

Christmas Party Cookies

This might be the third time I’m posting on these cookies. These 4-ingredient wonders are worth it. They’re not the kind of thing you make just to “have around” unless you’re asking for 10 pounds and a muffin top for Christmas. But bring them to a holiday party, and you’ll leave with some new bffs.

Oreo Truffles

1 package Oreos
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
2-3 candy canes, shattered (a hammer works nicely)

In a food processor, blend Oreos until the consistency of sand. Dump mixture into a large bowl and add cream cheese. With your hands, blend Oreo mixture with cream cheese until a cohesive ball of dough is formed. Roll mixture into 1” balls and lay on cookie sheet. Stick balls into the freezer while you melt the chocolate in large bowl set over a pot of boiling water. When balls are chilled, remove from the freezer and one by one dip balls into the melted chocolate and place back on cookie sheet covered in wax paper, and sprinkle with crumbled candy cane. Repeat with remaining balls and store in the refrigerator.

I’m not going to lie to you - because that would be wrong - so I will tell you: these cookies are made from a boxed mix… which is also wrong. I frown upon that behavior (unless they’re Ghiradelli brownies!) but I was only trying to spend half of my Saturday in the kitchen, not all of it. The Trader Joe’s boxed sugar cookie mix is great in a pinch, and it comes with colored sanding sugar. I opted out of the reindeer and awkward Santa-shaped cookie cutters, and rolled my dough into a log. I rolled this Americanized Buche de Noel in the sanding sugar and sliced into cookies.

TJ also provides icing, however it is a runny mess. I mixed in a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and a drop of lemon juice (for flavor) to thicken the glaze. Once all of the cookies were glazed, I dropped food coloring onto the glaze and used a tooth pick to make Christmassy designs.

These cookies were very Sandra Lee of me, but the holidays are busy times! And people will like them – I swear.

Chocolate Chip Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

I <3 rooftops. I spent most of my Saturday up on mine, finishing my book and getting some sun.

It was there that my extreme suggestibility – after reading about the main character taking her rosemary garlic knots out of the oven - gave me the idea to make rosemary…shortbread cookies? Who knows where my mind gets these ideas.

Shortbread cookies are very simple cookies with endless possibilities. Next time, I might swap the chocolate for parmesan to make savory cookies.

The only hard part was cutting the cookies into uniform shapes. As you can see, that didn’t happen. *I used Melissa d’Arabian’s recipe for these cookies, which is unfortunate because I find her incredibly annoying. I was able to get over it. Bravo chica, I like your cookies.

Chocolate Chip Rosemary Shortbread

1 stick butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (I used fresh)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (I chopped regular chocolate chips)

In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Add in flour, salt and rosemary a fourth cup at a time. Stir in chocolate chips and wrap up dough in wax paper and chill for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 and have cookie sheet chilling in the fridge. Roll out dough and slice into rectangles. Place cookies on an ungreased, chilled cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool completely on rack.

Kahlua Chocolate Chip Krispie Treats

Like anyone who just moved to a new city, I am in the market for making friends. When I was invited to a random guy’s going away picnic in Berkeley, naturally I jumped at the opportunity for a. a picnic, and b. meet new people. The bars were actually not initially intended for the picnic, but I brought the leftovers and they were very popular.

We wound up the hills of Berkeley to a little community park with a great spread of dips, strata, chicken, veggies, and beer, among other things. I never strayed too far from the table and grazed for a few hours, and then came the cake.

Farewell Andrew, best of luck at your new position at J Street.

On the way back, we stopped at Indian Rock which has a great view all the way to the city. (It’s out there in the haze) Followed by some light rock climbing, before heading home to some leftover soup and closing ceremonies!

Go Heels, Go America!

Kahlua Chocolate Chip Krispie Treats

1 12 oz. box rice krispies
1 10 oz. package mini marshmallows
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup kahlua
1/2 package mini chocolate chips

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add marshmallows and a handful of chocolate chips and stir until melted. Stir in rice krispies until coated in marshmallow mixture. Spread into a 9x17 pan layered with wax paper. Press mixture down with another piece of wax paper until tightly packed, then spread remaining chocolate chips on top. Chill or wait until hard before cutting into bars.

Goat Cheese, Mushroom, Broccoli Quiche & Healthy Cookies

Work is over. At least for the foreseeable future. I hope I can handle the lack of structure! (I think I’ll find a way to manage) This, and the acceptance of my friend Kat into UNC Law School were more than enough reasons to celebrate with a yummy dinner.

This quiche was AWESOME. Packed with vegetables and tangy goat cheese that made it especially addictive.

Goat Cheese, Mushroom & Broccoli Quiche

1 pie crust (we used Trader Joe’s|
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 head of broccoli, cut into 1” pieces
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
2-3 ounces goat cheese (we used kalamata olive goat cheese)
1 ounce shredded mozzarella
4 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 350. If crust is raw, poke with fork and bake for 5-7 minutes. Whisk eggs and milk together. In a large skillet, heat olive oil then add broccoli and onions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, add garlic and cook another minute. Finally, add mushrooms and cook until cooked but still firm, about 3 more minutes. Add vegetables, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to pie crust. Follow with crumbled goat cheese and mozzarella, and pour egg mixture on top. Bake for 27-30 minutes, checking for doneness.

These are my groovy, nutrition focused version of the popular Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies. I imagine these are the kind of cookies served at the Portland Mayor's green roofed, LEED Certified condo because not only are they smaller and healthier, but most hazelnuts are produced in Oregon. 

After reading this article in USA Today about youth diabetes and how screwed the US is health-wise, I felt a pang of guilt about the cookies I was planning on bringing into the office on my last day. So, I lightened them up! How easy it is to swap out 800 (!) fatty calories for 100 saturated fatless calories by using 8 ounces unsweetened applesauce instead of butter. Whole wheat for part of the white flour is a no-brainer, then a cut back a bit on the sugar since the applesauce will do a little sweetening. As one who cooks for others, I feel a sense of responsibility to make my food as healthy as possible. Also, I'll admit that I'm a little vain. I like to look good. Eating well is essential in that recipe and since I'd like to enjoy these cookies too, I lightened them up. *Note: These are stickier and moister than your average chocolate chip cookie.

Portland Mayor LEED Certified Condo Hipster Cookies 
Adapted from Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies

1 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1.5 eggs (of 1 egg and half a flax egg)
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1.5 cups chocolate chips
1.5 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. In a mixer bowl, beat the butter and apple sauce on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in the sugars and combine for 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, then vanilla. 

Remove bowl from mixer and stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Add the chocolate chips, oats, coconut and hazelnuts. On a baking sheet lined with parchment or regular paper, drop 2 tablespoon sized balls of dough about 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until slightly underdone. Allow to cool 2-3 minutes on the pan before moving to rack. 

**For the cookie sandwich version, the filling is as follows:

Maple Cinnamon Frozen Yogurt

1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix ingredients together in small tupperware container. Freeze for 1 hour and stir. Scoop frozen yogurt onto cookie and make a sandwich with a second cookie. Put on a plate back in the freezer and serve within 1-2 hours.

Appetizer Buffet Dinner Party

My remaining time with my DC friends is dwindling which means dinner parties are a must. These dinners have been getting me through the work week since I first moved up here. Since we only had discombobulated ingredients to work with at home, I decided to devise an appetizer menu that used up what we had and let me get creative.  Not to mention, you always see recipes for cute, delicious looking appetizers but when do you ever actually get to make them? 

Menu is as follows:

Basil Vodka Strawberry Spritzers
Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Gorgonzola
Arugula & Apple Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
Salmon-Avo Crostini
Sweet Potato Chips with Chive Yogurt Sauce & Hummus
Baked Brie with Mango Butter & Red Pepper Jelly
No Bake Snowball Cookies

Basil Vodka Strawberry Spritzers

1 shot Basil infused vodka*
1 frozen strawberries
sparkling water

*Add 1 bunch of basil in a tupperware container and pour 1 cup vodka over basil. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Strain basil leaves and keep vodka in freezer until ready to use.

Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Gorgonzola

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved and hollowed out
4 ounces gorgonzola, finely crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup breadcrumbs 

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl combine olive oil and garlic, then toss hollowed tomatoes in the oil and spread on baking sheet, hollow side up. Combine gorgonzola and breadcrumbs, then stuff tomatoes and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Steamed Artichoke with Lemon Butter

In a medium sized pot, set artichoke in 1-2 inches of water. Cover and steam for approximately 20 minutes, or until artichoke has started to open and is tender. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with juice from half of a lemon.

Arugula & Apple Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
Arugula
1 apple, shaved or sliced very thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
salt and pepper

Mix together ingredients for vinaigrette and drizzle over the kale, apple and nuts. Best when prepared 15-30 minutes before serving. 

Salmon-Avo Corstini

French rounds (or toasted sliced French bread)
1 avocado, mashed
lemon juice
smoked salmon
salt and pepper

Spread mashed avocado on rounds and sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Top with smoked salmon and Greek yogurt (or tzatziki) if desired. 

The recipe for the No Bake Snowball Cookies can be found on Peas and Thank You.

Chocolate Chip & Craisin Oatmeal Cookies

It has been way too long since I baked. In theory that should mean I’m eating less baked goods, but somehow they find me. I remember when I attempted to give up sweets - or maybe it was just candy – for lent. It lasted three days before a total meltdown, fall-off-the-wagon, relapse. I was a little more realistic this year and gave up eating farm animals.

This is my attempt at a healthy (using that term lightly) dessert. I adapted it from a Food Network recipe, but liberally added ingredients.

Chocolate Chip & Craisin Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 2/3 cups oats
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/4 chopped pecans
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup craisins
cinnamon (sprinkled on top before baking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, oats, coconut, baking soda, powder, salt, flaxseed, and pecans together.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the egg until smooth, then add in maple syrup and vanilla until incorporated. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour-oat mixture. Blend just to combine, then mix in the chocolate chips and craisins.

Drop tablespoon sized balls of dough onto a nonstick cookie sheet spaced 3 inches apart. Flatten with fork and sprinkle a little cinnamon over cookies. Bake for 9 minutes until cookies are lightly browned on top.

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

I had the honor of making these for one of my coworker’s surprise baby shower. We set up the conference room with flowers and gifts and desserts for a 2pm “event planning meeting”. 2 pm wasn’t the best timing because the minute all of us were done with lunch we just sat at our desks antsy for cookies and cupcakes.

These cookies aren’t going to win any beauty pageants but they taste good and remind me of the ones I used to get at Ms. Fields, when I was little and a huge cookie was an acceptable midday snack. Another coworker went all out and painted these precious baby shoes.

The whole thing was just so damn cute.

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

1 ½ cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup peanut butter
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk flour and baking soda together and set aside. In a large bowl combine peanut butter, sugars, and butter and beat until fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla extract and mix well. In batches, add flour mixture until combined. Roll into balls, arrange on baking sheet and press down with fork (I sprinkled mine with salt). Bake for 12-14 minutes.

In double boiler, melt chocolate chips and dip cooled cookies until halfway covered.

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

For most people, going home for the holidays means they get to hang out with their high school friends and be home just enough to see their family at meals and  open a present or two. Except, for those of us whose families move away from our high school towns, then family is about all we got. For me, that means a lot of time in the kitchen. These are actually the second batch of cookies I’ve made this week (I made Ranger Cookies on Wednesday). I’ve entered a vicious cycle of snacking, working out, snacking, guilt – and so goes the holiday season.

So, you might as well give in and bake some cookies. *Recipe from Two Tarts.

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

1 stick butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup raspberry preserves

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla, salt and egg yolk and beat until well combined. Add flour and mix until stiff dough forms. Roll it into a long rope that is about 3/4 inch in diameter and 12 inches long. Roll into wax paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 3 days). Slice into 1/2 inch rounds, then roll into a ball. Set on ungreased cookie sheet and make thumbprint in cookie. Fill cookies with about 1/4 teaspoon preserves. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let rest at least 5 minutes before moving to wire rack.

S’More Bars

Today I took the day off to prepare myself - mind, body and baked goods– for my trip to NYC this weekend. I had a feeling the ROI on an extra hour of sleep and work out would be worth it for the late nights ahead of me. Post work out, I made my favorite breakfast (which I have every morning) plain yogurt, banana slices, granola, scoop of peanut butter, little scoop pumpkin butter. I could eat it for every meal, honestly. Then, because I’ve been going through baking withdrawals, I made s’more bars to bring to Tonya, my host this weekend. Somewhere in this day I’ll also find time to paint my nails, pack my bag, whiten my teeth, shower for the night and make it to Union Station by 4:30. Good thing I took a me-day!

S’More Bars

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (or 6 ounces chocolate chips)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not marshmallows- they vanished)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.