writings | cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Time: 45 minutes (for a batch), plus 36 hours to chill dough

-Ingredients (around 2-1/2 dozen cookies)

- 2-2/3 cups bread flour
- 1 cup cake flour
(or just 3-2/3 cups of flour)
- 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 2-1/2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1-1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons mexican vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate baking wafers, at least 60 percent
(Jacques Torres Chocolate Disks, Valrhona Fèves, Guittard Organic Bittersweet Chocolate Wafers, Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers)
or 2-1/2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate chips, at least 60 percent,
or 1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate chips & 1-1/2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate bar,
or 2 cups bittersweet chocolate bar (grated)
- Sea salt.

1) Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2) In large bowl, mix sugars together, and then cream with butter until very light. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Chop and add chocolate pieces and mix until incorporated throughout dough. Cover dough and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3) When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4) Scoop mounds of dough (the size of golf balls) onto baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big glass of milk, or in a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

*Can substitute 1 stick of butter with 1/2 cup of coconut oil for subtle flavor difference
*Can substitute 1 stick of butter with 4 oz. cream cheese for a fluffier cookie
*Can substitute 1/4 cup brown sugar with 1/8 cup maple syrup for subtle flavor difference

Oatmeal Cookies

Time: 45 minutes (for a batch), plus 36 hours to chill dough

-Ingredients (for about 3-4 dozen cookies)

- 1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups of oats
- 1-1/2 cups of nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds -mixed together or just one kind)

(the following ingredients can be added, combined and adjusted for different tastes)

- 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
- 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground cloves

-Directions

1) Heat oven to 350 F
2) Mix together both sugars, then add butter and beat until creamy
3) Add eggs and vanilla to dough, beat well
4) In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, then add to dough, mix together well
5) Stir in oats
6) In Ziploc Bag, mix nuts together and crush, then stir into dough. Cover dough and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
7) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Scoop mounds of dough (the size of golf balls) onto baking sheet.
8) Bake around 15 minutes or until lightly brown on edges, but still gooey in the middle
9) Cool about 5 minutes

Bar Cookies- Press dough into bottom of ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake about 25-30 minutes.

* Can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce or apple butter for 1/2 cup butter, and 3 egg whites for 2 eggs (halves the fat, but affects the taste and texture)
* Can substitute 1/2 cup butter for 1/2 of Crisco
* Can add 1 cup of raisins, or 1 cup of chocolate chips, or 1 cup of toffee pieces (or a mix of each together) after adding oats, but it takes away from the taste of the dough
* Can add 1 cup of coconut shavings after adding oats for a lighter cookie
* Can add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala with the other spices for extra kick
* Can substitute dark brown sugar for light (another taste change)
* Can substitute Mexican vanilla for regular vanilla (another taste change)
* Can chill the dough over night, and in between batches, for extra chunky cookies

Lemon Sugar Cookies
(by Chris)

Time: 45 minutes (for a batch), plus 36 hours to chill dough

-Ingredients (for about 2-1/2 dozen cookies)

- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks), softened
- 2 large eggs
- Sanding sugar, for rolling cookies

-Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl; set aside.
2) Mix sugars and lemon zest in the bowl. Add butter; mix until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs, one at a time, and then add in the vanilla and lemon juice. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Cover dough and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Scoop mounds of dough (the size of golf balls) and roll in the sanding sugar for a good coating. Space on parchment-lined baking sheets.
4) Bake cookies until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks using a spatula; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Ginger Snaps
(by Chris)

Time: 45 minutes (for a batch), plus 36 hours to chill dough

-Ingredients (for about 5 dozen cookies)

- 1-1/2 cups shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 4 cups flour, sifted
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. clove, ground
- 2 tsp. ginger

-Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar; beat in eggs, then add molasses. Add sifted ingredients to shortening and mix well.
2) Roll mixture into 1" balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar.
3) Place on slightly greased cookie sheet 2" apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
4) Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.



Chocolate Chip Cookies Time: 45 minutes (for a batch), plus 36 hours to chill dough -Ingredients (around 2-1/2 dozen cookies) - 2-2/3 cups bread flour - 1 cup cake flour (or just 3-2/3 cups of flour) - 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda - 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder - 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt - 2-1/2 sticks unsalted butter - 1-1/4 cups light brown sugar - 1 cup granulated sugar - 2 large eggs - 2 tablespoons mexican vanilla extract 2-1/2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate baking wafers, at least 60 percent (Jacques Torres Chocolate Disks, Valrhona Fèves, Guittard Organic Bittersweet Chocolate Wafers, Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers) or 2-1/2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate chips, at least 60 percent, or 1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate chips & 1-1/2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate bar, or 2 cups bittersweet chocolate bar (grated) - Sea salt. 1) Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside. 2) In large bowl, mix sugars together, and then cream with butter until very light. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Chop and add chocolate pieces and mix until incorporated throughout dough. Cover dough and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. 3) When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside. 4) Scoop mounds of dough (the size of golf balls) onto baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big glass of milk, or in a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Can substitute 1 stick of butter with 1/2 cup of coconut oil for subtle flavor difference Can substitute 1 stick of butter with 4 oz. cream cheese for a fluffier cookie Can substitute 1/4 cup brown sugar with 1/8 cup maple syrup for subtle flavor difference Oatmeal Cookies* Time: 45 minutes (for a batch), plus 36 hours to chill dough -Ingredients (for about 3-4 dozen cookies) - 1 cup softened butter (2 sticks) - 1 cup packed light brown sugar - 1/2 cup of granulated sugar - 2 eggs - 1-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour - 1 teaspoon baking soda - 3 cups of oats - 1-1/2 cups of nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds -mixed together or just one kind) (the following ingredients can be added, combined and adjusted for different tastes) - 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla - 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground ginger - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground cloves -Directions 1) Heat oven to 350 F 2) Mix together both sugars, then add butter and beat until creamy 3) Add eggs and vanilla to dough, beat well 4) In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, then add to dough, mix together well 5) Stir in oats 6) In Ziploc Bag, mix nuts together and crush, then stir into dough. Cover dough and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. 7) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Scoop mounds of dough (the size of golf balls) onto baking sheet. 8) Bake around 15 minutes or until lightly brown on edges, but still gooey in the middle 9) Cool about 5 minutes Bar Cookies- Press dough into bottom of ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake about 25-30 minutes. * Can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce or apple butter for 1/2 cup butter, and 3 egg whites for 2 eggs (halves the fat, but affects the taste and texture) * Can substitute 1/2 cup butter for 1/2 of Crisco * Can add 1 cup of raisins, or 1 cup of chocolate chips, or 1 cup of toffee pieces (or a mix of each together) after adding oats, but it takes away from the taste of the dough * Can add 1 cup of coconut shavings after adding oats for a lighter cookie * Can add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala with the other spices for extra kick * Can substitute dark brown sugar for light (another taste change) * Can substitute Mexican vanilla for regular vanilla (another taste change) * Can chill the dough over night, and in between batches, for extra chunky cookies Lemon Sugar Cookies (by Chris) Time: 45 minutes (for a batch), plus 36 hours to chill dough -Ingredients (for about 2-1/2 dozen cookies) - 3 cups all-purpose flour - 1 teaspoon baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar - 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar - 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice - 1 teaspoon vanilla - 1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks), softened - 2 large eggs - Sanding sugar, for rolling cookies -Directions 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl; set aside. 2) Mix sugars and lemon zest in the bowl. Add butter; mix until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs, one at a time, and then add in the vanilla and lemon juice. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Cover dough and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. 3) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Scoop mounds of dough (the size of golf balls) and roll in the sanding sugar for a good coating. Space on parchment-lined baking sheets. 4) Bake cookies until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks using a spatula; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. Ginger Snaps (by Chris) Time: 45 minutes (for a batch), plus 36 hours to chill dough -Ingredients (for about 5 dozen cookies) - 1-1/2 cups shortening - 2 cups sugar - 2 eggs - 1/2 cup molasses - 4 cups flour, sifted - 2 tsp. baking soda - 2 tsp. cinnamon - 2 tsp. clove, ground - 2 tsp. ginger -Directions 1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar; beat in eggs, then add molasses. Add sifted ingredients to shortening and mix well. 2) Roll mixture into 1" balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar. 3) Place on slightly greased cookie sheet 2" apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. 4) Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.