Cookies, Cookies & More Cookies

What could be better than baking on a warm, sunny Saturday morning?  Baking with a friend on a warm, sunny Saturday morning.

My dear friend, Heather arrived at 9:30am at my gate, holding a big red bowl of cookie cutters.  Together, we conquered dozens of Sugar Cookies and Mint Chocolate Crinkles.

First the laborious task of Sugar Cookies- Mixing the dough, running to Albertson's when you realize you left your baking powder and almond extract in Utah, chilling the dough, understanding and using the role of parchment paper correctly and effectively, adding the proper amount of flour to avoid stickiness, and also avoiding overworked dough, etc., etc.  Needless to say, a big task.  But, one that is aided with Egg Nog, also from mid morning run to Albertson's, and laughs from a friend.

 

Sugar Cookies

2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups shortening

3 eggs

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 small carton sour cream (8oz)

5 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 salt

1. Blend sugar and shortening until there are no lumps.  Stir in eggs individually.  Add extracts.  Gently fold in sour cream. 

2. Combine dry ingredients. 

3. Add dry ingredients to wet, mix thoroughly.

4. Refrigerate 2-3 hours, or place in freezer 30-45 minutes.

5. Work only 2 cups of dough at a time to keep stiff and workable.  Keep remaining dough in fridge.  Generously coat with flour while rolling out dough, also roll dough between parchment paper to minimize sticking.

5. Bake 6-8 min. at 350 degrees on ungreased cookie sheets.  Remove from oven before edges are light brown.

6. Allow complete cooling before frosting.  Can be frozen until desired frosting date.

 Now onto Mint Chocolate Crinkles.  Relatively easy compared to the multi steps of Sugar Cookie-ing.

Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs 

1 tsp mint extract

2 tsp vanilla extracts.

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

powdered sugar

1. Stir together cocoa, sugar & oil. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in extracts.

2. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add dry mix to wet and mix thoroughly.

4. Refrigerate dough 2-4 hours or place in freezer 45 minutes.  

5. Roll dough into 1 in balls, coat thoroughly in powdered sugar and place several inches apart on baking sheet.  (My cookies weren't spreading as nicely as I wanted, so smashed balls with a spoon before placing in oven.)

6. Bake 10-12min at 350 degrees.  Let cookies set a few minutes on pan before removing to cool.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a very quick (start to finish: 20 min) and easy cookie recipe I stumbled across tonite.  They are fairly airy, light chocolatey cookies... but still very sweet and requires a big glass of milk or strong cup of coffee.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cps butter, softened

2 cps sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cps flour

3/4 cps cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cps chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar (I used the food processor - QUICK).  Stir in eggs, then stir in vanilla.  Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and stir into wet mixture.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Drop large spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 8-10 min.  Let cool on sheet 5 minutes before removing.

I also think you could spruce up this recipe with adding some coffee grounds to the dry mixture - yum.

Mocha Chip Muffins at Midnight

My poor hubby is having to stay up late to finish his LAST paper for the semester! Hooray for last paper, boo for staying up late! So, I just put some home made Mocha Chip Muffins in the oven, and am brewing some Dark Roast Espresso for Jarod. Thankfully, I dont work Wednesdays, so I am going to try and stay up with him as long as possible :) I just got my June Book for my club this evening, so I'm reading the opening chapter of "Cold Mountain" by Charles Frazier, on the couch beside my worker bee.

So the muffins - wow, dangerously easy!! If you're craving some mocha, coffee taste and not a lot of sweet - these are the treats for you :)

Mocha Chip Muffins

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips, and more for sprinkling on top
3 Tbsp good quality cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup strong coffee, room temperature
1/3 cup, plus 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions: Mix all dry ingredients together in medium bowl. In large measuring cup (2 cp) whisk together wet ingredients. Pour wet mix into dry ingredients bowl. Stir JUST until moistened (over stirring on quick breads makes them very tough)

Pour into greased muffin pan (6 LARGE muffin tin works very well). Fill 3/4 full. Sprinkle a few chips on top of each muffin. Bake 20 min at 400 degrees.

Go to Brownies

I'm home today.. so what does that mean?! I'm BAKING! Here is a GREAT recipe for Brownies made from scratch (super E A S Y too). This will be my GO TO brownie recipe from here on out. I just pulled mine out of the oven and they are de-lish! Yum yum :)


Brooke's Go To Brownies
1 2/3 cps granulated sugar
3/4 cp (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
2 tbs water
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cps all-purpose flour
3/4 cp cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Powdered sugar

PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

COMBINE granulated sugar, butter and water in large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir into sugar mixture. Spread into prepared baking pan.

BAKE for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into bars.