These are prepared on the Rice Krispies Treats model with cocoa-flavored cereal, for Trunk or Treat parties. Ugly -- gummy worm emerging from each mound of dirt optional.
Regular Batch
Spray a very large bowl and a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper if you intent to make shaped mounds rather than rectangles. If desired, crush chocolate cookie wafers to decorate the finished treats (I took some Oreos apart and used the halves with no filling to crush, putting the remaining halves together for "double stuff" Oreos). Reserve crushed cookies in a bowl.
Measure about 8 1/2 cups Cocoa Pebbles or Cocoa Dyno-Bites (13 oz. box) into the very large bowl you have sprayed with non-stick spray. Have a sturdy spatula or large spoon ready for stirring.
Melt 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) in a microwave, in a large microwave-proof bowl. Pour in a 10 oz. bag of marshmallows and stir to coat marshmallows with butter. Melt marshmallows completely in the microwave on high power for about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring once at 45 seconds. Pour and scrape melted marshmallow mixture into cereal and quickly stir to coat the cereal. Scrape into the prepared 9 x 13 inch pan and press evenly into the pan with buttered hands (or spray hands with non-stick cooking spray). If you intend to serve as bars, sprinkle some cookie crumbs over the cereal mixture and press into the top if desired, to make the top look "dirty". Also makes the bars less sticky (you could also coat the bottom of the pan with cookie crumbs before adding cereal if desired). Cut when cooled. Cover tightly to store.
If you want to make "moldy mounds of dirt", score the warm cereal mixture quickly into serving-sized pieces. With buttered hands, shape each piece into a flat-bottomed mound, shaping it around half of a gummy worm if desired, so that the other half of the worm emerges from the "mound of dirt". Firm cereal mixture around the worm. Roll the mound in crushed cookies to give the appearance of an uneven, dirty surface. Press cookie crumbs into cereal mixture and set on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet to cool.
Big Batch
Prepare as above, using a 16 oz. bag of marshmallows, 13 cups of cereal and 6 Tablespoons of butter. Marshmallows will take a little longer to melt and you will need BIG bowls both for the microwave and the cereal. I put the mixture in a 10 x 15 inch baking dish(sprayed with non-stick cooking spray as above) to score it into serving sections, then quickly shaped the pieces around gummy worms and coated with cookie crumbs. I set the mounds on a 1/2 hotel sheet lined with waxed paper, but you could use 2 smaller cookie sheets. I got 31 mounds of dirt, most of them quite large for a kid (slightly smaller than a cupcake).
NOTE: If you get a 42 oz. bag of Cocoa Dyno-Bites cereal, you can make 2 big batches if you substitute a cup or two of another ingredient for cereal in each batch -- nuts, coconut, another kind of cereal, etc. I would not try to make a double batch at one time - just too big. Separate batches are much more feasible.
Showing posts with label Desserts - Cookies and Bars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desserts - Cookies and Bars. Show all posts
Friday, October 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Thumbprint Cookies
These are rich butter cookies, resembling shortbread. They contain no eggs or leavening, so if you want kids to have the experience of eating cookie dough, this is a good recipe to use.
Little Cooking Lessons
Creaming butter and sugar: Some classic baking recipes (such as butter cakes and some cookies -- like this recipe, which contains no leavening and very little liquid) depend on creaming butter and sugar to add lightness and proper texture to the finished product. The temperature of the ingredients, especially the butter, is important. Butter and sugar will cream to a "light and fluffy" consistency when at 65 to 67 degrees. Start creaming the butter first, then add the sugar,as described at the link. Beating creates some heat, so you may need to put your bowl in a shallow container of cool water to keep the butter from melting, especially if the room temperature is above 67 degrees F.
Sifting Flour: Some precise baking recipes still call for sifted flour, which gives a more reproducible measurement than newer methods. When I was little, Mom, who hates to measure, had a flour sifter in the flour canister. My high school cooking teacher, Miss Hauser, had us sift flour onto a sheet of waxed paper with a relatively fine-meshed strainer, spoon the flour into a measureing cup and level with a knife without shaking or tapping. She also had us sift the measured flour together with the salt and/or leavening in a recipe two or three times for the highest-quality results. This recipe calls for sifted flour.
Some popular recipe books simplified the method for measuring flour by calling for stirring the flour in the canister then spooning the flour into a cup without shaking or tapping, then leveling. Then came the "stir, dip and level" method. It is good to be familiar with the method recommended by your favorite recipe books (accurate measurements matter more for some recipes than others). Heritage recipes were often developed with sifted flour. People who compete in baking at state fairs, etc. usually use recipes which call for sifted flour.
Ingredients
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but not mushy
1/2 cup superfine sugar (baker's sugar)
2 teaspoons vanilla or a combination of flavors*
Directions
Mix measured, sifted flour with salt, sift together and set aside. Cream butter, then cream with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in flavoring. Gently fold in flour about 1/2 cup at a time. Do not over-mix. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours (you can also divide into 2 or 3 portions to use on different days. Avoid over-handling. Keep sealed and refrigerated).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll cold dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets (I line a cookie sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil) if making a single sheet of cookies). Make a deep indentation in the top of each cookie with your thumb. Avoid handling dough too much. Cookies don't have to be perfect, especially if kids help. Fill with jelly or preserves (or fill after baking with chocolate or preserves). Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Makes about 48 cookies.
I don't fill the cookies before baking. Instead, for a chocolate version, I slide the foil off the baking sheet onto a cool surface or a wire rack, immediately place 3 big Guittard milk chocolate chips in the indentation of each cookie and press the chips together slightly when they have partially melted. For a more traditional thumbprint cookie, I put a little dab of boysenberry preserves in some of the cooled cookies. Someday, I may try a baked filling with brown sugar and coconut, almonds or pecans.
Allergy information: This recipe contains no baking powder and so is free from corn products (unless toppings contain them - watch for corn in jams and jellies). It is one of a limited number of cookie recipes that don't include eggs.
* You can also use a combination of flavorings to make exactly 2 teaspoons: 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla with 1/2 tsp. almond or lemon extract or 1 3/4 tsp. vanilla with 1/4 tsp. almond or other extract. I think that 3 parts vanilla to 1 part almond is sometimes called "Viennese vanilla".
Little Cooking Lessons
Creaming butter and sugar: Some classic baking recipes (such as butter cakes and some cookies -- like this recipe, which contains no leavening and very little liquid) depend on creaming butter and sugar to add lightness and proper texture to the finished product. The temperature of the ingredients, especially the butter, is important. Butter and sugar will cream to a "light and fluffy" consistency when at 65 to 67 degrees. Start creaming the butter first, then add the sugar,as described at the link. Beating creates some heat, so you may need to put your bowl in a shallow container of cool water to keep the butter from melting, especially if the room temperature is above 67 degrees F.
Sifting Flour: Some precise baking recipes still call for sifted flour, which gives a more reproducible measurement than newer methods. When I was little, Mom, who hates to measure, had a flour sifter in the flour canister. My high school cooking teacher, Miss Hauser, had us sift flour onto a sheet of waxed paper with a relatively fine-meshed strainer, spoon the flour into a measureing cup and level with a knife without shaking or tapping. She also had us sift the measured flour together with the salt and/or leavening in a recipe two or three times for the highest-quality results. This recipe calls for sifted flour.
Some popular recipe books simplified the method for measuring flour by calling for stirring the flour in the canister then spooning the flour into a cup without shaking or tapping, then leveling. Then came the "stir, dip and level" method. It is good to be familiar with the method recommended by your favorite recipe books (accurate measurements matter more for some recipes than others). Heritage recipes were often developed with sifted flour. People who compete in baking at state fairs, etc. usually use recipes which call for sifted flour.
Ingredients
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but not mushy
1/2 cup superfine sugar (baker's sugar)
2 teaspoons vanilla or a combination of flavors*
Directions
Mix measured, sifted flour with salt, sift together and set aside. Cream butter, then cream with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in flavoring. Gently fold in flour about 1/2 cup at a time. Do not over-mix. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours (you can also divide into 2 or 3 portions to use on different days. Avoid over-handling. Keep sealed and refrigerated).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll cold dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets (I line a cookie sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil) if making a single sheet of cookies). Make a deep indentation in the top of each cookie with your thumb. Avoid handling dough too much. Cookies don't have to be perfect, especially if kids help. Fill with jelly or preserves (or fill after baking with chocolate or preserves). Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Makes about 48 cookies.
I don't fill the cookies before baking. Instead, for a chocolate version, I slide the foil off the baking sheet onto a cool surface or a wire rack, immediately place 3 big Guittard milk chocolate chips in the indentation of each cookie and press the chips together slightly when they have partially melted. For a more traditional thumbprint cookie, I put a little dab of boysenberry preserves in some of the cooled cookies. Someday, I may try a baked filling with brown sugar and coconut, almonds or pecans.
Allergy information: This recipe contains no baking powder and so is free from corn products (unless toppings contain them - watch for corn in jams and jellies). It is one of a limited number of cookie recipes that don't include eggs.
* You can also use a combination of flavorings to make exactly 2 teaspoons: 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla with 1/2 tsp. almond or lemon extract or 1 3/4 tsp. vanilla with 1/4 tsp. almond or other extract. I think that 3 parts vanilla to 1 part almond is sometimes called "Viennese vanilla".
Monday, November 16, 2009
Tiny Batch Applesauce-Raisin Cookies (vegan)
The weather is getting colder, and baking something in our small oven heats up the house just the right amount in the morning. You can make these cookies quickly once the raisins are plumped and cooled, while preparing other foods to bake.
This is a cake-like cookie. I hate the taste of burnt raisins in cookies, so I plump the raisins before adding them (using the leftover liquid in the dough). This recipe contains no animal products (unless you make the variation with an egg yolk). It is low in fat for a cookie.
This recipe makes just enough for some little treats. Use a different recipe if baking for a crowd. It uses some small measurements. You can measure 1/8 teaspoon by leveling a 1/4 teaspoon measure and removing half of your ingredient. But you might want to buy a set of measuring spoons with a 1/8 teaspoon measure. Or a set of spice spoons with small measurements.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup raisins, packed
2 Tablespoons water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg or freshly crushed cardamom
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (stir flour, spoon into measuring cup and level)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup cold applesauce
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions:
About 15 minutes in advance, plump the raisins by mixing with water in a small bowl and heating on high in a microwave oven just until water boils. Stir, cover with a plate to allow raisins to plump for about 5 minutes. Stir and microwave again until raisins start to steam, maybe 20 seconds. Stir and cover for 5 minutes. If raisins were very dry to begin with, repeat one more time. Remove cover, stir and set aside to cool.
Position an oven rack in the top part of the oven. Preheat oven to 350º. Cover the baking surface of a light-colored baking sheet (shiny metal is best) with aluminum foil and grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray (or grease the baking surface of the sheet itself).
Combine all dry ingredients except flour in a small mixing bowl and stir until there are no lumps of soda and all ingredients are well-blended. Add flour and blend well.
Drain raisins and measure liquid. Add a scant Tablespoon of the cooled liquid to the dry ingredients - less if you want cookies which are more rounded. Add water to make a scant Tablespoon if necessary. Before stirring, add oil, vanilla and applesauce. Then stir just until blended. Stir in raisins (and nuts if used). Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet, spacing evenly. Makes about 9 large or 12 smaller cookies.
Bake for about 12 minutes, or until medium brown. Do not under-bake or cookies will be gummy. If baked until darker brown, the cookies may be a little tough. I use the small oven at the top of a Gemini dual-oven stove, and switch to the top heating element (broil) for the last half of baking. But in some ovens, you may not be able to set the top element to a temperature lower than "broil". If using a large oven, positioning the rack near the top of the oven should help cook the tops and bottoms of the cookies more evenly.
Cool for about a minute before removing cookies from the sheet to a wire cooling rack. After cooling completely, store tightly covered, with layers of waxed paper, foil or plastic wrap between layers. Texture may improve after the cookies have mellowed tightly covered for a few hours, especially if you have over-baked them a little. They are nice the next day.
Variations
Spicy cookies - Increase the amount of cinnamon to 1/2 tsp. and add 1/4 tsp. allspice, 1/2 tsp. ginger or 1/8 tsp. cloves in place of nutmeg. Or use your favorite spice combination.
You may substitute brown sugar for granulated sugar by sifting dry ingredients with flour instead of mixing with sugar. Omit cream of tartar. Mix the brown sugar with wet ingredients before adding dry ingredients, crushing any lumps of brown sugar. You may wish to omit vanilla.
No Raisins - Substitute a scant Tablespoon of apple or pineapple juice, or water, for raisin liquid. Or leave out liquid for more rounded cookies.
With Egg - Add an egg yolk in place of raising liquid. This will change (and probably improve) the texture of the cookies.
Allergy Information: Contains no corn products, eggs or dairy. Unless you use the egg yolk variation.
This is a cake-like cookie. I hate the taste of burnt raisins in cookies, so I plump the raisins before adding them (using the leftover liquid in the dough). This recipe contains no animal products (unless you make the variation with an egg yolk). It is low in fat for a cookie.
This recipe makes just enough for some little treats. Use a different recipe if baking for a crowd. It uses some small measurements. You can measure 1/8 teaspoon by leveling a 1/4 teaspoon measure and removing half of your ingredient. But you might want to buy a set of measuring spoons with a 1/8 teaspoon measure. Or a set of spice spoons with small measurements.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup raisins, packed
2 Tablespoons water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg or freshly crushed cardamom
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (stir flour, spoon into measuring cup and level)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup cold applesauce
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions:
About 15 minutes in advance, plump the raisins by mixing with water in a small bowl and heating on high in a microwave oven just until water boils. Stir, cover with a plate to allow raisins to plump for about 5 minutes. Stir and microwave again until raisins start to steam, maybe 20 seconds. Stir and cover for 5 minutes. If raisins were very dry to begin with, repeat one more time. Remove cover, stir and set aside to cool.
Position an oven rack in the top part of the oven. Preheat oven to 350º. Cover the baking surface of a light-colored baking sheet (shiny metal is best) with aluminum foil and grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray (or grease the baking surface of the sheet itself).
Combine all dry ingredients except flour in a small mixing bowl and stir until there are no lumps of soda and all ingredients are well-blended. Add flour and blend well.
Drain raisins and measure liquid. Add a scant Tablespoon of the cooled liquid to the dry ingredients - less if you want cookies which are more rounded. Add water to make a scant Tablespoon if necessary. Before stirring, add oil, vanilla and applesauce. Then stir just until blended. Stir in raisins (and nuts if used). Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet, spacing evenly. Makes about 9 large or 12 smaller cookies.
Bake for about 12 minutes, or until medium brown. Do not under-bake or cookies will be gummy. If baked until darker brown, the cookies may be a little tough. I use the small oven at the top of a Gemini dual-oven stove, and switch to the top heating element (broil) for the last half of baking. But in some ovens, you may not be able to set the top element to a temperature lower than "broil". If using a large oven, positioning the rack near the top of the oven should help cook the tops and bottoms of the cookies more evenly.
Cool for about a minute before removing cookies from the sheet to a wire cooling rack. After cooling completely, store tightly covered, with layers of waxed paper, foil or plastic wrap between layers. Texture may improve after the cookies have mellowed tightly covered for a few hours, especially if you have over-baked them a little. They are nice the next day.
Variations
Spicy cookies - Increase the amount of cinnamon to 1/2 tsp. and add 1/4 tsp. allspice, 1/2 tsp. ginger or 1/8 tsp. cloves in place of nutmeg. Or use your favorite spice combination.
You may substitute brown sugar for granulated sugar by sifting dry ingredients with flour instead of mixing with sugar. Omit cream of tartar. Mix the brown sugar with wet ingredients before adding dry ingredients, crushing any lumps of brown sugar. You may wish to omit vanilla.
No Raisins - Substitute a scant Tablespoon of apple or pineapple juice, or water, for raisin liquid. Or leave out liquid for more rounded cookies.
With Egg - Add an egg yolk in place of raising liquid. This will change (and probably improve) the texture of the cookies.
Allergy Information: Contains no corn products, eggs or dairy. Unless you use the egg yolk variation.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Coconut/Oatmeal cookies
David loves these. The recipe is from blogger Jane Galt (nom de blog) who writes,
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups oatmeal (old fashioned; not quick or instant)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Cream the butter and sugars together. Beat in egg. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda, and add to mixture. Stir in nuts and coconut. Stir in oats. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.
Allergy information: Most sweetened, flaked coconut products contain corn derivatives and also a sulfiting agent to preserve whiteness. Sulfites can cause anaphylaxis in sensitive people.
These are the rare cookies that improve with age; they just get crispier and more delicious every day. Hope y'all enjoy.1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups oatmeal (old fashioned; not quick or instant)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Cream the butter and sugars together. Beat in egg. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda, and add to mixture. Stir in nuts and coconut. Stir in oats. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.
Allergy information: Most sweetened, flaked coconut products contain corn derivatives and also a sulfiting agent to preserve whiteness. Sulfites can cause anaphylaxis in sensitive people.
Chewy Chocolate Chip or Coconut Cookies or Bars
The Best Recipe includes recipes for both traditional chocolate chip cookies and big, chewy cookies like the ones you get at cookie stores. And they tell you how they came to the ideal recipes. The latter recipe uses melted butter. Following are tweaks and variations on that recipe. The bars are seriously chewy.
You can divide the dough to make more than one kind at the same time. You might want to prepare some cookies to eat while warm and bars to cool for later. Or make part nut or coconut and part chocolate-only cookies. If preparing part of the batch with nuts, prepare them after the no-nut cookies to prevent problems for anyone allergic to nuts.
If you don't have two big cookie sheets (around 11 x 17 inches) or if you want to make smaller cookies, you may not be able to get all the cookies in the oven at the same time. But you could make one sheet of cookies and one pan of bars at the same time - say a 9 x 13 inch pan of coconut bars and 6 chocolate chip cookies (slightly smaller than in the directions) to eat while warm. They would fit on a smaller cookie sheet. Or make a big sheet of big cookies and a 9 x 9 inch pan of bars. I would put the sheet of cookies on the top oven rack if I chose this option. Cookies will be done before the bars. You could move the bars to the top rack when you take the cookies out if you like.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled to warm. (1 1/2 sticks, 12 Tablespoons)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons flour (stir, spoon into cup, level without shaking)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
I prefer not to use the full amount of chocolate chips in most chocolate chip cookie recipes. Half a cup for the entire recipe below is fine for me. Choose your personal chocolate level.
Directions
Set oven racks at medium-high and medium-low levels. Set oven temperature to 325 degrees. This is a lower temperature than most cookie recipes. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and the sugars well. Beat in the egg and egg yolk, then the vanilla until well-combined.
Sift baking soda into some of the flour, whisk together with the rest of the flour and the salt. Beat flour mixture into butter/sugar mixture just until combined. Do not over-mix. Stir chocolate pieces or other additions (below) into dough.
Big Cookies
If dough seems too soft to handle, refrigerate for a few minutes while preparing cookie sheets. Line 2 large cookie sheets with baking parchment. Roll scant 1/4 cup portions of dough into balls. For a "bumpy" look, pull apart and jam together again with jagged sides facing up. Space on cookie sheets. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, reversing sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking. For smaller cookies, reduce baking time. When cookies are golden brown and have started to harden at the edges but are still soft and puffy in the center, remove from oven. Cool on cookie sheets on rack. Serve warm (not hot) or allow to cool completely then peel from parchment. Makes about 18 big cookies.
Bar Cookies
If you are worried about the bars sticking to the pan, oil the pan or spray with non-stick spray and line the bottom and two sides (leave enough at the two sides for "handles" to remove cooled cookies for cutting) with parchment or waxed paper, folded under to fit the bottom flat, while missing the corners. Oil waxed paper again to plaster it flat to the pan. This is a good idea if you are baking the bars in a metal pan which you could mar while cutting the bars.
Press dough in a 10 x 15 x 1 (at least) inch baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 23 minutes or more, until golden and starting to harden at the edges but still soft and puffy in the center. You may also bake half the dough (with chips, etc.) in a 9 x 9 inch pan or 3/4 of the dough in a 9 x 13 inch pan for 20 minutes or more. Prepare the remaining dough as cookies. See above.
Cool bars in pan on a wire rack. If you lined the pan with waxed paper or parchment, loosen the sides of the cooled "cookie" and lift out of the pan with the paper "handles" to a cutting board. Peel paper off the bottom, place right-side up and cut into bars with a serrated knife. Cover when fully cooled. You may put cut bars back in the baking pan if you don't want to dirty more dishes.
Chocolate Chip/Nut Cookies or bars
Add 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans with chocolate chips. You may substitute white baking chips for half the chocolate chips. Save a few nuts to garnish the top if making bars.
Coconut/Nut Cookies or Bars
Toast 1 cup sliced almonds or whole almonds or pecans and cool, or use raw almonds or pecans. Chop nuts if not using sliced almonds.
Lightly mix nuts and 1 1/2 cups sweetened dried coconut into the prepared dough. You may also add chocolate chips as above. You may reserve up to half the nuts to garnish the top if making bar cookies (try to pick the large pieces if using chopped nuts). Press into the dough lightly before baking.
Bake as for chocolate chip cookies or bars (see above).
Milk Chocolate-topped Coconut/Nut bars
Omit chocolate chips. Press dough containing coconut and half or more of the nuts (in the variation above) into baking pan. See directions under "bar cookies" above. Sprinkle remaining nuts over the dough and press into dough lightly. Bake as for bars above. Remove from oven and cool for three minutes in the pan, or until center feels "set". Sprinkle with Guittard Milk Chocolate baking chips (or other favorite chocolate). Leave some of the bars "bare" if you like. Allow chocolate to melt and swirl over the top of the bars. Chocolate may not harden for several hours after cookies are cooled. You may wish to refrigerate cooled cookies for a while if you want the chocolate hardened sooner.
To cover about half of a 9-inch square pan use 1/2 cup chocolate chips. For the entire pan, use 1 cup.
For a 9 x 13 inch pan use 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Use 3/4 cup to cover half the pan. If you cover half the bars lengthwise with chocolate, you can make 5 rows of bars (the long way) with the middle row half plain and half chocolate.
For a 10 x 15 inch pan use 2 cups milk chocolate chips (1 package) for the entire pan of bars, 1 cup to cover half the pan.
You can divide the dough to make more than one kind at the same time. You might want to prepare some cookies to eat while warm and bars to cool for later. Or make part nut or coconut and part chocolate-only cookies. If preparing part of the batch with nuts, prepare them after the no-nut cookies to prevent problems for anyone allergic to nuts.
If you don't have two big cookie sheets (around 11 x 17 inches) or if you want to make smaller cookies, you may not be able to get all the cookies in the oven at the same time. But you could make one sheet of cookies and one pan of bars at the same time - say a 9 x 13 inch pan of coconut bars and 6 chocolate chip cookies (slightly smaller than in the directions) to eat while warm. They would fit on a smaller cookie sheet. Or make a big sheet of big cookies and a 9 x 9 inch pan of bars. I would put the sheet of cookies on the top oven rack if I chose this option. Cookies will be done before the bars. You could move the bars to the top rack when you take the cookies out if you like.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled to warm. (1 1/2 sticks, 12 Tablespoons)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons flour (stir, spoon into cup, level without shaking)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
I prefer not to use the full amount of chocolate chips in most chocolate chip cookie recipes. Half a cup for the entire recipe below is fine for me. Choose your personal chocolate level.
Directions
Set oven racks at medium-high and medium-low levels. Set oven temperature to 325 degrees. This is a lower temperature than most cookie recipes. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and the sugars well. Beat in the egg and egg yolk, then the vanilla until well-combined.
Sift baking soda into some of the flour, whisk together with the rest of the flour and the salt. Beat flour mixture into butter/sugar mixture just until combined. Do not over-mix. Stir chocolate pieces or other additions (below) into dough.
Big Cookies
If dough seems too soft to handle, refrigerate for a few minutes while preparing cookie sheets. Line 2 large cookie sheets with baking parchment. Roll scant 1/4 cup portions of dough into balls. For a "bumpy" look, pull apart and jam together again with jagged sides facing up. Space on cookie sheets. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, reversing sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking. For smaller cookies, reduce baking time. When cookies are golden brown and have started to harden at the edges but are still soft and puffy in the center, remove from oven. Cool on cookie sheets on rack. Serve warm (not hot) or allow to cool completely then peel from parchment. Makes about 18 big cookies.
Bar Cookies
If you are worried about the bars sticking to the pan, oil the pan or spray with non-stick spray and line the bottom and two sides (leave enough at the two sides for "handles" to remove cooled cookies for cutting) with parchment or waxed paper, folded under to fit the bottom flat, while missing the corners. Oil waxed paper again to plaster it flat to the pan. This is a good idea if you are baking the bars in a metal pan which you could mar while cutting the bars.
Press dough in a 10 x 15 x 1 (at least) inch baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 23 minutes or more, until golden and starting to harden at the edges but still soft and puffy in the center. You may also bake half the dough (with chips, etc.) in a 9 x 9 inch pan or 3/4 of the dough in a 9 x 13 inch pan for 20 minutes or more. Prepare the remaining dough as cookies. See above.
Cool bars in pan on a wire rack. If you lined the pan with waxed paper or parchment, loosen the sides of the cooled "cookie" and lift out of the pan with the paper "handles" to a cutting board. Peel paper off the bottom, place right-side up and cut into bars with a serrated knife. Cover when fully cooled. You may put cut bars back in the baking pan if you don't want to dirty more dishes.
Chocolate Chip/Nut Cookies or bars
Add 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans with chocolate chips. You may substitute white baking chips for half the chocolate chips. Save a few nuts to garnish the top if making bars.
Coconut/Nut Cookies or Bars
Toast 1 cup sliced almonds or whole almonds or pecans and cool, or use raw almonds or pecans. Chop nuts if not using sliced almonds.
Lightly mix nuts and 1 1/2 cups sweetened dried coconut into the prepared dough. You may also add chocolate chips as above. You may reserve up to half the nuts to garnish the top if making bar cookies (try to pick the large pieces if using chopped nuts). Press into the dough lightly before baking.
Bake as for chocolate chip cookies or bars (see above).
Milk Chocolate-topped Coconut/Nut bars
Omit chocolate chips. Press dough containing coconut and half or more of the nuts (in the variation above) into baking pan. See directions under "bar cookies" above. Sprinkle remaining nuts over the dough and press into dough lightly. Bake as for bars above. Remove from oven and cool for three minutes in the pan, or until center feels "set". Sprinkle with Guittard Milk Chocolate baking chips (or other favorite chocolate). Leave some of the bars "bare" if you like. Allow chocolate to melt and swirl over the top of the bars. Chocolate may not harden for several hours after cookies are cooled. You may wish to refrigerate cooled cookies for a while if you want the chocolate hardened sooner.
To cover about half of a 9-inch square pan use 1/2 cup chocolate chips. For the entire pan, use 1 cup.
For a 9 x 13 inch pan use 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Use 3/4 cup to cover half the pan. If you cover half the bars lengthwise with chocolate, you can make 5 rows of bars (the long way) with the middle row half plain and half chocolate.
For a 10 x 15 inch pan use 2 cups milk chocolate chips (1 package) for the entire pan of bars, 1 cup to cover half the pan.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Traditional Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies (Like David's Mom's)
David's Mom makes great Chocolate Chip Cookie bars. She uses the recipe from the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag, substituting shortening for half the butter. This improves the texture when making chocolate chip cookies as bars. She mixes her dough with a heavy-duty mixer. If you don't like the flavor of shortening in cookies but still want improved texture for bar cookies, try using 1/4 cup shortening or high-quality lard and 3/4 cup butter.
This recipe is very similar to the Nestle recipe, but uses more brown sugar and less granulated sugar, 1/4 cup more flour, less salt and less soda. See notes at bottom of the recipe.
The recipe below may be conveniently halved. If baking as bars, bake a half-recipe in a 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Or a 9 x 13 inch pan for thinner bars.
To use this recipe to make all-butter drop cookies, reduce the flour to 2 1/4 cups and add 1/2 teaspoon water with the vanilla. (Per The Best Recipe, the original Toll House Cookie recipe contained a little water). Unsalted butter may produce better results than salted butter. Substitute an extra stick (1/2 cup) of butter for the shortening in the recipe below.
I prefer not to use the full amount of chocolate chips in most chocolate chip cookie recipes from chocolate chip packages. I think they want to sell more chocolate chips. Less than a cup of chocolate chips or chunks is fine with me. Easier to taste the non-chocolate part of the cookie. I do like nuts in these cookies.
Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening (room temperature)
1/2 cup butter, (softened but not squishy)
1/2 cup granulated sugar or superfine sugar*
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt **
1/2 cup to 2 cups (12 ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
Up to 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and butter on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugars. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla until combined.
Sift baking soda into some of the flour, combine with the rest of the flour and the salt. Beat in as much of the flour as you can into the creamed ingredients with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir chocolate pieces and nuts, if desired, into dough.
Bar Cookies
Press dough in a 10 x 15 x 1 (at least) inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack and cut into bars. Makes about 48 bars. For thinner bars, use a 10 x 17 inch jelly roll pan, a 11 x 17 inch half sheet cake pan or half hotel sheet and bake a few minutes less.
Drop Cookies
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 1 or 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack with a metal spatula. Makes about 60 cookies.
Cookie Pizza
Prepare dough as above, but do not add chocolate chips. Press dough into two ungreased 12-inch pizza pans. Sprinkle half of chocolate chips and nuts on dough in each pan. Press in lightly. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, until golden. Meanwhile, melt about 4 ounces white chocolate baking pieces or cut-up white baking bar. Drizzle over baked cookie pizzas. Cut each into 8 wedges, then cut a middle circle. Makes 32 pieces.
* Most traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes use 3/4 cup each brown and white sugar. Granulated and superfine white sugars may be measured the same. Superfine sugar produces a finer texture, which may or may not be an advantage in this recipe.
** Many similar recipes include an entire teaspoon of salt plus an entire teaspoon of soda, even though there is not sufficient acid (mainly from brown sugar) in the recipe to react with an entire teaspoon of soda. Some people may prefer the saltier flavor from a full teaspoon of salt and soda. The Better Homes and Gardens recipe upon which the recipe above is based contains no salt, but I think a little makes the cookies taste better. You may wish to increase salt to 1/2 teaspoon if using unsalted butter. An alternate recipe substitutes chopped, salted peanuts for chocolate chips, which would negate the need for extra salt.
This recipe is very similar to the Nestle recipe, but uses more brown sugar and less granulated sugar, 1/4 cup more flour, less salt and less soda. See notes at bottom of the recipe.
The recipe below may be conveniently halved. If baking as bars, bake a half-recipe in a 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Or a 9 x 13 inch pan for thinner bars.
To use this recipe to make all-butter drop cookies, reduce the flour to 2 1/4 cups and add 1/2 teaspoon water with the vanilla. (Per The Best Recipe, the original Toll House Cookie recipe contained a little water). Unsalted butter may produce better results than salted butter. Substitute an extra stick (1/2 cup) of butter for the shortening in the recipe below.
I prefer not to use the full amount of chocolate chips in most chocolate chip cookie recipes from chocolate chip packages. I think they want to sell more chocolate chips. Less than a cup of chocolate chips or chunks is fine with me. Easier to taste the non-chocolate part of the cookie. I do like nuts in these cookies.
Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening (room temperature)
1/2 cup butter, (softened but not squishy)
1/2 cup granulated sugar or superfine sugar*
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt **
1/2 cup to 2 cups (12 ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
Up to 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and butter on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugars. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla until combined.
Sift baking soda into some of the flour, combine with the rest of the flour and the salt. Beat in as much of the flour as you can into the creamed ingredients with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir chocolate pieces and nuts, if desired, into dough.
Bar Cookies
Press dough in a 10 x 15 x 1 (at least) inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack and cut into bars. Makes about 48 bars. For thinner bars, use a 10 x 17 inch jelly roll pan, a 11 x 17 inch half sheet cake pan or half hotel sheet and bake a few minutes less.
Drop Cookies
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 1 or 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack with a metal spatula. Makes about 60 cookies.
Cookie Pizza
Prepare dough as above, but do not add chocolate chips. Press dough into two ungreased 12-inch pizza pans. Sprinkle half of chocolate chips and nuts on dough in each pan. Press in lightly. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, until golden. Meanwhile, melt about 4 ounces white chocolate baking pieces or cut-up white baking bar. Drizzle over baked cookie pizzas. Cut each into 8 wedges, then cut a middle circle. Makes 32 pieces.
* Most traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes use 3/4 cup each brown and white sugar. Granulated and superfine white sugars may be measured the same. Superfine sugar produces a finer texture, which may or may not be an advantage in this recipe.
** Many similar recipes include an entire teaspoon of salt plus an entire teaspoon of soda, even though there is not sufficient acid (mainly from brown sugar) in the recipe to react with an entire teaspoon of soda. Some people may prefer the saltier flavor from a full teaspoon of salt and soda. The Better Homes and Gardens recipe upon which the recipe above is based contains no salt, but I think a little makes the cookies taste better. You may wish to increase salt to 1/2 teaspoon if using unsalted butter. An alternate recipe substitutes chopped, salted peanuts for chocolate chips, which would negate the need for extra salt.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Lemon Bars
I can't eat these because of the cornstarch in the powdered sugar. But people still expect me to make them for parties and big gatherings. This is due to the cooking reputations of David's mother and his sister.
Cookie Layer:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Filling:
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice plus a little finely grated lemon zest if desired
(lemon zent not included in original recipe)
Powdered sugar for dusting
Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and preheat oven to 350º. Spray the inside of a light-colored, shiny metal or glass 9 x 13 inch baking pan (not a flat cookie sheet) with non-stick cooking spray and spread to a thin layer (including where bars meet the sides of the pan).
For the cookie layer, beat together powdered sugar and butter. Stir and knead in flour, avoid overmixing. Pat evenly into the 9 x 13 inch pan. Form a slightly higher rim of dough, about 3/8 inch, around the edge. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Meanwhile, prepare filling. Lightly beat eggs, mix flour into some of the sugar, then add sugar and flour to eggs along with the lemon juice. Beat until frothy.
After cookie layer has baked for up to 20 minutes, remove from oven. Quickly pour filling over hot cookie layer and return to oven. Bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack, then dust with powdered sugar, using a fine sieve or sifter. Cut carefully with a sharp knife and remove from pan with a flat spatula. Makes 2 or 3 dozen small bars.
Big Batch:
Double all ingredients. Bake in a 1/2 hotel sheet pan or 1/2 size sheet cake pan, about 12 x 17 inches. Bars will be slightly thicker than those made with the single recipe, and may need to be baked a minute or two longer at each step. Note: Smart & Final or other restaurant suppliers sell 1/2 hotel sheet pans and foil sheet cake pans, which have higher sides. The 1/2 size sheet cake pan will fit inside the hotel sheet pan, which will give it added stability while cooking and removing from the oven, if you wish to bake the bars in a disposable pan. Be sure to grease the pan well to prevent an interaction between the filling and the aluminum pan. You may also slide the foil pan onto a cool, flat cookie sheet as you remove it from the oven to transfer it to a wire rack or racks.
Cookie Layer:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Filling:
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice plus a little finely grated lemon zest if desired
(lemon zent not included in original recipe)
Powdered sugar for dusting
Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and preheat oven to 350º. Spray the inside of a light-colored, shiny metal or glass 9 x 13 inch baking pan (not a flat cookie sheet) with non-stick cooking spray and spread to a thin layer (including where bars meet the sides of the pan).
For the cookie layer, beat together powdered sugar and butter. Stir and knead in flour, avoid overmixing. Pat evenly into the 9 x 13 inch pan. Form a slightly higher rim of dough, about 3/8 inch, around the edge. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Meanwhile, prepare filling. Lightly beat eggs, mix flour into some of the sugar, then add sugar and flour to eggs along with the lemon juice. Beat until frothy.
After cookie layer has baked for up to 20 minutes, remove from oven. Quickly pour filling over hot cookie layer and return to oven. Bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack, then dust with powdered sugar, using a fine sieve or sifter. Cut carefully with a sharp knife and remove from pan with a flat spatula. Makes 2 or 3 dozen small bars.
Big Batch:
Double all ingredients. Bake in a 1/2 hotel sheet pan or 1/2 size sheet cake pan, about 12 x 17 inches. Bars will be slightly thicker than those made with the single recipe, and may need to be baked a minute or two longer at each step. Note: Smart & Final or other restaurant suppliers sell 1/2 hotel sheet pans and foil sheet cake pans, which have higher sides. The 1/2 size sheet cake pan will fit inside the hotel sheet pan, which will give it added stability while cooking and removing from the oven, if you wish to bake the bars in a disposable pan. Be sure to grease the pan well to prevent an interaction between the filling and the aluminum pan. You may also slide the foil pan onto a cool, flat cookie sheet as you remove it from the oven to transfer it to a wire rack or racks.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Cream Cheese Marble Brownies
I often make a 10 x 15 inch pan of these brownies, using a brownie mix for a 9 x 13 inch pan, plus the cream cheese filling.
A double recipe (two brownie mixes) in a 1/2 sheet cake pan is shown in the photo below. It was baked in a shallow, 1-rack oven, so it shows a little more browning than brownies baked in a big oven. This pan of brownies was made with two Pillsbury mixes and baked for about 34 minutes at 350 degrees. The cream cheese filling was made with 3 packages of cream cheese (see directions).
9 x 13 inch Pan or 10 x 15 inch pan of Brownies: Try these with either "Pillsbury Brownie Classics - Traditional Fudge" or "Duncan Hines Family-Style Brownies". Both these mixes make a 9 x 13 inch pan of brownies. Directions call for the addition of 2 eggs, oil and water. Once I accidentally left one egg out of the brownie batter and the brownies were very dense and gooey. People loved them.
Two 8 oz. package cream cheese, low fat or Neufchatel cheese, softened (room temperature - microwave at low power if you are in a hurry.)
½ cup sugar (scant)
¾ to 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 egg or two egg yolks
One fudge brownie mix (9 x 13 inch pan) plus eggs, water and oil per package directions
Prepare filling by beating softened cream cheese and sugar together until smooth - no lumps of cream cheese. Do not add egg until sugar and cream cheese are thoroughly mixed. Beat in vanilla and egg. Cover and chill filling until ready to finish brownies.
Preheat oven and prepare pan per directions on brownie mix. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and spread in pan. Spoon filling onto brownie mix in 3 or 4 longitudinal stripes. Using a circular motion with a fork, fold some of brownie batter over the filling, working along each stripe. Then lightly move the fork across the stripes crosswise, back and forth in a large wave pattern, to create swirls. Don't overdo it. Bake according to package directions for a 9 x 13 inch pan of plain brownies if you are using a 10 x 15 inch pan. Thicker brownies in a 9 x 13 inch pan may take two to four minutes longer.
Pale filling will be very slightly browned at the edges when brownies are done if baked in the middle of a big oven and may show no browning if baked on a rack under a second batch of brownies.
Notes: Feel free to experiment with 1 package of fat-free cream cheese and 1 package of low fat.
You may also use only 1 package of cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla and one egg yolk for the filling. One package of cream cheese for the filling is also suitable for a smaller (8x8 or 9x9 inch pan) brownie mix like the Betty Crocker mix that comes in a bag instead of a box.
Photos below show cream cheese "stripes" on a double recipe, folded stripes (my fork fell in the batter) and swirled stripes. The finished product is at the top of this post.
DOUBLE RECIPE: You can prepare a double recipe in a 1/2 size sheet cake pan (about 12 x 17 inches). Make sure the pan fits in your oven with a little room to spare first. I like to use a foil ½ sheet cake pan on a sturdy ½ size hotel sheet (from Smart & Final or another restaurant supply). Allow a few minutes extra baking time for the larger recipe.
For the double recipe, use 3 packages cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar (scant), 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla and one egg OR 4 packages cream cheese, 1 cup sugar (scant), 1 ½ to 2 tsp. vanilla and two eggs. If you like, you can add a little almond, coconut or orange flavoring with the vanilla (to taste -- before adding egg).
For a BIG crowd, two kinds of brownies at once: If you need to bake a lot of brownies in a hurry for a party or buffet, you can bake nut brownies or plain brownies on the upper shelf of the oven and the marble brownies on the lower shelf. Press a few pieces of nuts into the top of nut brownies so people can tell they contain nuts. The marble brownies take a little longer to bake. With two ½ sheet cake pans, you can make a very large number of brownies at one time. Frost plain brownies if you like.
Allergy information: Brownie mixes generally contain corn products and may contain traces of nuts. Check ingredients. There are now a few gluten-free brownie mixes out.
A double recipe (two brownie mixes) in a 1/2 sheet cake pan is shown in the photo below. It was baked in a shallow, 1-rack oven, so it shows a little more browning than brownies baked in a big oven. This pan of brownies was made with two Pillsbury mixes and baked for about 34 minutes at 350 degrees. The cream cheese filling was made with 3 packages of cream cheese (see directions).
9 x 13 inch Pan or 10 x 15 inch pan of Brownies: Try these with either "Pillsbury Brownie Classics - Traditional Fudge" or "Duncan Hines Family-Style Brownies". Both these mixes make a 9 x 13 inch pan of brownies. Directions call for the addition of 2 eggs, oil and water. Once I accidentally left one egg out of the brownie batter and the brownies were very dense and gooey. People loved them.
Two 8 oz. package cream cheese, low fat or Neufchatel cheese, softened (room temperature - microwave at low power if you are in a hurry.)
½ cup sugar (scant)
¾ to 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 egg or two egg yolks
One fudge brownie mix (9 x 13 inch pan) plus eggs, water and oil per package directions
Prepare filling by beating softened cream cheese and sugar together until smooth - no lumps of cream cheese. Do not add egg until sugar and cream cheese are thoroughly mixed. Beat in vanilla and egg. Cover and chill filling until ready to finish brownies.
Preheat oven and prepare pan per directions on brownie mix. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and spread in pan. Spoon filling onto brownie mix in 3 or 4 longitudinal stripes. Using a circular motion with a fork, fold some of brownie batter over the filling, working along each stripe. Then lightly move the fork across the stripes crosswise, back and forth in a large wave pattern, to create swirls. Don't overdo it. Bake according to package directions for a 9 x 13 inch pan of plain brownies if you are using a 10 x 15 inch pan. Thicker brownies in a 9 x 13 inch pan may take two to four minutes longer.
Pale filling will be very slightly browned at the edges when brownies are done if baked in the middle of a big oven and may show no browning if baked on a rack under a second batch of brownies.
Notes: Feel free to experiment with 1 package of fat-free cream cheese and 1 package of low fat.
You may also use only 1 package of cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla and one egg yolk for the filling. One package of cream cheese for the filling is also suitable for a smaller (8x8 or 9x9 inch pan) brownie mix like the Betty Crocker mix that comes in a bag instead of a box.
Photos below show cream cheese "stripes" on a double recipe, folded stripes (my fork fell in the batter) and swirled stripes. The finished product is at the top of this post.
DOUBLE RECIPE: You can prepare a double recipe in a 1/2 size sheet cake pan (about 12 x 17 inches). Make sure the pan fits in your oven with a little room to spare first. I like to use a foil ½ sheet cake pan on a sturdy ½ size hotel sheet (from Smart & Final or another restaurant supply). Allow a few minutes extra baking time for the larger recipe.
For the double recipe, use 3 packages cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar (scant), 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla and one egg OR 4 packages cream cheese, 1 cup sugar (scant), 1 ½ to 2 tsp. vanilla and two eggs. If you like, you can add a little almond, coconut or orange flavoring with the vanilla (to taste -- before adding egg).
For a BIG crowd, two kinds of brownies at once: If you need to bake a lot of brownies in a hurry for a party or buffet, you can bake nut brownies or plain brownies on the upper shelf of the oven and the marble brownies on the lower shelf. Press a few pieces of nuts into the top of nut brownies so people can tell they contain nuts. The marble brownies take a little longer to bake. With two ½ sheet cake pans, you can make a very large number of brownies at one time. Frost plain brownies if you like.
Allergy information: Brownie mixes generally contain corn products and may contain traces of nuts. Check ingredients. There are now a few gluten-free brownie mixes out.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Quick Lemon Cookies
These cookies are made from cake mix, so I can't eat them. They contain corn products. But you can make them start to finish in under half an hour - less if you have two cookie sheets and room in the oven for both.
They went over well at a little party I went to. Nice to have a box of cake mix around to make an emergency dessert from time to time. The recipe is pretty much the one on the cake mix box. They're supposed to be "crisps", but mine were kind of chewy with crispy edges. In summer, you can bake them early in the morning for an event later in the day. But I think one reason people liked the ones I made is that they were made the same day. Fresh counts for a lot sometimes.
Cookies
1 box Pillsbury Moist Supreme lemon cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
Sugar for dipping
Heat oven to 375º. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs. Stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Place sugar in a shallow bowl. Lightly oil the bottom of a flat-bottomed glass and dip into the sugar. Flatten the first ball to about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with other balls of dough. No need to re-coat with oil. Bake cookies for 5 to 7 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool one minute, remove from cookie sheet to a rack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Big Cookies: I made the balls of dough about 1 1/2 inches and baked for more than 9 minutes. Made 24 big cookies. I thought the smaller cookies might be nice as sandwich cookies. Mark said he would eat the big ones as sandwich cookies, too. Maybe with lemon curd, lemon curd and whipped cream cheese, quick butter/lemon frosting or cream cheese frosting. Someone suggested ice cream. That would take some work. I think I would prefer any of these as a filling or topping (added just before serving) to the icing recipe on the cake mix box (but I just don't like hard icing glazes). Since I can't eat them anyway, choose the one you like, or leave them "bare" like I did.
Half-recipe You can make half a batch of the big cookies on one cookie sheet. If you cover it with foil (shiny side up), mess will be minimal. Use half a box of cake mix, 1 egg and 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons oil. Don't go over level when measuring the oil.
To divide a cake mix in half, open the top of the inner bag and alternately measure 1/4 cup at a time into two bowls. Pack and level the mix into your 1/4 cup measure against your flat fingers (outside the bag). Switch to measuring spoons to evenly divide mix when you have less than 1/2 cup left. Return second half of mix to inner bag, roll up top and fasten with a clothes pin. Return to box for later. Probably best to use the second half of the mix within a few weeks.
Icing
This is the icing from the recipe on the box. I didn't ice mine. But the icing would add a little fresh lemon zing.
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 to 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle with yellow-colored decorative sugar before the icing sets.
They went over well at a little party I went to. Nice to have a box of cake mix around to make an emergency dessert from time to time. The recipe is pretty much the one on the cake mix box. They're supposed to be "crisps", but mine were kind of chewy with crispy edges. In summer, you can bake them early in the morning for an event later in the day. But I think one reason people liked the ones I made is that they were made the same day. Fresh counts for a lot sometimes.
Cookies
1 box Pillsbury Moist Supreme lemon cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
Sugar for dipping
Heat oven to 375º. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs. Stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Place sugar in a shallow bowl. Lightly oil the bottom of a flat-bottomed glass and dip into the sugar. Flatten the first ball to about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with other balls of dough. No need to re-coat with oil. Bake cookies for 5 to 7 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool one minute, remove from cookie sheet to a rack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Big Cookies: I made the balls of dough about 1 1/2 inches and baked for more than 9 minutes. Made 24 big cookies. I thought the smaller cookies might be nice as sandwich cookies. Mark said he would eat the big ones as sandwich cookies, too. Maybe with lemon curd, lemon curd and whipped cream cheese, quick butter/lemon frosting or cream cheese frosting. Someone suggested ice cream. That would take some work. I think I would prefer any of these as a filling or topping (added just before serving) to the icing recipe on the cake mix box (but I just don't like hard icing glazes). Since I can't eat them anyway, choose the one you like, or leave them "bare" like I did.
Half-recipe You can make half a batch of the big cookies on one cookie sheet. If you cover it with foil (shiny side up), mess will be minimal. Use half a box of cake mix, 1 egg and 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons oil. Don't go over level when measuring the oil.
To divide a cake mix in half, open the top of the inner bag and alternately measure 1/4 cup at a time into two bowls. Pack and level the mix into your 1/4 cup measure against your flat fingers (outside the bag). Switch to measuring spoons to evenly divide mix when you have less than 1/2 cup left. Return second half of mix to inner bag, roll up top and fasten with a clothes pin. Return to box for later. Probably best to use the second half of the mix within a few weeks.
Icing
This is the icing from the recipe on the box. I didn't ice mine. But the icing would add a little fresh lemon zing.
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 to 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle with yellow-colored decorative sugar before the icing sets.
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