Tag Archives: Cookies

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

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“Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight”

So I’ve finally ventured into the world of online baking, albeit to a select audience- my kids school. Living in the time of Covid-19 has us all at sea, missing connections and striving for some semblance of normality and familiarity in what has become a very isolated, displaced cyber age. Exchanging hugs and handshakes has become thing of the past replaced with online reactions of ‘thumbs up’ and real-time fleeting grabs at proximity with elbow bumps.

It was this want for maintaining connectivity that led me to the small cyber-screen. My kids’ school has a pretty close-knit community of parents and an active parents council. The sundering of this by the Corona virus and the resulting division between “in life” and virtual schooling presented a challenge- how to keep “everyone in the loop”? Both parents and kids missing school-yard friendships and school-gate gossips. Nearly 9 months of following covid-responsible protocols, vastly reduced personal interactions and hyper-vigilant hygiene routines have taken it’s toll on us all – I know they have on me and my family. Now there are feelings of covid-fatigue playing tug-of-war with impending excitement for festivities, all the while trying to hold some together some semblance of normality for ourselves and our children.

Yes, all of this might seem like an overly dramatic preamble to a few festive themed recipes. However, I think it’s in times like these that maybe were forced to look at things differently. Everyday habits and tasks becoming life-buoys helping to navigate the way. We look inward and discover dormant strengths. Especially when it come to our kids. Let’s face it as much as we might complain about them sometimes (oh, I’ll openly admit I do!) there is no judge, jury or executioner that will harm a hair on their heads will we draw breathe. So if distracting them for thirty minutes with cookie making and hot chocolate gives them a well needed little spark of festive joy; a diversion so they aren’t so down about missing playdates or such- then I’m in. I also know as a parent that in times like this when the children are otherwise occupied, you can breathe. Finally exhale and exchange a look with your significant other that says “You okay?… We got this.” Thirty minutes to centre and steady yourself.

A friend of mine said of our current times, “We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm.” There is no cookie-cutter (forgive the pun) or one-size-fits-all way of dealing with this. But we’ll find ways to make it through. It’s what we do as humans and as parents. It’s what we’ll do this holiday season…look for and create some tinsel-tinged spark of festive joy to light the encompassing winter nights. If baking some cookies helps do that then you go ahead and break out those mixing bowls and fire up the oven. I know I will be.

The segment I “zoomed” (?) was just for making and decorating vanilla cookies, along with making peppermint candy cane hot chocolate. I’ve included a couple of other recipes that you can try out if you feel like it. All suitably festively themed and can be made by one or all. Whatever you make or do I hope you and your family have fun. Enjoy the time, the flavors…heck even enjoy the mess.

Wishing you all a happy, safe and healthy Christmas and holiday season. Enjoy the cookies!

“Someday soon we all will be together
If the fates allow
Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now”

Photograph: J Lee Frank

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

*Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours is required or else its too tricky and unworkable. I prefer to chill it overnight.

You can’t really go wrong with sugar cookies. Well you can actually. In my experience store bought sugar cookies err on the side of fudgy staleness enrobed in the tooth-aching sweetness of excess icing. This is definitely a case of “homemade is better”.

The only thing to bear in mind with these is the chilling time. I’ve seen various recipes suggesting 30 minutes, whilst others have up to overnight recommended. I’ve found that longer works better so I follow the overnight direction. If you find the dough becoming too soft, gummy and hard to work, wrap it back up in clingwrap and pop it back in the fridge for 30mins or so.

Makes approximately 48 cookies (this depends on your choice of cookie cutters)

Ingredients (all at room temperature)

Cookies

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Glaze/ Icing

  • 1 ½ cups icing sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp light corn syrup
  • ½ tsp almond extract
  • Food coloring (your favorite festive colors) *see note on coloring
  • Nonpareils; sprinkles; dragees (take your pick!)

Method

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with an electric mixer,  beat sugar, butter and vanilla until mixture is creamy, about 5-7 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. The mixture should become pale, fluffy and not feel grainy when you rub some between your fingers
  2. Whilst your mixture is beating, in a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine. Set aside until needed
  3. To your sugar/ butter mixture, add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, until fully incorporated. If you notice your mixture starting to split, add teaspoon of your flour mixture to bring it back together
  4. Once the eggs have been added, beat in the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, until well combined. Increase the speed until the mixture comes together in a soft dough
  5. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide in to four even balls, flatten to discs and wrap in cling wrap
  6. Chill in the refrigerator for a least 2 hrs, or overnight (I personally find overnight works better
  7. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F
  8. Remove your chilled dough from the fridge, one ball at a time, and leave to become pliable whilst your oven heats to temperature. When your oven reaches temperature, roll out the dough to 1/4″ (0.6 cm) onto a well floured surface. (Avoiding rolling the dough too thin as it may stick and tear). Flour is your friend here – make sure you amply dust everything- counter surface, rolling pin, your hands, cutter
  9. Use cookie cutters of your choice for a variety of different shapes and sizes. Using a palette knife, or spatula, place cookies on your lined cookie sheets
  10. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until the edges are just turning golden brown
  11. Remove from oven and leave to cool on their trays for 5 mins before using a spatula to transfer to cookies to racks to cool completely

Glaze

  1. Combine icing sugar with milk; corn syrup and extract to reach desired spreading consistency. It should be quite thick. If it is much too thick, add 1/2 Tablespoon more milk. If it is much too thin, add 2 more Tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar. If you drizzle a little of the icing with the whisk, the ribbon of icing will hold for a few seconds before melting back into the icing. 
  2. Stir in food coloring or leave icing white. You can pour some icing into different bowls if using multiple colors
  3. You can pipe the icing on to the cookies using a piping bag or squeezy bottle, or using a pastry brush, paint frosting over cooled cookies and decorate with your choice of sprinkles
  4. Allow to set for at least 30mins before eating (note: the icing will still be a little soft at this point. If you want the icing to be fully hard for gifting, leave the decorated cookies to air-dry on a rack overnight

*A note on adding coloring: I prefer to use coloring gels when coloring the glaze. They are a concentrate which with very little will pack a real punch of color without affecting the consistency of your glaze. If you’re using the squeezy tube color dyes be aware that because they have a more form you are adding more liquid to your icing mix.

Enjoy!

Rudolph Oreo Cookies

Now these look like SO much more work than they are. At worst they can be a little fiddly but that just means there’s more “mis-shapes” for the family to enjoy. This is a great recipe to get the little ones involved in. Once the chocolate is melted you can pretty much give them free reign! Step back and enjoy some chocolate covered chaos.

“And now,” cried Max, “let the wild rumpus start!”

Ingredients

  • 24 Double-stuffed Oreo cookies (if you can find “Mega-stuffed” even better
  • Large twist pretzels
  • 48 White chocolate chips (or candy eye decorations)
  • 24 red candy shell chocolates (M&Ms are ideal)
  • 160z chocolate (sweet or semi-sweet, to taste)

Method

  1. Line a cookie sheet with baking parchment or silicone baking matt
  2. Start by cutting up the pretzels. Use a sharp knife to cut them in half, then carefully cut away the center section where the pretzels were joined until to have a vaguely “antler” shape.  This bit can be a bit fiddly as the pretzels can break easy but do remember they don’t have to be exact – all reindeers antlers are different after all! Repeat until you have 24 sets of pretzel antlers
  3. Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl set over a pan of water OR in the microwave, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating. Once it’s melted and smooth, using two forks or a confectionary dipping scoop dip and coat an Oreo cookie until it is full coated. Remove using your chosen tools, then place the dipped cookie on the prepared baking sheet.
  4. While the chocolate is still wet, press a red candy chocolate into the center of the cookie- there’s your nose!
  5. Make your eyes using two white chocolate chips or candy eye decorations
  6. Create two pretzel antlers by pressing them between the cookies and into the space where the cream filling is. You may need to use a fork to hole the top cookie layer pressed in place while you poke the “antlers” in. Once you’ve assembled one reindeer this way, repeat until all of the cookies are dipped and decorated
  7. Lastly to give your reindeer more “eye appeal” dip a toothpick in the melted coating and give each reindeer two black dots in the center of the white chocolate chip eyes
  8. Refrigerate the tray to set the chocolate completely, for about 20 minutes. Store Oreo Reindeer Cookies carefully in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for several weeks, but for the best taste and texture, enjoy them within a week

Candy Cane Hot Chocolate

Well…we need something to wash those cookies down with don’t we? If you want to REALLY treat yourself, dip the rim of your mugs into some melted chocolate and then some crushed peppermint candy canes for a stress-free, festive finishing touch.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4oz semisweet chocolate, broken in to pieces
  • 4 peppermint candy canes, crushed

Optional decorations

  • 1 cup whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks
  • Mini marshmallows
  • Crushed peppermint candy canes
  • 4 small peppermint candy canes, to stir

Method

  1. In a saucepan, combine the milk and cream and heat over a medium heat until hot, but not boiling
  2. Whisk in the chocolate and the crushed peppermint candies until melted and smooth
  3. Pour hot chocolate into four mugs, and garnish as preferred. Serve each with a candy cane stirring stick
  4. Enjoy!

Baileys Edible Cookie Dough

Because even the grown ups need a li’l something in the festive season. This can easily be made kiddie-friendly by omitting the Baileys liqueur. Looking for that gift that’s a bit different? Then look no further! Place in mason jars, decorate and tag accordingly et viola! Cookie dough can be stored (in jars or other air-tight containers) in the refrigerator for up to a week. To enjoy at it’s best remove from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 2 Tbsp Baileys liqueur

Extra Fixings

(added to taste but I usually keep it to including 2-3)

  • Festive Candy Sprinkles
  • Dark Chocolate Chips
  • M&M’s
  • Crushed Oreos
  • Crushed Peppermint Candy Cane

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl of a stand mixer and stir to combine.
  2. Add in extras and stir until well incorporated. Enjoy! (A note here – I usually keep the extra fixings to a maximum of 3, or else your cookie dough is in danger of becoming an over-sweet mess).
  3. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Before eating, remove from refrigerator and let come to room temperature for a softer texture.

Toffee Apple Oat Cookies

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Toffee apples are a signature childhood treat. Whether they conjure memories of sparkling carnivals and fairgrounds, or bring back memories of briny seaside meanderings the gloriously sticky treat is always sure to bring a smile to faces young and old.

When I was growing up Toffee Apples were synonymous with day trips to the beach. I much preferred them to ice cream cones, which I thought were far too over rated and messy, not to mention deceivingly bland! My inclination was much more for the glossy crimson globule on a stick. I say crimson as that’s the kind I grew up with. These weren’t coated in a sweet layer of tawny caramel. The toffee apples of my childhood were instead dipped in a rouge sugar syrup at hard-crack stage which set to a glossy, glass-like layer ready to shattered under eager bites and reveal the juicy tart fruit beneath. You’ll have to forgive me for indulging verbosely here. Family jaunts to the seaside were few and far between and lingering triggers for them are particularly powerful. Needless to say it was a constant question to my younger self, ” This red stuff isn’t like any toffee I know so why are they called Toffee Apples?”. Such were the juvenile mysteries that plagued me.

Over time I learned that the red hard-crack layer was easier to make and maintain on site (and let’s face it probably cheaper too!) I learned that the gleaming red orbs of my youth were in fact correctly named, “Candy Apples” and Toffee Apples as should have a layer a sticky sweet toffee, in the more familiar shade of brown, as their dressing. But who was I to argue with a childhood full of sweet cochineal-fueled indulgence!

You can rest easy though. This recipe contains neither glassy red shards nor ruby bug extracts. You’ll of course know by now I have a weakness for oat cookies. And if they happen to be oat cookies that have been pimped up with a lil’ something then all the better. These are my homage to the classic Toffee Apple in all it’s beige, sticky goodness- albeit without the frustratingly wobbly perching on a ice-pop stick! As a combination themselves, outside of nostalgia, caramel and apple worked exceptionally well with oats, in my view. There’s something about the mellow combination of toffee and oats that instantly induces shoulder-slumping comfort & coziness. Chuck in some bites of apple and you introduce enough tart interest to compliment to earthiness of the other two. I’ll leave the beverage of choice to you – coffee, tea or dunking in to cold glass of milk. All are ideal and highly suggested.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups All Purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon fancy molasses
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups whole rolled oats
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1/2 cup toffee pieces
  • 1 cup dried apple pieces, (or dried slices chopped)

Method

  1. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, apple pie spice, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside until needed
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until blended, about 5 minute, then increase to high speed and whip for another 5-6 mins
  3. In a jug combine the eggs, molasses, maple syrup, vanilla and whisk to combine.  Add to the butter mixture and beat for 3 minutes until combined. Scrape down the sides and beat again as needed to combine
  4. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients (I usually do it in 1/4 cup increments) and mix on low until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the oats until well coating
  5. Next add in the toffee pieces and apple pieces. Mix well until fully combined. The final dough will be thick and sticky.
  6. Cover and chill the dough for at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator
  7. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
  8. Use a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoon size) to scoop the cookie dough on to the prepared baking sheets, placing 2 inches apart 9 (I usually fit 12 per sheet). Bake for 17 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. The centres will look soft.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
  10. Cookies can be kept at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 1 week

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Salted Fudge Brownie Cookies

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So waaaaaay back when- in a time when we could still hug each other; be in public without looking like random members of GI Joe or when Lysol still stocked grocery store shelves, I baked brownies. A LOT of brownies. The quantity of brownies baked in my kitchen was only just outdone by the amount of experimental cupcake flavors I would try tempt people with (Vanilla genoise w/ white truffle buttercream frosting, topped with strawberry, black pepper and a balsamic drizzle anyone?) Brownies satiated my passion for baking and my love of chocolate. In fact so much so was this the case that I ended up winning the title of Observer Food Monthly Best Reader’s Recipe 2014. The victorious recipe was my Smokin’ Pig Licker Brownies and can be found here if you interested.

Anyway I digress, as so often seems to be the case when I write these days! The current abundance of time indoors led me to wonder if this basic brownie recipe could be tweaked and applied to cookie format. And I was not to be the first. I’ll be perfectly  honest and admit I was utterly coerced by the glut of crinkle cookie images that seemed to be flooding my feed along with those of the omnipresent sourdough. The cookie recipe here follows pretty much the base template of brownies – melted choc/ butter combo; dry ingredients stash and sugar/egg volume. A dash of baking powder adds some leavening power to the cookie “dough balls” and stops them becoming a singular cookie en masse on the baking tray.

Overall I gotta admit to them being a tasty success, if thinner than I expected. I guess the word “brownies” in my head is synonymous with thick and chunky (applies to me in all walks of life!) so I was a little perturbed when these cookies baked to be a bit thinner. Nonetheless they still had the fudgy texture that I love of brownies and the crinkle topping certainly provided a certain visual ASMR.

So add these the long ever-growing list of what I should start calling “Quarantine Cookies”. Little morsels of baked goodness that have become my tasty alternative to crossing days off a calendar. The only downside being that whilst my repertoire is expanding so too, it would seem, is my waistline!

Stay safe!

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa (if you can’t get this standard cocoa is fine as long as it’s unsweetened)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 1/2 cup salted butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coffee extract
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup fine sugar
  • 2 eggs, large
  • Optional: Flaky sea salt, to finish (I use Maldon)

Method

  1. Heat oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and Kosher salt until combined.  Set aside until needed later
  3. Combine the butter and chocolate pieces in a bowl over a pan of water. Gently heat over medium-low heat until melted, stirring occasionally to combine. When fully melted remove the bowl from the hot water/ heat, add in the coffee extract and give one final stir to combine. Set aside until needed
  4. While the butter/chocolate mixture is melting, combine the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until pale and increased in volume
  5. Slow and steadily add the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and fold them together until uniform in color and it is just combined
  6. Sift in the dry mixture, again fold it in until just combined
  7. Set aside for 5 minutes and the mixture will thicken
  8. Using a large (3 tablespoon measurement) scoop drop batter balls onto your prepared baking sheet, spaced at least two inches apart.  The batter will be runny and will spread as the cookies bake.  (Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if using)
  9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are crinkled and slightly domed. Remove cookies from the oven and transfer the pan to a wire baking rack to cool. Leave the cookies to cool completely on the pan before removing. The cookies will flatten and crinkle even further as they firm up and cool down

*These cookies will keep in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months

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Chewy Maple & Bee Pollen Oat Cookies

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Not really much of a tale behind these other than I just REALLY wanted an oatmeal cookie one day. But I can be particular about my oat cookies! Not for me are the crisp, brittle types. I prefer the soft, chewy variety that meltingly give when you bite. Maple syrup ALWAYS makes things better so why not include it? To be honest it’s not too prevalent in the taste of this cookie- just enough boost the “cookie comfort factor” (I may trademark that as a baking calibration tool!) The bee pollen was a “why the heck not?” addition from a pantry rummage, albeit with added health benefits. If you don’t have any feel fee to omit. Which of course means these become “Chewy Maple Oatmeal Cookies”. One less ingredient but just as tasty.

Makes 30 apx

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups All Purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tablespoon fancy molasses

• 3 cups whole rolled oats

• 1/2 cup bee pollen

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Method

  1. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until blended, about 5 minute, then increase to high speed and whip for another 5-6mins
  3. In a jug combine the eggs, molasses, maple syrup and vanilla. Add to the butter mixture and beat for 3 minutes until combined. Scrape down the sides and beat again as needed to combine
  4. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients (I usually do it in 1/4 cup increments) and mix on low until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the oats and bee pollen. The final dough will be thick and sticky.
  5. Cover and chill the dough for at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
  7. Use a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoon size) to scoop the cookie dough on to the prepared baking sheets, placing 2 inches apart. Bake for 15minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look soft.
  8. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
  9. Cookies can be kept at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 1 week

Tahini Double Chocolate Cookies

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Makes 18-20 apx

Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick), room temperature
    • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup tahini butter, well mixed
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
    • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2oz semi-sweet chocolate
    • 2oz white chocolate

Method

    1. Chop the chocolate in chunks. You don’t want too fine a piece- irregular and varied sizes look a lot better in the finished cookie. Set aside until needed
    2. Line a cookie sheet with baking parchment and set aside until needed
    3. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until creamy (about 10 mins at medium speed)
    4. Mix in the egg, followed by the tahini butter and continue mixing until fully combined. Add in the egg and vanilla paste (or extract) and again mix to combine fully
    5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and whisk to combine.
    6. Gradually add the combined dry ingredients into the sugar/butter mixture. Mix on medium/low speed until fully incorporated
    7. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Mix until well mixed through the dough (I find here it easier to fold by hand rather than using a spatula or spoon. It just depends on what you’re more comfortable with)
    8. Cover the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate the dough for between 20- 30mins
    9. Preheat your oven to 325°F
    10. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tbspn apx) shape the dough into 1 inch balls. Place the balls of dough about 2-3 inches apart on the pre-limed cookie sheet
    11. Bake at 325°F until light brown, about 15 to 17 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on their baking sheets for 5 minutes. After that, transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely

*The baked cookies will keep for up to a week in an airtight container