Category Archives: cookie

strawberry and cream cookies

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So, clearly I’ve been on a bit of a strawberry kick lately.  I made my strawberry shortcake ice cream, this strawberry tart (recipe yet to come) for mother’s day, and these glorious things: strawberries and cream cookies.

Yes, they are as magical as they sound.

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These soft, pillowy cookies are filled with dried strawberries and white chocolate chips, these are guaranteed to please.  I’m not normally big on white chocolate, but I forgot to check for yogurt chips at the store, which would work just as well.  The white chocolate chips lend more of a “cream” flavor to these cookies though, and I promise that you won’t be disappointed.

The only thing that I regret is not putting more strawberries in, but unfortunately I lost more than anticipated in my, ahem, “quality control” phase.  I also would leave the strawberry chunks larger for the next batch.  I have rectified the issue of the missing strawberries in the recipe below, which should have enough strawberries to satisfy even the biggest of cravings.

I found my dried strawberries at Trader Joes.  You will need at least two bags, one for the cookies and one for yourself.

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Strawberry & Cream Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen small cookies

Printable Recipe

  • ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

  • ¾ cup brown sugar

  • ¼ cup sugar

  • 1 large egg, room temperature

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¾ to 1 cup dried strawberries*, chopped

  • ½ cup white chocolate or yogurt chips

Make the dough:

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.

2.  In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth.  Scrape down the bowl and add the white and brown sugars, cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.  Add the egg and vanilla to the butter and beat until combined.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue beating about one minute more.

down the sides as needed..

3.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and pulse on low just until incorporated, being careful not to overmix.  Stir in chopped strawberries* and white chocolate chips.

*You could also reserve some of the chopped strawberries to press into the cookie tops once scooped to ensure even distribution.

4. 2 options here:

- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap onto the surface of the dough, and chill for 1 – 2 hours.  Scoop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake following directions below.

- Scoop cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet that will fit into your freezer, gently flatten the tops of the cookies and cover with plastic wrap.  Freeze for 1 to 2 hours and either bake (on a new, room-temperature, parchment-lined baking sheet) according to directions below or transfer to a freezer-safe bag for longer storage.

To bake:

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.

2.  Bake chilled cookie dough 8 minutes (refrigerated) to 11 minutes (frozen), until the cookies are puffed and the edges are just golden.

3.  Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

*Baked cookies can be stored up to 10 days in an airtight container.

 

[ Cookie base recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction ]

 

momofuku confetti cookie

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Why hello there, confetti.

Remember that glorious confetti cake that I made myself for my birthday?  This, my friends, is that very same cake.

Well, in cookie form.

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They taste a lot like sugar cookies, but with confetti cake crumbs inside.  If you like sugar cookies, you will LOVE these confetti cookies.

Love.

See that soft, chewy center and all those colorful sprinkles?  How can you resist?

If you’re lucky enough to live in NYC, you can enjoy these in person at the infamous Momofuku Milk Bar.  If, like me, you are not so lucky, you will have to make them yourself.

Momofuku Confetti Cookies

Printable Recipe

For the crumb:

  • ½ cup granulated sugar

  • 1 ½ Tablespoons brown sugar, tightly packed

  • ¾ cup cake flour

  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 Tablespoons rainbow sprinkles

  • ¼ cup grapeseed oil

  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

For the cookies:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

  • 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

  • ⅔ cup powdered milk

  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt

  • ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles

  • 1 generous cup cake crumb

Make the crumb:

  1. Heat oven to 300ºF

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugars, flour, baking powder, salt,and sprinkles.  Mix on low speed until combined.  Stream in the oil and vanilla and continue mixing until well-combined.

  3. Spread crumbs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The crumbs should be slightly moist to the touch; they will dry and harden as they cool.

* Crumbs can be made up to 1 week before the cookies

Make the Cookies

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft.  Add the sugars and corn syrup and cream on medium-high for 2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the eggs ,one at a time, beating for a few seconds after each to combine.  Scrape down the bowl again and add the vanilla, beat again on medium-high speed for 7 minutes.  The mixture will be amazingly fluffy.

  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, milk powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and rainbow sprinkles.  Once your butter and sugars are completely creamed, add the flour mixture in two additions and mix on low speed for 1 minute, just to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.  Add the cooled cake crumb and mix on low for about 30 seconds, just to combine.

  3. Portion out the dough into desired scoops onto a parchment-lined sheet pan.  A small cookie scoop will yield a 3-inch cookie, a ¼ cup portion will yield a giant cookie (see the cornflake cookies for more description).  Press the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer to chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 month.  Once frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe plastic bag for storage.

  4. When ready to bake, heat oven to 375ºF

  5. Arrange the chilled dough on parchment-lined pan, leaving room for cookie spread.  If using ¼ cup scoops, no more than 4 cookies per sheet, up to 8 if using the small-sized cookie scoop.

  6. Bake cookies for 10 minutes (small scoop) to 15  minutes (large scoop).  They should be lightly browned around the edges.  I left mine slightly underbaked so they were softer and more cake-like (since this is a “confetti cake” cookie)

  7. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.


[ Adapted from the Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook ]

 

soft and chewy candy-filled cookies

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It’s the last weekend of 2012, and I apparently fell off the face of the earth for the week of Christmas.

Oops.

But these were able to bring me back.

Lucky for you, because now I’m able to share these delightful goodies with you, for our last installment of COOKIE MADNESS.

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I’m sure you thought cookie madness ended with Christmas.  Don’t worry, I did too.

But then, well, like I said… these happened.

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Giant, soft, chewy, candy-filled cookies.  Oh, and you don’t need to wait for butter to soften, because it’s melted.  Oh, and you don’t need to use a mixer, just a sturdy whisk and your arm. Although, if you’ve been slacking off at the gym (like some of us lately), you may want to pull out your hand mixer.  It’s easier to lift than the Kitchen Aid anyway.

Oh, and they’re completely delicious.  Did I mention that?

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Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies 

[ Printable Recipe ]

  • 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt (scant)
  • 1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups mix-ins (chocolate chips, m&ms, even dried fruit if that’s the way you roll)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the flour, scant ½ teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the butter and sugars until they are thoroughly blended.  Add the egg, extra yolk, and vanilla.  Continue stirring until mixed.

Add flour mixture and continue mixing just until dough forms.  Once ingredients are incorporated, gently fold in your mix-ins.

Scoop into dough balls (1/4 cup portions for 18 large cookies or 2 tablespoon portions for 36 smaller cookies).

Roll each ball in your hands, and then gently pull the ball apart at the center, creating two equal-sized half-balls.  Press both halves back together with the jagged edges (what used to be the center of the ball) facing up. Try not to feel too ridiculous while doing this.  Clearly it’s totally normal, right?

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Place the new mutant dough-“balls” on your baking sheet. If you’re doing large cookies, I’d leave at least 2 inches in between each.  Large cookies will probably be about 4 inches in diameter, “smaller” cookies will be more… regular-sized.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden and just set.  Cool the cookies on their baking sheet at least ten minutes to finish setting.  Move to cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Makes about 16 large or 36 small cookies

[ Adapted from Cook's Illustrated: The New Best Recipe ]

graham crackers

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I know they’re not technically “cookies”, but I don’t think you can really call them “crackers” either.  Either way, I’ve been following smitten kitchen for years now, and finally got around to making her home-made grahams.  I intended to use these to make s’mores, but none of them survived.  Funny, because I don’t remember putting crack in them…

These are magical, with a nice crunch and an added depth of flavor from the dark brown sugar.  Probably too crisp for s’mores, unfortunately.  I am pretty sure you would make a huge mess and squish marshmallow everywhere before you made it through the graham.  Crunchy.  Very, very crunchy.

But I loved these anyway, and couldn’t stop eating them.  They are a far cry from your grocery stores graham crackers, so I think I will need to try a few more recipes before I find one that is s’more appropriate.

Ha, “s’more appropriate,” I didn’t even do that on purpose! :)

Graham Crackers -Makes 10 4 x 4.5-inch graham crackers or 48 2-inch squares

[ Printable Recipe ]

  • 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (375 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (176 grams) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 teaspoon (6 grams) baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt (4 grams)
  • 7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
  • 1/3 cup (114 grams) mild-flavored honey, such as clover
  • 5 tablespoons (77 grams) milk, full-fat is best
  • 2 tablespoons (27 grams) pure vanilla extract

Topping (optional)

  • 3 tablespoons (43 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (5 grams) ground cinnamon

Make the dough:

Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping, if using (I didn’t), by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and setting aside.

Roll out the crackers:

Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary.

Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers. You can make them smaller if you like.

Place the crackers on parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Finally, gather any scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Decorate the crackers:

Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough and using a toothpick or skewer, prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.

*If you don’t have a food processor or electric mixer, you can cut the ingredients together with a pastry blender. Just make sure they’re very well incorporated.

*You can make these ahead of time, cut and freeze in layers of parchment for up to 2 months

 

[ adapted from smitten kitchen who adapted it from 101 Cookbooks ]