Caramel, Coconut, & Sea Salt Oatmeal Cookies

 

The idea for these cookies came from summer desperation and a means to help keep my kid busy in the kitchen.  However, I was literally almost out of flour (why I used oats) and had EXACTLY 3/4 of a cup of butter left.  No chocolate chips neitha.  All I had was half a bag of caramels and some coconut.  These truly were everything-but-the-kitchen-sink cookies.  But damn after we tasted them it was as if this recipe was conceived by the heavenly cookie Gods to be a legend.  Yes, a legend people.  I always know I've got something good when my husband says 'this would sell.'  So if you've got a bake sale coming up, these pups are your go-to money maker. 



Caramel, Coconut, & Sea Salt Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (and slightly cooled)
2 eggs, room temperature*
1 egg yolk, room temperature*
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup Kraft Caramel Bits
sea salt

*I never-ever remember to leave my eggs out when a recipe calls for room temp. eggs.  Don't worry it's an easy fix.  Put eggs in a large bowl and place in the sink.  Fill bowl with warmish (but not hot) water and let the eggs sit for a few minutes until they warm up.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cookie sheet with slip mat or baking paper.  Sift the flour into a large bowl.  Add the oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Using a wooden spoon, stir well to combine.

 

Combine the two whole eggs and one egg yolk in a small bowl and slightly whisk to combine.  In a medium sized bowl, combine the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.  Stir to combine.

 

Pour wet mixture over the dry and mix to combine.

 

Add the coconut and caramel bits and mix well to combine.

 

 

Roll dough into balls and slightly flatted with your finger tips.  You can use the back of a fork to make a criss-cross pattern if you wish.  I did this but it wasn't very prominent after they baked.  Sprinkle each cookie with sea salt.

 

 

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly golden.  Some of the caramel may ooze out the side like this one.  Its easy to break off once they're cool (and super yum too).

 

Let cookies cool on pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an air-tight container for up to a week.

 

 



Birthday Cake & White Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies

I decided I better jump on the sprinkle-mobbed-birthday-cake bandwagon before it leaves town and a new trend creeps up on our thighs.  Anyway, I would hardly hope that sprinkles are a mere trend.  Any treat with sprinkles screams par-tay.  I bet I could shake some rainbow sprinkles on canned sardines and my kid would eat them.  They just make everything happy.  And along with sprinkles, what is this new found obsession with birthday cake flavor?  It's great, don't get me wrong (I just had a birthday cake blizzard from DQ, hello where have you been all my life) but hasn't this has been around for ages?!

As a kid, nothing made me happier in school than when someones mom made funfetti cupcakes for their birthday.  Forget the cake, all that mattered was the canned frosting with rainbow sprinkles mixed in.  Diabetic bliss that stuff is.

One piece of advice when it comes to baking and sprinkles: less is NEVER more.  Eva.  That's not my gluttonous side speaking either.  With these cookies I used 3/4 of a cup of sprinkles, and they could have easily handled 1 cup total.  There is nothing worse that a sparse-sprinkle-cookie.  I mean they are pretty affordable to begin with. So go big and heavy handed. 

Lastly, if you are looking for the ultimate uber sprinkle punch, I'd say roll these cookies in sprinkles (additional) before baking.  I wish I would have done that to give these a bit more sparkle.  It's like going to all the trouble to apply your makeup and then not wearing lipstick.    These were so close to perfection but I think an additional douse of rainbow would have given them one last pow of wow.

Birthday Cake & White Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies
makes about 5 dozen
printable version

Ingredients:

1 (15.25 ounce) box White Cake mix

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

zest of one lemon

1 cup rainbow sprinkles

1 cup white chocolate chips

additional rainbow sprinkles to roll cookies in (optional)

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

In a large bowl add the cake mix, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.

 

In a medium sized bowl combine the eggs, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix well.

 

Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine. The batter will seem difficult to combine but keep mixing using a rubber spatula and it will get there. It will feel rather glutenous.

 

Mix in the white chocolate chips and sprinkles.

 

Roll into 1.5 inch balls. If desired, roll balls in additional rainbow sprinkles, coating evenly. Place balls on an ungreased cookies sheet two inches apart and bake for 10 minutes.

 

Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Using a spatula, remove cookies from pan and allow to finish cooling on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

 

Enjoy!

Cakey Snickerdoodles

 

For all the baking I've done over the years this is the first time I've made Snickerdoodles.   I think the whole sugar-cinnamon combo threw me off initially.  I mean, it's so...vanilla (my way of describing something somewhat dull in the flavor department, lackluster, blah, been there, done that).  In a world of salted caramel, espresso buttercream, trifles-galore, why spend your energy on baking something who's main ingredients are cinnamon and sugar.  Snore City....at least this is what I thought before.  And now, I'm a born-again sugar/cinna snob. These are spectacular.  I simply cannot say that word without thinking of this scene from Seinfeld, am I right?

I'm usually not a simplicity-is-key kind of girl when it comes to my desserts, but this one really takes the cake.  Or, the cookie for that matter.  Typically Snickerdoodles are slightly dense and chewy, but this version is soft and pillowy.  They've got a cake-like texture inside and a sugary-crisp outside, truly a winner all around.  And how easy are they?  Oh let me tell ya you can throw these together in a snap.  I had them prepared AND baked in just over an hour. 

Cakey Snickerdoodles
makes about 6 dozen
printable version

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter-flavored Crisco

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons colored sugar (can be divided equally if you want two different colors)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine1 1⁄2 cups sugar, Crisco, eggs, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended.

Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Add gradually to shortening mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

Combine the 3 tablespoons granulated sugar with the 3 tablespoons colored sugar and mix until well combined (I used two colors and simply halved the quantities). Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 7 to 8 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets. Place on cooling racks to cool completely.

 

Recipe courtesy of Crisco

Belgian White Chocolate Spread Cookies with Kinder Chocolate Maxi Pieces

 

Don’t you just hate being left of out the loop on things?!  Especially when it’s something you are truly interested in…say, office gossip for example.  Or THE new fad diet everyone is dropping pounds on (at least momentarily anyway)…or in my case…FOOD.  Or more specifically the sweet, creamy, make-your-teeth-itch-from-the-sugar-overload Blondie Belgian White Chocolate Spread from Le Pain Quotidien.  This stuff is selling OUT in Dubai like there is no tomorrow.  I had never even heard about it till I was catching up on my weekly peruse on Expat Woman (a local website designed for expat families to share all sorts of useful info about our city) and all the ladies were like ‘I got the last jar!’ or ‘I bought 4!’ or my favorite ‘for those who want to buy, email me…’  

I had to know what the madness was all about.  Something selling this hot has to be good.  Especially at 45dhs a jar…that’s about $12.00. 

Mostly they were referring to the Speculoos flavor, which I think you can compare to Biscoff spread.  However at Le Pain Quotidien, they have several varieties including chocolate hazelnut (similar to Nutella), and the Blondie white chocolate I used for these cookies.   

 

 

Oh trust me it’s good enough to spread on toast or my personal favorite, eat straight from the jar, but since I’m all about experimentation, I thought it needed to be incorporated into my next recipe asap…or at least before I finished off the jar ‘testing’ it. 

I would think any of the flavors could be substituted for peanut butter or Nutella in your favorite recipes as it has the same over-all consistency and fat content.  Also, I added chopped Kinder Chocolate Maxi’s  to these cookies but you can most definitely swap it out for chocolate chips, m&m’s, or what I originally wanted but couldn’t find, White Chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. 

Word to the wise; buy two jars.  One to bake with and one to eat…on your own...specifically when no one else is home and won't complain about your ‘double-dipping’ 

Finally, my husband said I should name them Crackies…you know because they are THAT addictive. 

Belgian White Chocolate Spread Cookies with Kinder Milk Chocolate Maxi Pieces

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Printable version  

Ingredients:

½ cup brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup Blondie Belgian White Chocolate Spread from Le Pain Quotidien (or Biscoff Spread)

½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces at room temperature

1 large egg (*the eggs sold in the UAE are much smaller than what we have in the US so I used two medium-sized eggs)

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

10 Kinder Chocolate Maxi’s, roughly chopped (about 1 ¼ cups)**

½ cup milk chocolate chips**

**you can use any type of candy/chocolate chips you have on hand for this recipe.  If using only chocolate chips, I would suggest using 2 cups

Directions 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Combine sugars, butter, white chocolate spread, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand-up mixer (or hand mixer).  Beat until thoroughly combined, about 2-3 minutes.

 

Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Mix to combine but do not over-mix. 

 

Add chopped candy and/or chocolate chips. Mix in by hand until combined.

 

 

Cover bowl and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Shape dough into balls (about 1 ¼ inch) and place on cookie sheet and place in freezer for about 15 minutes.  Remove from freezer and place cookies about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper (I used a non-stick baking mat).

 

Bake for about 10-12 minutes until lightly golden brown around the edges.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the pan.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Enjoy!

 

recipe adapted from Betty Crocker

Malted Mocha Cowboy Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeeeee-haw y’all it’s Cowboy Cookie Time.  This was actually the first time I ever made Cowboy Cookies or even tasted them for that matter.  I did a bit of research on the origin of the cookie, because let’s face it, the name doesn’t give too much away.  I kept bumping into dead-ends…seems all other bloggers, cook book authors, and even my holy-grail Martha Stewart couldn’t give a straight forward explanation on the name of these chewy lil’ cowboys.  Some say the name was derived simply from the fact that these cookies are super hearty, enough to keep a cowboy’s tummy satisfied over a long haul.  Gotta keep that giddy-up a going.

But what is really important here to understand is that these cookies offer a multitude of textures and flavors.  Every bite will keep you guessing.  Seriously my husband went through one cookie with about 5 different mmm’s and followed up with what was in that bite, it’s soooo good and wow it’s soooo chewy.  You know you’re onto something when your husband gives at least one comment other than, yes they are good, quit asking me.

I decided to add chocolate malted milk powder to these cookies because I feel it’s one of those ingredients that you can never quite put your finger on, but you know something interesting is going on.  It’s like adding salt to baked goods.  It’s a flavor that’s pretty much undetectable but just makes everything better.

Typically these cookies call for chocolate chips but I have a plethora of chocolate candies in the house that had to be used up, otherwise they’d go down the hatch (aka eaten during endless re-runs of American Pickers).  I used a combo of Whoopers and Galaxy Minstrels (a big chocolate button, similar to an m&m, but doubled in size).

Lastly, to wrap things up I’m really sorry I have to share this.  I’m from Vegas and this was always my favorite hillbilly bumper sticker around town. 

 

Giddy up and enjoy!  The  cookies I mean…not a cowboy.  Well, whatever you’re into…enjoy. 

Malted Mocha Cowboy Cookies

Makes about 36 cookies

Printable version 

Ingredients:
 

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cornstarch

½ cup chocolate malted milk powder (plain is also fine) *I used Horlicks brand

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1 ½ cup rolled oats

7 ounces (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, cool but not cold, cut into small cubes

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips (or try m&m’s, Whoopers, Galaxy Minstrels, or try a combination of them all.  *If you end up using the Whoppers and Minstrels as I did, be sure to chop them in half first)

¾ cup thin salty pretzels (about 1.5 ounces) broken into tiny pieces, but not crushed into dust)

Directions

In a medium sized bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cornstarch, malted milk powder, and instant espresso.  
 

 Add the oats and whisk to combine.

 

In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, beat the butter and sugars until smooth and creamy.

 

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until mixture is light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about 10 seconds. 

 

Add half of the dry ingredients and mix for about 15 seconds. 

 

 

Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.  Do not over-mix.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the chocolate chips and ½ cup of the pretzel pieces.

 

 

 

 

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop out dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls.  Place balls on prepared sheets, about one inch apart.  Sprinkle remaining pretzels over the dough balls and gently press the pieces into the dough. 

 

*I added some additional chopped candy into the tops of the cookies as I noticed when the cookies baked, the chocolate settled into the cookie and went missing.  If you want the tops of your cookies to have nice chunks of chocolate popping out you may want to do the same, even if you're using chocolate chips.

 

 

Bake 11-13 minutes or until edges look firm (center will looks slightly chewy, this is okay).  Place pan on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes; use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.  Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.  

 

 

Recipe adapted from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito