Chocolate Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

These cookies are so chewy and delicious! Amazing flavor. I also used high quality cocoa powder, and that took this cookies up a notch!

 

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (for less sweetness use less white chocolate and more semi-sweet chocolate)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts nuts



Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop level tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven until puffed and set, about 10 minutes. I use a mini icecream scoop, to scoop out the cookie dough. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Makes about 30 cookies.

Breakfast Cookies

I got this recipe from the Martha Stewart Living Magazine. She has some really good recipes, which have always turned out to be a success! I modified this recipe quite a bit to make it completely healthy and delicious and crunchy. The modified version is as below. Also, I used only half the recipe, and inspite of that I made atleast about 2 dozen cookies!

They are delicious and go really well with tea or coffee! A must try!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups packed dark-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup raisins or currants
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dried mango
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dried strawberries
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried banana chips

 

Method:

1. Preheat a convection oven to 325 degrees or a conventional oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add brown sugar and mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix just to combine.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture and mix until well combined.
5. In a separate bowl, add oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, raisins, mango, and strawberries and chocolate chips; mix to combine.
6. Add this mixture to the cookie mixture and combine gently.
7. I used an icecream scoop to make the perfect cookies.  Place them on the prepared baking sheets. Top evenly with banana chips. Transfer to oven and bake until golden and firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets.

Almond and Dark Chocolate Biscotti

YUMMM! These biscottis are the best that I have ever had. I got the recipe from Gourmet Mag, and I modified it to add more vanilla extract, and coated it with a luscious layer of dark chocolate to make it more decadent. Dip it in tea or coffee, and it is mind blowingly delicious!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons brandy

2 teaspoons pure almond extract

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole almonds with skin, lightly toasted , cooled, and coarsely chopped

3 large eggs

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

 1 cup chocolate chips(ghiradelli 60% bittersweet)

Method:

Stir together sugar, butter, brandy, and extracts in a large bowl, then stir in almonds and eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.

Chill dough, covered, 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Using moistened hands, halve dough and form 2 (16-by 2-inch) loaves on an ungreased large baking sheet.

Bake until pale golden, about 30 minutes. Carefully transfer loaves to a rack and cool 15 minutes.

Cut loaves into 3/4-inch slices with a serrated knife.

Arrange biscotti, with a cut side down, on a clean baking sheet and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

Melt chocolate chips in a double broiler, and when warm and completely melted, in about 10 minutes, dip the straight end of the biscotti, straight into the bowl of melted chocolate and let it rest on a cookie sheet, covered with parchment paper.  It takes a few hours to set. Once set, and hardened, you can store it in an air tight container!

Coconut Thumbprint Cookies with Fleur De Sel Caramel

I love thumbprint cookies! They are bite size, and so cute to look at ! I have made chocolate thumbprint cookies, which were a hit the last time I made them. This time I made coconut thumbprint cookies with fleur de sel caramel(since I had the fresh caramel candies made already!). Nothing like homemade caramel, to make the cookies taste divine!

Ingredients:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg lightly beaten
8 ounces flaky sweetened coconut(grind it to form a powder)
About 30 fleur de sel caramel candy
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fleur de sel to sprinkle over the cookie


Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees C. Beat together the butter and sugar in a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and beat it. With mixer on low, gradually mix in the flour and salt to form a dough. Press dough together in plastic wrap and combine to form a big ball. Now make 1 1/4 inch balls. Dip each ball into the beaten egg, and then roll it into coconut. Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, and press an indentation into each cookie with your thumb. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove sheets from oven and re-press the indentation. Bake cookies, until golden brown in color for 10 minutes. Let cool on wire racks. Repeat until dough is over.

Place the caramels, and cream in a saucepan and on medium low heat, whisk until well blended for 5 minutes. Spoon caramel into the indentations, and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Le it set for the caramel to harden slightly. Store in airtight container for 2 days.

Ginger cookies

We had gone to Napa over the Xmas break with the baby, and there was a bakery near our hotel, that had the most delicious ginger cookies! I love the soft chewy texture of these ginger cookies, and I had been looking for a recipe ever since.

Finally found Ina Garten's Ginger cookie recipe, and they turned out deliciouso!!! I did not put the crystallized ginger, and rolled the cookie in demerara sugar, coz the sugar gives a nice crunch to it as opposed to granulated sugar. Below is the modified recipe.


Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
Demerara sugar, for rolling the cookies


Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in demerara sugar and place them on the sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Florentine cookies

I made florentine cookies last night on Xmas eve, for Xmas. These cookies are basically nuts in caramel! I covered half of it with Ghirardelli melted bitter sweet chocolate chips, and they look beautiful and taste delicious!

My hubby was really sweet to take care of the baby, while I baked these cookies! Its been great to be back to cooking/baking!!:)

Ingredients:

6 oz. sliced blanched almonds
4 oz. pistachios(shelled and peeled)
4 oz. hazelnuts
1 stick of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey
2/3 cup granulated sugar
125ml/4 fl oz. heavy cream

2 cups good quality bittersweet chocolate chips


Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread the nuts evenly on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 10-15 minutes until the nuts are golden brown, turning them occasionally to ensure even browning process.

In a medium saucepan, on low heat, put the butter, sugar, cream, honey and let the butter melt. Now turn up the heat to medium and let the mixture boil without stirring until it starts bubbling and reaches a temperature of 245 degrees on the thermometer. Turn off the heat and add the roasted nuts into this mixture. Mix well and combine all the ingredients.

Now,I used 2 baking methods as seen in the picture. 1) I spread the mixture on a baking sheet with the silpat mat, and used a teaspoon(very little) to put the mixture keeping a good distance apart since the mixture spreads. It forms a brittle shape. 2) I put them in muffin moulds, after spraying with pam spray and a very thin layer, no thicker than the nuts themselves.

Next, bake it in the oven for 15-18 minutes near the top of the oven, until the mixture begins to bubble and boil and turns golden brown. Let this cool completely, and remove from moulds and the silpat mat.

Now, melt the chocolate chips in a medium bowl in the microwave, for 30 seconds each time and stirring it each time, for about a minute and a half, until the chocolate chips have melted completely. While this is still hot, dip half of each cookie in the mixture to coat it beautifully with the chocolate.

Now, place them on the parchment paper on the baking sheet and put it in the freezer for a couple minutes, until the chocolate sets. They are ready to eat!!! :)

Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies

This was another cookie recipe I tried during Xmas, and I loved them! The combination of Pistachios and Cranberries go so well with the xmas theme! I would love to try making biscotti with these ingredients. Put this in my list for the following xmas??? :)

These cookies are so glittery looking with the red and green specks, and it just makes it look so festive!! I got this recipe from Gourmet Magazine, where they did an article on the featured cookies every year in the month of December, right from 1941!!! Impressive isnt it!!? I was so blown away with the entire cookie collection!! I hope to try each and every one of them some day !! :))

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
1/2 cup shelled pistachios (2 1/4 oz; not dyed red)
1/3 cup dried cranberries (1 1/4 oz)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup decorative sugar (preferably coarse)


Method:

Make dough:

Stir together flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until dough just comes together in clumps, then mix in pistachios and cranberries. Gather and press dough together, then divide into 2 equal pieces. Using a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper as an aid, form each piece of dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Square off long sides of each log to form a bar, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until very firm, at least 2 hours.


Slice and bake cookies:

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Brush egg over all 4 long sides of bars (but not ends). Sprinkle decorative sugar on a separate sheet of parchment or wax paper and press bars into sugar, coating well.
Cut each bar crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rotating bar after cutting each slice to help keep square shape. (If dough gets too soft to slice, freeze bars briefly until firm.) Arrange cookies about 1/2 inch apart on lined baking sheets.
Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are pale golden, 15 to 18 minutes total. Transfer cookies from parchment to racks using a slotted spatula and cool completely.


Cooks’ notes:
Dough bars can be chilled up to 3 days or frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil, 1 month (thaw frozen dough in refrigerator just until dough can be sliced).
Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.

Star Anise Cookies

I have been wanting to try making cookies with anise as the ingredient and what better time to try them than Xmas! This was another of the cookies that I baked for Xmas, turned out great! I loved the smell and the flavor of anise, especially when the cookies are baking. The smell is divine!! In this recipe, they use sugar to coat the cookies, I used colored sugar to coat it. Gives it a real nice color and touch :)


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 teaspoon aniseed, toasted


Method:

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into small bowl. Beat butter and 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl until light. Beat in egg yolk, brandy and aniseed. Add dry ingredients and beat just until smooth dough forms. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons sugar on small plate.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Gather scraps, reroll on lightly floured surface and cut out more cookies.

Place cookies 1 at a time on sugar on plate; transfer cookies, sugar side up, to 2 ungreased baking sheets. Bake cookies until bottom and edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack; cool. (Cookies can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

Linzer Cookies

It'z X'mas time and time to bake and give back to family and friends! I love the xmas season and all the festivities, the lights, the goodies everywhere, great holiday cookies etc. Its a lot of fun baking and giving goodies to your close ones. I believe that food is the best gift to give :) Its made with love and one can taste it in every bite taken :)

I saw this recipe in a Gourmet or a Bon Appetit magazine, and loved it! I had to try it as part of my gift package. I went to Sur La Table especially to get the Linzer Cookie cutters! They turned out beautiful and very yummy as well:) Ahh the joys of Baking!! :)


Ingredients

2/3 cup almond meal (3 oz)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 mashed banana
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 12-oz jar seedless raspberry jam


Special equipment: a 2- to 2 1/4-inch fluted round cookie cutter and assorted 1/2-inch shaped cookie cutters or aspic cutters


Method:

Pulse almond meal and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Beat together butter and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with paddle) or 6 minutes with a handheld. Add nut mixture and beat until combined well, about 1 minute. Beat in banana and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. With floured hands, form dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 5-inch disk. Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 2 hours.

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out 1 disk of dough into an 11-inch round (1/8 inch thick) between 2 sheets of wax paper (keep remaining dough chilled). If dough becomes too soft to roll out, rewrap in plastic and chill until firm. Cut out as many cookies as possible from dough with larger cookie cutter and transfer to 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging about 1 inch apart. Using smaller cutters, cut out centers from half of the cookies, reserving centers and rerolling along with scraps (reroll only once). Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 10 to 15 minutes total, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely.

Make more cookies from second disk. Spread about 1 teaspoon jam on flat side of 1 solid cookie and sandwich jam with flat side of 1 windowed cookie. Sandwich remaining cookies in same manner.

Chocolate Thumbprints

I made these cookies last night to try them out, from the Martha Stewart Living magazine, and they came out amazing! They were so cakie, and delicious, full of chocolate goodness!! Worth trying for sure. The rolling in coconut was my touch ;)

Ingredients
Makes 90

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons coarse salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup ground coconut flakes
Chocolate and Vanilla-Bean Ganache


Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a small bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium, and add yolks, cream, and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture until just combined.

Roll balls using 2 teaspoons dough for each, and roll each in the coconut flakes. Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. With the handle of a wooden spoon, press gently in the center of each to create an indentation. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are just set, about 10 minutes. (If indentations lose definition, press centers again.) Let cool slightly on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool.

Spoon warm ganache into center of each cookie. Let stand until firm, about 15 minutes. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

Jam Thumb Cookies

So I adapted this recipe from one I saw online and one that my masis(mom's sisters) and my grandmother makes. The original recipe has been a family recipe for decades now and it was time for me to try it:) Well, I changed it slightly and below is my version of the recipe. It turned out so awesome that they simply melt in the mouth and Raj(my husband) did NOT stop until I had to finally snatch it away from him :P

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
1/4 pound(1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry jam

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until just combined, and then add the vanilla and milk. Separately, sift together the flour baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter, sugar and milk. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Its ready to eat!! YUM!!!

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread cookies

I got this recipe online, and they turned out simply amazing!! You have to try them out if you love gingerbread cookies. Ginger and chocolate go great together! And the cookie is soo soft and chewy! YUM!! :)

Ingredients:
7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Method:

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.