Peanut Butter Blossoms

Why have I never made these cookies before? How are they so delicious? Why do I now love chocolate and peanut butter together, when I never have before? I don't have all the answers for you. Regardless, these cookies are excellent and you should make them right now. They tend to pop up at parties and in cookie tins around Christmastime, perhaps because they resemble Santa hats? But really, they could should be made and enjoyed year round. This recipe, from the NY Times, makes close to 5 dozen cookies.

INGREDIENTS
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth-n-creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 dozen hershey kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Add the egg, milk and vanilla and beat again to incorporate. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt and then slowly mix into the wet ingredients and beat just until combined. Refrigerate dough for 30-60 minutes.

Roll the dough into small 1-inch balls and then roll them in sugar (if you have turbinado sugar or slightly larger granulated sugar, it will look beautiful after cooking) and then place them on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 6-8 minutes, remove from oven and lightly press a hershey kiss in the middle of each cookie, allowing it to crack slightly. Return to oven for another 2-3 minutes until very lightly browned. Let cool, serve and enjoy!

Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

Apparently, this is the "cookie of the year" from 2017. So, I'm a little late to the game. But I kept coming across this recipe from Alison Roman's new cookbook Dining In on various sites (e.g., Smitten Kitchen, Bon Appetit, etc.) and decided it was time to try it myself. These cookies highlight the best parts of cookies without a lot of extra distractor flavors. They are simple, but deeply rich in flavor and highlight the good quality salted butter and dark chocolate. I recommend getting good chocolate and chopping it yourself. Beware: this is not your everyday chocolate chip cookie, so don't expect it to be. It's a horse of a different color, but in an excellent way. Makes 24-30 cookies.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup plus 2 TBS good salted butter, cold and cut into small pieces (I used this)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
1/4 cup light brown sugar (50 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (295 grams)
6 oz. of semisweet/bittersweet chocolate chunks (170 grams)
1 large egg
Raw or turbinado sugar (for rolling)
Flakey sea salt

Using a stand mixer beat together the cold butter pieces, both sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (this might take 5 minutes). Add the flour and beat just until combined. Add the chocolate chunks and stir to incorporate. The dough will be crumbly and that is just fine. At this point, the dough is DONE (don't add the egg! it's for later). Separate the dough into two parts and place each half in the middle of a piece of wax or parchment paper and roll into logs about 2 inches in diameter. Chill, covered in the wax paper, until firm-- about 2-3 hours, or longer.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, slightly beat the egg and brush the entire log with egg and then roll in the raw sugar to coat. Then, using a serrated knife (I used a bread knife for the weight), slice cookies about 1/2 inch thick. You'll need to use a slow and stead sawing motion. You will likely hit chocolate chunks and might have to put the dough back together a bit if it crumbles or breaks in half. Thats okay. Place cookies on the baking sheets, sprinkle with a little flakey sea salt, then bake for about 13-15 minutes until edges are lightly brown. Remove from oven, let cool, then serve and enjoy!

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been in the mood to bake more on Friday afternoons and so I made this cookie dough batter yesterday and got to the very last step.... and then realized the dough is supposed to refrigerate for 12 hours before baking (UGH), so I ended up baking them this morning (well, I did a "trial run" last night with 2 cookies, because c'mon, I don't have that much self-restraint). They are delicious. The tahini is noticeable and adds a little funk to the taste, but is sandwiched by flavors of salt and chocolate, which leaves you wanting many more bites. I made my own tahini this time because I was feeling adventurous, but I am certain store bought is exactly the same. (Making your own tahini: slightly toast the sesame seeds in a pan, stirring constantly, then throw them in the food processor for a minute, add some oil and a pinch of salt and letting 'er rip again for a few minutes until smooth. Store in refrigerator for 1 month). Recipe from NY Times Cooking.

INGREDIENTS 
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup tahini (well stirred)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour (150 grams)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 3/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks (230 grams, semi-sweet or bittersweet)
Flaky salt for topping

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together the butter, tahini, and sugar for 5 minutes on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat another 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking power, and salt and then slowly mix into the dough. Stir in the chocolate chunks. The dough will be very soft at this point. Refrigerate for 12 hours (OR I found after 2 hours in the fridge I was able to scoop and shape a few cookie dough balls, then refrigerated those for another 2 hours and they were ready to bake).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (original recipe said 325, so if you know your oven, preheat accordingly) and place cookies on parchment paper about 3 inches apart (they spread). Sprinkle tops with a little sprinkling of flaky salt (like Maldon). Bake for about 13-16 minutes until lightly browned on the edges and still soft on the inside. Let cool for 10 minutes then take off the sheet and let finish cooling on a rack. Serve and enjoy!

Butterscotch Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies

These are my new favorite cookie. They are sweet and salty and the browned butter gives them a nice nuttiness. Crowd pleaser. Adapted slightly from Two Peas and Their Pod. Makes ~12-15 cookies.

INGREDIENTS
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more for sprinkling)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup (heaping) butterscotch chips

First, brown the butter in a medium shallow pan over medium-low heat, continually stirring/scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula. The butter will melt, then bubble and foam, then settle down and you'll notice brown bits beginning to come from the bottom of the pan and the butter will smell nutty and be amber colored. Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl to cool for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl and set side.

When ready, add both sugars and the browned butter to an electric mixer and beat together on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another minute. On low speed add the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Add the oats and butterscotch chips and stir into the dough with a spoon.

Roll dough into heaping tablespoon-sized balls and slightly flatten in your palm before placing on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and bake for 8-9 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Serve and enjoy.

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

A few things happened recently that led to these cooking being baked (and then blogged).

1) A few weeks ago I was at a brunch party and one of the guests (shout out to Megan!) brought these mystery shortbread cookies that tasted sort of savory-- and sort of like they had pepper in them-- and I couldn't quite place the taste-- and I kept wanting more-- and then she told me that they were made with dried tea leaves. WTF. They were wonderful, with such a lovely subtle flavor that keeps you reaching for more.

2) Fast forward a few weeks. I've been a bit under the weather for the past few days with a cold and have been drinking lots of tea, which, of course, reminded me of these cookies and so I thought: why not?

3) I am home sick from work and bored, so what else was I going to do? So, I baked*. And then I blogged. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

These cookies really are amazing and take only 20 minutes to make (TOTAL). They are not very sweet, but in a perfect way. I made a small batch today, which yielded approximately 15 2-inch round thin shortbread cookies. You could easily double the recipe, and/or cut them into different shapes and sizes. Recipe adapted from Food Network.

INGREDIENTS
1 stick butter, softened
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 (heaping) teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 bag of dried Earl Grey tea leaves

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the salt, flour, and tea leaves and mix to combine. Make sure all the ingredients come together well into a dough ball.

Remove the dough and roll into a 1/4 inch thick disk. Use a cookie or biscuit cutter to cut into circles and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. You will know they are done when the edges are slightly browned. Let cool and then serve and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.

* Yes, cooking when under the weather means that other people don't really want to eat the food you make, but that kinda works in my favor-- because now the cookies are all mine.

Raspberry Coconut Oatmeal Bars

I haven't really been blogging much in the past 5 months.

Or at all.

This is, in part, due to the fact that I have been lacking in inspiration. The rest is due the recent influx of busy and exciting new things happening in both my personal and professional life, including applying to and matching at a predoctoral internship, finishing graduate school, and prepping for my move to NYC in 6 weeks!

I've been so busy that I rarely spend Sundays in my kitchen like I used to. But, today I had just that kind of day. I've missed these Sundays and have decided to make them a priority in the future. I made these raspberry coconut oatmeal bars to bring to my very last meeting on campus tomorrow, and thought I'd snap a photo and post it. The best thing about these bars is that they are sweet enough to be dessert, but have a distinct oatmeal/jam flavor, so they can also pass for a breakfast-on-the-go. I plan on eating them for both breakfast and dessert tomorrow. I hope you enjoy them as much as I already have! Recipe from http://amandeleine.com/.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, divided in half
12 oz. seedless raspberry jam/jelly

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Take half of the coconut and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven, stirring every 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.

Using a food processor, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Add in the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture forms a dough. Pour into a large bowl and mix in the oats and toasted coconut with your hands. Remove 3/4 cup of the dough and set aside. Press the rest into the bottom of a parchment-lined and greased 9x13 pan. Next, spread the raspberry jam in an even layer on top. Crumble the remaining dough on top of the jam then sprinkle the rest of the coconut (untoasted) on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until bars are golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool completely, then cut into squares. Serve and enjoy!

S'mores Bars

S'mores! Without a fire! These were very fun to make and were a yummy Friday treat.

INGREDIENTS

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

4 (1.5 oz) Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars

1 (7 oz) jar of Marshmallow Creme/Fluff

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides once. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt and add to the butter mixture, beating just until incorporated. 

Press half of the dough into the bottom of a lightly greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Spread the marshmallow creme on top in an even layer and top with an even layer of the chocolate bars (break up as needed to fit). Press the rest of the dough on top and bake for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. 

Remove from oven, let cool, cut into squares and serve! 

Liberty Square Cookies

I found this recipe on The Girl Who Ate Everything, and she calls them Liberty Square cookies because that's the address where she lived when she created the recipe. She also calls them "Date Me" cookies because, apparently, guys come running when you make these bad boys. I'll keep you posted on that one.






























When I considered making this recipe I didn't plan on blogging about them. I thought for sure that I had already posted some sort of butterscotch chip cookie recipe; but when I searched my archives tonight, I realized that I had not (GASP), which is weird, because I love butterscotch. If you don't, thats okay- to each his own... but don't use this recipe and replace the butterscotch with more chocolate... just make a different chocolate chip cookies recipe. In my opinion, these are wonderful BECAUSE of the butterscotch. Chewy, sweet, & a bit salty.

INGREDIENTS
11 tablespoons of butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces butterscotch chips
4 ounces chocolate chips

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars for 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy (another 1-2 minutes). Slowly add the dry ingredients, beating slowly until incorporated. Add the butterscotch and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Roll cookies into heaping tablespoon balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for ~10 minutes at 350 degrees. Yield 24 cookies.

Lemon "Cracked" Sugar Cookies

Mmm-mmm-mmm. These cookies are delicious... melt-in-your-mouth... perfectly bright and refreshing. Absolutely a cookie that must be made in your kitchen as soon as possible. The lemon flavor is subtle but present and these cookies continue to taste delicious for days. Recipe adapted, barely, from Lets Dish.

INGREDIENTS
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 cookie sheets.

Using an electric mixer beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (a good 3-5 minutes). Add the vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat another minute. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and slowly add it to the wet ingredients, and stir just until combined.

Pour the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop heaping teaspoons of cookie dough and roll into balls, rolling in the powdered sugar before placing on the cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes and remove from oven when cookies just begin to crack. Let cool for 3 minutes and remove with a spatula and let the cookies finish cooling on a wire rack. Makes ~30 cookies.

Chocolate-Cherry-Oatmeal Cookies

The recipe that I based these cookies off of call them "heart smart" because of the bittersweet chocolate (high antioxidants help lower blood pressure), the cherries (also high in antioxidants), and the oatmeal (helps lower cholesterol). This recipe also uses whole wheat flour and only 6 tablespoons of butter, which is very little for most cookie recipes. So I thought, what-the-heck, I'll give 'em a whirl. And I'm so glad that I did. Not only will you feel good about eating these because they are a bit healthier than most cookies, they are absolutely-totally-delicious. Adapted from Cooking Light, January 2010. Photo by Jason Volpe. I've said it before, I'll say it again: he's the best.

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped dried cherries
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer cream the butter and brown sugar together for about 4-5 minutes, scraping the sides halfway through. Add the egg and vanilla and beat another minute. In a separate bowl mix together both flours, oatmeal, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined. Add the cherries and chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized balls and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or just until edges are slightly browned and center is still gooey. This will result in a perfectly chewy cookie. Remove from oven, cool on racks, and serve with a glass of milk!

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars!

The most delicious, easy, and fun sugar cookie recipe ever! I made these for a Valentine's Day themed cocktail party that I hosted this past weekend and they were a huge hit. The best part about this recipe, other than how tasty they are, is the fact that it made enough to serve probably 50 people. That is not an exaggeration. Its so much simpler than using a cookie cutter. Adapted from Lets Dish Recipes.

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg. Add the vanilla and beat. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and add slowly to the batter. Mix just until incorporated. Spread dough on a well-greased (with butter) baking sheet (13x18 or 10x15). Do your best to make the top smooth. Bake for 10-15 minutes- do not overbake. Remove from oven when toothpick just comes out clean in the center. Let cool completely. While cooling, make the frosting. 

FROSTING 

1 stick butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar 

3 tablespoons milk

Beat together the butter and cream cheese in an electric mixer. Add the vanilla and beat together. Add the sugar, a bit at a time, beating to incorporate. Add the milk (you may need more or less than this) until frosting is desired consistency. Spread over cooled cookie sheet and decorate however you want. Once the frosting has hardened a bit (I put mine in the fridge) cut into squares and serve!

Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Not much in this life is better than a chocolate malt milkshake. My brother and I would frequent a local milkshake spot growing up called McDonald's Drug Store, which was better known for its functioning old-time soda fountain than its sundries. We (and the rest of the neighborhood) would spend afternoons trying all kinds of sodas and milkshakes- and most days, if there wasn't a line, Mr. and Mrs. McDonald would let my brother and me behind the counter to mix-up our own concoctions. This is where I had my first malted milkshake and fell in love. I actually think this is where I fell in love with milkshakes in general.

Anyways, malt. I love it. And its rare to find recipes that include it (other than milkshakes), so when I stumbled across the idea to add malted milk powder to chocolate chip cookie dough (from Pioneer Woman), I thought it was genius and knew I would love it. It is such an easy way to spice up a standard cookie dough and I imagine I'll keep coming back to this recipe frequently. The malt flavor is subtle but noticeable and the texture of this cookie is perfection: thin and crispy edges with a chewy inside. I've adapted her recipe a bit...

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup (heaping) malted milk powder

1 1/2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 eggs (yea, I'm crazy, just estimate)

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

In an electric mixer beat together the butter, brown sugar, and malted milk powder. Add the chocolate syrup and vanilla and beat together for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until incorporated. 

In a separate bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to the butter mixture and beat together. Stir in the chocolate chips and refrigerate dough for about 20-30 minutes. 

Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized balls, place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 9-11 minutes at 350 degrees. Cookies will flatten and have crispy brown edges. Mmmmmmm. 

Chewy Molasses Holiday Cookies

I've been testing out new recipes for my annual holiday cookie tin project that takes over my kitchen starting mid-December. In the past I've included treats like truffles, peppermint bark, and Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, which are my personal favorite holiday cookie. This year, I wanted to try something different and had never made molasses spice cookies before. I wanted a chewy thick cookie, rather than a rock-hard wafer thin guy, so I found this recipe from Cook's Illustrated and went for it. They were delicious! A very strong and rich molasses/brown sugar/spice flavor... they hit the spot. Consider these for your holiday treats!

Also, if you're like me and you love hosting parties and cooking for them, but you sometimes feel uninspired and were born without the decorating gene, check out my friend Alison's TwinStripe Magazine for great unique ideas for celebrating the holidays this year! 

And finally, thanks to Jason Volpe who has been offering me brief and very informal (usually over cocktails) photography lessons. Hoping to continue learning! 

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon table salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup for dipping cookies

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup dark molasses

Sift together the flour, baking soda, the spices, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and set aside. 

In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment beat the butter and 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and 1/3 of dark brown sugar. Let beat for 2-3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the molasses and beat until incorporated. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. 

Roll heaping tablespoons into balls and dip them in the extra 1/2 cup granulated sugar and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool for 5 minutes, then do the other batch of cookies the same way- don't put two cookie sheets in the oven at the same time with this recipe. YUM.

Snickerdoodles

This recipe post is a birthday of sorts... its my 100th recipe! I thought for a long time about what I wanted my 100th post to be. I knew it needed to be something sweet and baked. I had originally thought I'd do a big birthday cake- maybe a german chocolate, or a cheesecake... but I try to only make those things when I also have another occasion to cook for (other than the blog), so that it actually gets eaten. I made these last weekend to bring to a girls weekend in Asheville, NC and they were delicious... undoubtedly because they have both butter and crisco in them. Top notch... figured they were worthy of the 100th post. Enjoy! (Adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon plus a pinch of kosher salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for rolling dough
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon for rolling dough

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer beat the butter, shortening, and sugar until smooth- about 1-2 minutes. Add eggs, and beat about 30 seconds- scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on low just until combined.

In a small bowl mix together the 3 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough into heaping tablespoon sized balls and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes. Cookies will be crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Delicious.

Cannoli with Homemade Ricotta!!

Cannoli are awesome. And I've been wanting to make them for a while now, but didn't know where to start. Cannoli shells involve making a dough, rolling it very thin (through a pasta maker?), shaping them on special dowels, and then deep frying them. I don't have a pasta maker, the special dowels, or a deep fryer, so, I decided to buy the shells pre-made (gasp). I was serving them to friends and was embarrassed that I didn't make the shells myself, so I decided to make fresh ricotta for the filling to make up for it.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA IS AMAZING. End of story. I will never ever (in theory) buy ricotta at the store again. Especially since its 4 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to make. It is so rich and made the world of difference in the cannoli filling, would be amazing in lasagna, and wonderful on a piece of toast drizzled with olive oil.

Homemade Ricotta 
6 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat the milk, cream, and salt in a large pot until the temperature reaches 190 degrees- you don't want the milk to boil. Stir occasionally, to keep the milk from scalding on the bottom. Once heated, remove from stove and add the lemon juice. Stir just once or twice, slowly, then let the mixture sit untouched for 5 minutes.

Pour into a colander lined with a few layers of cheesecloth set over a large bowl. The mixture will separate and the whey will drip into the bowl- discard the whey (you might have to do this a few times while draining). Let sit in the colander for an hour and a half or so (I think I left mine almost 2). Remove the ricotta from the cheesecloth and put in an airtight container in the refrigerator for later use. This recipe will yield a generous 2 cups of ricotta.

Cannoli Filling
1.5-2 cups fresh ricotta
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Using an electric mixer beat the refrigerated ricotta and powdered sugar until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the vanilla and blend until mixed. Scoop into a piping pastry bag with a 1/2 inch tip. Pipe into prepared cannoli shells*, starting in the middle and working out on either side. Serve immediately. DROOL. Plan to make another batch of ricotta tomorrow.

* I dipped my shells in melted chocolate then covered them with chocolate sprinkles and colored sugars. Mini chocolate chips would work nicely, as well.

Espresso Chocolate Toffee Cookies

I haven't used my KitchenAid Mixer in far too long and decided that I would use it and make a sweet treat last night. I had heath bars and chocolate chips in my pantry and a lot of butter in my fridge, so I figured I'd make cookies. I decided to make an espresso chocolate toffee cookie... kind of a take-off on one of my favorite Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavors, Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. They turned out WONDERFULLY. I will definitely make these again.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon- plus a pinch- of salt
12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup crushed heath bar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips



Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer beat the melted butter with both sugars for about minute on medium-high. Add the espresso powder, eggs, and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until incorporated. With a wooden spoon stir in the heath and chocolate chips.

Roll into balls and drop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake about 11 minutes per batch. This recipe should make about 2-dozen cookies... if you make them smaller, adjust cooking time.

Chocolate Covered OREOS

I made these the other night out of default— I had only 1 tablespoon of butter and no oil and thus was quite limited with what I could make for dessert. I scoured my pantry and remembered a friend making chocolate covered Oreos a few years ago. I gave these a whirl… they were SO easy, SO fast, really tasty and look much more impressive than they should. All-in-all these are winners. 

INGREDIENTS

• 20 Oreos
• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon butter

Melt the chocolate chips and butter over a double boiler (or in the microwave in 15 second increments). Stir until smooth. Drop an Oreo into the melted chocolate and cover with chocolate. Scoop up the Oreo with a fork and lightly tap the fork against the side of the bowl to let the excess chocolate drip off the cookie. Place on wax paper and let cool/harden. Continue with other cookies. 

Melt the while chocolate in a double boiler (or in the microwave in 15 second increments) and stir until smooth. Transfer into a piping bag or a small ziplock bag and cut a small corner out. Pipe the white chocolate onto the chocolate covered-cookies. Let cool.

These do well if stored in the fridge… Serve and enjoy!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve never had a perfect go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. Either they get too crispy or they are too mushy. Or too thin, or thick/hard as a rock. This recipe has a TON of flavor and perfectly crispy edges with a great chewy inside. It is my duty to warn you that these are kind of a pain in the you know what to make. Lots of seemingly silly steps, but its worth it. Adapted from Cook's Illustrated. 

• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Whisk flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Heat 10 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch skillet on medium-high heat until melted. Continue cooking, swirling the pan constantly, until the butter is a dark golden brown (about 2-3 minutes). Transfer browned butter into a heatproof bowl and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Stir until melted. 

Add both sugars, salt and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 more seconds (do this process 2 more times). **The purpose of this is to give the dough time to have the sugar fully dissolve, which increases the chewiness of this recipe. 

Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir to incorporate. 

Roll cookie dough into balls (16) and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 11 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

(i.e. the best cookie in the history of the world, Adapted from Bon Appetit, 2004)

After three weeks of being out of town followed by a week of being sick, last night I decided that I was finally ready to spend some quality time with my kitchen again. How I’d missed thee. I had the most enjoyable night cooking in as long as I can remember. It could be that I’d just missed cooking so much that I was thrilled to be back, or maybe I was excited to be preparing real food again (not jello and crackers, which was my diet for the past week), or maybe, just maybe, it was related to the fact that what I produced wasTHE BEST risotto I’ve ever made (stay tuned for recipe) and one of the best (top 3?) cookies I’ve ever made. In my life. These will forever be my go-to holiday cookie recipe. And they should be yours, too. 

• 1 heaping cup flour (about 1 1/8 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet (or dark) chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips 
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cranberries

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the oats and stir together. Set aside. 

With an electric mixer cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to incorporate. Add the dry ingredients and beat together. Add the chocolate chips and cranberries and stir to combine. 

Drop by the rounded tablespoonful on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly on pan, then remove cookies and let them finish cooling on a wire rack. 

Serve, enjoy, drool, make another batch. 

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

So, I don’t tend to like peanut butter and chocolate together. Separately, YES. But I don’t really like Reese’s, etc. But Maryssa gave me this SUPER easy recipe for peanut butter cookies and I thought why not? I added the chocolate chips at the last minute, thinking that I’d regret it if I didn’t… and maybe I could learn to be a lover of peanut butter and chocolate together. Turns out, these were awesome. But most importantly, there are only 5 ingredients in this recipe… FIVE. Total. 

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• chocolate chips (however many you want)

Mix all the ingredients together and roll into balls (about 15-18 cookies). Place on cookie sheet and use the tongs of the fork to press the cookies slightly. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Do not overcook, but also make sure you get them cooked through— but even if you don’t cook them enough they will taste great! Let sit on cookie sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Eat and enjoy!