Chocolate Gingersnaps

I normally follow recipes very closely to avoid any surprises at the end. This week for some reason my creativity blossomed and I decided to step out of my comfort zone a bit and try to improve a cookie that I already love. Gingersnaps are one of those classic cookies that just about everyone loves. Perfect for dunking into a cup of hot tea or a glass of milk, the spicy gingersnap belongs in the Cookie Hall of Fame.

At some point while I was measuring out the spices for the cookie I said to my self, "self, what if I add some dutch processed cocoa powder to the dough?" So I did. The result was a nice combination of subtle chocolate mixed with the spice of the ginger and cloves. I diced up some candied ginger and garnished the top of each cookie before popping them in the oven. When the cookies came out of the oven I added some white sanding sugar for a festive touch.

The cookies came out wonderfully, just as I had hoped. They are darker than traditional gingersnaps, but still pack that ginger punch. The candied ginger on top not only looks great, but adds some additional ginger flavor and sweetness to the cookie.

Try these and let me know what you think. Would you add more chocolate? More spices? I'd love for you to add comments below.

This Gingersnaps recipe is from Epicurious.com with my additions noted.

Chocolate Gingersnaps

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Candied ginger for garnish, chopped finely

In a large bowl sift together 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and spices. Whisk in brown sugar.
In a small saucepan melt butter and whisk into flour mixture with molasses and egg until combined well. With a wooden spoon, stir in remaining 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour until combined well. Chill dough until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

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

Roll level tablespoons of dough into balls and in a small bowl roll balls in granulated sugar to coat. Arrange balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheets and gently press each with the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly. Top each cookie with a few pieces of candied ginger pressing down slightly.

Bake 10 - 12 minutes until cookies have puffed slightly. When removed from the oven, cookies will collapse slightly and contain little cracks. While cookies are still hot, sprinkle lightly with white sanding sugar. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 - 3 minutes more and then transfer to cooling racks.

Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.

Cookie press rating: 4 cookies (out of 5)

Fig Crumble Bars

I always liked Fig Newtons as a kid. I'm not sure why since they aren't particularly sweet or nutty or chocolaty. There is something about the filling coupled with the plain, soft outer shell that I simply like. Or it may be the fact that they came packaged in a sleeve all lined up neatly which satisfied my urge to keep everything tidy.

This recipe for Fig Crumble Bars in a better version of the original Fig Newtons that I loved so much as a kid. The rich fig filling contrasts perfectly with the buttery, crumbly topping and firm bottom crust. These were actually better the second day as the fig flavor intensified. After the third day, they became less crumbly and softer, but tasty nonetheless. Calimyrna figs are golden in color and are not always labeled as such.

I pulsed the butter into the crust mixture but it would not come together as the recipe instructed so I added about 2 tablespoons of cold water to the mixture. I added another teaspoon or two of water to make the topping moist and clumpy.

The recipe is from Everyday Food.

Fig Crumble Bars

Special equipment: food processor

1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces plus more for pan
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
8 ounces dried Calimyrna figs (about 1 1/2 cups) stems removed
3/4 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon grated zest

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter the bottom of a 8-inch square baking pan, then line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Butter paper and set pan aside.

In a food processor, pulse 2 cups flour and 1 cup sugar. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Transfer half of the mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly into the bottom. Lightly flour fingers if necessary. Transfer remaining mixture into large, moist clumps (add a tsp. or two of cold water if needed). Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Wipe out bowl of food processor.

Make Filling
In the bowl of the food processor, blend figs, apple juice, lemon zest, and remaining 2 tablespoons of flour and sugar until a thick paste forms.

Using a small offset spatula or table knife, spread filling over crust. Sprinkle with topping and bake until topping is golden brown, about 60 to 65 minutes.

Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Lift out of pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into approximately 20 bars.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Cookie press rating: 4 cookies (out of 5)

Ready for the Oven














Baked and Cooled













Close Up

Accordion Cookies

I had never heard of Accordion Cookies before I received this recipe from one of my faithful blog readers. The foil is folded like the paper fans we all used to make in grammar school on the final days of school in June when it was blistering hot and no one was thinking about learning anything, except the way to the town pool.

The dough is easy to make. The recipe calls for walnuts, but you could use pecans, hazelnuts chopped fine, or almonds. Try substituting nuts for dried cranberries or add a little lemon zest to give the cookies a new twist.

Spoon the dough into each fold being sure not to overdo it. As the dough cooks, it spreads quite a lot into a cookie that looks very much like biscotti. The outer layer is crisp while the inside is soft, creating a nice juxtaposition of textures.

These cookies would be fun to make on a rainy afternoon with your kids or grand kids. Top each scoop of dough with sprinkles or M&M's for a fun and tasty treat.

I really like these cookies because they are fun to make and they taste great to boot. They freeze well and hold their interesting "V" shape. I gave my friend Victor a few and he called them "remarkable" and limited his friend Eileen to only three before cutting her off! Don't worry Victor, the recipe makes enough to share without limits.

And thanks to Deb J. for sending me the recipe. I love to try new cookies so if you have a recipe, send it along to my email address which is listed in the About Me section of this blog.

Cookie press rating: 3.75 cookies (out of five)


Accordion Cookies

Ingredients
2 sheets (approx. 1 yard) heavy-duty foil
1 1/2 sticks butter (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1) Heat oven to 325°F. Fold 1 sheet of foil in half lengthwise. Then fold the double thickness foil crosswise into 1-inch pleats to make an accordion-pleated pan. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with second sheet of foil. Spray foil lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

2) In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour and salt; mix well. Stir in walnuts. Drop rounded teaspoonful of dough into catch of foil. (Dough spreads during baking to form 2 1/2 to 5-inch long cookies)

3) Bake for 18 to 26 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookies from foil and cool completely on rack.

4) Turn foil over for second baking. Repeat with second sheet of foil.

If desired, baked cookies can be sprinkled with powdered sugar or frosted with a powdered sugar glaze.

Dough Prior to Baking













Gently Remove Cooled Cookies With a Butter Knife














The Final Product

Oatmeal-Trail Mix Cookies

Last week was my friend Victor's birthday so a bunch of us got together for a dinner celebrate to this milestone. I don't dare say which milestone, but it was significant enough for me to make a special batch of cookies just for him. These cookies needed to be not just good, but great. I remember asking him some time ago what type of cookies he liked. His reply went something like, "simple cookies, chocolate chip, butter. Nothing overly sweet." Victor is right. He's sweet enough already.

So I hit the cookbooks in search of a simple, not-so-sweet cookie and found this recipe for Oatmeal-Trail Mix Cookies. I neglected to mention that Victor watches what he eats and rarely has dessert. But cookies are his weakness and these just might fool him into thinking he's eating something healthy.

These cookies turned out very well. I'm not sure they qualify as simple (nuts, chocolate chips, coconut, raisins, and oats), but they were easy. The roasted peanuts added both great flavor and texture to the cookie. I used unsweetened coconut, but it was finely ground and was undetectable in the finished product. Next time I may also substitute M&M's for the chocolate chips to make them what I think is a true trail mix cookie.

Baker's note: The dough was very soft, so I popped it in the fridge and went out for a couple of hours until it firmed up.

This recipe is from The Gourmet Cookbook. Long live Gourmet, which closed last year, a victim of the recession.

I'll have to ask Victor if he liked the cookies. I bet they're already gone.

Oatmeal-Trail Mix Cookies

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup salted roasted peanuts
1/2 cup raisins

Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or lightly butter.

Beat together butter, shortening, and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Beat in egg, baking soda mixture, flour, salt, and vanilla until just combined. Sire in oats, coconut, chocolate chips, peanuts, and raisins until well combined.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough about 4 inches apart onto buttered baking sheets, then flatten and spread each mound into a 3-inch round with a fork. Bake cookies in batches until golden, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer to racks to cool.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Coconut Macaroons

I'm trying to eat healthy these days and still satisfy my sweet tooth. Coconut macaroons answer the call because they are simple to make, delicious (if you like coconut), and relatively healthy as compared to most other cookies. There is no flour, no butter, no granulated sugar, and very little measuring which makes them an ideal treat when you're in a hurry and don't want to make a huge mess in the kitchen.


This recipe is from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook.

Coconut Macaroons

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 t pure vanilla extract
2 extra large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Separate the eggs and whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of a mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whip until egg white form medium peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using a 1 3/4 inch ice cream scoop or two teaspoons.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

These cookies are best eaten they day they are made, but will stay fresh and moist for approximately three days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Cookie Press Review

Seems to me this is an all or nothing cookie. Either you love them or you hate them. My tasters were split down the middle. Luckily, those who loved them, really loved them and came back for seconds. As I mentioned above, these cookies are best the day they are made, but will last a few days if kept at room temperature. What I love about them is that I didn't have to dirty measuring cups or spend time wiping spilled flour off of the counter top. The coconut is pre-measured. Just dump two small bags into a bowl and add the sweetened condensed milk into the coconut. Easy Peezy as chef Jamie Oliver says!

Cookie press rating: 3.5 cookies (out of five)