Landfill Cookies

Remember these cookies?

Well, I took things a little further this time.

I just couldn't help it! I'm mildly obsessed with all things sweet and salty.

And who doesn't want potato chips in their cookies?

These are basically my take on the consummate "Trash" or "Kitchen Sink" cookie, where you basically add everything you can find in your pantry to the dough.
I stopped when I got to the jar of olives.

But only because they expired in 2009.

Landfill Cookies
Yield: 18 cookies

Ingredients:
4.25 oz (1 cup minus 1 Tbsp) cake flour
4.25 oz (3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp) bread flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
5 oz (1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp) light brown sugar
4 oz (1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips, roughly chopped (or mini if you can find them)
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 3 graham crackers, ground)
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp ground coffee
2 cups plain potato chips
1 cup mini pretzels

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. 
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed to incorporate. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just barely incorporated. 
5. Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, graham crumbs, oats, and coffee. Mix on low speed just to combine. 
6. Add the potato chips and pretzels, and mix on low speed to break them up and incorporate them into the batter.
7. Divide the batter into 2 oz balls and arrange on baking sheet. Use your hand and press down to flatten the top of each cookie. Bake 15-18 minutes or until the edges of the cookies just begin to turn golden brown. Remove baking sheet to a wire rack and leave the cookies on the sheet to cool completely.


Recipe Notes:

• I used Cape Cod potato chips.  
• Don't be afraid of breaking up the chips and pretzels when you mix them in. If you leave too many of them whole or in large pieces, the cookies will be crumbly and are more likely to fall apart (the pieces in the pictured cookies were actually still a little too large).

Recipe adapted from my go-to chocolate chip cookie and the Momofuku Compost Cookie

Confetti Cookies

I'm not exactly sure what possessed me to make these cookies. As cookies go, sugar cookies aren't really my favorite. I'd say they're not even in the top three. But there's just something about them. I think it's the sprinkles.

Everything's better with sprinkles. Now, these aren't the kind of sugar cookie you decorate. They're more like the perfect chewy sugar cookie. Buttery, soft, sweet, with that extra special flare of being rainbow colored.

I may have eaten more than three my fair share of these before I even had dinner today. If you need me I'll be in a sprinkle-induced sugar coma.

Confetti Cookies
Yield: 18 cookies

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar with the paddle of an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat on med-high speed until incorporated. Don't worry if it looks a little separated.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix on low until almost fully incorporated. Add the sprinkles and mix until all ingredients are incorporated together.
5. Divide the dough into 1 oz balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Arrange them on the sheet pans, leaving about 2'' of space between each cookie. Dampen your fingers and lightly press on the dough to flatten to about 1/2'' thick.
6. Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown. Rotate the sheet pans halfway through baking. Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheets.

Recipe Notes

• No sprinkles? Leave them out and you still have an amazingly delicious chewy sugar cookie.
• Looking for something easy to bake for Valentine's day? Replace the rainbow sprinkles with red and pink ones and voila!

Pretzel Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies

I think I may have created the most epic cookie of all time. 

Ok, so that might be a slight exaggeration. I mean, there's no bacon in it.

But I imagine these taste like what a s'more would taste like if you replaced the graham crackers with chocolate chip cookies and sandwiched them with a chocolate covered pretzel inside instead of a boring piece of plain chocolate. 

What, too far? 

I used my favorite chocolate chip cookie as a base for these and then basically put them on steroids. Even though we learned last time that the 24 hour rest period is helpful, I went ahead and baked a test cookie the day I made the dough. You know, for more research. And also because I really wanted a cookie. And when you have cookie dough in your fridge that looks like this...

I mean, come on. I challenge you to resist the temptation.

Frankly, I think the cookies I baked the same day I made the dough tasted just as good as the ones I baked the next day. That is, sinfully delicious.

I tried to get a picture of the strings of melted, gooey marshmallow that stretch across your fingers as you break one of these in half, but I mostly ended up with lots of pictures that look like this:

Self timer fail. But cute apron win!

And lots of broken cookies. Oh well, guess you'll just have to bake some and see for yourself. 

Pretzel Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
Yield: 15 cookies

Ingredients:
4.25 oz (1 cup minus 1 Tbsp) cake flour
4.25 oz (3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp) bread flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
5 oz (1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp) light brown sugar
4 oz (1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup mini marshmallows
3/4 cup mini pretzels, left whole

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with both sugars on medium speed until very light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and return the mixer to medium speed. Mix until the egg is completely incorporated.
5. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until not quite incorporated. Add the chocolate chips, marshmallows, and pretzels. Mix until just incorporated; you don't want to break the pretzels up too much (bravo if you can even keep a few whole!).
6. Portion the dough into 2 oz balls, about the size of a golf ball and space them evenly on your prepared baking sheet. Bake 15-18 minutes, of until the edges of the cookies just begin to turn golden brown. Remove baking sheets to a wire rack but leave the cookies on the sheet to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. These cookies are best the day they're made, but will keep stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes:

• Unlike the original cookies this recipe is based on, I do not think these need to be rested for 24 hours for them to be at their peak of deliciousness, but the dough will absolutely keep well wrapped, in the fridge for up to 72 hours, or the freezer for about a month.  
• Your cookies may still look underdone at the 15-18 minute mark but don't overbake them! They are going to look a little gooey thanks to the melted marshmallow, but the dough itself will be cooked through. 

Decorated Candy Cane Cookies

I finally get a day off from work, and what do I do? Bake! Obviously. Because I'm a glutton for punishment I've been wanting to bring some treats over to my old office and these decorated cookies seemed perfectly festive.

Instead of traditional sugar cookie dough, this is what I like to use when it comes to baking cookies for decorating. Taste is always what's most important to me when I'm baking, so it was really important for me to make cookies that not only looked pretty but also tasted great. These cookies are chocked full of buttery, brown sugary flavor, with that great balance of texture that's somewhere between a sugar cookie and shortbread.

I'm trying to get through all the holiday cookie cutters I have before it's too late, and these candy canes were the first on my list. I tried a few different designs but the stripes were my favorite. Unfortunately these pictures don't really show it, but on the red stripes I added shiny red sanding sugar.

To get the design, I outlined each cookie in white icing. I then outlined all the white stripes and filled them in with thinned white icing and let them dry overnight. The next morning I outlined the remaining empty stripes in red icing and filled those in too. Then, while the red icing was still wet, I sprinkled on the red sanding sugar and immediately tapped off the cookie to remove the excess.

Of course, if you really want to go all out, you can add a few drops of peppermint extract to the royal icing, so your cookies will not only look like candy canes, but will taste like them too!

Vanilla Cookie Dough
Yield: 20-24 large cookies

Ingredients:
15 oz all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5.25 oz light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and increase the speed to incorporate.
5. With the mixer off, add all the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. Divide the dough into two discs and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
6. Working with one disc at a time, roll dough out on a lightly floured board to about 1/4'' thick. Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters and space evenly on prepared baking sheets. Re-wrap any scraps and chill another 15 minutes before re-rolling again. Discard any remaining scraps.
7. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies just begin to turn golden brown. Allow to cool completely before decorating with royal icing.

Royal Icing:
3 egg whites
18 oz powdered sugar

Whisk egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar and whisk until incorporated. Outline cookies, then thin icing with water, 1/2 tsp at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup, before flooding.

Recipe Notes:

• Only re-roll your dough once. Work with the dough too much and you won't have tender cookies.
• Don't feel like decorating? Try dipping half of each cookie in melted chocolate, or just enjoy them plain!

Jacque Torres' Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes you need something ridiculous. Like chocolate covered whiskey bacon bark. Yes, that is a real thing. I saw it on Pinterest and everything on Pinterest is real. But sometimes, you just want a cookie. A warm, ooey, gooey, comforting chocolate chip cookie. And that's exactly what I wanted last week when I was craving something sweet. 

For some reason the Jacque Torres chocolate chip cookie had popped back up on my radar recently so I figured I'd give it a shot since it's been touted as the cookie to end all cookies. Oh really, Jacque? We'll see about that. (Fangirl moment: I've had the opportunity to meet Jacque Torres twice, and the first time he told me I needed to eat more pastry. Done and done.) 

So there are two things that make this recipe unique- it uses cake and bread flour instead of all-purpose, and it requires you to rest the dough at least 24 hours before baking. Of course, since I was just making these for my own enjoyment, I decided to do a little test. I had both flours in my pantry, and although I think it's a bit of a gimmick, I went ahead and used both as the recipe calls for. 

The reason I think this is a little silly is because bread flour and cake flour essentially cancel each other out. Confused? Let me explain. Bread flour has a high gluten or protein content, which means it creates a tougher product, but something that is strong enough that can withstand the rising effect of yeast or pate a choux. 

Cake flour has a lower gluten content, which results in a nice, tender fluffy cake. All-purpose flour has a gluten content somewhere in the middle, which is why it is used so often. So essentially, using equal amounts of cake and bread flour cancel each other out and you end up with something much closer to all-purpose. But fine Chef Torres, I'll give you this one since I have all kinds of flours stocked in my pantry. Except whole wheat because, no.

So with both flours covered I set my sights on this "resting time." I have definitely come across doughs and batters that are best used after resting (madelines, crepes, etc.), but a cookie dough? There are no flavors that need melding or developing. The only reason I can come up with has to do with the bread flour. Gluten makes products tough, and the more you work with it, the tougher it gets (hence adding all the dry ingredients last in pretty much any cake or cookie recipe; you want to work that flour as little as possible!), but this rest period was supposed to enhance the texture and flavor. Obviously there was only one option: bake one now, bake one later, and compare.

This one I baked after just three hours of resting the dough in the fridge. Admittedly, I overbaked it just a smidge, but it was still good. Just your everyday, basic chocolate chip cookie. Honestly, nothing too special. 

Twenty-four hours later I scooped and baked the rest of the dough. And fifteen minutes out of the oven, these even looked better than the ones I baked the day before. I mean, come on, does this not look like the most perfect chocolate chip cookie you've ever seen? 

And I will admit, there was a definite improvement in overall flavor and texture. They were perfectly soft and chewy, rich and buttery, with just that hint of salt that I love in a chocolate chip cookie. I'd say these rank up there as one of the best chocolate chip cookies I've made, and will probably now take the spot of my go-to recipe. Are they the best I've ever tasted? Sorry, that honor is still held by Levain Bakery on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. Their cookies are the size of your fist and are so popular, it's almost impossible to buy one that's not hot from the oven and still all melty and gooey inside.

I did make one little tweak to the recipe. The original (or at least the New York Times version) calls for more than a pound of chocolate (20 oz to be exact). I know you never thought you would hear me say this, but that's just too much chocolate for me. I love chocolate chip cookies, but if I could eat around all that chocolate (like I do with the Keebler rainbow chip cookies), I would be a happy girl. See, I want to be able to taste the cookie, not just the chocolate. So for me, reducing the chocolate in this recipe was a no brainer. 
 

Jacque Torres' Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 32 cookies

Ingredients:
8.5 oz (2 cups minus 2 Tbsp) cake flour
8.5 oz (1 2/3 cups) bread flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
10 oz (1 1/4 cups) light brown sugar
8 oz (1 cup plus 2 Tbsp) granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb bittersweet chocolate chopped, chips, or chunks
Sea salt (optional)
 
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium speed (Speed 4) until very light and creamy, about 5 minutes.
3. Scrape down the bowl and add eggs one at a time, beating at medium speed until incorporated. Add in vanilla.
4. With mixer off, add all dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. Add chocolate and fold in by hand. 
5. Press plastic wrap directly onto dough and chill for at least 24 hours or up to 72 hours.
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside.
7. Scoop cookies into 2 oz balls (about the size of a golf ball) and space evenly on baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt (optional) and bake until golden brown but still soft, 14-16 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool more. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.

Recipe Notes

• I am impatient and have a bad habit of not letting my mixer go long enough. You want the butter and sugar mixture to be nice and smooth and creamy, so go do something else while it beats. Unload the dishwasher, take out the trash, something to distract you so you're not hovering over the bowl wondering when you can turn it off.
• I highly recommend using the sea salt!
• I used a scale to measure my ingredients, so the measurement approximations in parentheses are from the NYT, not my own.

Recipe adapted from Jacque Torres courtesy of The New York Times

Cheater S'mores

I finally figured out what to do with the leftover marshmallow fluff that's been hiding out in my pantry since I made these*.

Ok, this is hardly a recipe. It's more like a how-to. No bonfire required. Or microwave. We're using the toaster oven here people. Get yourself two graham crackers. Put chocolate chips on one and spread marshmallow fluff on the other. Sprinkle some more chocolate chips on!

Bake in the toaster oven for about a minute or until the chocolate chips just start to soften and the marshmallow fluff just starts to brown. Sandwich the two halves together and try to wait another minute so you don't burn your tongue. Or just have a cold glass of milk standing by.

*Ok, don't make that face, it's FINE. Marshmallow fluff is like 99% sugar. It will probably be YEARS before it shows any signs of spoiling.

Royal Icing

Decorating cookies with royal icing gets addictive. It's amazing what you can do with some cookie cutters and tinted frosting! It may seem overwhelming to get started, so I've broken the basics down into steps. Start small! Just use a simple circle cookie cutter and one color. Or even buy plain sugar cookies from the store just to practice on. I promise, it will get easier the more you practice! And if you're ever at a loss for inspiration, just search decorated cookies on Pinterest, and you'll be overwhelmed all over again.

First up, supplies. You will need:
20-25 cookies
egg whites and powdered sugar
Food coloring (optional)
Paper towel
Plastic wrap
Piping bags and a small round tip
Squeeze bottle or disposable piping bags
Toothpicks

Step 1: Bake your cookies and let them cool completely. If you can bake them the night before you decorate, even better.

Step 2: Make your icing. With an electric mixer, whisk 3 egg whites on med to med-high speed until very foamy. Gradually add 18 oz powdered sugar (you can sift it if you want but I usually don't), and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. The more you beat your icing the stiffer it will get so be careful not to overbeat it or it will be difficult to pipe.

Step 3: Color your icing if desired. Add a small amount of food coloring, and whip or stir until the color is incorporated. I prefer Americolor or Wilton gel colors. Using pure liquid food coloring or even too much gel can affect the consistency of your icing. If it starts to get too thin, just add more powdered sugar and/or whisk it until stiffer. Also, keep in mind your icing will darken slightly as it dries. Cover the bowl with a damp paper towel pressed directly on the surface of the icing, plus plastic wrap, until ready to use.

Step 4: Lay out all your cookies on a flat surface. Fit a pastry bag with a small plain round tip (I like Wilton #2). Fill the bag about half full with royal icing and twist the top to tighten the bag. Reserve the remaining icing covered as above.

Step 5: Outlining. Use gently pressure to pipe a line of icing just inside the outer edge of the cookie. Try to keep your bag about 1/4-1/2'' above the cookie so you get a nice round line. You want the icing to sort of "fall" out of the bag. This will give you more control over where you're piping. Try to only touch down on the cookie when you begin and end. If you make a mistake, just wait until the icing dries and then scrape it off with a small knife. Let all the cookies rest until the outline is set (usually by the time I'm done outlining my last cookie, I can start flooding the first one).

Step 6: Flooding. First, thin your icing. Begin adding water to your remaining royal icing 1/2 tsp at a time. Continue to add water until the icing is the consistency of honey or thick syrup. A ribbon of icing lifted out of the bowl should disappear back into the icing after just a few seconds. Transfer this thinned or "flood" icing to a plastic squeeze bottle or a disposable plastic piping bag. Snip just the very end off the bag. Pipe or squeeze this icing inside the outline of each cookie. This is called "flooding." Don't try to fill the entire cookie completely. Just fill it most of the way without the icing overflowing. Start with less and add more as necessary. Use a toothpick to guide the icing all the way out until it touches the outline, adding more thinned icing as necessary. Use the sharp end of the toothpick to pop any air bubbles.

Step 7: Let set. Allow the cookies to set until the icing is completely hardened. This can take as much as 24 hours, especially if the weather is humid or damp. If you want to package your cookies, let them sit for 24 hours. Don't worry too much about the cookies getting stale. The icing actually acts as a sealant and will keep the cookies fresh. If you want to pipe additional designs over your flooded icing, only do so once it is completely set. Use the thicker icing (outline) to do this.

Storing royal icing: Store royal icing in the fridge, with a damp paper towel pressed directly onto the surface of the icing. Cover with plastic wrap or the lid of an airtight container. Alternatively, if you have leftover icing still in a plastic piping bag, you can simply put the whole thing in the fridge to store.

I hope this has helped you learn the basics about decorating cookies with royal icing. Please let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them. Look for even more decorated cookies for more specific decorating techniques, coming soon!

Decorated Gingerbread Cookies

Remember my leaf problem? Well, thanks to Artie from Craigslist, my leaves have been blown and raked and bagged and are sitting on my curb waiting for pick up! And my yard (which I can finally see again) looks glorious!

And in honor of all those fallen leaves, I decided to make them into cookies. Where I worked in New York, I did a lot of cookie decorating. We had decorated sugar cookies for Christmas, for Valentine's Day, even for the NCAA basketball tournament and the Oscars. What can I say, we were a festive bunch.

But ever since moving and getting a new job, I haven't had the opportunity to further hone my cookie decorating skills and I really started to miss it. So I finally decided to bite the bullet and use a Williams-Sonoma gift card that had been burning a hole in my wallet for almost a year to buy some beautiful seasonal cookie cutters.

Ordinarily I would have chosen either a simple vanilla or chocolate recipe for these cookies, but I happen to know that Dan's twin sister loves gingerbread, and deserved something extra special after she valiantly came over the other night to remove a tick from our dog's head (because seriously, I was just not doing that on my own. Plus, she's a nurse and is therefore much more qualified to deal with anything related to tweezers and parasite removal. I shudder just thinking about it).

I've made gingerbread twice before this and both times were in the service of gingerbread houses. In fact, I've made probably close to 200 pounds of gingerbread dough in the last few weeks for the giant house we're creating at work. Seriously, the house is so big I can get into it, stand up, and probably raise my arms above my head, and could probably fit another two of me in there (and yes, at 5'2'' I'm pretty short). But, if you've ever made gingerbread strictly for a house, you probably know that it's not exactly something you'd want to nibble on after dinner. You'd probably break a tooth.

But this recipe for gingerbread cookies is the exact opposite. These cookies are soft and chewy, but sturdy enough to hold their shape through baking and stand up to decorating. I love the natural color, and think plain white icing with some sanding sugar would also look simple and beautiful. The flavor is also spot on for gingerbread, sweet and spicy.

I tried a few different designs when it came to decorating. Here are how to do two of my favorites. First, outline each cookie. By the time you finish outlining, the icing should be set enough that you can start flooding.

For the "hearts," I flooded the cookie in the same color as the outline, using "flood" or thinned icing and a toothpick to push the icing all the way to the edge of the outline. Then using a contrasting color or two, I added small dots right onto the wet icing. Use a toothpick and drag the end through the middle of each dot.

The second design I liked was a marbled look. Prepare two contrasting colors of thinned icing. Begin to fill in the cookie with one color, purposefully leaving lots of open space. With the second color, fill in as much of the empty space without overfilling the cookie. Use a toothpick to spread the icing out to the edges of the outline until the whole cookie is filled. Then, go back with your toothpick and marble the two colors together by dragging and swirling the toothpick through the icing until you reach your desired effect.

For some of the cookies, I went back and added a contrasting color outline and veins. I used Wilton gel colors in Orange, Christmas Red, and Green, and tinted each color with a little bit of brown so they weren't so neon. I'll be doing a post about royal icing that includes the recipe I use as well as some basic definitions and tips.

Gingerbread Cookies
Yield: About 20 3-5'' cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
Royal Icing

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until soft and creamy.
3. Add the egg and molasses and continue to mix until incorporated, scraping down the sides as necessary.
4. Add all the dry ingredients and mix on low until just incorporated. The dough will look crumbly.
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use your hands to form the dough into two discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4'' thick. Cut into desired shapes. Space 1-2'' apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpats and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
7. Bake cookies until crisp, but not dark, 12-14 minutes. Let cool on sheet pans, on wire racks.
8. Once cookies are completely cool, decorate with royal icing. Allow to set for a few hours or overnight.

Recipe Notes:

• Before pouring the molasses into a measuring cup, spray the cup with non-stick spray to make it easier to pour all the molasses out.
• Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling. If you find it's starting to crack, simply press firmly on the dough with your rolling pin to condition it before rolling.
• Only re-roll your scraps once, letting the dough rest to avoid tough cookies.

From Martha Stewart

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies with Caramel Cream Cheese Filling

Do you know what the best thing is about sandwich cookies is? You get to eat two cookies and pretend it's just one. But these cookies? These cookies are the type of treat that needed to get out of my house.

Why? you might ask. Well, as I was making the frosting, I sandwiched it between two cookies to test it. Did it need more caramel? more sugar? etc.

After one bite- Whoa, these are really good.

After two bites- Ok, I think that's enough.

And then I ate the whole thing. And immediately wanted another one. Dangerous. There is also leftover caramel cream cheese icing in my fridge right now. Also dangerous.

I can't remember exactly when I dreamed up this cookie combo, but it's been on my baking list for a while now. Maybe it's the slightly cooler weather, or the pumpkin picking trip last weekend. Or it could be the jar of ready-made Trader Joe's caramel sauce in the fridge. But it finally felt like time to give these a whirl.

The first thing I had to do was pick an oatmeal cookie recipe. I wanted something soft and chewy, but not too thick since I'd be using them as sandwich cookies. I trolled around the internet for a while looking for the right recipe. Finally I came across a recipe on Jessica's blog that reminded me of one I'd already made. It's a great cookie base so I thought, why not leave out the chocolate chips and replace them with oats? Yes? Yes.

So that's what I did. Since these cookies usually bake up to be on the thicker side, I just flattened the dough before baking it and ended up with what I thought was a nice size. 

The filling might squeeze out a little when you bite into them but so what? We're all friends here. And what's a little finger licking between friends? Ok, that sounded gross. Pretend I never said that. But you know what I mean! Most importantly, just enjoy these.

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies with Caramel Cream Cheese Filling

Yield: 17 sandwich cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

For the filling:
4 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup caramel sauce
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional, like for when you forget the cinnamon in the cookies like I did)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. 

2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or, by hand, in a large bowl with a whisk), beat together the butter and both sugars. Add the egg and egg yolk with the vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

4. With the mixer off, add half the dry ingredients. Mix on low until almost incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until not quite incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add oats. Fold in by hand with a rubber spatula.

5. Roll dough into balls the size of ping pong balls. Place on baking sheets and flatten with your fingers. Bake at 325 for 10-14 minutes or until cookies are just set. They will remain a pale golden color. Allow to cool completely. 

6. Make the icing. In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Allow to beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar half a cup at a time, mixing on medium until each addition is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, caramel sauce, and cinnamon, if using. Transfer the icing to a fridge to chill.

7. Once cookies are completely chilled, match them up by size. Pipe or spoon the caramel icing onto one cookie and sandwich it with its match, pressing down lightly until you can see the filling from the side. Repeat until all cookies are filled. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe Notes:

• I just happened to have store-bought caramel sauce in my fridge, but you can definitely make your own! There's a good recipe in this post.
• The cookies only need about 5-7 minutes at room temperature before you serve them.

Cookie recipe adapted from the Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whopper Cookies

Question: When was the last time you had a whopper? Maybe you can't remember because it's been so long. Maybe you've never had one (in which case, who are you?).

Unlike a Whatchamacallit, which is so obscure that you probably think I've made it up, Whoppers are just obscure enough that you're probably familiar with them, maybe you'll try a few of your friends', but they're never your first choice in the candy aisle- Hello Snickers OR peanut m&ms and sour patch kids omgperfectmoviecombo.

 Told you I wasn't making it up. Source

If, in fact, you've never heard of or had a Whatchamacallit, pleeaasse rectify that situation immediately. Go to the nearest gas station or 7-Eleven. Do not stop to pump gas. Do not stop and get a slurpee. Go directly to the cashier. Look down and get two Whatchamacallit bars. Yes, two. Because one just won't be enough. Also, pick up some Whoppers because today, we're putting them in cookies.

Keep chopping. These are still too big.

The other secret ingredient that you've maybe never had or never used is malted milk powder. It's in the baking aisle. I have no idea what you use it for except milkshakes. And now, cookies.

This recipe has been hanging out in my word files for a while, and stupidly, I didn't record the source where I found it. So, to whoever you are that created this recipe, I don't know you, but I want to french kiss you. It's awesome.

Now, there are two very important steps you must follow when baking this recipe. First, when you open the malted milk powder, smell it. It smells DELICIOUS. Second, do yourself a favor and taste this batter. Then do yourself another favor and PUT THE BEATER DOWN and walk away. Also, try not to eat all the whoppers before they make it into the cookies. It's totally worth it, I'm telling you.

Whopper Cookies
Yield: 18 large cookies

Ingredients:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup malted milk powder
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup whole milk

2 cups (6 ounces) chocolate-covered malted milk balls (Whoppers), coarsely chopped

1 cup chocolate chips (or 6 ounces chopped chocolate)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line three baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until very smooth and light in color. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. If the batter looks grainy or separated after the first egg, scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat on medium speed until the batter looks smooth and cohesive again before adding the second egg. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Turn off the mixer and add half the dry ingredients. Mix on low until mostly incorporated. Add the milk. With the mixer off again, add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix on low just until everything is incorporated. By hand, with a rubber spatula, fold in the malted milk balls and chocolate chips.
4. Drop about 2 heaping tablespoonfuls worth of dough onto the sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until puffed and set but still slightly soft to the touch. Let the cookies rest for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

• This batter is a bit loosey goosey, not the kind you'll be able to roll into a ball, so if you have a cookie scoop, now's the time to use it. 
• I baked mine for 12 minutes which resulted in very soft cookies (almost falling apart). If you want a crisper cookie, bake for an additional 2-3 minutes.