Cookies Archives | Page 2 of 4

Wellingtons Cookies from Home Baked

November 20, 2015

I’m a fan of seasonal eating. I like asparagus in the spring, berries in the summer and apples in fall. You get the idea.

I always associate seasonal with fresh foods until the holidays come along. When we start creeping up to Thanksgiving and especially when December hits, it’s 100 percent cookie season! Sure I’ll throw some kale and sweet potatoes into my meals for good measure, but cookies and baking take center stage.

Every year it’s a battle between making old favorites or experimenting with new recipes. When you throw an outstanding new cookbook into the mix, the old favorites start to take the back seat.

Maple Peanut Butter Cookies

August 29, 2015

There are times when nothing will do, but a cookie. No slice of cake or pie, no brownie square or fruit tart; only a cookie.

I appreciate that my sweet tooth is selective, but its picky nature sometimes sends me into the kitchen for some baking when I hadn’t really planned on it. That happened this past week.

Smoked Almond, Chocolate Chip and Coconut Cookies

July 23, 2015

Back in May I had the opportunity to attend a food blogger event for the launch of Safeway’s Open Nature Super Premium Ice Cream. This post is a recap of the food and fun that led to the creation of these Smoked Almond, Chocolate Chip and Coconut Cookies!

It’s not everyday that you get invited to taste ice cream. Well, okay. It probably happens a little more often for a food blogger than the average person, but that makes it no less exciting.

Back in May I got invited to hang out with a great group of food bloggers to learn about the launch of Safeway’s Open Nature Super Premium Ice Cream. I’ve been really curious about the Open Nature brand and I was completely sold on checking out Safeway’s commercial kitchen so I took the short drive to Pleasanton for an incredibly fun few days.

I have to be completely honest. You know I make a lot of things. Many things from scratch that most people buy at the store. But after several years of my from-scratch lifestyle there are a few things that I’ve voted best made by the professionals. Ice cream is one of those for me.

Candied Ginger and Carrot Cookies

April 4, 2015

These candied ginger and carrot cookies are a twist on a classic oatmeal cookie. They are soft and chewy on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside.

I was recently trying to remember when I first started eating fresh ginger. I can’t pinpoint the day, but I’m certain it had to be while we were living in Brazil.

It was likely with sushi (I don’t think I’d ever eaten sushi until we moved there), but what I really remember are the teas and mulled wines that used slice after slice of fresh ginger root. After discovering those and then learning how to make them, I was sold.

Starry Starry Nights Chocolate Cookies

March 3, 2015

These chocolate cookies are so rich and delicious! Made with almond flour, they also happen to be gluten-free and grain-free, so they are perfect for sharing with friends. You’ll find these cookies and so many more great desserts in the new cookbook Let Them Eat Cake by Gesine Bullock-Prado.

I’ve mentioned many times before that I’m not grain-free, gluten-free, vegan, or most other food labels out there. I also feel incredibly fortunate that I don’t have any food allergies. That being said, the one thing I am when I cook and bake is a bit of a pleaser.

If I invite you over, give you a food gift, or share a potluck with you, I want you to be able to eat. Not eating sounds like no fun at all. So any tool that helps me help more people eat good food, well, I’m all for it.

It’s rare to come across a cookbook that is for everyone. One that you can buy for anyone on your gift list and one that you can use to make sweet treats for anyone you might be eating with. I’ve found it though, and to be honest, I’m pretty blown away by it. It’s downright awesome.

Pistachio Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate

February 17, 2015

These shortbread cookies are loaded with crunchy pistachios. Made with raw sugar and white whole wheat flour, they are rich and crumbly, and slightly sweetened with a drizzle of white chocolate.

It happens this time every year. Right about mid February, I’m ready for cookies again. At this point, I feel like I’ve sufficiently recovered from the cookie overdose brought on by the holiday season.

A few weeks spent anti-cookie and I’m ready to start thinking up some new recipes. Thoughts of butter, brown sugar and chocolate chips resume their place in my head. Before I know it, the oven is preheated and the cookie sheets are lined.

Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies from Beach House Baking

July 11, 2014

Friday is cookbook review day throughout the summer here at Fake Food Free. If you have a love of cookbooks be sure to swing back by for plenty of new ideas and recipes.

Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies from Beach House Baking | fakefoodfree.com

Baking isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I envision the beach. Usually it’s rum drinks and ice cream cones.

But now that I think of it, during just about every beach vacation I’ve enjoyed, tucked somewhere in the line of swim shops and shaved ice is a quaint bakery with a window of cookies, brownies and candies. It’s always a highlight of the trip.

It’s a lot like how Beach House Baking: An Endless Summer of Delicious Desserts by Lei Shishak is a highlight to a summer of new cookbooks.

“I wasn’t always a beach girl,” she writes. “In fact, growing up in rural Pennsylvania I was more of a country bumpkin.”

Now how can I not love that? Just replace Pennsylvania with Indiana and Kentucky and bingo — you’ve got me.

Lei goes on to tell the story of how her love of food drew her from a non-food career to opening her own bakery. And how a love of the beach drew her to California. Minus the bakery, it’s a story I can most definitely relate to.

This cookbook was also a reminder of how diverse beach life can be. I grew up with vacations to the hot beaches of Florida and North Carolina. I never knew California beaches until two short years ago.

Here in the Bay Area we have beaches that are warm during the day (maybe) and breezy and cool at night. It’s weather that beacons a little baking. Maybe something like the Coconut Apricot Oat Crisps or one of the Happy Hour cupcakes like the Red, Red Wine Cupcakes with Blackberry Mascarpone Mousse in this book.

If you feel it’s just too hot to turn on the oven, the added Beachy Beverages section and the Peach Green Tea in the Frozen Pops section will get you through until you can bake up the cookies for the Malibu ice cream sandwiches.

Either way, a great perk of this cookbook is that the recipes are simple and straightforward. Each one fits to a page, and while there is no shortage of creativity, there aren’t any super long lists of ingredients and complicated steps either.

Being fortunate to have cool evenings in the summer that are perfect for firing up the oven, I had to go for something true to the baking theme of the book — cookies. Not just any cookie though, Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies.

My quest for good peanut butter cookie recipes has been going on since high school when I worked in a bakery that made the most outstanding version. I like peanut butter cookies every which way you can bake them – crisp and crumbly, soft and tender, with chopped nuts or without. I love that this recipe incorporated a few peanut butter chips, because it’s something I don’t normally do. I’ve been using Trader Joe’s peanut butter chips. I’d sworn off peanut butter chips in the past, but these have very few ingredients and work well in desserts.

These cookies have a firm, crumbly edge and a rich, tender middle. A perfect combination when it comes to peanut butter cookies. I used natural peanut butter with only salt and peanuts, because aside from a few favorite flavored versions, that’s about all I keep around. It worked perfectly so don’t be afraid to substitute it if that is what you use, too.

Old-fashioned peanut butter cookies

Makes about 23 cookies

From the book: Growing up on the East Coast, I would often head to Virginia Beach during spring break. This popular tourist destination boasts miles of sandy beaches as well as amazing fishing and boating opportunities. It’s also famous for its peanut specialties, including peanut brittle, peanut pie, and fried peanuts. When I hit the beaches these days, I love packing these soft and chewy cookies in my beach bag.

The heat of the sun warms the cookie just enough to bring out the aroma of the peanut butter and melts the peanut butter chips embedded in the dough. It’s like taking a bite out of a just-baked peanut butter cookie that’s melt-in-your-mouth delicious, all while being at the beach.

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup smooth peanut butter

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon half-and-half

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1½ cups all-purpose flour

Heaping ½ cup peanut butter chips

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, half and- half, and vanilla extract, and mix for an additional minute. Mix in the flour, chips, baking soda, and salt until incorporated. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a couple baking trays with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

3. Scoop the dough onto the prepared trays (I use a 1-ounce ice cream scoop). Flatten slightly with palm. Mark the dough with the back of a fork in a crisscross pattern.

4. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until edges are just set. Cookies will look underbaked. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool completely on the sheet trays.

Disclosure: This cookbook was sent to me for review purposes. I was not required to write about it an received no compensation for doing so.

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Dainty Ladies from Edwardian Cooking

June 13, 2014

My favorite scenes from Downton Abbey are always in the kitchen or the dining room. These Dainty Ladies from Edwardian Cooking bring those scenes to life, allowing us to serve some foods of that time at our own (less fancy) tea times and dinner parties!

Dainty Ladies from Edwardian Cooking | fakefoodfree.com

Have you ever envisioned what it would be like to live during a different time in history?

As a kid I can remember being crazy about Little House on the Prairie. I really wanted to be that Laura Ingalls. At that point, food didn’t play a part in my fascination, but the rustic kitchen, farm life and fishing by the creek did. Despite the cold nights and TV drama, it looked like so much fun!

Given that little piece of my past and my love of travel you’d think I would have been a shoo-in for Downton Abbey. I was such a late blooming fan. I didn’t see the draw at all for the first two seasons. Then I watched my first episode and it all went down hill.

Hooked, binged watched and I’m anxiously awaiting what will happen next like everyone else.

I bet you can guess my favorite scenes. Yep, the kitchen. I love catching glimpses of what might have been prepared and served during that time.

It’s one reason why I’ve found Edwardian Cooking by Larry Edwards so interesting! Like the show, it’s a bit of fantasy meets history and it’s just plain fun!

Even though Downton Abbey is fictional, similar scenarios existed during that time and the book goes into detail about the foods that were likely eaten. It is history lesson slash cookbook and provides 80 recipes inspired by Downton Abbey’s elegant meals so that you can recreate them.

I was drawn to the section devoted to High Tea recipes – the crumpets, finger sandwiches and cookies. I decided to make the one recipe that is direct opposite of my personality.

Dainty Ladies.

I’ve been described with many words, but dainty certainly isn’t one of them. Aside from giving me a giggle, the ingredients were right up my alley and I love the story about how ladies were reminded to remove their gloves to prevent getting butter stains. You can read about that below.

These little tea biscuits are just barely sweet. It reminds me of my favorite scones from Ireland. They are nothing like the scones here in the States. Just a touch of sugar and fruit make them sweet, just like a touch of sweetener and coconut takes the edge off the savory, buttery flavor of these little ladies. They have a nutty, shortbread-like taste and texture making them perfect for a tea or coffee break.

A note on ingredients. I had sweetened coconut on hand from another recipe so I used that. The recipe doesn’t clarify, but if you want them to be more of a cookie, I’d do the same. It adds just a little more sweetness.

Dainty Ladies

(makes 32 small cookies)

From the book:

A staple of the drawing rooms and salons that served High Tea, these sweet sensations truly lived up to their feminine name. Served primarily to the female guests, Dainty Ladies are very buttery rich and have a wonderful texture, all of which was created to accentuate the taste of tea. When Dainty Ladies appeared on the table, the guests knew something special was about to happen. This is one of only a few dishes of the Edwardian era to feature coconut and the reason for this is rather simple. Obviously, you couldn’t grow coconut anywhere in Great Britain. It had to be imported at great cost. When (and if ) an abbey had coconut, it was locked up with only the butler of the house having the key. You might have noticed when watching Downton Abbey that quite often during High Tea or a social gathering featuring food, the women would wear white gloves. If Dainty Ladies were one of the featured sweets, the footman presenting the cookie would inform the guest and the guest would remove here right glove and with her thumb and forefinger, retrieve a cookie. The reason for this is the amount of butter used to make Dainty Ladies would soil the gloves.

Ingredients needed to make Dainty Ladies:

2 cups flour

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup rolled oats (oatmeal)

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 cup butter

1 Tbs. corn syrup

2 Tbs. water

1 Tbs. vanilla

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a baking sheet with parchment paper

or a silicon sheet.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, coconut, rolled oats, baking soda, and

cream of tartar.

3. In a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter into the corn syrup and water.

Once the butter has melted, stir in the vanilla.

4. Pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until it is combined.

5. Let the dough sit 5 minutes for the oats to soak up the butter mixture.

6. Remove walnut-size portions of the mixture and roll into a ball.

7. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet.

8. Place into the oven and bake 12 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven and place the cookies on a wire rack to cool.

Dainty Ladies from Edwardian Cooking via @Lori_Rice

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Disclosure: This book was provided for review purposes. I was not required to write about it and received no compensation for doing so.

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Whole Grain Chocolate Cookie and McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream Sandwiches

February 14, 2014

This hearty, whole grain chocolate cookie is best served with a delicious ice cream. One of my new favorites is McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream based in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Whole Grain Chocolate Cookie Recipe | Fake Food Free

My first New Year’s Eve in California was spent in Santa Barbara. It was just last year and we were on the fourth day of our five day cross-country move. Knowing that we didn’t want to spend that particular night in a roadside hotel, we drove a few extra miles to the beach.

It was a short trip with two pugs along so we didn’t see much of the city, but since that little taste, I’ve wanted to return. I thought I had plenty of reasons for wanting to go back, but a few days ago I found one more.

This ice cream…

I was introduced to it through the Winter Fancy Food Show that I attended last month. You can order it online, but I fully support using it as an excuse to visit California.

Despite my endeavors to make most of the foods we eat, occasionally you come across something that you simply cannot master as well. You can’t make it any more delicious or natural. This ice cream is that for me.

McConnell’s has been making their ice cream since 1949, but I have yet to come across a company that uses such great ingredients or creates a product that tastes as good as this. I know. It’s ice cream. But the texture and flavor of McConnell’s is truly outstanding.

The ice cream is made from raw milk and cream from California grass-fed cows that is pasteurized and homogenized in-house. It’s then combined with cage-free organic eggs, some pure cane sugar and all kinds of natural, local ingredients like organic fruits and nuts.

I got four varieties to try:

Olive Oil & Salted Almonds – Mild and creamy. Vanilla lovers will enjoy its simplicity.
Milk Chocolate & Raspberry Jam – Smooth chocolate meets fresh raspberry swirl.
Eureka Lemon & Marionberries – It’s like California and the Pacific Northwest came to a party in my mouth.
Oaxacan Chocolate – A flavor so rich and complex (with hints of cinnamon) that you’ll keep taking bites just to analyze it some more.

While I was completely intrigued by the Oaxacan Chocolate, I decided that the Eureka Lemon & Marionberries was my favorite. It was tough to choice!

This ice cream needs nothing more than a spoon, but I thought I would use it in a Valentine’s Day dessert. I tested out a cookie recipe with whole grains, raw cane sugar and California butter to complement all the natural ingredients in the ice cream. The goal was a mildly flavored cookie that’s sweetness or flavor wouldn’t overpower the ice cream. These were perfect.

Whole Grain Chocolate Cookie and McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream Sandwiches

Makes: 6 ice cream sandwiches

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup raw sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
½ cup raw sugar for rolling the cookies
1 pint Eureka Lemon & Marionberries McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream (or your favorite flavor)

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed, and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat for about 2 minutes or until well combined.

Reduce the speed to medium and mix in the egg. Mix in the cocoa powder. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Mix in the cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the flour, a little at a time. Mix just until all ingredients are combined.

Scoop out the dough and roll into generous golf ball size portions. Roll in the raw sugar and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Place only 6 to 9 cookies on each baking sheet. Press the cookies slightly flatten them.

Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and centers of the cookies are somewhat firm. Cool for 1 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, allow the ice cream to soften at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Place six of the cookies bottom-side up on a flat surface.

Top with a generous ¼ cup of ice cream. Place the remaining six cookies on top, bottom-side down, to create the sandwich. Gently press the cookies so that ice cream spreads to the edges. Depending on how generous you are with the ice cream. You may have some leftover. I suggest eating it.

Wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

If you are looking for more ways to use McConnell’s Ice Cream, check out Salty Sweet Life’s Pear, Gorgonzola and Thyme Galette!

Disclosure: I received this product for review purposes. I was not required to blog about it and I received no compensation for doing so. All thoughts and content here are my own. It’s really good ice cream!

Ginger Molasses Cookie Bars Recipe

December 13, 2013

I can’t get enough of ginger flavored treats during the holiday season. These cookie bars are a recreation of one of my favorite cookies made with fresh ginger and molasses!

This past summer, I discovered my favorite cookie. It’s sold at Blue Bottle Coffee in Oakland. I’ve always been a fan of gingerbread-like desserts, but this cookie takes it to a new level. It’s made with fresh ginger and ground black pepper. It’s slightly crunchy on the inside, but soft and chewy on the inside. Darn near perfect when it comes to cookies.

When I tried it, the idea of both fresh ginger and black pepper in a cookie were new to me. I’ve wanted to try making something similar ever since. I think creating the right cookie texture is going to take me much more practice than I am able to commit to this holiday season, so I went the easy route and incorporated the flavors into a bar.

It’s certainly not an exact replica, but for someone who can’t get enough gingerbread this time of year, these chewy, spicy cookie bars hit the spot.

Ginger Molasses Cookie Bars

Makes: 16 bars

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp turbinado sugar
2 tbsp molasses
1 large egg
½ tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 cup white whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground clove

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking pan lightly with unsalted butter.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, coconut sugar and 1/3 cup of the turbinado sugar. Cream together on medium to medium-high speed, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and mix for about 30 more seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the egg and mix 30 more seconds. Mix in the fresh ginger.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and mix just until all ingredients are combined.

Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of turbinado sugar.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely and cut into 16 bars.