Raspberry Oatmeal Jam Jam Cookies

22 May

In my family, there has always been a long-standing tradition. We aren’t necessarily avid bakery-goers, with the exception of myself, of course. However, Dooher’s Bakery in Ontario, Canada is always a must whenever we’re in the region.

If we could, we would go a few times a week. The pies, tarts, and other pastries do seem to serve us well. But while the pastry and muffin flavors change, there is one treat Dooher’s has to offer that has been a constant for as long as I can remember. Let’s say at least 10 years.

Dooher’s Jam Jam cookies are a simple, yet incredibly delicious, sandwich cookie. By using soft oatmeal cookies and sandwiching them together with a sticky jam filling, Dooher’s has brought me back year after year.

I used to stock up when I visited. I used to ask my Nanny to send me a few bags in the mail. Now, I’ve replicated such a cookie. You can thank me later.

Raspberry Jam Jams

1/2 C Butter

1/2 C White Sugar

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 C and 2 Tbsp Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 C Oats

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg and extract and beat well. Add flour, salt, and baking soda and beat until a soft dough forms. Stir in the oats. Drop by tablespoons full on to a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Once cool, top one cookie with a spoonful of raspberry jam, and sandwich another on top.

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French Roast Coffee Cookies

21 May

I have a friend who loves coffee. Actually, I have many friends who love coffee. But, when I am reminded of this particular friend, it’s always, without a doubt, because I have a cup in my hand.

I’m about to ship a batch of these cookies to this friend, with well wishes of a happy birthday. Of course, I could just send a card. But really, wouldn’t you think that mail is welcomed much better when it contains cookies? Trust me, it is.

I can tell you that these ship well and retain their flavor. They make people want to share them, savor them, and eat them slowly so they don’t disappear too fast. By using french roast coffee grounds and pure vanilla extract in the dough, well, perfection is achieved.

I suggest you try it.

French Roast Coffee Cookies

1/2 C Butter

1/2 C White Sugar

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 C and 2 Tbsp Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp French Roast Coffee Grounds

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg and extract and beat well. Add flour, salt, and baking soda and beat until a soft dough forms. Beat in coffee grounds. Drop by tablespoons full on to a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

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Chocolate Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

18 May

Are you ready for this? Do you remember when I told you about Edible Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough? I know it was life changing, if only just for me. Not only life changing, but it’s really, outstandingly delicious.

And now? Yes, I have definitely taken it to a whole new level. I baked the cookie dough into some cute chocolate cupcakes, and all of my dreams came true.

Because the cookie dough recipe doesn’t contain eggs or baking soda, the dough doesn’t bake. Once you add it to the middle of each of your cupcakes, it disappears within the middle while baking. Later, however, you’ll find that sweet little surprise once you take your first bite. All is right with the world now, isn’t it?

These cupcakes turn out best if you prepare the cookie dough the night before. Let it sit in the fridge overnight. Take it out 45 minutes prior to baking, or microwave for 20 seconds.

Chocolate Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

Edible Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough rolled into tablespoon sized balls.

Chocolate Cupcakes

1/4 C White Sugar

1/2 C Brown Sugar

3/4 C + 2 TBSP Flour

1/4 C +2 TBSP Cocoa Powder

3/4 Tsp Baking Powder

3/4 Tsp Baking Soda

1/4 Tsp Salt

1 Egg

1/2 C Milk

1/4 C Saffola Oil

1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Water, Boiling

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add egg, milk, oil, and vanilla and beat well. Pour in boiling water, and stir the batter until combined.

Using a measuring cup, pour batter into a lined or greased cupcake pan. The batter will be very thin, which is fine.

Drop a ball of cookie dough in the middle of each cupcake.

Bake for 16-18 minutes. Check the edge of the cupcakes when done, rather than the middle.

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Edible Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

14 May

Let me share a secret with you. I’m somewhat convinced that I may die from eating too much raw cookie dough. There has never been a batch of cookies made in my kitchen that I haven’t sampled the dough prior to baking. It’s an addiction, and I know some of you have the same exact issue.

Luckily, we can now officially eat as much cookie dough as we can possibly handle. The simplicity and versatility of this treat is astounding. You can eat this on its own, by the spoonful if you’d like, or you could  bake your cookie dough in cupcakes or brownies. Talk about a revolutionary treat.

This cookie dough uses the same basic ingredients of a classic chocolate chip cookie. By omitting the egg, it is totally safe to eat. By omitting the baking soda and salt used in a normal cookie recipe, you can use this to stuff cupcakes and other treats, without the dough baking.

If you don’t eat it all, or want to use it later, store the dough in jars in the fridge. Once you’re ready to eat it, or use it, take it out of the fridge and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Edible Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

1/2 C Butter

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1/2 C White Sugar

1/2 Tsp Vanilla

1 C and 2 Tbsp Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 C Chocolate Chips

Cream the butter and sugars. Add the vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the flour to the butter mixture and beat to form a soft dough. Stir in the chocolate chips.

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Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Real Maple Syrup Icing

11 May

Maple syrup is a staple in my diet. I know, as cliché as that sounds, it’s true. I grew up visiting stores nestled among maple trees, tasting each batch of maple syrup ranging from dark to light. I brought maple syrup buckets and spiles for show and tell at school. I grew up eating maple sugar candy, trying to coax all of my friends to try it as well.

I get my maple syrup from where I was born in Ontario, Canada. Each time I visit, I go to my favorite spot in Campbellford, Curle’s Maple, and take a bit home. These cupcakes were made to celebrate the love that I have for maple syrup. They celebrate the sweet, humbling flavor of a treat I have always loved and continue to incorporate into as many things as I can.

These cupcakes are made with a simple batter, using brown sugar as a base. This creates somewhat of a gingerbread cupcake, and topping it off with icing made with real maple syrup makes it all the more satisfying.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes

1 1/4 C Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 Tsp Vanilla

1/2 C Milk

1/2 C Butter, melted

1 1/2 C Flour

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/4 Tsp Salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the brown sugar and egg on low, then add the vanilla and milk and continue to beat. Slowly mix in the melted butter. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixtures to the sugar mixture and beat until a batter forms.

Scoop by 1/4 cups into a greased or lined cupcake pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until your cupcakes are slightly dark brown.

Real Maple Syrup Icing

1/2 C Butter

2- 2 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1/2 C Real Maple Syrup

1 Tbsp Milk

Beat the butter and a 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar. Add the maple syrup and milk and continue beating. Continue to add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

7 May

We should talk about peanut butter. Oh, and chocolate too. We should talk about the combination of peanut butter and chocolate and how wild it makes everybody!

Can you tell me what it is? Obviously, yes, I too know that it is delicious. But why? Why do we gravitate toward it?

Sweet and salty? Is that what were getting at? The perfect blend? Yeah, I think that must be it. And lucky for you, these cookies do just that. By combining peanut butter cookie dough with a bit of cocoa powder and chopped Reese’s, this cookie will satisfy that craving/love/desire for your favorite chocolate and peanut butter combination. You can thank me later.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

1/2 C Butter

1/2 C White Sugar

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 Tsp Vanilla

1/2 C Peanut Butter

1 C and 2 Tbsp Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 C Chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat well. Add the peanut butter and continue to  beat. Add flour, salt, and baking soda and beat until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough into two sections. Add the cocoa powder to one section and continue to beat. Stir half of the chopped Reese’s into each portion of dough.

Grab a section of each portion of dough and roll it together to form a ball. Drop on to a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

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Dahlia Bakery

30 Apr

I really need to tell you about this bakery. I need to tell you about how good the cookies are. I need to tell you how sweet, flaky, and buttery the pastries are. Oh, and I need to tell you about how incredibly wonderful their mini coconut cream pie bites are. These little things are sweet, delicious pieces of art. The pastry crust, although it is only about the size of two fingers, is astonishing. You can certainly tell these little bites have been baked with a whole lot of love.

Dahlia Bakery is one of the many establishments owned by Tom Douglas. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. He’s been on Iron Chef America, Emeril Live, and was once named Best Northwest Chef. He certainly knows what he’s doing.

During my most recent trip to Seattle, Washington I had the opportunity of visiting Dahlia Bakery several times. Each and every time, I was greeted by a new delicious item in the bakery case.

I ate plenty of Tom’s famous coconut cream pie, but I also tried a few other things. I ate one of the best chocolate cookies I have ever met. A soft, chewy chocolate cookie. This Chocolate Truffle cookie was decadent. It was flavorful. It was rich. Essentially, it was everything you could ever want in a chocolate cookie.

Another delicious treat I found was called the Almond Orange Hand Pie. It was an incredible pastry filled with almond and orange flavor. I can’t really describe how delicious this treat was. I think if you just look at it, you’ll probably be convinced.

If you’re ever in the Seattle area, and have the opportunity to visit Dahlia Bakery, you certainly shouldn’t pass that by. The array of items from pastries to cookies to pies, cupcakes, and even sandwiches is simply astounding. Tom Douglas, my props to you. You certainly know how to make a delicious treat.

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Coconut and Kit Kat Cookies

27 Apr

I really don’t have much to say about these, other than that they are the epitome of happiness. Although you may question the combination at first, you will soon learn that these are perfection, to my standards at least.

If you’ve ever thought about the perfect cookie, this may have come to mind. It obviously came to my mind. However, since we are all different, I can understand that these may not be your cup of tea. But, I would still like to convince you otherwise.

These cookies are soft and chewy. They have a bit of a the crunch, offered by the addition of  Kit Kat chocolate bars. The coconut adds a subtle, yet wonderful flavor. And, well, they’re just simply ridiculously good.

Coconut and Kit Kat Cookies

1/2 C Butter

1/2 C White Sugar

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Coconut Extract

1 C and 2 Tbsp Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

3/4 C Coconut,flaked

1 C Kit Kats, chopped

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and extract and beat well. Add flour, salt, and baking soda, and beat until a soft dough forms. Stir in the coconut and chopped Kit Kats. Drop by tablespoons full on to a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

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Frozen Chocolate Cake Balls

23 Apr

This weekend, I got a sunburn. No, not a tan, my skin isn’t nice enough for that. I got a very red, blotchy, bright, painful sunburn. I was outside for ten minutes before I put on sunscreen. Ten minutes! So, if that is any preview of how this summer is going to be, we better get prepared. Or, perhaps for those folks that have the ability to tan, we’ll just say that I need to get prepared.

I’ve noticed that a lot of people don’t like cake during the summer, and I have no idea why. Is it because you’re afraid that a slice of cake will make you look fat in your bikini? Is it the texture?  We need something cold for summer, right? That must be the issue. How about cold cake! Frozen cake!

Now, these aren’t served as cake slices, but I still cannot promise that they won’t make you look fat in your bikini. Probably because you’ll want to eat quite a few. But I think you should just get past that. They’re small, they’re chilly, and they’re delicious. Absolutely worth it.

This recipe uses a basic chocolate cake. Crumble up the cake, add some icing, form the balls, top with more icing, and freeze them! This makes about 28 frozen cake balls, depending on the size you make, and they will last about 3 weeks in the freezer!

Frozen Chocolate Cake Balls

Bake your favorite chocolate (or white) cake recipe.

I used this favorite chocolate cake recipe.

Once baked, let the cake cool completely.

While the cake cools, make the icing:

2 C Powdered Sugar

1/2 C Butter, softened

2 Tbsp Milk

1/2 Tsp Vanilla

Cream the butter, then add half of the powdered sugar. Add the milk and vanilla extract and continue to beat. Continue to add powdered sugar until the icing is fairly thick. You don’t want to use a thin icing for this step.

Once the cake is cool, break it up into small pieces, and begin to crumble the cake into a large bowl.

Add the icing to the cake crumbs and begin to stir. To fully incorporate the icing with the cake crumbs, use your hands!

Once the icing is incorporated, begin to form the cake balls. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes.

While the cake balls are freezing, make the glaze: Combine 2 Tbsp Milk, 1 C Powdered Sugar,  and 1 Tbsp Butter, melted. Add in Vanilla Extract to taste. Whisk the ingredients until smooth, then add food coloring if you’d like.

Take the cake balls out of the freezer. Using a spoon, top the cake balls with the glaze, and add sprinkles if you’d like.

Put the cake balls back in the freezer for another 20 minutes. Serve cold.

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Orange Coconut M&M Oatmeal Cookies

20 Apr

We need to talk about something serious. Sunshine….serious sunshine!

The warm weather is definitely on its way, and I think we need to celebrate. I think we should celebrate the bright flowers, the buzzing bees, and of course, the big ball of light in the sky!

Now, I’m not sure what summer means to you. We each have our own different opinions and definitions. Some head straight for the beach, the pool, or the grass. To me, it’s a pair of Chaco sandals and a good book. It’s a rushing river and fishing. To some, of course, it’s all about food! It’s about gatherings, reunions, and picnics.

Because I understand that we each have different definitions of summer, and because I totally understand your belief that it is all about the food, I have a summertime gift for you. A gift from me to you. A soft oatmeal cookie filled with orange and coconut flavor, and even a few M&Ms! Thoughtful, right?

Orange Coconut M&M Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 C Butter

1/2 C White Sugar

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 Tsp Coconut Extract

1 1/2 Tsp Orange Extract

1 C and 2 Tbsp Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 C Coconut, flaked

1/2 C Oats

1/2 C Coconut M&Ms

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg and extracts and beat well. Add flour, salt, and baking soda and beat until a soft dough forms. Stir in the coconut, oats, and Coconut M&Ms.

Drop by tablespoons full onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

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