Oatmeal Raisinet Chip Cookies

So I started making this one cookie recipe, and I just couldn't stick to it. I wanted to add more of one thing and take some things out - so basically, at least in my own head, I ultimately made up this recipe myself. And I'm going to stand by it... Because most cookie recipes have a pretty basic foundation - you have either one stick, or a stick and a half, of butter, with equal parts sugar, an egg, a cup or so of flour and so on. It's when you get to the baking soda, flour, corn starch part that is the real game changer - and the hardest part in creating a cookie recipe - that and the mix-ins obviously. Of course things change when you are making a chocolate cookie or something, but I feel like then you would potentially just replace some of the flour for cocoa powder. I have a lot to learn still, but I definitely want to trust myself more with making up my own recipes. I have enough experiences after all. It's just a matter of wasting costly ingredients that grinds my gears...

But about these cookies. I was seconds away from putting popcorn in them, because the raisinet and popcorn combo is one of my favorite indulgent snacks. I decided against it; only because I wanted to bake them the next day, and I thought the popcorn would get soggy and lose it's crunch. Actually, popcorn tends to lose it's crunch if you leave it out too long, so I was also afraid that would happen in the cookie. When I ultimately take on this challenge of putting popcorn in cookies, I think I will start with caramel corn, which locks in the crunchiness. 

Oatmeal Raisinet Chip Cookies 

Ingredients

1 stick butter

½ cup sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup raisinets

½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips 

Start by creaming together the butter and sugars. If using a hand mixer, remember this part takes twice as long as using a stand mixer. If you think it's creamy enough, it probably isn't. A good indicator apart from fluffiness is the color should be come noticeably whiter.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix for a few minutes more. In a separate bowl (although not totally necessary) mix together the dry ingredients. Mix into the butter mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and raisinets with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375. Do not bake immediately out of the fridge. Give the dough a bit of time to get soft again so it can spread. If you bake it immediately, the cookie doesn't spread as well, so they end up smaller and thicker. If you are into that though, go for it! Bake for 9 minutes.

**If you have time, always make one test cookie. Nothing is worse than baking half of your cookie dough or cupcake batter only to find out your oven is too hot or you cooked it for too long. More cookies do end up taking like a minute longer for some reason, but it's good to get the gist of things - and under-baking is always better than over-baking a cookie, anyway.

Funfetti Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been ogling the notorious Sally's Baking Addiction funfetti Cookies for what seems like ages now. I knew it had to be the first cookie I made when I finally got back into the kitchen. It was SO worth it! You must make these. They are everything she describes them as on her blog. Chewy and soft but still crisp on the outside.

I tried baking them tall like she talks about, as well. I'm on the fence about the idea. I'm not sure if it is necessary for every cookie recipe, but  I think it's the best method for these. I tried baking them the normal way, and they were still great of course, but crispier and less chewy. I guess it is just a matter of preference, but I definitely want to try it a couple more times before I convert completely. They definitely aren't as pretty though, that's for sure. And it required a little more work. The cookies have to be reshaped/pushed into circles immediately after they get out of the oven, otherwise they look awkwardly oval. I might just have to take one for the team and experiment with this entire recipe all over again before I go back to school. Obviously for the sake of technique....not because I want more cookies...because I'm on a diet....

Funfetti Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies 
adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction 

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup yellow cake mix
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature sugar
1 egg, room temp
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (first 6)

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy

3. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on medium high for another minute until fluffy and creamy

4. Add the flour mixture and mix on LOW until just combined if using a stand mixer (can also be added in 3 increments to avoid mess)

5. Mix in the chocolate chips and sprinkles until just combined. don't over-mix! if you are afraid of over-mixing, fold in the chips and sprinkles

6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, but preferably for several or overnight.

7. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 and shape the cookies dough balls by roll tablespoon sized balls and stack on on top of another so that they are tall instead of wide. This isn't a required step, but it's an interesting experiment that I suggest trying at least once. If they fall over during baking, that's ok. You can always push them back into circles when they come out of the oven. (but do it immediately if that is the case)

8. Bake for 11-13 minutes. They may not look like they are done, but they are. After the cookies have deflated a bit after baking, remove the tin foil or silpat from the cookie sheet so they the cookies can cool against the cold counter rather than continue to bake on the hot sheet.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

At the Hill School we always had a pretty impressive dessert table. Unlike at Elon, there was no glass wall that prevented you from grabbing as many desserts as you could hold (which definitely explains the rather hefty thighs I had in high school). For some reason I had a craving for their chocolate crinkle cookies, which they had actually all the time. I also wanted to try something a little different as well because I feel like all the cookies I bake are generally pretty traditional. These cookies are great, but they aren't my favorite. I'll eat them, sure. But I won't get that insatiable craving that I do for all of my other cookie recipes (the neimans, the ny times chocolate chip, those sugar cookies, the oatmeal ones!! I mean I could keep going...) Its a good recipe to have though and they are definitely pretty to look at too!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies 
Ingredients 

Ingredients

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, melted and cooled

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup whole milk

1 cup sugar

1 cup confectioners’ sugar  

Directions

In a double boiler, melt the bittersweet chocolate. Let it cool completely

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs and vanilla until lighter and fluffier. Then add the melted chocolate.

 

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Instead of dirtying another bowl, I like to sift the dry ingredients over the wet in two stages. With the mixer on low speed, rotate adding the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients in four rotations. Make sure to always begin and end with the dry ingredients. Cover with bowl with tin foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350˚. With an ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Dip cookie dough ball into the granulated sugar and lightly press into a disk. Then dip it in the confectioners’ sugar. Place the cookies on a silpat or parchment paper (I think tin foil would work too)

Bake for about 14 minutes or until the cookie cracks. I baked it for 10 minutes though because I thought they tasted better a little undercooked because they were less dry (but that’s just me). 

 

Soft and Chewy Ginger Snap Cookies

Sunday morning my mom and step-dad, Jon, drove to Houston for Jon's upcoming surgery. We were all pretty shaken up about the whole situation, so to wish them well I decided to make them ginger snap cookies. I thought these would be perfect because for one, they would still taste great after a few days at the hospital and two, my mom and Jon are actually obsessed with all things ginger: candied ginger, gingerbread, ginger rice, ginger cookies, ginger beer (I could go on and on). I have trouble with scary/emotional stuff like this, so baking for people is the only way I really know how to express how I feel. Its basically the only thing that really feels right. Because what do you say really? All I can think of is "it will all be fine. have a cookie."

But regardless of why you are baking cookies, this recipe is definitely a keeper and perfect for the holiday season. I can't wait to make more when I go back home. I would make them at school but molasses isn't an ingredient one generally keeps in a college kitchen cabinet....

(and the crazy part of it all is, I really don't like ginger. at all! but I love these cookies)