Trail Mix Cookies

I got the Joy The Baker cookbook for my birthday. I already have a huge baking crush on Joy so I was excited to try a recipe. The first one I tried was these trail mix cookies and they are awesome! Vij described them as Craze-Amaze but that's probably more a function of Vij's crazy. They are a basic oatmeal cookie dough with whole wheat flour with trail mix and peanut butter chips mixed in. I used the Costco pre mixed trail mix (with m&ms, raisins, cashews, peanuts and almonds) and peanut butter chips. These cookies seem pretty healthy because of the amount of oats and the trail mix and are great on a bike ride :)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks/8oz) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated cane sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup (6oz) peanut butter chips

1 cup M&Ms

1 cup roasted and salted peanuts 

1/2 cup golden raisins

(**Instead of the last 3 ingredients I used 2 1/2 cups of trail mix)

Method

1.  Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat to 350F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside.

3.  In the bowl of an electric hand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment  (or using a good amount of elbow grease and a wooden spoon), cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 3 to 5 minutes).  Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for 1 minute between each addition.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl as necessary.  Beat in the vanilla until incorporated.

4.  Stop the mixer and add the flour mixture all at once.  Beat on low speed until just incorporated.  Then add the peanut butter chips, M&M’s, peanuts, and raisins.  Turn on mixer again and beat the additions at low speed until just incorporated.  Remove the bowl from the mixer, and finish incorporating (get those loose batter pieces at the bottom of the bowl), the cookie batter with a spatula.

5.  Using a cookie scoop, scoop out dough and place on prepared cookie sheet (if you don’t have a cookie scoop use a tablespoon, scoop out dough, and roll it between palms to make dough balls).

6.  Bake for about 13 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

BBT Carrot Cake

For those not in the know, BBT stands for Boyapati-Bobba-Thalluri which is a magical combination of smart, fun, sweet, hungry and more often that not, drunken bodies. This carrot cake was the Pièce de résistance for a cousins BBQ held as party of pre wedding celebrations on the Mornington Peninsula. A major bonus: It is super easy to throw together in one bowl.

The final cake was moist, full of flavor and the cream cheese frosting really puts it over the top. I think it may have been better the next morning as a hang over breakfast...just saying.

What a magical part of the world!!

The recipe was adapted from this site and I used my own Cream cheese frosting recipe (stolen from here)
Ingredients:
Cake:
2 cups Self raising flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
2 cups grated carrot (about 2 medium)
1 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs lightly beaten
Frosting:
- 4oz cream cheese (you can use the 125g container in Australia)
- 1/4 cup butter (you can use half of one of those 100g blocks of butter in Australia)
- 1 1/2-2 cups icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla

Method:
1) Pre Heat oven to 180C (350F)
2) Line a 19cm square cake pan (I used a 9 inch round pan) with parchment paper and butter both paper and sides of tin
3) Sift flour and cinnamon in a bowl and add grated carrots, oil, eggs, walnuts and raisins
4) Pour into pan and bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes (until a tested comes out with just a few moist crumbs). Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before turning onto a cake rack to cool completely
5) Cut cake in half horizontally and frost between layers and on top. Decorate with additional walnuts.

6) Stand Back and Watch cake get demolished.

 

Maple-Walnut Biscotti

When you have rad girlfriends (shout out Amy and Dottie!) it feels great to do nice things for them. And what could be nicer than sending a gift package of Maple-Wanut biscotti and Mexican Chili brownies? This recipe was slightly adapted from the King Arthur Flour site which has amazing recipes.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped, toasted
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheet with Silpat.

2) Toast the walnuts by baking in a preheated 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, till they're a light golden brown.

3) Beat together the eggs, sugars, maple syrup.

4) Add the melted butter, beating till smooth.

5) Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt, then the nuts.

6) Divide the dough in half on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

7) Using wet fingers, shape each half into a rough 10" rectangle, about 4" wide and 1/2" thick.

8) Bake the biscotti dough for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool for about 10 minutes.

9) Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the baked dough, slightly on the diagonal, into generous 1/2"-thick slices. Place the slices close together on the prepared baking sheet. If you can balance them upright (rather than laying them flat), you won't have to turn them during their second bake.

10) Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, till the biscotti's cut sides are beginning to brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the baking sheet.

Now send most of them to your girlfriends to avoid major Biscotti coma :)

Mexican Chocolate Chili Cookies

Well I made these because my hubby really like the flavors of Mexican hot chocolate. That is chocolate, cinnamon and chili. These cookies are FANTASTIC! Moist, chewy, intensely chocolately with a kick from the chili. Happy Husband, happy life? Is that the way it goes?

The recipe is slightly modified from the McCormicks spices website.

Ingredients:
12 oz semi sweet chocolate divided
3/4 cup AP flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Ancho Chile powder (I didn't have this so I substituted an Indian chili powder I had on hand)
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt 8 ounces of the chocolate as directed on package. Set aside. 

2. Coarsely chop remaining 4 ounces chocolate and set aside. Mix flour, roasted cinnamon, ancho chile pepper, baking powder and salt in small bowl. 

3. Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add melted chocolate; beat until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Stir in chopped chocolate. 

4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons or medium cookie scoop 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. 

5. Bake about 10 minutes or just until cookies are set and slightly cracked on top. Transfer cookies on parchment paper to wire rack; cool completely.

Stand back and wait for much love and adoration from afore mentioned spouse.

Katherine Hepburn Brownies

These brownies come together in a single bowl and are dense and fudgy. Just 2 more reasons to love Katherine Hepburn. The recipe is from The Joy of Baking website which is a favorite of mine. The recipes always work!! A pro tip here is to line the baking pan with parchment paper with large overhangs so it is super easy to get the brownies out. I would suggest eating them with ice cream and sprinkled with cocao nibs.

Ingredients

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup  unsalted butter cut into pieces

1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar (I used slightly less)

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

1/4 cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. 

2) Butter and flour an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan. Line with parchment paper for easy removal and clean up.

3) Melt the chocolate and butter in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave in short increments, stirring in between, so chocolate doesn't burn. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. 

4) Stir in the vanilla extract and eggs. Finally, stir in the flour and salt.

5) Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Oatmeal Molasses Cookies

Soooooo, I went to the most ridiculously well organized cookie exchange (see below) and these were my contributions. Chewy, oaty and with a depth of flavor that only molasses will bring. The mix of cranberries and raisins also gives a bit of tartness. A total winner of a recipe (modified slightly from here) and my inspiration to get back to blogging after a post wedding hiatus of 6 months (!!!).

I plan on never hosting a cookie exchange from this day forward because 1) Mine would be totally crap in comparison and 2) My butt just doesn't need all those extra cookies lying around!

This was my selection of cookies after only round 1!!

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups AP flour
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
6 Tbs molasses

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 325F
2) Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and mix well
3) In a separate bowl cream together remaining ingredients
4) Mix wet with dry ingredents
5) Drop spoonfuls of dough (I did about 2 Tbs per cookie) on a silpat and bake for 12-15 minutes (don't over bake!)
Note that these spread so don't over crowd your cookie sheet.

Give to lovable husband and expect major credit for these. Over and Out!

Double Chocolate Raspberry Ice cream Sandwiches

I have been making several versions of ice cream sandwiches over the last few months in search of the perfect cookie-ice cream combo. Well I have found at least part of the equation: This is the perfect cookie recipe for an ice cream sandwich. It bakes up flat and is still soft after it is frozen. Oh, and it has an insanely chocolatey taste. The raspberry ice cream was a great choice for a summer BBQ but other rad choices might be peanut butter (Duh!), caramel or strawberry. Make these. NOW.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon amaretto

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Softened Raspberry ice cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line  baking sheets with Silpat or parchment. Sift first 4 ingredients into bowl. Using Kitchen Aid, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in both sugars, then eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla extract and amaretto, then flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing mounds 2 to 3 inches apart. Using moist fingertips, flatten mounds to 3/4-inch thickness (this step is important to get the right flatness for an ideal ice cream sadwich cookie).

Bake cookies 5 minutes. Reverse sheets. Bake until cookies are puffed and dry-looking but soft to touch, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Cool on sheets.

Spoon your chosen flavor of ice cream (I did half with raspberry and half with vanilla but peanut butter sounds great too) onto flat side of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, flat side down; press together. Wrap and freeze. Repeat with remaining gelato and cookies. DO AHEAD: Keep frozen up to 2 days.