If you’ve ever been to the picturesque college town of Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, you may have heard about or eaten at the well-known, even world-famous Zingerman’s Bakehouse. This very popular bakery and deli offers wonderful artisan breads, Continue reading
This was the perfect weekend for baking, since it was so cold outside. Cold and icy, too–not a good weather combination. I’d much rather be inside than out during weather like this! And there’s nothing like baking to help make things warm and cozy. I had thought about making some Red Velvet cookies at Christmastime but since I didn’t have a chance to then, I thought these would be great for Valentines Day.
These Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies are a little crispy, but also little chewy. They’re more chewy if you eat them slightly warm or when they just cool. After they cool and sit a bit they get crispier, but still have a little chewiness to them. They also have a deep rich red color, thanks to the unsweetened cocoa powder in the dough. I like the deep red color myself, but if you like your Red Velvet cookies a little brighter, use a little less cocoa powder–try 1/2 Tablespoon less.
RED VELVET WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES by NancyC
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (or just use 3 Tablespoons if you want a brighter red cookie color–the cocoa darkens the batter)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon red food coloring (liquid or gel)
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, plus a few more chips for the top of each cookie
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In medium-size bowl blend flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
In large bowl, cream softened butter with the sugar. Add in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, mixing well, then add the red food coloring and blend well.
Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter/egg mixture, mixing well. Fold in the white chocolate chips, incorporating them evenly into the cookie dough–dough will be thick. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
When dough has been chilled, remove from refrigerator and roll into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheets a few inches apart and press 3 extra white chocolate chips into the top of each cookie. Bake at 350˚F for 11 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Note: the cookies will look a little puffy when you take them out of the oven, but then they’ll settle as they’re cooling.
I was going to make another type of Red Velvet cookie, but I ran out of red food coloring! So I’ll have to make that another time. Have you made any Red Velvet cookies or desserts lately?
Sharing at Inspire Me Monday, Full Plate Thursday, Inspire Me Monday, Happiness is Homemade, Meal Plan Monday, Fiesta Friday.
I’m getting a late start on my Christmas-cookie making this year. So I’m making some easier recipes that are still very Christmasy and yummy. Like these Christmas Sugar Cookie Rounds. The batter is mixed in one bowl, so that helps with the kitchen cleanup. The sugar cookie dough is chilled for 20 to 30 minutes, then rolled into balls and then rolled in red and green sugar. Just 10 minutes of baking time and voila–you have lots and lots of festive little Christmas cookies to eat and share! And when I say lots of cookies, I mean lots–if you roll your cookies into 1″ balls, you’ll end up with about 8 dozen. You can roll them into larger dough balls, but I prefer the smaller size. If you like sugar cookies, you will need to try this easy holiday version!
CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIE ROUNDS by NancyC
Makes about 8 dozen
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
- 1 cup light olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 5 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Red and green sugar
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In large bowl, cream butter with the powdered and granulated sugars, blending well. Add in oil, eggs, and vanilla, mixing everything well. Then add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt, mixing everything well. Chill dough for 20–30 minutes.
Roll dough into 1″ balls, then roll in red or green sugar and place a few inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350˚F for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool a few minutes on pan, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.
So the recipe makes about 8 dozen, but you’ll probably be eating some of these as you bake them, so in reality, you may only end up with 7 dozen. 🙂 But that’s still plenty, right? Have you made any sugar cookies for the holidays?
I wish I could tell you that these Chocolate Chip Toffee Brownies are healthy and low-calorie…but they are definitely not! What they are is dense and very, very rich. Probably the only healthy ingredient is the unsweetened cocoa powder, which gives them a great chocolate flavor. Then there’s the chocolate chips, which make them extra chocolatey. And finally, the toffee bits which bake into the batter and give these brownies a subtle caramel flavor.
When you are craving something sweet and chocolatey, these brownies are a great thing to make. Just make sure you have lots of people to share them with so you’re not tempted to eat the whole pan yourself! But, they do freeze well so you can always save the extras for later if you don’t want to share…I’m just sayin’ 🙂
CHOCOLATE CHIP TOFFEE BROWNIES by NancyC
Makes a 9×13″ pan
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup Half & Half (light cream)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 (8-ounce) package toffee bits, divided (use 1 1/4 cups for the batter; save 1/3 cup for topping)
- 2 cups (12 ounces) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (use 1 2/3 cups for the batter; save 1/3 cup for topping)
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 9×13″ baking pan with parchment paper (or spray with cooking spray); set aside.
In large bowl, cream softened butter and sugars. Then blend in eggs, vanilla, and Half & Half, mixing until smooth.
In medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and cocoa powder together. Add this dry mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture, half at a time, mixing until everything is combined.
Fold in the toffee bits and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, stirring to distribute evenly in batter. Pour or spoon batter into prepared 9×13″ pan, spreading batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle 1/3 cup each of the remaining chocolate chips and toffee bits over the batter.
Bake at 350˚F for 42 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let brownies cool completely in pan before cutting into squares. If using parchment paper, after brownies have cooled completely, lift the uncut brownies out of the pan with the parchment paper edges, then cut into squares.
It’s hard to resist a good brownie! Thankfully, the weather is getting nicer and I’m hoping to get outside more and exercise these brownies off! Do you have a weakness for brownies like I do?
Sharing this recipe at Fiesta Friday, Meal Plan Monday, Weekend Potluck, Inspire Me Monday.
This is the first time I’ve used instant pudding mix in a cookie. I’ve heard that adding pudding mix to cookie dough keeps the cookies soft, but I wasn’t crazy about the idea of adding pudding mix with artificial flavors, dyes, and other things.
I decided to try adding pudding mix this time because JELL-O recently came out with a new line of instant pudding mixes (and Jell-O mixes) called JELL–O SIMPLY GOOD. They’re made and flavored with real ingredients like banana, cocoa, vanilla bean, and fruit juices–and they have no artificial flavors, dyes, or preservatives. JELL-O sent me some complimentary samples to try and I used their Simply Good Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix in this recipe. The pudding mix really does make the cookies soft and chewy. These cookies also have a rich chocolate flavor with just a hint of coffee, which pairs well with the dark chocolate chips. And if you want to make them more of a holiday treat, you can add sprinkles on top!
DARK CHOCOLATE MOCHA PUDDING COOKIES by NancyC
Makes 20 to 21 large cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons strong brewed coffee
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 (3.9-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix (I used JELL–O Simply Good Chocolate)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups dark chocolate chips (you’ll need 2 packages of chips–1 whole package plus most of another package)
- Optional: assorted sprinkles–chocolate or holiday sprinkles
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, eggs, and coffee; blend everything well.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, dry instant pudding mix, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add this flour mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture, mixing until everything is blended. Then fold in the dark chocolate chips, stirring until evenly incorporated in batter.
Use a 1/4 cup size measuring cup to scoop dough and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets, 2″ apart (you should be able to fit 6 cookies per sheet). Flatten cookies just slightly and sprinkle with assorted sprinkles, if desired.
Bake at 350˚F for 12 to 13 minutes or until tops are set. Be careful not to overbake! Cool cookies on pan for 2 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
If you happen to have any cookies left over, you can store them in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. Or if you want to make a batch ahead of time, you can freeze them for 2 to 3 months.
If you like your cookies on the soft and chewy side, you’ll have to try this recipe! I’m glad I finally tried adding the pudding! Do you add pudding mix to any of your cookie recipes?
Sharing this recipe at Fiesta Friday, Weekend Potluck, Meal Plan Monday, Inspire Me Monday.
