Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Cookie Jar

A slight twist on a few classics.

Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt
Brown Sugar Oatmeal Golden Raisin Cookies
Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly Thumbprints



Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt
I have made dozens of chocolate chip cookie recipes in search of the perfect one. To me perfection is: a soft and dense cookie (slightly undercooked) in the middle, and a bit chewy on the outer rim, rather than a flat, crisp cookie or a soft, cakey cookie. These chocolate chip cookies are not quite perfect, but are pretty darn close. A final condition for a perfect chocolate chip cookie is that it is loaded with chocolate chips. In this recipe I use milk chocolate chips, and top each cookie with a small pinch of sea salt, which really compliments the sweetness of the milk chocolate. However, this recipe is a great chocolate chip cookie base and certainly semi-sweet or dark chocolate can be substituted for some of the milk chocolate. I like to mix it up and use different types of chocolates, sometimes chunks and sometimes chips. Regardless, there is nothing better than a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven.


Makes 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 17 ounces all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 21 ounces good quality milk chocolate chips or milk chocolate, chopped
- sea salt


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium sized bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture, and combine together. Gently stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. At this point, the dough can be refrigerate for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Spoon out about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and form into a round ball. Place the ball of dough down onto an ungreased cookie sheet and slightly press the center of the cookie. Repeat this process, placing cookies 1 inch apart from one another. Top each cookie with a pinch of sea salt. Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. (I prefer cookies that are slightly under baked.) When the cookies are done baking the top should start to turn slightly golden, but the cookies should still seem soft and not quite cooked through in the center. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely (or eat warm). Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.


Brown Sugar Oatmeal Golden Raisin Cookies
Crisp, chewy, buttery and loaded with oats. The subtle sweetness of plump golden raisins are really delicious in this cookie, and surprisingly taste very different from their purple cousins.


Make 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups old fashion oats
- 1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
- 1 3/4 cups golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Finally, stir in the oats and raisins.
Drop tablespoon size balls of cookie dough onto unlined baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for 10-13 minutes or until the cookies are light golden brown on the edges. (I prefer to slightly under bake these cookies so they or soft. You can bake the cookies until golden for a crispier cookie.) Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 1 minute and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store the cool cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days. This dough will also keep wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking.


Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly Thumbprints
These cookies are similar to, yet better than, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They can also be quite addicting.


Make 40 cookies

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for coating
- 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup grape jelly


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place about 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Stir in the peanut butter. Gently stir in the dry ingredients.
Use your hands to create a tablespoon size ball of dough. Drop the ball of dough into the bowl with the granulated sugar and coat completely. Place the sugared cookie dough onto unlined baking sheets, and repeat this process, placing the cookies approximately 2 inches apart. Gently press your finger in the center of each unbaked cookie to create a small well. Place approximately 1/3 teaspoon of the jelly in each well. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the cookies are light golden brown on the edges. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 1 minute and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store the cool cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days. This dough will also keep wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking.

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