Category Archives: COOKIE RECIPES

CHEWY OATMEAL RAISIN WALNUT COOKIES  

OK, I already have several recipes for oatmeal cookies on my blog including gluten free and a healthier version using monk fruit sweetener. Plus, a number of recipes that feature everything from chocolate chips, dried apples, to toasted coconut. But I had yet to make a simple, chewy oatmeal raisin walnut cookie including 3 of my favorite aromatic spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

So, when our good friend Todd explained to Andy that oatmeal cookies had healing qualities, I jumped at the chance to build Mr. C. a batch of these cookies along with a big old pot of chicken soup with dumplings when a few days ago he tested positive for Covid. (It had to happen sooner or later since we don’t live in a bubble.) (And yes, we are both fully vaccinated and take reasonable precautions against contracting the disease. But still it can happen and did. To both of us.)

Now, some might argue that oatmeal cookies do not actually help in restoring a person to good health. But surely no one can reason that eating a truly great oatmeal cookie doesn’t contribute to a person’s sense of well-being. At least anyone who has had the distinct pleasure of munching on a homemade oatmeal cookie straight out of the oven. And Mr. C. never got terribly sick. So, I will always believe that these cookies helped considerably in his speedy return to robust good health.

But please don’t think that you must wait for an illness to bake these cookies for yourself or your loved ones. You can simply think of them as preventive medicine!

But regardless of how you categorize these delectable treats, I suggest you make them at your earlies opportunity. They are truly lovely cookies and very easy to make.

Peace, love, and good health to all.   

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 c. brown sugar, packed

⅓ c. granulated sugar

2 lg. eggs

1 T. vanilla extract

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

¾ tsp. fine grain sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground ginger

3 c. rolled oats (not instant)

2/3 c. golden raisins (if large, cut into smaller pieces)

2/3 c. chopped walnuts

Beat the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer until creamy. Add the brown and granulated sugars, then beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs until fully incorporated. Then, beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger together. Then stir in the oats. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well combined. Then stir in the raisins and walnuts.

Using a #40 (1½ tablespoons, orchid tipped handle) ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough close together on a parchment paper lined baking sheet that can fir in your refrigerator. Refrigerate the dough balls for at least 2 hours. (But overnight is even better.)

When ready to bake, place the cold dough balls on parchment paper lined baking sheets 2-inches apart.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until cookie edges turn a light golden brown, about 13-15 minutes. Centers will still be a bit soft, but they will firm up as the cookies cool. Leave on baking pan for about 3 minutes before transferring to finish cooling completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.

SOFT PEANUT BUTTER CHIP COOKIES

I guess I must be on a high calorie kick, because yesterday I published our dear friend Jim’s recipe for the most decadent and caloric way to serve spaghetti ever conceived. OK, undoubtedly not the most caloric and decadent recipe at one’s fingertips. But Perfectly Seasoned Spaghetti could certainly be a contender for that dubious honor. But boy oh boy is pasta tasty when prepared as directed in Jim’s recipe.   

Speaking of caloric, decadent, and easy to prepare, I came up with this recipe for a different take on peanut butter cookies. I wanted to include peanut butter cookies in the goodie packages that I send to my kids every Christmas. But not the usual peanut butter cookies. I wanted soft cookies which also included a bit of crunch. What I didn’t take into consideration was the fact that some soft cookies do not stay fresh as long as hard cookies. (Think shortbread and biscotti.) Soft cookies pack well, but when kept for several days some can start to harden a bit, which to me is not a desirable attribute in a cookie.  

Now I don’t want to scare you off making these cookies. Because these cookies are yummy when fresh. I just feel duty bound to tell you that if longevity in a cookie is what you are after, this is probably not the peanut butter cookie recipe for you. But if you want a really lovely peanut butter cookie to serve for afternoon tea or as a light dessert, these cookies would be perfect. Or if you have a family that can work their way through a batch of cookies in no time at all, by all means give this recipe a try. They really are delicious cookies.

Well, it’s semi-sunny outside. Mr. C. is happily reading his book. Miles is sleeping in the cat bed on Mr. C’s desk. His brother Max is sleeping at the foot of our bed, and I am finishing up this post. In other words, all’s right in our world.

Now if I could only come up with what to serve for dinner………

Peace and love to all.

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature  

1 c. granulated sugar  

1 c. brown sugar, packed  

2 lg. eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed 

1 tsp. baking soda  

½ tsp. baking powder  

1 tsp. kosher salt  

1 c. peanuts

1 (10-oz.) pkg. peanut butter chips   

Cream the butter and sugars together until soft. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy.

In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the butter mixture and beat just until combined. Add the peanuts and peanut butter chips; mix well.

Using a #40 (1½ tablespoons – orchid colored end) ice cream scoop, plop cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (They can be close together at this point because they should spend several hours  in the fridge.*) When you bake them place them 2-inches apart.

Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for approximately 13-15 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn color and let sit on the baking pan for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Note: DO NOT OVERBAKE THESE COOKIES. They will not look done when you remove them from the oven. That is exactly how they should look!

And these cookies are best eaten within a couple of days. And believe me, that will not be a problem. The problem will be not devouring them within 24 hours!

* The colder and more solid the butter is, the less the cookie will spread. Plus, flour contains naturally occurring enzymes, which break down as the dough chills, leading to increased browning. The sugar in the dough absorbs the moisture from the flour, causing the cookie to brown and caramelize. Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and also helps to make the cookie dough firmer.

GLAZED EGGNOG FLAVORED BISCOTTI    

Since eggnog is a favorite of my husbands, and for him Christmas just isn’t the same without a bottle of the stuff in our refrigerator starting around Thanksgiving, I thought an eggnog flavored biscotti might just be a perfect treat for him. So, I went online to find a recipe. What I found were recipes that contained eggnog as an ingredient. And I thought to myself, what a waste of good eggnog when all the flavors of eggnog can so easily be duplicated by ingredients I always have on hand. Plus, then if he wanted eggnog biscotti in July for example, I wouldn’t have to build some homemade eggnog just for this recipe. I could basically make these delightful biscotti any old time I chose. (Or Mr. C. ever so nicely requested.)

So, the recipe below is what I came up with. And if I do say so myself, the biscotti were (they’re all gone now) delicious. And quite different from all the other biscotti I make. And yes, we love biscotti, so you will find several recipes on this site. They are all fabulous, and very easy to make.

Well, that’s all for today. Mr. C. has a rehearsal this evening, so dinner needs to be on the table by 5:30, which is much earlier than when he doesn’t have a rehearsal or gig. Usually, we get around to eating dinner around 7:00 pm. Then it’s reading time for me and reading and/or practicing the piano for Andy. In other words, very sedentary after dinner pursuits, which are not only consistent with our ages but also our inclinations. And doesn’t that make us lucky people.

May you also be able to follow your inclinations and enjoy some quality down time each and every day.

And as always, peace and love to all.  

For the biscotti:

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

½ c. whole milk

1 tsp. dark rum

1 tsp. cognac

1 tsp. vanilla paste or extract

3½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. kosher salt

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine butter, sugar, and eggs until well blended. Mix in milk, rum, cognac, and vanilla bean paste.   

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt together. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended.

Roughly divide dough in half. Using buttered hands, shape each dough half into a long roll, approximately 14″ long. Carefully place rolls on prepared baking sheet, about 3-inches apart. With your fingers, lightly flatten each roll so that they are approximately ¾-inch thick.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place pan on wire rack for about 15 minutes. Carefully move the logs to a cutting board and cut diagonal slices (approximately ¾-inch thick).

Place slices, cut side down, back on original baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn slices over and return to oven to bake for another 10 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly browned. Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. rum

tiny pinch cinnamon

tiny pinch nutmeg  

2–3 T. whole milk

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons milk together. If needed, add more milk to achieve desired consistency.  

Place completely cooled biscotti pieces, top side up, about a half inch apart on your large baking sheet. Drizzle the glaze over the biscotti. (You may not use it all. That’s OK.) Allow glaze to harden before storing biscotti in an airtight container.  

     

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO BISCOTTI

I had so much fun this past December making biscotti to give to relatives and friends for Christmas. And if truth be known, biscotti is so darned easy to make, I felt a bit guilty not spending more time on these edible gifts. I quickly got over any remorse. Because dunking a biscotti in your morning coffee or tea or softening one of these Italian cookies in Vin Santo* as an after dinner or late evening treat, is just about as close to actually being in Italy as you can get. And isn’t even a temporary reminder of the joy associated with visiting Italy one of the greatest feelings on earth. At least it is for us.

So, being able to share these twice baked treasures with our friends and family helped make the holidays extra special for me.

Now, something you should know. These are very flavorful cookies. Nothing bland or quiet about their flavor. And probably a cookie your children would not appreciate. But for a chocolate lover, these are perfect.

So, next time you need an easy to prepare cookie that will make you shout yum, this is the recipe for you. I found the recipe on the cooking.nytimes.com site. I did make a couple of changes, but the inspiration was all on the Union Square Café’s Chocolate Biscotti via Alex Witchel.

Well, it’s rainy here in NW Washington. But we really have nothing to complain about. California is being hit with horrendous weather, as are other parts of the country. So, a bit of inconvenient rain is just an accepted consequence of living in this natural paradise. I can still see Barnum Point (here on the island), Port Susan Bay, and the low foothills as I write. But the snowcapped mountains are hidden under low hanging clouds. Hopefully the cloud covering is dumping snow all over the Cascades. Our state can use all the water reserves we can get.

As always, peace and love to all.

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

¾ c. plus 2 T. good cocoa powder

1 tsp. fine sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. espresso powder (I use Medaglia D’oro instant espresso)

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1¾ c. lightly packed brown sugar

⅓ c. granulated sugar

1 T. vanilla extract

4 lg. eggs, divided

1 rounded c. mini chocolate chips

1 T. water, for egg wash

2 T. raw sugar

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and espresso powder together; set aside.

Using a heavy-duty electric mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 3 to 5 minutes at medium speed. Add the vanilla extract. Mix for 10 seconds. Add 3 of the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed until dough comes together, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mini chocolate chips and mix just until chips are evenly incorporated.

Using buttered hands, shape half of the dough into a log roughly 1½ to 2 inches wide. Place log on prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly. Form the second half of the dough the same way and place on the baking sheet about 3-inches away from the first log. Brush tops of logs with egg wash made from whisking the remaining egg with the water. Then, sprinkle each log with 1 tablespoon raw sugar.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until the biscotti have spread and bounce back slightly when pressed with fingertips, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely, about 1½ hours.

Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut logs into ½-inch diagonal slices. Place each slice, cut side down on the same parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake until firm, crisp and slightly dry, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature or in your freezer for up to three months.

*According to winefolly.com “Vin Santo (or Vino Santo) is a viscous, typically sweet dessert wine made in Italy, predominantly in Tuscany. The wine is loved for its intense flavors of hazelnut and caramel. When paired with biscotti, Vin Santo becomes “Cantucci e Vin Santo” which is inarguably Italy’s most famous welcoming tradition. What makes Vin Santo truly special is the natural winemaking process which gives it a unique taste.”

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

The tea cakes on the left have yet to receive their sprinkle of powdered sugar.

My daughter Paula called me before Christmas because a fellow worker wanted my recipe for Russian Tea Cakes. Paula was at work so didn’t have her recipe at hand, so she went to her momma’s site but couldn’t find the recipe. And no wonder! My favorite cookie recipe and the one that always appears at the top of my list for “goodies that simply must be made at Christmas” had never been published. What! Wait! How could this be right? But sure enough, this fabulous recipe had never left my fingertips and as if by magic, landed on this site. The only reason I can think of to justify this omission, is that I practically have this recipe memorized. (Or I used to have it memorized when I still had my full set of faculties. Now I have to read, re-read, and then check off ingredients as I place them in the mixer. (Getting older can be a bit trying at times. Hopefully none of you can relate. But if you can, I sympathize.)

Anyway, here is my recipe for Russian Tea Cakes. (And I know. Most of you already have a great recipe for these fabulous and easy to make cookies. But for those who don’t, I felt compelled to share the recipe with you.)

Well, that’s it for today. I’m totally burned out from making reservations for our upcoming trailer trips, so I think I’ll keep this short and treat myself to an afternoon helping the protagonist in the book I’m reading figure out who done it. (I’m very good at being an armchair detective.)

Have a great new year. Stay healthy. Stay positive, and don’t forget to laugh. Laughter is so good for us, and although laughter can be contagious, it’s not infectious. And isn’t that refreshing!    

Peace and love to all.

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ c. powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 tsp. vanilla

2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

¼ tsp. salt

¾ c. finely chopped walnuts

Cream the butter, ½ cup of powdered sugar, and vanilla together. Add the flour, salt, and finely chopped walnuts.

Use a small ice cream scoop or roll the dough by hand into 1-inch balls. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be a very light golden brown when they are done. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

When cool, sprinkle* with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.

*The best (and least messy) way to coat the top of the cookies with powdered sugar is to place the cooled cookies back on your baking pan, then scoop a bit of powdered sugar into a small, fine sieve (strainer) and shake over the cookies. (You don’t have to coat the bottom of the cookies.) Let sit for about 30 minutes before storing.

WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLED GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI    

I thought covid and all its social restrictions was a bummer. And it was a bummer for a myriad of reasons. But at least we could still get together with dear friends and relatives at Christmas. Even if it was only for a short time in someone’s garage, responsibly spaced around a portable propane camping fire. (And yes, we actually did enjoy a bit of Christmas together exactly as described!)

But this Christmas was the pits. Both Andy and I were ill. We think we had RSV. But it could have been the flu. (And yes, we had this year’s flu vaccination!)  But hey, we could have had both of these darling infirmities at the same time! Now wouldn’t that be special! Because we had symptoms from both at various times during our illnesses. And we still aren’t 100%! Almost 3 weeks for Andy and about 10 days for me. Humbug! (That’s what we’ve chosen to call what we had/have. The 2022 HUMBUG!)

So, we missed Christmas Eve with our dear friends Jim and Margo and Christmas day with relatives and close friends because of what’s “going around”.

But you know, while I was sitting in my favorite reading chair on Christmas day feeling ever so sorry for myself, I realized how exceedingly lucky I was to have Andy to spend the day with. And how blessed we both were to have close friends and family that were able to be together. Even if this Christmas we couldn’t be there with them. I realized all of us were the lucky ones. We had a home. We weren’t being bombed by some power-hungry Russian maniac. We weren’t out in the cold with no way to get warm, stay warm, or feed either our loved ones or ourselves. We were lucky. Just plain lucky!

So what if Mr. C. and I couldn’t spend Christmas as planned. We had fresh running water. A nice cozy bed to climb into when we felt chilled. Food to eat when we got hungry. We had everything we needed to get healthy. We were safe. Whereas so many of the world’s population could not say those three little words. I am safe. And I realized how horrible that must feel to not be safe. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that would mean.

So, did I have a great Christmas? Yes, I did. I was given the opportunity to realize how truly blessed I am. Sometimes it takes something like a brief illness to remind us of our blessings and to put our wonderful lives in perspective. Thankfully I was able to learn a valuable lesson as I was recovering. And thankfully, I had been able to finish most of my baking before my body was invaded by germs. (I’ll take my luck wherever I can find it!)

And one of the best cookies I made this year was this recipe for gingerbread biscotti. I found the recipe on theoliveblogger.com site. Delicious. I made a small change, of course I did, but the main recipe is all Melissa. So, if you too love gingerbread and biscotti, then this is the recipe for you.

As we all approach the new year, I hope we can keep the spirit of Christmas alive throughout 2023. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to find ourselves wishing each other a merry “whatever” every time we met. I’ll start. Merry 2023.

And as always, peace and love to all.

⅓ c. unsalted butter, room temp.   

1¼ c. brown sugar, lightly packed

2 lg. eggs 

2 T. molasses

1 tsp. vanilla   

2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed 

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon  

½ tsp. ground cloves

¼ tsp. ground allspice

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda   

scant ½ tsp. fine sea salt

½ c. finely chopped candied ginger

white chocolate, for drizzle

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the butter and brown sugar together until creamy. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and mix until well combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Stir in the candied ginger making sure each tiny piece is coated with flour.  

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, just until well combined. (The dough will be very thick).

Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On the parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 10×2-inch rectangle.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20 to 23 minutes, or until a light golden brown and slightly firm to the touch but NOT hard. Remove from oven.

Cool for 10 minutes. Leave the oven on. After 10 minutes, cut each log diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices.

Turn cut side down on the baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes. (They should be slightly golden on both sides.)

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before drizzling with melted white chocolate. Allow white chocolate to harden before storing the biscotti in an airtight container.  

    

CHEWY CARAMEL PECAN SQUARES

Before I write anything about this recipe, I need to apologize for not posting a recipe since December 5th. But I have some very good reasons. My grown children’s goodie packages take precedence over any other use of my time once the calendar reflects that December has once again rolled around. And the older I get, the more Christmas seems to take me by surprise. And really, I have been cognizant of Christmas since I was about 3 years old. By 78 years old, you would think that there should be no shocker value associated with the fact that Christmas is about to descend on us, with what seems to me, at an ever-increasing rate of speed. But every darn year, I am unprepared for the fact of Christmas, even though there have been Christmas decorations in stores since before Halloween! And BTW, what’s with that? Can’t stores just finish one holiday before they start touting products for two holidays hence?

Anyway, the bottom line is that I have been madly wearing my Mrs. Santa hat, and basically loving every minute of it. Nothing makes me happier than making cookies and candy for my kidlets, other family members, and close friends. And of course, figuring out what gift would be most appreciated by my kids and other family members and friends. (Thank God for Amazon prime is all I have to say!) But back to the real reason for this post.

Every year, our dear neighbor Joanna leaves a Christmas tin full of cookies and peanut brittle on our front porch. And every year she includes these incredible bar cookies in the mix. I always know that it’s time for me to get going with my baking when our Christmas tin from Joanna arrives. So, this year I decided my kids needed some of these delicious bar cookies in their goodie package too. And since you all have been so good this year (Santa told me so), I am going to pass along this wonderful recipe via epicurious.com and Joanna.

I plan to serve these bars in lieu of pecan pie this year because after eating all the other offerings on the Christmas dinner table, most people only need a small bite or two of dessert. So, I am also making apple pie bars instead of apple pie, for just that very reason.

May you too have a full to the brim Christmas and a great 2023. We have all had a rough time the past 3 years, but to my eyes, things appear to be looking up a bit. I continue to have hope that the earth’s citizens can all pull through the various messes we have gotten ourselves into. And can learn from our mistakes.

In the meantime, let your holidays and years to come be full of laughter, love, family, friendship, and joy.

And as always, peace and love to all.

Crust:

1¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

⅓ c. powdered sugar

¼ c. cornstarch

½ tsp. kosher salt

¾ c. (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving 1 inch overhang on all sides. Lightly butter the parchment paper. (Glass pan is best for this recipe.)  

Blend flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor. Add butter and process until mixture begins to clump together. Press dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan.

Bake crust in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until set and light golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand while preparing topping. Reduce oven temperature to 325-degrees.

Topping:

1¼ c. brown sugar (packed)

½ c. light corn syrup

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter

4 c. coarsely chopped pecans  

½ c. heavy cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Stir brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter together in a heavy medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils; boil 1 minute. Add pecans and cream; boil until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Pour hot topping over warm crust.

Bake nut-topped crust until caramel is slightly darker and bubbles thickly, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to rack. Cool completely in pan (topping will harden).

Lift parchment paper out of pan onto cutting board. Using a heavy sharp knife, cut cookies into 1-inch squares. (These cookies are very rich.) Store between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature.

GIGGLE DOODLES (AKA SNICKERDOODLES)  

I actually baked my Giggle Doodles too long. So, do as I say below, and not as I did above. (However, they were still mighty tasty. Just sayin’)

Well, first of all, I am writing the preamble to this cookie recipe from our trailer site at Entiat City Park. This is a beautiful park with nice wide paved sites and our big back window looking out on the mighty Columbia River. Lots of green grass, a nice picnic table, and the location is close enough to visit Wenatchee, Leavenworth, or Chelan. So, day trips from camp are easily accommodated.

Our site
Standing outside looking at the river.
Standing in our kitchen and looking at the view out our back window.

We are spending 4 nights in this park with our dear friends Jim and Margo and our new friends Tim and Phyllis.

From left to right – Tim, Phyllis, Jim, Andy, and Margo next to Jim and Margo’s rig.
Andy and Margo sitting in the sun.
Tim, Phyllis, and Jim
Margo, Tim, Phyllis, and our view of the river. And yes, I still haven’t learned to use a camera properly!

So, if you are not interested in reading a mini trip report, then I suggest you stop reading and go directly to the recipe. But if you care to stick with me, you will get a brief insight into why I am posting a recipe for a cookie I hated when I was a child.

My mother was not a good cook. She fed us, but there was not a lot of imagination that went into her meal planning. But she was an adequate baker. Pies, not so much. Cakes, from a mix. But most of the cookies she baked were OK. But not her snickerdoodles. Based on my experience with cookies and life in general at about age 10, I decided never to let another snickerdoodle pass my lips for the remainder of my life. And I stuck to that decision until last month when we were camped at the Cedar Mountain Farm B&B and RV Park in Athol, Idaho.

After setting up camp we were sitting outside our trailer reading when Daryl, one of the owners, came by with a large scone for breakfast the next day, and a couple of Giggle Doodles for “whenever”. (Giggle Doodles because she explained that there was a whole lot more giggling done on the farm than snickering. Made sense to us!) Anyway, I decided to be brave and take a small nibble out of one of the offerings. Oh my! That was one of the best cookies I had ever tasted. So, of course I had to ask for the recipe. Which she promptly provided. So, if you are someone who has offered me a snickerdoodle in the past, and I sneered in response, please accept my abject apology. I truly didn’t know what I was missing! And I’m sorry for ever doubting you!  

Not only were the scone and cookies delicious, the entire time we spent on the farm was wonderful. For more information and pictures of our time spent at this delightful camping spot, type September 2022 Travel Trailer Trip in the search box on this site and then go to the September 13th and 14th entries.

And if you are ever in Northwestern Idaho and need a place to park your RV or enjoy a night or 8 in a B&B, we highly recommend the Cedar Mountain Farm. Absolutely a unique and memorable place to visit.

So, I hope you enjoy making and eating these cookies as much as I do. And again, thanks to Daryl for sharing her recipe. We are all in her debt.

And as always, peace and love to all.

For the dough:

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1⅓ c. granulated sugar

⅓ c. brown sugar, packed

2 lg. eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until soft and creamy, 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well blended. Then beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar together. Add to the butter mixture and stir only until combined.

Using a small ice cream scoop (I use my #60 – 1 tablespoon), form rounded balls of dough and plop them close together on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (Make sure the baking sheet fits in your refrigerator.) Chill the dough balls for at least 3 hours. (Better over night!)

When ready to bake, roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture (see recipe below) and place a couple inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 9-10 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown around the edges and feel just about set to the touch. Think – underbaked! For this cookie, under cooked is better than over cooked. Giggle Doodles should be soft and deliciously chewy on the inside, but crispy around the edges, sugary, and cinnamon spicy on the outside. (Not the easiest of tasks to accomplish if truth be known!)

Remove from oven and immediately transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Please note: The unbaked cookie balls freeze beautifully. To bake frozen balls, remove from freezer, roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture, place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet 2-inches apart, and bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for about 10-11 minutes.   

For rolling:

⅓ c. granulated sugar

5 tsp. ground cinnamon

Combine in a small bowl and set aside until required. (You will have extra sugar/cinnamon mixture. Just store it for the next time you make these cookies. Or sprinkle it lightly on buttered toast.)

CHOCOLATE CHIP SHORTBREAD REFRIGERATOR COOKIES

OK, this is basically the same recipe I use for Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies except that in this recipe, I roll the dough into logs (refrigerator cookies) because I am getting lazier and lazier. In my original recipe I scooped the dough into balls with one of my small ice cream scoops. So, if you prefer that method, ignore this recipe and bring up the original. Plus, since posting that recipe, I have learned to chill any cookie dough containing butter and flour before baking. Why you might ask.

Well, according to the kingarthurbaking.com site “Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread.

In addition, the sugar in the dough gradually absorbs liquid. If you bake the dough immediately, before sugar has a chance to absorb much liquid, that liquid remains “free” in the dough, and promotes spread.”

So, basically, I try to always give cookie dough a bit of a chilling experience before I subject it to a hot oven. But I do it a bit different than some cooks would suggest. Many recipes call for you to chill the dough before forming it. Well, that’s all well and good. But it ain’t easy to form cold dough into any semblance of a ball. And pressing hard dough into an ice cream scoop or rolling it into a ball is not good for my hands. So, simple solution. Form the balls then chill them. Ta da!

And truthfully, if I were a good person I’d go back and add the step of chilling the dough to all of my cookie recipes. But frankly, I’m just not that good a person! I figure it took me until I was 77 to learn this simple cookie baking trick. If it takes others a while to also figure it out, I’m sorry. But like I said, I’m getting indolent in my old age.

Anyway, these are wonderful cookies. They aren’t too sweet. And they are chock full of yummy chocolate. And really, who doesn’t like a great shortbread cookie?! Plus, they are perfect to take along on a camping trip or sending through the mail at Christmas time because they almost have the shelf life of a Twinkie. Well, not quite, but darn close!

Mr. C. has another gig tonight, so I am going to spend the rest of my afternoon reading rather than making some kind of culinary wonder with which to surprise and delight him. Instead, I’m going to make myself a big old plate of Fried Zucchini for dinner. That way I don’t have to share even one piece with him! But, please don’t feel too sorry for him. He’s playing at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, and they are going to feed the band. So, I don’t think he will mind in the least that he is missing out on fried zucchini.

Peace and love to all.

1 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature

2 c. powdered sugar + more for dusting/sprinkling

1 tsp. salt (only ½ tsp. salt if you use salted butter)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 c. mini chocolate chips

Cream the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla, and flour. Mix only until blended. Do not overmix. Add mini chocolate chips. Roll into logs on plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. (Overnight is best.)

Cut into ½-inch circles and place on an ungreased baking sheet. (They can be fairly close together.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the bottoms are a nice golden brown. Don’t under-bake.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Sprinkle/dust* with powdered sugar while still warm. When completely cooled, store in an air-tight container.

These cookies will stay fresh for weeks. But, of course, these little darlins never last that long!

*An easy way to sprinkle/dust powdered sugar is to place a small amount in a fine mesh strainer and then shake the strainer over whatever you wish to decorate. This same technique works well with cocoa for chocolate dusting. 

CRANBERRY ORANGE OATMEAL COOKIES WITH WALNUTS  

Now that it’s almost fall, I decided to develop a recipe for a fall/winter cookie. And I know what you’re thinking, what the heck is a “fall/winter” cookie? Well, it’s the equivalent of serving stew in autumn and throughout the winter. Stew just tastes better when it’s raining cats and dogs outside and there’s even a hint of snow in the air than when the temperatures are in the upper 80’s. So, a cookie that featured dried cranberries sounded like it would be perfect as the days start getting shorter, temperatures gradually decrease, and holiday decorations in every store front are just around the corner.   

And what flavor goes better with dried cranberries than orange? And then there have to be nuts to give the cookies a bit of crunch. And because we are trying to eat healthier, lots of oats in the mix and the exclusive use of whole wheat flour. And what do you get? You get a really good cookie that is easy to make and would be a perfect addition to any holiday dessert selection. Like I said – a fall/winter yummy.

So, if you too would like to serve an oatmeal cookie that is just a bit different than your standard oatmeal cookie but is sure to be loved by one and all, this is the cookie for you.

Well, this is a special day at our house. Whistle Lake Jazz Quartet is recording in our living room. So, my only job is to feed the guys when they take a break. And you know my favorite things to do are listen to really good live music and feed people. So, I am one happy gal today. (See pictures of the guys below.)

Of course, I am usually a happy person. I was blessed with parents that taught me to be happy by both word and deed. My father especially stressed that I should be happy with what I had. Not that I shouldn’t strive to improve my situation if warranted. But not to be a “grass is always greener” kind of person. If I wanted greener grass, then I should work to make it happen! Therefore, metaphorically speaking, I have always had green grass.

May you too also be happy with what you have and treasure the world you live in.

Peace and love to all.  

2 T. Cointreau (or your favorite orange liqueur or just plain orange juice)

1 c. dried cranberries

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 c. brown sugar , packed

2 eggs

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. orange oil or 1 tsp. orange extract  or 1 tsp. frozen orange juice concentrate

zest from 1 lg. orange

1½ c. whole wheat pastry flour

½ tsp. coarse sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

3 c. rolled oats

¾ c. roughly chopped walnuts

Place the Cointreau and the dried cranberries in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir, then remove from heat, cover, and let sit until cool.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, orange oil, and orange zest.

Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl; add to the butter mixture. Then mix in the oats, dried cranberries (plus any remaining liquid), and chopped walnuts.

Using a #40 (1½ T.) ice cream scoop, drop dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet as close together as possible. (Use a baking sheet that will fit in your refrigerator.) Gently pat each dough ball down just a bit. Refrigerate the dough balls for at least 4 hours or overnight. (Overnight preferred.)

Just before placing in the oven, transfer some of the dough balls to another parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow about 2-inches between each cookie. (I needed two pans to bake these cookies.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 14 minutes or until lightly golden brown and just set. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 7-8 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Tim on bass
Todd on drums
Jamie on guitar and Andy on piano