Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

This recipe comes courtesy of Martha Stewie- from her orange baking handbook. Tasty, tasty, tasty. They are delish plain, but in my opinion, even a little better topped with lemon curd. Stephmodo has some great tips on other ways to use the stuff. I've made my own lemon curd a couple times, and it is wonderful. But I will also say that Trader Joe's jarred lemon curd is very comparable.

Give yourself enough time when you make these. They aren't hard, they just take a bit of time with the shaping and par-baking and such. And they are so worth it.

Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

4 oz. cream cheese, room temp

1/2 C. sugar

2 large egg yolks

2 tsp. sour cream

1/8 tsp. vanilla

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

2 C. all purpose flour

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on med speed til light and fluffy. Add 1/4 C. sugar and a pinch of salt, and beat another minute. Add one egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat til smooth. Transfer to small bowl, and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 350, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside. In bowl of electric mixer, beat butter and remaining 1/4 C. sugar on med speed til well combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and egg yolk, beat to combine. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, mixing just til combined.

Shape level Tablespoons of dough into balls, and place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Using your thumb or similarly shaped utensil, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven and make indentations again. Rotate sheets, return to oven and bake til edges turn golden, 7-9 minutes more. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

Using small teaspoon, fill the center of each cookie with about 1 tsp. cream cheese filling, mounding it slightly. Return cookies to oven, and bake til filling is firm, 7-8 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Refrigerate in an airtight container, layered between waxed paper at least 4 hours before serving. Can be refrigerated overnight as well. Bring to room temp for about 20 minutes before serving.

Chocolate marble cookies

Discovered this recipe a while back on This Week for Dinner, and have loved it ever since. Many recipe requests wherever I take them. The idea is a chocolate chip cookie dough, but instead of the chocolate chips mixed in as is, you melt them first and swirl the two together... thus the marbling. Plus the dough has cream cheese in it. So good.

Chocolate Marble Cookies

- 1/2 C sugar
- 1/2 C packed brown sugar
- 1/2 C butter, softened
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 t. vanilla
- 2 C all purpose flour
- 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1 C semisweet chocolate ships, melted and slightly cooled

Heat oven to 350F. In large mixing bowl combine sugars, butter, cream cheese, egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat at low speed until soft dough forms. Fold melted chips into dough until lightly marbled. (do not overmix). Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 mins, or until edges are light golden brown. Cool completly before storing.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

I saw this recipe on Becoming Betty, and thought it would be the perfect dessert to take to my enrichment activity tonight. If you like chocolate and mint, then you will love these cookies. Delish.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups Andy's Mint baking chips
• 1 bag Candy Cane Hershey's kisses
  

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside.

2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in mint chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do not over bake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.) Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack and place a kiss on top.

Giant Cookie Cake

Our big little boy turned three yesterday. After showing him a few different options of cakes I could make him, he decided he liked the one made of giant cookies. Good choice, bud. This idea would be fun just to make the cookies w/out turning it into a cake... it ends up being A LOT of frosting.

Giant Cookie Cake

Serves 16

4 C. all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

6 T. unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 C. light brown sugar

3/4 C. granulated sugar

3 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, plus two egg yolks

3/4 C. heavy cream

3 C. semi sweet chocolate chips

5 pkgs cream cheese, room temp

2 C. confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Cream butter and sugars in mixing bowl. Add in vanilla, eggs, and yolks. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the cream. Stir in chocolate chips.

For each of the 5 layers, drop one level cup batter onto center of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. To make the circle even, trace an 8-inch plate or bowl on the underside of the paper. (Refrigerate unbaked dough.) Spread dough into a circle. Bake til edges are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Use spatula to reshape circle. Return to oven and bake til edges are golden brown, about 6 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack to cool. *There will be leftover dough

Mix cream cheese and sugar in clean mixing bowl. Spread onto 4 cookies. Stack cookies, placing unfrosted cookie on top. Refrigerate til frosting is set, at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours. Serve at room temp.

Sweet teeth

If you know someone who would enjoy a few sugar cookies in the shape of teeth (I know a few), you can find the cookie cutter and more here. In addition to the cookie cutters, I love the skinny candles, unique cake toppers, cupcake liners, and doilies.

Cowboy Bars

These 7-layer bars reminded Chris of a yummy dessert we had at a fun place in Northern Cali called Comforts (a favorite of Sean Penn's). They are also highly addictive. Recipe from America's Test Kitchen.

Cowboy Bars

Makes 18

1 C. sweetened flaked coconut
1 stick unsalted butter
9 graham crackers, crushed in a large ziploc bag
1 C. finely chopped walnuts
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C. white chocolate chips
1/2 C. swirled chocolate chips
(or butterscotch chips, but i don't like those)
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350. Spray a 9 by 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fold two pieces of foil or parchment paper so that one measures 13 inches wide and the other 9 inches wide. Lay sheets in pan, perpendicular to each other, pressing into the corners, then spray again.

Spread coconut onto baking sheet and bake til just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Set aside. Melt butter and mix with crushed graham crackers. Spread crushed crackers in pan. In order, sprinkle the walnuts, semisweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, swirled chocolate ships, and coconut over the graham cracker crumbs. Pour the condensed milk over the entire dish.

Return pan to oven and bake til top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temp, about two hours. Remove bars from pan using the foil handles and transfer to cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into 2x3 inch bars.

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

These cookies are so soft and yummy! I like the addition of chocolate and they're a little bit spicy, but the kids still loved them. Recipe from Martha.

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Makes 2 dozen

7 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups plus 1 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 t. ground ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 T. cocoa powder
8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 T. freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 t. baking soda
1/4 c. sugar

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4 inch chunks; set aside. In medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined. In small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of four mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

Heat oven to 325. Roll dough into 1 1/2 -inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sugar Cookies

I'm kind of ashamed to admit this was my very first time making sugar cookies. Sad! But I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine and they turned out so great! Crisp around the edges, soft in the middle, and just a hint of salty- you'll like that Candice. I let the kids spend the afternoon decorating with frosting and sprinkles. They were in heaven!

Sugar Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick. Dip cookie cutter in flour before each use. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet 6-7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Makes about 3 dozen.

Giant Ginger Cookies

Cross my heart, hope to die this is the last dessert recipe for a good long while (2 weeks). :) But these really are too good not to share. I almost didn't bake any goodies this year- because of the overload of sweets everywhere you turn all December long. But friend Chelsea reported that she had been thinking about these ever since I made them last Christmas. Well that made me so happy I had to make some for her ASAP. These are huge and so so soft and chewy- and they stay soft and chewy for 2-3 days. Mmmm-mmmmm.

Giant Ginger Cookies

Makes 12

2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
3/4 C. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 C. packed light-brown sugar
1/2 C. granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for coating
6 T. molasses
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, allspice, and pepper.
With an electric mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. With mixer on low, gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and freeze for 20 minutes.
Divide dough into twelve 2-inch balls. Place remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a bowl. Roll balls in sugar to coat; place at least 4 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten into 3-inch rounds. Sprinkle with sugar remaining in bowl.
Bake until brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Chris said today that these cookies are in the running for his favorite cookie. The chewy/crunchy texture is what makes them so amazing, according to him. I concur.

Easy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies For Your Entire Young Women's Organization:

3 boxes chocolate cake mix
3 sticks butter
6 eggs
a dozen candy canes or small bag of starlight mints, crushed

Mix cake mix, butter and eggs well with electric mixer. Drop with small scoop onto cookie sheets and flatten a little with back of a spoon. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Bake at 350 for ten minutes. Let rest on pan 5 min before transferring to cooling rack.

If you aren't making them for all the YW... OBFIESLY, you would use one cake mix, one stick butter, and two eggs. And 1/3 the box of candy canes. I used my calculator to check the math- it's right. No problem.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Sick of cookies yet? It's been so long since I've made peanut butter cookies and I found this recipe in Martha Stewart's Favorite Comfort Food book. I just knew they'd be good! I added 1 cup peanut butter chips for extra deliciousness.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Dry-roasted, salted peanuts, for sprinkling (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, peanut butter, and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until well combined.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, sift flour and baking soda together. Add to the butter mixture, and beat just to combine.
4. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of dough, shape into a ball, and place on one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, placing scoops 3 inches apart. Dip the tines of a fork in warm water; press the dough balls lightly with the back of the fork to flatten them slightly (dip the fork back in the water for each dough ball, to prevent sticking). Sprinkle with a few peanuts, if desired.
5. Transfer to the oven, and bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheets between the oven shelves halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

These are probably my very favorite cookies in the world. One of my mom's best friends makes these and once I had my first bite I was hooked! Thanks Debbie!

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup oats
1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Add sugars, butter, egg, and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in oats and coconut. Shape to form 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake 12 minutes or until tops are golden. Makes 2 dozen.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

(Recipe from the back of the Ocean Spray Dried Cranberries package)

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (6 ounce) package ocean spray original craisians dried sweetened cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate, chunks or chips

1) Preheat oven to 375°F.
2) In a mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs mixing well.
3) Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
4) Add dry ingredients a little at a time to the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition.
5) Stir in by hand the cranberries then the white chocolate chips.
6) Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7) Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
8) Cool on wire rack.

Yield: Approx. 2 ½ dozen

Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Cookies

I found this recipe as I was looking through a magazine and knew I had to try it. I love anything chocolate and these really satisfy a chocolate craving. They are really rich and delicious; and best fresh from the oven!

Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Cookies
(yield- 2 dozen cookies)

1 bag Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips (any brand will do)
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 bag Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In double boiler over hot water, melt bittersweet chocolate chips and butter. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until thick; stir in chocolate mixture. In small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder; stir into chocolate mixture. Gently mix in semi-sweet chocolate chips and walnuts.

Using a sheet of plastic wrap, form dough into 2 logs, each 2 inches in diameter and about 8 inches long. As dough will be very soft, use plastic wrap to hold dough in log shape. Wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap dough; with sharp knife, cut into 3/4- inch slices. Place slices 1 1/2 inches apart on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until shiny crust forms on top but interior is still soft. Cool on baking sheet.

Shortbread Cookies with Lavendar Icing

Wildflower Bread Company has a salad with flecks of lavendar all throughout it (the Wildflower salad). Lavendar has a very distinct taste- it is interesting and highly concentrated. So I saw these cookies on "Stephanie's Kitchen" and had to make them. I had really high expectations, so I admit I was slightly disappointed with the final result. I really liked them, but didn't love them. The icing is the best part. If you didn't know there was lavendar in them, you would take a bite and think, "What IS that?"

Shortbread Cookies with Lavendar Icing

1 C. butter, softened
2/3 C. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-1/4 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine the flour and baking powder, gradually add to the creamed mixture. Roll out and cut with cookie cutters, 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-11 minutes.

ICING:

1/3 C. boiling water
1 tsp. dried lavendar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 C. powdered sugar

Add boiling water to a bowl with lavendar; cover and allow to soak for 15 minutes. Strain liquid, add almond extract and powdered sugar until it thickens slightly into a glaze. Put the warm icing into a ziplock bag, snip the corner and drizzle over cooled cookies. Allow them to set for a few hours.

* You can find lavendar at Sprouts.

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

I've decided to start making new desserts from scratch every Monday night for FHE so I can increase my baking skills which usually consist of making boxed brownies or buying ready made at the store. I found this recipe on Stephanie's Kitchen. Hers called for cinnamon chips which I didn't have, but I had white chocolate chips so I used those. They turned out perfectly!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat 1 stick (1/2 cup) of the butter in a mixer until smooth. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. In a seperate bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt and whisk until combined. Add the remaining butter (1 stick) to the flour mixture and using your hands break up butter into flour until well combined and the butter is at least pea sized within the flour. Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture until well combined. Stir in oats, white chocolate chips and chocolate chips. Chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Scoop onto baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Coconut Sandwich Cookies

Carmen- this is for you!
WARNING: if you make these you will have a time of it trying NOT to eat all the dough before it has a chance to be baked. These are up there among my favorite ever cookies. Served at Amanda Brad's and also Leah M.'s baby showers.

Coconut Sandwich Cookies

(makes 30)

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg. (7 oz) sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Creamy Vanilla Filling

1. Preheat oven to 350, with racks set in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Place 1/2 cup coconut in small bowl; set aside. Place remaining coconut in a food processor; pulse until coarsely ground. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugars til light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and groud coconut; mix til just combined.
3. Drop dough by level tablespoons onto two baking sheets, 1-2 inches apart. Bake until lightly golden around the edges, 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets 1/2 way through. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Dividing evenly, spread filling on flat side of 1/2 the cookies; sandwich with remaining cookies. Roll edges in reserved coconut, and chill until ready to serve.

Creamy Vanilla Filling

Using an electric mixer, beat 1 stick room-temp unsalted butter til light and fluffy. With mixer on medium, slowly beat in 1 cup confectioners sugar, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract; increase speed to high, and beat until filling is light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Makes about 1 cup.