Cookies -

I received a number of email today for me to post some of my cookie recipes: i thought there are allot of them so i can spread them out over several months.

These recipes do not follow the variations theme but what the hell it is how i got started with the cooking bug and lead me down the road to the cook book project.

The first one I am going to post is my take on the toll house cookie recipe, only i though it needed a new twist.

Sour Cherry, Walnut, Chocolate chip cookie

Below is a quarter of the recipe I usually make; the recipe below will make a little over 2 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temp (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup firm packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour - i use unbleached
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips - Sometime I find them at Costco or Wholefoods
1 cup dried sour cherries - Costco in the fall, i stock up and freeze them
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
In a large bowl mix together all the dried ingredients.
Place a large bowl on the stand mixer and cream together the butter and sugars until light and creamy. Now add the vanilla and egg to the butter mixture.
Slow add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until blended - do not over mix.
Remove bowl from stand mixer and with a wooden spoon fold in the cherries, chips and walnuts.
Using a cookie scoop drop dough onto the cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown - cooking time will vary from oven to oven and also depends on how much time your oven is on. When I am in cookie mode for the holidays i need to watch the cookies after 8 minutes due sometimes the are done early or will need to stay in up to 14 minutes.
Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.


Another favorite cookie of mine, well actually its a bar, is mine tangy citrus bar. Some time i make it with lemons, limes or key limes.

Tangy Citrus Bars

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups all purpose flour, unbleached
1/2 powder sugar
2 sticks of butter cubed and chilled (1 cup)

Topping

5 eggs - Its a cookie so forget the calories
2 cups sugar - raw is best but white is fine
6 table spoons of all purpose flour
4 table spoons of citrus zest - lemon, lime or key lime
3/4 cup of juice of what ever citrus you choose

Powder sugar for dusting the finished bars

I did try oranges once with the bars - its OK, blood oranges were good but the tart citrus work best - Ah but not grapefruit, that's just wrong.

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Crust

In the food processor with the dough blade, combined all the ingredients of the crust. I pulse the processor until the dough is crumbly.
Pat dough into a parchment lined 9 x 13 inch baking pan - grease and floor the sides of the pan.
Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes or until the crust is light brown. Let crust cool before adding topping.

Reduce oven to 325 degrees

Topping

In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. In the stand mixer with a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Now add the dry ingredients slowly to the eggs until blended. With the mixer still running on low add the zest and then the juice and mix until smooth.
Pour over crust and return to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minute or so: the custard needs to set, then you know its done. For some reason the key lime and the blood orange take a little longer.
Transfer to cooling rack. After it has cooled for about 10 minutes dust with the powder sugar.
Let the pan cool completely before you cut it into bars. Remember to remove any parchment that may stick to the bottom of the bars.

Hmm what to post next in regards to my cookie recipes: the dark chocolate brown bears, Spice cookies or Ginger snaps - or something else - come back to find out.

Enjoy cooking