Hermione's Heart: cookies

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Holiday Goodies

For the ultimate chocolate/peanut butter experience, try these Chocolate Peanut Butter Globs. This recipe by Ina Garten is chock full of yummy ingredients that you may change or omit to suit your taste.

    6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
    12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
    2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
    2 large eggs
    1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
    2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    3/4 cup sugar
    1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    1 cup whole walnut halves (not chopped)
    1 cup whole pecan halves (not chopped)
    2/3 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a few sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a bowl set over simmering water, melt the butter, 6 ounces of the chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate, stirring occasionally, until just melted. Remove from the heat and cool for 15 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a hand-held mixer, beat the eggs, coffee powder and vanilla until combined. Add the sugar, raise the speed to medium-high, and beat for 2 minutes, until the batter is thick and falls back on itself in a ribbon.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Combine the 1/3 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and fold it into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula.

In another bowl, combine the walnuts, pecans, peanut butter chips, the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate chips, and the tablespoon of flour and fold it into the chocolate mixture. With 2 soup spoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop rounded mounds of batter 1 inch apart onto the prepared sheet pans. Bake for 15 minutes exactly. Cool on the baking sheets for 20 minutes then enjoy!

These blogs are participating in this year's cookie exchange.

Cat

messymimi
morningstar

selkie (blog here, recipe here)

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

The Great Cookie Extravaganza

If you or someone in your family enjoys baking, then get a head start on making holiday goodies with this recipe. It freezes well so you can pop it into the freezer and then have it on hand for guests. I made these squares last week and the ones I didn't freeze disappeared quickly!

Photo and recipe from ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen

Butterscotch Cranberry Squares

    1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries
    2 tablespoons sugar
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
    1/2 cup sugar
    1/2 cup brown sugar
    dash of salt
    1 cup melted butter
    I cup chopped dates
    3/4 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or other nuts
    1 (12 ounce) jar butterscotch sauce
    1/3 cup flour

Toss cranberries with 2 tbsp sugar and set aside.
Combine 2 cups flour and the next 5 ingredients (down to salt).
Stir in butter until crumbly.
Reserve one cup of this mixture.
Press remaining mixture into lightly greased 13x9" pan.
Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes.

Combine cranberries, dates and nuts and sprinkle over crust.
Stir together butterscotch sauce and 1/3 cup flour.
Spoon over cranberry mixture.
Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Bake 25 more minutes.
Cool on a rack and cut into squares. May be frozen for up to one month.

If cranberries are not available, feel free to substitute blueberries, or use raisins or other dried fruit. The butterscotch sauce may also be omitted if that's too much sugar for you. They will still be yummy.

Let's have a round of applause for Jz who organized today's cookie exchange. These bloggers are also sharing recipes today, so be sure to visit them all:

Cat