Day 11 Of The Rosiethon. Rosie Makes Chocolate And Almond Butter Thumbprint Cookies

 
 Oh boy!

This is a new recipe

and I found out about a new technique.

I'm making Chocolate and Almond Butter Thumbprint Cookies.

Yes, I said Almond Butter.

Be sure to make extra of the Almond Butter.

We mixed some of it with honey

and spread it on buttered toast for breakfast.
Delightful!

Chocolate and Almond Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Cookies:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup smooth, unsweetened almond butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup plus 3 TB sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup almonds, coarsely chopped

Chocolate Ganache Filling:

5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

For the cookies:  

Heat oven to 375°.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt  and set aside.

Combine butter and almond butter 

in the bowl  of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

Beat on medium-high until smooth and combined.

Add brown sugar and 1/3 cup of sugar

and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add flour in two batches at medium-low speed,

mixing until just combined.

Combine chopped almonds and remaining 3 TB of sugar.

Scoop out tablespoons of dough, roll into small balls,

and roll in the almond-sugar mixture.

Space balls two inches apart on prepared pans.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

While cookies are still warm and soft,
ake an indentation in center of each cooke.

For Ganache Filling:

Combine chocolate and cream in bowl

and nuke until melted.

Stir to combine.

Pipe chocolate into indentation in cookies.

You can use a pastry bag or a plastic bag with the tip cut off.

Almond Butter is wonderful.

Let me show you how to make it.

Throw a bunch of almonds into your food processor.

Process the crap outta it.

I thought it needed more almonds.

Keep processing ...

... Until you magically get this.

Day 10 Of The Rosiethon. Rosie Makes Coconut Cranberry Macaroons.

 Merry Christmas to my readers!
Please check back frequently
since I'll be posting two or more cookies a day.
I want to get these recipes out for you!

Today's offering for you is Coconut Cranberry Macaroons,

which is up there in my top ten,

as I have a thing for coconut.

The addition of the orange zest is a lovely touch.

Coconut Cranberry Macaroons
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup dried cranberries
zest of 2 oranges
4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Kosher salt
6 cups coconut

Heat oven to 350°.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper
Whisk egg whites until light, then gradually beat in sugar.
Stir in cranberries, orange zest, vanilla, and salt.
Toss the coconut with the egg mixture until completely coated.
With moistened finger tips, form about a tablespoon of the mixture into pyramids on prepared pans.
Bake until the edges are golden brown and the the entire macaroon is nicely toasted and dry, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool.

Foamy egg white mixture.

Sticky coconut mixture.

Day 9 Of The Rosiethon. Rosie Makes Snickerdoodles.

 

 Rosie was a busy girl on Day 9 of the Rosiethon.

Ahhh.

The Snickerdoodle.

A most wonderful cookie indeed.

Snickerdoodles

Cream:  

1 cup Crisco

1 1/2 cups sugar

Add:

2 eggs, one at a time,

beating after each addition

Sift:

2 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

Stir:

flour mixture into creamed mixture

Chill.

Roll:

into small balls

and roll in 2 TB each cinnamon and sugar.

Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 400° 8-10 minutes,

until light brown and still soft.

I like to bang the tray once the last minute or so.

It deflates the cookie and I get a crisper cookie,

which is what I prefer.

Day 9 Of The Rosiethon. Rosie Makes Caramel Pecan Cookies.

 

Today I made a double batch of Basic Butter Cookie Dough.

This dough is used as the base in two different confections I make.

I've already made Brownie Squares

and now I'm making Caramel Pecan Cookies.

The following is the recipe for one batch of Butter Cookie Dough.  I always double this recipe so I can make both the brownie and the caramel versions.

Basic Butter Cookie Dough

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes with a standing mixer with paddle attachment, or 6 minutes with a handheld mixer.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Reduce to low speed and add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, then line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both ends.  Grease foil.

Press Basic Butter Cookie Dough evenly onto bottom of baking pan using a mini rolling pin and using plastic wrap on top to prevent sticking.  Chill dough until firm, about 20 minutes.

While crust is chilling, heat oven to 375°.

Bake crust until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes.

While the base is cooling, start on the pecan topping.

 

Caramel Pecan Cookies

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup heavy cream

6 TB unsalted butter, cut into bits

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

2 cups pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Cook sugar in a heavy 2 1/2 - 3 quart saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted to a golden caramel.  Tilt pan and carefully pour in cream.  Caramel will harden and steam vigorously.  Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla, salt, and pecans. 

Immediately spread topping over crust and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.  Cool completely in pan on rack, about two hours.

Run a heavy knife under hot water, wipe dry, and cut candies into squares, triangles, or diamonds.

Day 9 Of The Rosiethon. Rosie Makes Brownie Squares.

I have a simple recipe for Basic Butter Cookie Dough.
I'm making a double batch of the Basic Butter Dough
and taking it into two directions.

 
First I'm making Brownie Squares,
which uses the Butter Dough as a base.
and then I making Caramel Pecan cookies,
which also uses the Basic Butter Cookie Dough as a base.

This is the recipe for 1 - 9 x 13 baking pan of Basic Butter Cookie Dough.  It's just as easy to double this and make two batches as it is to make one.  That way you'll have the dough ready for the Caramel Pecan Cookies.

Basic Butter Cookie Dough

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes with a standing mixer with paddle attachment, or 6 minutes with a handheld mixer.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Reduce to low speed, add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, then line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both ends.  Grease foil.

Press Basic Butter Cookie Dough evenly onto bottom of baking pan using a mini rolling pin and using plastic wrap on top to prevent sticking.  Chill dough until firm, about 20 minutes.

While crust is chilling, heat oven to 375°.

Bake crust until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes.

Make Brownie Topping while crust cools.

Brownie Topping 

1 1/2 cups sugar

10 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup plus 2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp Kosher salt

1 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Melt butter and chocolate with brown sugar in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth.  Remove from heat and whisk in eggs and vanilla until well-combined.  Whisk in flour, cocoa, salt, and pecans.

Spread brownie layer over crust and bake until set, about 20 minutes.  Cool completely in pan on rack.  Run a heavy knife under hot water, wipe clean, and cut into small squares.