Butternut Squash Soup - Two Ways

With Christmas behind us, I've been keeping a keen eye on some "healthier" food choices.  I don't know about you, but I damn near slipped into a food coma after everything I ate during the whole of Christmas week.  And if you must know, yes; I ate A LOT of my own cookies!  But don't worry, everyone that was supposed to receive them first did.  The biggest offenders were those damn Cookie Balls.  I just couldn't stop eating them!  Bad, bad Cookie Balls (tsk, tsk)!

That said, I've made an effort to eliminate (however temporarily) processed foods.  That means I've had to cook a bit again.  I am trying to keep it simple, though - at least for now.

So that brings me to the recipe at hand, Butternut Squash Soup.  I'm going to post two different recipes I use.  The first is vegan, using no dairy.  The second uses dairy. (And by the way, the photo below is not mine... I forgot to snap some shots of it before posting).

VEGAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 - 4 cups of butternut squash (using either fresh & cubed or frozen)
1 cup vegetable broth (or more if you like a thinner soup)
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 medium sweet onion
1 tbl olive oil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Slice the onion and saute in a small pan with the olive oil for about 10 minutes.

Add the onions, olive oil and all remaining ingredients into a slow cooker for about 5-6 hours.

Place the contents into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth.

If thinner soup is desired, add an additional cup of vegetable broth and/or coconut milk.

Recipe yields 6 cups, 90 calories per serving.


(NON-VEGAN) BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

For those of you who prefer to add dairy to their butternut squash soup, there are only a few minor changes...

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 - 4 cups of butternut squash (using either fresh & cubed or frozen)
1 cup vegetable broth (or more if you like a thinner soup)
1 cup milk
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 medium sweet onion
1 tbl butter
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp black pepper


PERSONAL NOTES:

I prefer to use pumpkin pie spice instead of individual spices like nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, etc... Please feel free to alter the recipe to suit your preferences.  Start here and try a mouthful.  Maybe you like more of one spice and less of another and so on. It's really pretty adaptable.  It's my favorite soup to make.  It's easy, healthy (the vegan version at least), and filling.  Perfect too for the winter months.

Italian Lemon (Jeanettes) Cookies

Finally!  Here's the recipe and directions for everyone's favorite holiday cookie.

This recipe was given to me by a little old Italian woman who has since passed away.  When she taught me, she literally took me by the hand and walked me through the whole process.  What a sweet woman.  After all these years I felt it was time to share the recipe.  I don't see any reason why not.  It's a family recipe; shouldn't it be shared?

ITALIAN LEMON (JEANETTES) COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

5-6 CUPS flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 CUP sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon extract

½ pound butter (2 sticks)

1 tsp salt

6 eggs

Icing: 1 cup Confectioner’s sugar, 2 tbls milk, ½ tsp lemon extract

Makes 6 dozen

DIRECTIONS:

1… Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2… Mix together the dry ingredients.  Make a “well” in the center and add butter and eggs to the center.  KNEAD the dough until smooth.  Continue adding small bits of flour until batter comes away clean from your hands.

3… Take tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them out (to about 4 1/2" - 5" pieces) and twist them. 

4...Place them on a cookie sheet.

5… Bake approximately 8 minutes. Cookies are done when the bottoms are golden brown and the tops just start to turn.

Once they've cooled completely, mix the confectioner sugar/milk/lemon extract in a small bowl.  Turn the cookies upside down and dip them in the icing.  Place them on wax paper to harden.

Then enjoy them!!!

Thimble Cookies

These cookies are some of the first cookies I started baking with Mom at the holidays.  I was probably in junior high when I started making these.  Needless to say, the Thimble Cookies are a holiday staple.  Even though I don't really eat them, I have to make them.  Just a tradition, I guess.

I wish I could find my mom's original Thimble Cookie recipe, but I have no idea what happened to it.  Either way, I found the same one online.  So the Thimble Cookie recipe is adapted from here.

THIMBLE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick butter

1 stick margarine

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sugar

2 – ½ cups sifted flour

Raspberry jam

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350°.

Cream butter and margarine. Gradually add the sugar beating until light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Add sifted flour and vanilla.

Shape dough into 1 inch diameter balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. With your finger, make an indentation on the top of each cookie. Fill each cookie indentation with jam.

Bake until lightly brown, about 15 minutes.

PERSONAL NOTES:

I will use either butter or margarine, not one of each.  Generally I only use butter.  I have no idea why this recipe calls for both.  It's a real head-scratcher.

And while the recipe calls for raspberry jam - and I have used it quite successfully in the past - I like to switch it up and either use blueberry or black currant jam.  YUM. 

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

I consider myself lucky to have stumbled upon this recipe.  I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before to mix oreos and cheesecake.  After all, there are Oreo cheesecakes in the world.  So why not Oreo Cheesecake Cookies?  These taste fantastic - and just like cheesecake.

I found the recipe here on the browneyedbaker blog and she adapted the recipe from Tasty Kitchen Blog.

OREO CHEESECAKE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and well-combined.

Add the sugar and vanilla extract and mix until the ingredients are well-combined. Add the flour and mix on low until the flour is incorporated. Stir in the mini chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Place the Oreo cookie crumbs in a small bowl. Scoop the cookies into about 1½ to 2″ balls and then roll in the cookie crumbs. Place the cookie balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the tops are slightly puffed.

Cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.


PERSONAL NOTES:

I actually didn't use Oreos (oops).  Instead, I used the Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers.  They're pricey but oh, so worth it.  They have a superior chocolatey flavor when it comes to cookies.  I used these in almost every recipe that calls for chocolate crumbs or cookies.

Cookie Balls!!!

This is what I call the following concoction, although I have seen more subtle (and classier) titles like "Cookie Truffles", blah, blah, blah.

These are out of this world and require NO baking!!! Incidentally, they don't require any real skill either.  Anyone can make them (and should be able to!). 

I found the recipe here, although if you Google "cookie balls" you'll come across several options.

Check these out...

COOKIE BALLS

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) package Oreo cookies , crushed

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese , softened

1 (24 ounce) package white chocolate bark

1 (24 ounce) package chocolate bark

DIRECTIONS:

Using a blender or hand held mixer, mix Oreos and cream cheese together.

Roll into walnut size balls.

Chill for an hour.

Melt approximately 3/4 package of white almond bark.

Stick a toothpick in an Oreo ball and dip it in the melted white almond bark.

Allow to harden on wax paper.

Takes about 15 minute.

While waiting, melt about 1/4 package of chocolate almond bark.

When Oreo balls are no longer sticky to the touch, decorate with drizzles of chocolate and white almond bark (just use a sandwich bag with a tiny hole cut in one corner to drizzle the almond bark).

PERSONAL NOTES:

I used Callebaut white & milk chocolate.  It was a little dicey dipping the balls into the chocolate, but overall they look fine.  I used two forks to dip and place the cookie ball on the wax paper.

They are SO GOOD!!!

I'm also going to try these out with the mint Oreos.  I'll let you know how it goes...

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is just another version of a classic: chocolate chocolate chip cookies.  I've made these before (probably Mrs. Fields' version - which is YUMMY by the way), but I like playing around with different recipes.  So I made these... my husband is IN LOVE with these cookies!

By the way, the original recipe is compliments of allrecipes.com and can be found here.

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


PERSONAL NOTES:

I used a combination of semi-sweet and milk chocolate.  The milk chocolate I used was Callebaut's.  YUMMY!  It really does make a difference when you use quality products.  It's worth spending the extra bucks to get the best results.

Also, I omitted the nuts.  When given the chance, I generally don't include nuts in recipes.  I like them separate thank you very much.

Espresso Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

As I was perusing my cookie recipes in search of my oatmeal raisin recipe, I came across this one.  So I decided to make it before doing the oatmeal raisins.  What a great flavor combo!  While I'm not a huge fan of peanut butter or peanut butter/chocolate, I DO appreciate a good mocha-flavored goodie.  And that's what this is.  Actually, I don't know why I hadn't made this before.  It's really pretty simple.

The recipe is compliments of foodnetwork.com

Here it is...

ESPRESSO DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Makes 2 dozen cookies

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 30 seconds. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.

Using a 1-ounce scoop or a 2-tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2-inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

PERSONAL NOTES:

I used almost double the amount of espresso because I like a pretty strong coffee flavor.  Also, I used a fine quality dark chocolate (75% cacao, Tarakan Chocolate). I think this makes the overall flavor much more dramatic.  I love it!

Chocolate Peanut Butter M&M Surprise Cookies

Sometimes I just get these ideas in my head to try recipes with a little twist to them.  This is the case with these cookies.  Although I'm not a huge fan of peanut butter cookies, I wanted to try them in a different way.  So I looked at chocolate peanut butter recipes.  Then as luck would have it, I was wandering through the store yesterday and happened upon the holiday M&M shelf.  They make every flavor in the holiday red/green colors.  When I saw the peanut butter M&M's I decided to pick those up and use those in this recipe.  Then I thought I'd put another twist on the cookies, by hiding the peanut butter M&M's on the inside of the cookie.  So that's exactly what I did.  When you bite into the cookie you'll get the chocolate peanut butter flavor, but also an additional treat with the peanut butter M&M in the middle.  I really like the idea.

You can find the original Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie recipe here from allrecipes.com

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER M&M SURPRISE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup canola oil

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (I completely omitted these)

PLUS: 1 package of Peanut Butter M&M's

Makes 4 dozen cookies

DIRECTIONS:

In a large mixing bowl, combine peanut butter and oil. Add brown sugar and sugar; mix well. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add to peanut butter mixture; mix until blended (dough will be sticky).                

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until set and tops are cracked. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks. 

PERSONAL NOTES:

As I mentioned above, I left out the chocolate chips and added the peanut butter M&M's instead. 

I found the dough to be very sticky to handle so I added a little more flour and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour.

Once the dough was firm enough to handle, I used my little ice cream scooper (1 tablespoon) and pressed an M&M into the middle before pressing it on the cookie pan (which was lined with parchment). I didn't bother using glass to flatten it out.  I didn't think it needed it.  I like the rounded shape it has.  Plus, it's a bit more fluffier :)

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

I'm not exactly sure where I picked up this recipe.  When I Google it, dozens of links pop up. I think it's one of those recipes that's almost common knowledge.  Either way, it's not my recipe.  But it IS a good one.

Frankly, I'm not a big fan of peanut butter anything... but it seems to be a crowd-pleaser so I make it each year.  And each year people fall all over themselves for one.  Go figure.

PEANUT BUTTER KISS COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 ¾ CUP flour

½ CUP sugar
½ CUP brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ CUP butter
½ CUP peanut butter
1 egg
2 TBL milk
1 tsp vanilla

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

DIRECTIONS:

1… Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2… CREAM together butter and sugars (in a mixer).  ADD egg, peanut butter, milk and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients. Mix.

3… Chill in the fridge if batter is too soft/sticky to handle.  Otherwise, roll out tablespoon-sized portions and roll in sugar.

4… Bake for 10 minutes.  PLACE chocolate kiss on AFTER baking, before cookies cool.

PERSONAL NOTES:

The recipe is pretty straightforward.  As step #3 suggests, I put the batter in the fridge for about an hour.  It definitely helps the handling.  It is way too sticky in the beginning.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone likes these cookies.  And with the pumpkin/spice flavor, they're perfect for the holidays.  These cookies were something I experimented with last year, and they worked out wonderfully.

The original recipe is here.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet

Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

Makes 60 cookies!

PERSONAL NOTES:

I use pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices.  I make sure to add enough so I can taste it.  When you put the spices in, give the dough a quick taste to see if you may need more.  I like really spicey pumpkin dishes and these cookies are no exception.

Also, I'm not sure why they specifically say NOT to use semi sweet chocolate over the milk chocolate.  I used an even mix of both.  I think it adds a little more depth.  And I just like it that way :)

Cinnamon Maple Rings; Not Exactly What Mrs. Fields Had In Mind...

Yeah.  Going back to Mrs. Fields' wonderful Best Cookie Book Ever, I decided to try my hand at her Cinnamon Maple Rings.  These are cookies that looked so yummy and I promised myself I'd make them one day.  Well, today was that day.  All I can say is, they taste outrageous, but they look NOTHING like the picture in Mrs. Fields' book!  I feel a little deceived... like, they should have warned me the rings could actually fall apart.  I'm not amused they look less than stellar, even though they taste wonderful.  These are cookies I will come back to to perfect.  You can be sure of that. 

In the meantime, here's the recipe...

Mrs. Fields' CINNAMON MAPLE RINGS

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup  All-purpose flour
1/4 cup  Sugar
1 cup (2 sticks)  Butter; chilled & sliced into 8 pieces
1/4 cup  Maple syrup; chilled
2 tbl Ice water; or as needed
Filling:
1/4 cup  Sugar
4 tsp Ground cinnamon
           
Topping:
1/4 c  Maple syrup


DIRECTIONS:

Combine flour and sugar in a medium bowl using an electric mixer set on medium speed.  Add butter and mix until the dough forms small, pea-sized pellets. Add chilled maple syrup and 2 Tbl water, and mix on low speed until dough can be formed into a ball, do not overmix or the dough will be tough! 

Separate dough into 2 balls andflatten into disks. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap or place in plastice bags. Refrigerate for 2 hrs.

To Prepare the Filling: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
        
Preheat oven to 325d F. Using a floured rolling pin on a floured board, roll one piece of dough into a rough rectangle 10 inches wide, 15 inches long, and 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle dough with half of the cinnamon-sugar filling. Starting with smaller side, roll dough up tightly into a cylinder. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Using a sharp thin knife, cut 1/4 inch slices from each roll. Place slices on ungreased baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Brush tips lightly with 1/4 cup maple syrup. Bake for 16-17 minutes or until light golden brown.  Immediately transfer cookies to a cool, flat surface.


PERSONAL NOTES:

As I mentioned, these looked so good in Mrs. Fields' book.  I'm disappointed mine don't look the same.  However, they taste REALLY good!  Although, I don't get a very strong flavor of maple.  They taste way more cinnamon-sugar, though not too sweet which is nice.

Upon further thought, perhaps I didn't roll out the dough thin enough.  I'm thinking if I had done that, they wouldn't be able to spread out quite the way they did.  But I have to tell you, it was a little tricky rolling out the dough.  Make sure you have enough flour on the surface you're using as well as on the dough.  You'll need to make sure the dough doesn't stick as you roll it up.  I think that's one part of the trick, the other is to ensure you roll up the dough TIGHT.  I'm not sure I did it that tight.  It was difficult.  As I said before, this is a recipe I will revisit in order to perfect it.  I will figure it out.

Chocolate Mochachino Cookies

I've been holding on to this recipe for years.  I finally made them this weekend.  They're crispy and mocha-chocolately.  The original name for this recipe is Cappuccino Flats.  I think my title is more flavor-appropriate.

CHOCOLATE MOCHACHINO COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

1 teaspoon warm water

1 egg

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons shortening

DIRECTIONS:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugars. Dissolve coffee in water; add to creamed mixture with egg and melted chocolate. Mix well. Combine flour, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture (dough will be sticky). Shape into two 6-1/2-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and shortening. Dip each cookie halfway; shake off excess. Place on waxed paper to harden.

PERSONAL NOTES:

I made a couple of adjustments here.  After reading a few reviews of the cookies, I kept seeing comments about how the chocolate flavor overpowered the espresso.  So I did two things: doubled the amount of espresso and reduced the amount of chocolate.  I also chose to use 75% cacao dark chocolate.  It was pricier to buy, but well worth it. From the photo, you can see how I used the chocolate on top; I only drizzled it on so it would compliment, rather than overpower, the mocha flavor of the cookie.

YUM!

Marble Cookies

Thank you Mrs. Fields!  Her book, The Best Cookie Book Ever! 130 Delicious Cookie and Dessert Recipes is my absolute favorite when it comes to the "Gail-Hamlin-Holiday-Bake-Off".  While I haven't made all of them, the many I have made were amazing.  Way to go Mrs. Fields. Love her. 

Praises aside, in this book is one of my favorite cookies: Marbles.

MARBLES

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, softened
1 large egg
4 oz. sour cream (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt with wire whisk.  Set aside.

Combine sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at medium speed.  Add butter and beat until batter is grainy.  Add egg, sour cream and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Scrape bowl.  Add the flour mixture and blend at low speed until just combined.  Do not overmix.

Place chocolate chips in double boiler over hot, but not boiling water.  Stir constantly until melted.  Or, place chips in a microwave-proof bowl and microwave on high, stirring every 20 seconds until melted.

Cool chocolate for a few minutes and pour over cookie batter.  Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, lightly fold melted chocolate into the dough.  Do not mix chocolate completely into cookie dough.

Drop by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 20 to 22 minutes.  Do not brown.  Quickly transfer cookies to a cool surface.

PERSONAL NOTES:

Sometimes I use semisweet chocolate, sometimes milk chocolate.  This time I used both.  I split the cookie dough and put semisweet in one, milk in the other.  I wanted to offer a bit of variety.

I also find the dough can be a little too soft to manage at first so I'll put it in the fridge (with the chocolate folded into it) for about 30 minutes.  Just long enough to stiffen it up a bit, but not too long that you have to work it out again to soften. 

One thing I recently purchased is an ice cream scooper with the release.  I bought one in a 3 tablespoon size and one in a 1-tablespoon size.  I find it SO much easier to handle the dough this way.  It doesn't get all gooey on my hands and you don't have to do any reshaping once the dough is on the cookie sheet.

Oh - that's another thing.  For almost everything I bake now (that requires a cookie sheet anyway), I use parchment.  I can't believe I've gone this long without ever using it.  I won't go back to plain cookie sheets.  It makes clean up a snap!  You must use parchment.  So, so easy.

One more thing on the baking time for these cookies.  Mrs. Fields is WAY off base when stating these cookies need to bake for 20-22 minutes.  I probably keep them in for about 10 minutes, maximum.  I check on them at 8 minutes to see what's going on.  If they're done at 8 minutes, so be it. So especially if you're making a recipe for the first time, try to keep checking on the cookies as they bake to watch their progress - unless you have a glass oven door and can see what's going on.

Ginger Cookies

In all the years I've been baking, I've never actually made ginger bread cookies.  I decided it was time I did.  So, I found a recipe for them and set out on the task.  The end result: these cookies are absolutely picture-perfect and taste terrific!  I will be making these again.

GINGER COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup butter (no substitutes), softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

Additional sugar

DIRECTIONS:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

PERSONAL NOTES:

The only modifications I made to these cookies were using 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar instead of 1 cup of granulated.  I just felt like mixing it up.

Chocolate Cinnamon M&M Cookies

About a week ago I was shopping at Target and came across a bag of cinnamon-flavored M&M's.  I can't get over the flavors now available.  I thought it was great when pretzels entered the picture with M&M's, but cinnamon?  I had to try these!  I figured there had to be a way to use them in a recipe - and there was.  I found a chocolate sugar cookie recipe here and decided to incorporate the M&M's.  The end result; a subtle-flavored, chewy (and yummy!) cookie.

CHOCOLATE CINNAMON M&M COOKIES


INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).               

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening, sugar, and egg. Stir in syrup and melted chocolate. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon; add to creamed mixture. Chill 1 hour.

Roll dough 1/8 inch thick on a well-floured pastry cloth. Cut into shapes.

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes.               

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

PERSONAL NOTES:

The only thing I changed was adding the M&M's.  I add as much as I see fit :)