Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Peanut Butter Creme Cookie Cups

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

What kind of field does Mary Fields of Gilbert, AZ live in? A field of delicious, obviously.

If you needed proof, you can find it in her recipe for Peanut Butter Creme Cookie Cups, a finalist in the upcoming Pillsbury Bake-Off. Will she win? Nobody knows yet, but one thing's for sure: you can be a winner in your kitchen by whipping up a batch, right now. Here's the recipe.

Peanut Butter Creme Cookie Cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup  Pecan Chips
• 1 package Pillsbury® Big Deluxe refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
• 1/2 cup Hershey’s white baking chips
• 1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper or foil baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups.
2. In small bowl, place pecan chips. Lightly coat each cookie with pecans; press into dough. Place each cookie, flat side down, in muffin cup.
3. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool in muffin cups on cooling rack 30 minutes. (Centers of cookies will sink slightly.)
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave white chips on Medium 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Stir peanut butter into melted chips until blended.
5. Spoon about 2 teaspoons peanut butter mixture into each cookie cup. Store in covered container.

Gimme S'more: Chocolate Drop S'mores Pop-Tarts Cookies

CakeSpy Note: It's high time to take another look at this updated version of the pop-tarts cookie recipe, because it's featured on Serious Eats this week!

Have you ever found yourself eating a chocolate cookie and thought to yourself that surely, surely there must be a way to heighten this delicious experience?

The answer is yes, and that thing is Pop-Tarts. More specifically, S'mores Pop-Tarts.

And with that, let me introduce what is bound to become a new classic: The Chocolate Drop S'mores Pop-Tart Cookie. It's a mouthful in more ways than one, a taste so wholly unholy that while part of you may cry no, most of you will cry for s'more.

Here's the recipe. For more details and printable instructions, visit Serious Eats!

Chocolate Drop S'more Pop-Tarts Cookies

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate (2 oz), melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 chopped s'mores Pop-Tarts

Procedure

1. Mix butter, sugar, egg, and chocolate thoroughly. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, mix flour with baking soda and salt; mix in with wet mixture.
3. Fold in the Pop-Tarts pieces.
4. Let dough chill for at least an hour.
5. Heat oven to 400 F. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until no imprint remains when lightly touched. Let sit for 5 minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Love Me Knot: The Story of the Calabrian Love Knot

CakeSpy Note: I am reposting this recipe because it's featured on Serious Eats this week!

If there is one thing I love even more than a great baked good, it's a great story. And if it's a story about a baked good, well then, all the better.

So when I came across the following introduction preceding a recipe for Calabrian Love Knots in Judith M. Fertig's amazing tome (buy it--trust me--it's a great book!) All American Desserts

During the early 1900s, the height of Italian immigration...many people came from Calabria in the "toe" part of boot-shaped Italy, right across the Mediterranean from...Sicily. When women of Calabrian descent become brides, beautifully arranged platters of these almond-flavored cookies are often served at the reception.

...well, all I can say is that I had to try this recipe.

It's not hard to see why these cookies are a time-honored tradition. They're simple to make, but the pleasure that they provide is tenfold: like a slightly drier and less sweet version of a sugar cookie, they taste delectable when dipped in strong coffee (or even wine!). They're truly the stuff of memories: as one Italian CakeSpy reader put it, "My grandparents had them at their wedding reception in the 40s. Nowadays only few families still know how to cook them and it is possible to buy them only in very small traditional bakeries in the countryside."

Now, I did make some alterations to the original recipe. First, because I happened to have a half wheat/half all-purpose flour mixture left over from a recent baking project, my batch was made with some wheat flour (we thought it tasted pretty good, actually!). And second, while the original recipe called for a light almond paste, sugar, and cream glaze, I served mine without--as hard as it is to admit this, they actually didn't need it. (Of course, if you don't believe me--and I don't blame you--the frosting recipe is written below).

Calabrian Love Knots

 

adapted from All American Desserts by Judith M. Fertig

- makes about 2 dozen -

• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/8 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 cup milk
• 1/2 tablespoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used a half-and-half mixture of wheat flour and all-purpose, which made them a bit nuttier)

Optional almond sugar frosting:

• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Either grease baking sheets or lay out some parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Beat together the eggs, oil, granulated sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in the milk, almond extract, baking powder, and enough flour so that the dough becomes stiff. 
3. Knead the dough either by hand or with a dough hook in a mixer until smooth. Pinch off about 1 tablespoon worth of dough for each cookie; roll into a rope and then twist into a pretzel shape, simple knot, or the letters of the name of your significant other. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies on to a wire rack to cool.
5. If you're making them with frosting, go ahead and whisk the cream and almond extract together in a small mixing bowl. Beat in the confectioners' sugar bit by bit until it is smooth and of your desired consistency. Drizzle over the cooled cookies. 
6. Either way, store in an airtight container. These cookies keep beautifully when frozen.

 For more, visit Serious Eats!

Sweet Stripes: Candy Cane Striped Cookies Recipe for Serious Eats

It's true: Italian Flag Cookies, or Rainbow Cookies, as they're sometimes called, are already sort of Christmas-hued.

But if you, like me, prefer something more substantial than preserves between layers, you might adore this equally festive frosting-filled Candy Cane Striped Cookie variation. These cakey cookies are a pretty addition to any holiday cookie tray, and easy to tailor to your tastes. Not content to merely mimic the candy cane stripes? Make them minty: flavor the filling with a touch of peppermint extract for a sweet flavor complement to the almond flavor and chocolate topping.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Cookie Time: Chocolate Crinkles Cookies Recipe by Stephanie Anderson Witmer

CakeSpy Note: This is a guest post from Cake Gumshoe Stephanie! Here's her Bio: Stephanie Anderson Witmer is the author of the cookbooks Killer Pies  and Killer Chili  (as Stephanie Anderson, her maiden name), both published by Chronicle Books in 2007. She has also written about food for Better Homes & Gardens, Punchfork.com, Spirit magazine, and more. Visit her website at stephanieandersonwitmer.com. 

One reason I love Christmas so much is that in my family, it’s almost exactly the same year after year after year. In the morning, we eat cinnamon rolls, followed by poached eggs over pieces of bread in coffee cups (eponymously called “Charlie eggs” after my paternal grandfather). In the afternoon, my grandmother prepares an informal afternoon buffet that includes beef brisket, steamed shrimp, baked beans and the ubiquitous red-and-green Jell-O mold.

But it’s what comes after all of this that’s the main Christmas food event, in my opinion: my grandma’s chocolate-crinkle cookies. We wait in anticipation for her to carry out the Christmas tree–shaped cookie tray, ready to pounce on the crinkles, stockings, presents and good manners be damned. All of us — kids, adults, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, grandparents — attack the pile of crinkles with such ferocity, we’re practically elbowing each other out of the way. (The best tactic is to quickly grab a handful and retreat. Don’t be polite. You will eat them all.)

On a normal day, the chocolate-chip cookies or the peanut-butter cookies with the Hershey’s Kisses in the middle or the sugar cookies bedazzled with vibrant sanding sugar would be popular picks. But it’s not a normal day. It’s Christmas—the one and only day of the year that the chocolate crinkles make their appearance. Sure, we could make the cookies more often, but it just doesn’t feel right. Their rarity is part of why they taste so good (but just part).

And now I share my grandma’s recipe with you. Some crinkle words of wisdom before you begin: First, crinkles should be small, ever-so-slightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. It’s important not to over-bake them. They should look not-quite done when you pull them out of the oven. Next, the dough needs to be refrigerated overnight, so be sure to plan accordingly. Just before baking, the cookies are shaped into balls and rolled in what will seem like an ungodly amount of confectioners’ sugar. Err on the side of more, not less. As they bake, the cookies will spread, with the sugar forming the crinkles, and they’ll come out of the oven looking as if they’ve been dusted with newly fallen snow.

Grandma’s Chocolate-Crinkle Cookies

Yield: 6-7 dozen

Ingredients

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Confectioners’ (10x) sugar, for coating 

Procedure

1. Mix oil, melted chocolate, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend in one egg at a time. Mix together salt, flour and baking powder in a separate bowl, and then add to wet ingredients, blending until combined. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate dough overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll a teaspoon of cold dough into a ball, and then generously roll each ball in confectioners’ sugar. Place 12 balls on a greased cookie sheet, and bake 8–10 minutes. (Check after 8 minutes). Do not overbake. Cookies should be slightly soft when done.

Mac Attack: Christmas Tree Coconut Macaroons Recipe for Serious Eats

In general, coconut macaroons are not what would be considered a "cute" cookie.

But that's about to change: introducing the Christmas Tree Coconut Macaroon!

These sweet little somethings are rendered adorable simply by tinting the coconut with green food coloring and then decorating with sprinkles and writing icing post-baking. They're fun and easy to make, sweet to eat, and it's a very child-friendly baking project to boot!

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Sweet December: A Baker's Dozen of Holiday Cookie Recipes

Berlinerkranser!Thanksgiving's over, and you know what that means: it's Holiday Cookie Season. Here's a baker's dozen of some of my favorite cookie recipes to start the season off with a sugary sparkle.

Snowy Snickerdoodles!

Mint Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies!

Candy Cane Cookies!Cinnamon Stars from Bredenbeck's Bakery!Mint Candy Butter Cookies!Homemade Thin Mints!

Peppernuts!
Eggnog Nanaimo Bars!Moldy Mice!

Jan Hagel!
Peppermint Nanaimo Bars!Gingerbread Mad Men!...and of course, if you have leftovers, you could always make some cookie croutons! Happy Cookie Season, everyone!

Macrina Sweets: Molasses Ginger Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches Recipe

Image: Macrina BakeryThere's no doubt that Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches rule. But when they're made of Macrina Bakery's Molasses Ginger cookies, they reach new heights in the sphere of awesomeness. Here's the intro for Macrina's recipe of the month:

I think it's the fresh ginger that makes these cookies so special. They also have the perfect balance of chewy and crisp. Sandwiching two of them with ice cream makes an exceptional treat.

And here's the recipe:

Molasses Ginger Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

Makes about 16

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons peeled and grated ginger
• 1/3 cup dark molasses
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Procedure

1. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves and salt in a medium bowl. Mix with a whisk until evenly distributed and set aside.
2. Combine shortening, butter and brown sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and pale in color. Add 1 egg and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add remaining egg and scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add ginger and molasses and mix on low speed for 1 minute. The mixture may look as if it's separating, but have no fear. It will come together once the dry ingredients are added. Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and pour granulated sugar into a pie pan or shallow bowl.
4. Scoop dough out of the bowl (I like to use a medium ice cream scoop) and roll the dough into 2-inch balls. Toss each of the balls in granulated sugar until evenly coated, then place 8 on each baking sheet, leaving 3 inches between each ball. Slightly flatten each ball of dough with the palm of your hand to keep the balls from rolling around. 
5. Place 1 sheet of cookies in the refrigerator while baking the other sheet.
6. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, on center rack of oven for 15 to 18 minutes each. To help the cookies bake evenly, rotate the baking sheet every 4 minutes or so. The finished cookies will be golden brown and slightly puffed up but will collapse while they cool. Let cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. The cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
7. Choose your favorite vanilla ice cream and  scoop a generous portion onto one cookie, place the other on top and voilá! A delicious treat to usher in fall.

Stuff It: Nutella Stuffed Shortbread for Serious Eats

It's a fact: stuff is better when it's stuffed with stuff.

Instead of trying to say that five times fast, go ahead and preheat your ovens, because you'll want to make time move faster in an effort to get these cookies in your mouth sooner. Because if there's anything better than a deliciously crumbly shortbread cookie, it's one that is stuffed with rich, creamy, chocolate-and-hazelnut-laden Nutella.

I'm tempted to deem these the perfect lunchbox treat for back-to-schoolers, but really they're the ideal mid-day pick me up for anyone.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Carnival Cookies Recipe from Super Natural Every Day

I will tell you the truth. When I first encountered the recipe for Carnival Cookies in the lovely and amazing cookbook Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swanson, the first thing that captured my attention was the name. Carnivals are fun! But as I scanned the ingredients, I became alarmed: "these sound sort of healthy." But then, the more I lingered on the entire list, I thought "gosh, these sound fairly delicious, in spite of some alarmingly healthy-sounding ingredients!".

And you know what? I was rewarded when I tried them out in my own kitchen. They tasted vaguely granola-y, but not in a bad way. In a decadent way. But...here's the thing. (Duh) I forgot to photograph these beauties before bringing them to an event, but you can find some pretty pictures here.

Carnival Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups well-mashed bananas
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup barely warmed (not solid) extra-virgin coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 2/3 cup shelled whole peanuts
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups popped corn

Procedure 

1. Preheat oven to 350 with racks in the top and bottom third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the bananas, vanilla, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the oats, almond meal, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until combined. Fold in the chocolate, then the peanuts, and lastly the popped corn. The dough is looser than a standard cookie dough, but don't worry.
3. Firmly shape balls with your hands, about 1 heaping tablespoon each, and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake 14-17 minutes, swapping the baking sheets from top to bottom once along the way, until the bottoms are deeply golden. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack. Makes 24 cookies.