How to: Embossed Fondant Covered Valentine's Cookies

Still trying to decide what to make for your sweetie for Valentine's Day? How about a batch of beautifully decorated cookies. Maybe you're saying, "but I'm no good at decorating cookies." No problemo. These cookies are almost foolproof. They do require a few special tools, but if you can play with Play-Doh, you can make impressive looking cookies. As a bonus, the process is quick, and unlike cookies decorated with royal icing, they don't have to dry. Here's a brief tutorial on the process I used to make the cookies pictured here, using this recipe for chocolate chip cut-out cookies from The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle.

You will need:
Your favorite recipe for cut-out cookies, cut out in the shape(s) you desire, baked and cooled completely
Cookie cutters of desired shape(s)
Rolled fondant of desired color(s) - You can make your own if you like; I prefer Satin Ice
1 tablespoon corn syrup thinned with 1 tablespoon water
Impression mat(s) - I used a couple from my favorite local cake supply store (Sweet Wise), but you can find them at most craft supply stores
Luster Dust or Pearl Dust
2 food safe craft brushes (at least one should be soft bristled)

1. Roll fondant out fairly thin (about 1/16 inch) on a surface dusted with powdered sugar or cornstarch. I recommend working with small amounts of fondant at a time, as it dries out quickly on the counter. Alternatively, you can roll out fondant using The Mat, which is awesome to have in your decorating toolkit if you do very much work with fondant.
2. Using cookie cutter of desired shape, cut out fondant.
3. Using one of your craft brushes, apply a very thin layer of corn syrup/water solution on the surface of a cookie of the same shape.
4. Gently lift the fondant cut-out off the counter and lightly press onto the prepared cookie. Take care to not get any corn syrup on the side of the fondant that will face up. This will make your impression mat stick to the fondant, and will cause a mess.
5. Using the soft-bristled craft brush, lightly brush a coat of Luster or Pearl Dust over the fondant. This will not only make the design on your cookies stand out better, but it will also help ensure that the impression mat doesn't stick to the fondant.
6. Place an impression mat over the Luster Dust covered fondant. Gently and evenly press down over the surface of the cookie. Take particular care for cookies that are fragile, such as the "X" pictured. I broke a couple of them during this step. Carefully lift off the impression mat. If desired, apply another thin layer of Luster Dust.
7. Repeat with remaining cookies. That's it. You're finished.

Linked to: Creative Me, Make it Cute Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up, Comfy in the Kitchen, Tip Me Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Too Cute Tuesday

Chewy Coconut Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies (gluten-free, dairy-free)

These cookies are pretty amazing, on a few levels. First and foremost, they taste like eating an Almond Joy candy bar in chewy cookie form. Sounds pretty good, right? You know what's even better? They're not that bad for you. In fact, for cookies, these are basically health food: they contain no flour, no butter, and no processed sugar. On top of that, they are so easy to make. They come together in under five minutes flat. And you won't even have to turn on your mixer or dirty up a sink full of dishes.

I promise you would never guess that these are "healthy" cookies. They are intensely chocolatey, pleasantly chewy, and just sweet enough. They even passed the "David test", and that is saying a lot. Have I convinced you to make them yet? Well, what are you waiting for?

Chewy Coconut Double Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies
adapted from Clean Eating Magazine

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sucanat (can substitute light brown sugar)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate almond butter (I used Justin's, but I'm sure others would work, or you could probably make your own)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
3 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together egg and vanilla until foamy. Add sugar, salt and baking soda, whisking until light and fluffy. Whisk in almond butter (this may take a little time, since the batter gets pretty thick). Stir in coconut and chocolate.
3. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared  baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set. Allow to cool on baking sheet for at least 5 minutes, then cool completely on a cooling rack. Yields approximately 15-18 cookies.

Linked to: Tempt My Tummy, Tea Party Tuesday, Trick or Treat Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesday, Mrs Fox's Sweet Party, Midweek Fiesta, Sweet Treats Thursday, Famous Linkz, Tastetastic Thursday, Sweet Temptations, One Stop Shoppe, Comfy in the Kitchen, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Oatmeal Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the longest time, I was convinced I didn't like oatmeal cookies. Of course, most of my early encounters with oatmeal cookies involved raisins, and I hate raisins. Ok, hate is a bit of a strong word. I don't hate raisins like I hate, say, celery. I just don't really care for them. I actually don't care for most dried fruit. I find that it's often overly sweet. Ironic, considering how obsessed I am with sweets in general. The only real exceptions are dried fruits that are both sweet and tart, including dried cherries.

Anyway, back to my point. I thought I didn't like oatmeal cookies for a long time. Then one day I tried an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, and my mind was forever changed. Since then I've been on a mission to make the perfect oatmeal chocolate chip cookie: soft, chewy, and chock-full of chocolate chips. Considering how quickly these cookies usually disappear when I share them with friends, I think they come pretty close. Just for kicks, I've thrown in some dried cherries the last few times I've made them, which I think adds just the right touch of tartness. You're welcome to use raisins in place of the cherries, if you prefer. I don't know why anyone would want to ruin a perfectly good cookie by adding raisins, but we're all entitled to our opinions, I suppose.

Oatmeal Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
heavily adapted from The Frog Commissary Cookbook

1 cup (2 sticks, 16 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
10.5 ounces brown sugar (about 1 1/2 cups)
3.5 ounces granulated sugar (about 1/2 cup)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk, half and half, or cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
9 ounces all-purpose flour (scant 2 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups "quick" oats
1 cup old-fashioned oats
12 ounces chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
1 cup dried cherries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugars together on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Depending on the speed and power of your mixer, this should take 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater blade as needed.
2. Add egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract. Continue to mix at medium-high speed for two additional minutes.
3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl and blade as needed.
4. Fold in chocolate chips, oats, and cherries either by hand or with the "fold" function on your stand mixer.
5. Scoop dough into approximately 1.5 ounce portions (I like to use a #20 scoop for this task) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet spaced at least three inches apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating pan once during baking, until cookies are set around the edges and begin to brown. The centers should still appear to be somewhat under-baked. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for at least five minutes, or until set, before transferring to a cooling rack.

Gluten-Free Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This was my first intentional foray into the world of gluten-free baking. Sure, I've made a few flourless chocolate cakes and crustless cheesecakes that just happened to be gluten-free, but that was more coincidence than anything else. I've never been one to back down from a challenge in the kitchen, so when a friend asked if I could make a batch of gluten-free cookies for his sister, I of course said yes.

Having read quite a bit about gluten-free baking, I knew one of the common pitfalls was that cookies often have a grainy texture. After a bit of research and reading reviews of gluten-free flours, I decided to give King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour a whirl. This super-fine blend of white rice and whole-grain (brown) rice flours, tapioca starch, and potato starch is recommended for use in all types of gluten-free baking.

I was hoping that these cookies would at least be edible, and at best would be as good as my regular chocolate chip cookies. To my delight, these turned out just right: soft and chewy, like any good cookie should be. Although there is a very slight difference in texture between this version and my standard gluten-filled cookies, they are far from grainy. So, if you or a loved one must avoid gluten for health reasons, and you have a hankering for chocolate chip cookies, bake up a batch of these bad boys. You won't be disappointed.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Alton Brown and King Arthur Flour

8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces granulated sugar
10 ounces brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk, half and half, or cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 1/2 ounces gluten-free baking mix (I highly recommend this one)
1 teaspoon xantham gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
16 ounces chocolate chips (any combination, I used a mix of white chunks and semi-sweet chips).

1. Cream butter and sugars together on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Depending on the speed and power of your mixer, this should take 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater blade as needed.
2. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Continue to mix at medium-high speed for two additional minutes.
3. Whisk together gluten-free baking mix, xantham gum, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl and blade as needed.
4. Fold in chocolate chips either by hand or with the "fold" function on your stand mixer.
5. Place dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. I tend to think longer is better. I usually try to chill for at least four hours, and ideally overnight.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Scoop dough into approximately 1.5 ounce portions (I like to use a #20 scoop for this task) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet spaced at least two inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating pan once during baking, until cookies are golden brown. (Note: I found that my cookies turned out best (ok, prettiest) if I flattened them slightly with the bottom of a glass half-way through baking.) Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for at least five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.


Linked to: Sweets for a Saturday, Fusion Fridays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Simply Perfect: All-Butter Shortbread

Sometimes the simplest things really are the best. These cookies certainly prove that point. I first made them out of sheer laziness. I was preparing to make a plain cheesecake when I realized I was out of graham crackers. Not wanting to make a run to the grocery store, because that would entail changing out of my pajamas, I began searching for a simple cookie recipe that could serve as a graham cracker stand-in. I had previously used store-bought shortbread in the crust of a strawberry cheesecake with good results, so that seemed like a good place to start looking. After a bit of searching, I stumbled across a recipe that fit my needs: it was quick, it was easy, and I already had all the ingredients on hand. Perfect.

All-Butter Shortbread is perhaps the simplest of cookies. The most basic recipes call for just three ingredients: butter (obviously), brown sugar, and flour. Based on a little bit of research on tips for achieving shortbread perfection, I adapted these slightly to include two types of flour (unbleached all-purpose and rice), a pinch of salt, and a splash of vanilla extract. While I was expecting these cookies to be good, they far exceeded my expectations. They're everything shortbread should be: buttery and crumbly; tender, but still slightly crisp; sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. In fact, even David was impressed, and that is no easy feat. He actually made an audible "Mmmm" with his first bite. According to him, these cookies are "just like the ones you buy in those tins around Christmas, but these are better." Probably the most praise he's ever given one of my baked goods. I'm pretty sure I will be making them again and again. In fact, they're so delicious and so easy to make, they may become the new standard for all of my plain cheesecake crusts. And I can almost guarantee that I will never buy pre-made shortbread cookies again.

All-Butter Shortbread

adapted from allrecipes.com

2 cups (4 sticks, 32 tablespoons) unsalted butter

7 ounces brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4.5 ounces rice flour
15 ounces unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Beat butter and brown sugar together on medium-high until very creamy, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla extra and beat an additional 1-2 minutes, scraping down beater blade and sides of bowl as necessary.
2. Sift together flours and salt. Lower mixer speed to medium-low. Add dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture one cup at a time until fully incorporated.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into one or more cylinder(s). Place dough cylinder(s) in refrigerator for at least an hour to chill. (Alternatively, you may roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. I would recommend chilling cut-out shapes prior to baking to minimize spreading/puffiness.)
4. Pre-heat oven to 315 degrees. Cut dough into 1/2 inch slices and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until cookies just begin to slightly brown. Allow cookies to cool before removing from cookie sheet.
(Optional - Melt bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler or microwave with a touch of vegetable oil. Dip cookies in chocolate, place on parchment paper, and chill until chocolate has firmed up.)

Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Ginger Cookies

Every year when I start brainstorming for types of Christmas cookies to bake and share with friends and family, I ask David for his suggestions. Without fail, he always asks for gingersnaps. In my mind, gingersnaps should be crunchy, spicy cookies. When you bite into one, it should, you know, snap. Hence, ginger-snap. Apparently, David does not share this concept of what a proper gingersnap should be. In his mind, the ideal gingersnap should be soft and chewy. While I certainly enjoy a soft and chewy ginger cookie, I refuse to call such cookies "gingersnaps".  If it doesn't snap when you bite into it, it's not a "snap". Those are the rules folks.

Once I finally figured out that David was actually asking for ginger cookies, I set out to find a recipe that yielded perfectly soft, chewy cookies with a well balanced spicy ginger flavor. After a few semi-successful attempts, I think I finally found a winner. So far, everyone who has tried these has raved about them. As an added bonus, these cookies stay soft and chewy for days and days. So if you, too, are looking for the perfect ginger cookie, give these a shot.

(Sidenote: I added the white chocolate chunks and crystallized ginger, because well, I like white chocolate and crystallized ginger. If you don't, feel free to leave them out.)

Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Ginger Cookies
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
2 1/2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) granulated sugar
2 1/2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) dark brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces molasses (about 1/2 cup), light or dark is fine; I use sorghum from a local supplier
11 1/4 ounces (about 2 1/4 cups) bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
8 ounces white chocolate chunks (optional)
1/2 cup coarse sanding sugar for dipping (I used red and green on some cookies for a festive touch)

1. Adjust one oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugars (granulated and brown) at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Depending on your mixer's power and speed, this should take approximately 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and continue beating at medium-high for 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through.
4. Add molasses and continue beating for 1 more minute.
5. Whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. With mixer set on lowest speed, gradually incorporate flour mixture into wet ingredients until no streaks of flour are visible. Periodically scrape down sides of bowl.
6. Fold in crystallized ginger and white chocolate chunks using your mixer's fold function, or by hand.
7. Pour sanding sugar into a shallow dish. Roll dough into approximately 1 1/2 inch balls and coat with sanding sugar.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet. The original recipe recommends only baking one sheet at a time, as the cracks will not properly form otherwise, so I heeded their advice. Remove cookies when they begin to crack. Cookies should still look undercooked between cracks.
9. Allow cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to complete cooling.

So, you've been a little naughty this year, huh? There's a cookie for that!

Like most kids, as a child I was endlessly warned by my parents to "be a good girl, 'cause Santa Claus is watching you." I must admit, in retrospect, the thought of some old guy watching me while I was sleeping is more than a bit suspect. Ahh, but I digress. That ever looming threat of having Santa pass over my house on Christmas Eve was usually enough to scare me straight. On the off chance that I had a particularly naughty day, I assumed I could always lure the big guy with some tempting treats. It must have worked, because I never awoke to an empty stocking.

If you've had a few days (or months, who's counting) of less than nice behavior this year, I recommend making these Peppermint Bark Cookies. With all the flavor components of peppermint bark (white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and candy cane) baked into a soft and chewy cookie, I think they're good enough to cause Ol' Saint Nick to overlook any minor behavioral transgressions.

Peppermint Bark Cookies
adapted from Savory Sweet Life and Alton Brown

8 ounces (1 cup, 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
2 ounces granulated sugar
8 ounces brown sugar (light or dark, either is fine)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) whole milk, half and half, or cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 ounces bread flour (please, please weigh your flour; volumetric measurements are not reliable)
1 teaspoon sea salt, small to medium coarse
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
8-10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
8-10 ounces white baking chocolate, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (more or less) crushed candy canes (not pulverized, but no huge chunks either)

1. Cream together butter and sugars (brown and granulated) on medium high until very fluffy. This will take 3-5 minutes, depending on the temperature of your butter and the speed/power of your mixer. Stop midway to scrape down sides of the bowl and beater blade.
2. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and milk. Beat for approximately 2 more minutes on medium high. Stop midway to scrape down sides of the bowl and beater blade.
3. Whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Lower mixer speed to lowest setting. Gradually add dry ingredients, stopping once or twice to scrape down sides of the bowl. Continue until all dry ingredients are incorporated.
4. Add semi-sweet chips and white chocolate chunks. Either mix in using your mixers "fold" function, or stir in with a spoon.
5. Chill the dough for at least one hour. I tend to think longer is better. I usually try to chill for at least four hours, and ideally overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Place crushed candy canes in a shallow dish. Scoop dough into approximately 1 oz portions (I like to use a use a 1 oz ice cream scoop), and roll in crushed candy.
8. Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet, spaced at least two inches apart, and bake for 11-13 minutes, rotating once halfway through. Cookies should be slightly brown around the edges, yet still appear undercooked in the center, when removed from the oven. The residual heat from the cookie sheet will continue to cook the center. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for at least five minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Or eat them straight off of the cookie sheet. I won't tell anyone.

Note - You may notice that most of the ingredient portions are provided by weight, not volume. This is because I almost always use my digital food scale to weigh ingredients when I bake. Not only does this allow me to obtain more consistent results, but it also means fewer measuring cups to wash. That's a win-win in my book. If you don't have a digital food scale, I highly recommend that you consider getting one. It will make your life in the kitchen easier.