Category: cookies

2017, Baking, blog, cookies, debbie, may, myblog, recipe

Cookie de Tacos

Debbie
Happy Cinco de Mayo! 
I celebrated by creating these adorable cookie tacos for a surprise birthday party for one of Nate’s friends. 
Colorful Cookie Tacos
This type of plate helped the tacos stay upright 
Ingredients:
Golden Oreos
Sprinkles
Chocolate Frosting 
Food Coloring (green, yellow, red)
Coconut flakes (I used unsweetened) 
Instructions: 
  1. Using the food coloring, dye the coconut flakes a green (lettuce) or an orange-yellow color (cheese) I used shot glasses to stir the food coloring into the coconut flakes. 
  2. Remove the top part of the Oreo and remove the inner frosting (My frosting disappeared into my mouth…) 
  3. Carefully cut in half the Oreo cookie. Sometimes I just broke it apart and other times I used a knife in a sawing motion. 
  4. Put the two half pieces together in your hand and add a spoonful of chocolate frosting 
  5. Dip it into sprinkles and colored coconut toppings 
After the first couple, I had a nice assembly line going and it wasn’t too labor intensive. 
My work station 
I saw this on Pinterest and wanted to try to make it myself
2016, blog, cookies, debbie, july

White Chocolate Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

Debbie
These cookies were baked because Kroger had blueberries on sale. 
I wanted to do something other than blueberry muffins so I found this recipe on Pinterest. 
If I were to make these cookies again, I’d add more flour to make them less mushy. The dough was very wet and the cookies came out really moist, almost too much. I’m not sure if I added too many blueberries and that’s why they came out so moist. 
I brought them into work on Tuesday and people seemed to sort of like them. One co worker doesn’t like any oatmeal cookies so she didn’t try them. 
White Chocolate Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
Yields 24
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 1 -1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1-1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until blended. 
  3. Add the vanilla and egg until light and fluffy. 
  4. Mix in oats, flour, baking soda and salt. 
  5. Stir in white chocolate chips and blueberries.
  6. Drop dough onto lightly greased baking sheets. I used wax paper and that worked. 
  7. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.
Original recipe: http://thebakermama.com/recipes/white-chocolate-blueberry-oatmeal-cookies/
2016, blog, cookies, july, recipe

Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Debbie
                            
I love how these cookies look. So round, soft and most importantly, not burnt. 

These cookies all started because I had a bag of frozen raspberries that I wanted to get rid of. I looked on Pinterest for raspberry recipes and saw this recipe for Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies and one for Raspberry Yogurt Muffins 

I baked the muffins first and noticed the batter had somehow turned a yucky grey color. I tried some of the batter and it tasted sour. Perhaps it was sour from the frozen strawberries. I should’ve let them thaw more. So, fifteen minutes later when I was baking the cookies, I was nervous to add the rest of my raspberries to these cookies. In a last minute judgment call, I left out the raspberries and only added chocolate chips. #noregrets

I thought this recipe was pretty straightforward. I’ve made cookies with pudding mix before and I always like the consistency that it creates.  If I were to make this recipe again, I’d cut it in half because 3 dozen cookies is a lot. Also, I baked each dozen cookies one at a time in the oven and stuck the “waiting” cookie sheets in the fridge.

Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Yields 3 dozen
Time: About 10 minutes prep and 10 minutes baking

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened (Two sticks of butter= 1 cup)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large box (5.1 oz) Instant Vanilla Pudding mix
2 eggs (best if they are room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 of the 3 cookie sheets used to bake the cookies

Directions:
  1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F
  2. With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars 
  3. Add the pudding mix and mix until well blended. 
  4. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. 
  5. Add the flour and baking soda and continue mixing. (I gradually added the flour because the recipe calls for a lot of flour)
  6. Stir in the chocolate chips 
  7. Drop cookies onto a greased cookie sheet 
  8. Bake for about 10 minutes 
The cookie dough. Yum! 
2016, blog, cookies, june, myblog

Oatmeal chocolate chip drop cookies

Debbie

Today I decided to bake some cookies. I opened up my cookie cookbook and turned to a neat recipe that I customized based on my liking. 

If I were to bake these cookies again, I’d divide the recipe in half because I was able to make 3 dozen cookies and that’s a lot. I also wouldn’t add the cinnamon again because it’s pretty noticeable in the cookies. Here’s the recipe: 

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 cups regular or quick cooking oats
  • 1 cup chocolate chips 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter on high for 30 seconds
  3. Add sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, beating ingredients in. 
  4. Beat in eggs and vanilla
  5. Slowly add in the flour
  6. Stir in oats and chocolate chips 
  7. Place balls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets
  8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes 
  9. Cool for 2 minutes 

Recipe created from ” Make-it-mine oatmeal cookies” on page 45 of  Better Homes and Gardens The Ultimate Cookie Book 2nd edition 

2016, Baking, blog, cookies, debbie, deborahgillum, february, myblog, recipe

Vegan and Gluten Free Cookies

Debbie
I enjoy baking and wanted to challenge myself with my next recipe.
I chose to make cookies, but not just any regular cookies: These are vegan, whole grain and gluten free. 
For the recipe, I had to go shopping. So I went to Kroger and in the healthy food section, purchased new ingredients like raw sugar, coconut oil, oat flour, vegan chocolate chips (I admit at first I didn’t realize chocolate chips have milk from cows in them) and other special ingredients. 
Cookies before baking
It was a fun challenge to make these special delicious cookies and I hope to try more vegan and gluten free recipes. Now that I have some of the ingredients, like a big jar of coconut oil, nothing is stopping me from making similar baked goodies. 
I found the recipe on Pinterest by searching “gluten free vegan cookies” and it’s from a blog called Texanerin. 
This recipe took me about an hour total I made 24 large cookies. I could’ve made 36 normal size cookies.
Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour (use certified gluten-free oat flour)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons raw sugar or coconut sugar (I used raw sugar)
  • 1/2 cup  milk of choice (but not canned coconut milk, as it’s too thick) (I used Almond Milk)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups  rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats, if necessary) (Quaker makes gluten free oats)
  • 1/2 cup  chopped walnuts (Why is a little bag of nuts soooo expensive at the grocery? Oh well.)
  • 3/4 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Directions:
What my cookie dough looked like
  • Preheat the oven to 350 °F
  •  Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oat flour, baking powder, and salt. 
  • In a large bowl, add the coconut oil, sugar, milk and vanilla and beat with a large spoon or with an electric hand or stand mixer until well combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredient mixture and stir just until combined.
  • Fold in the oats, walnuts and chocolate chips. Form into 1″ balls and place 3″ apart on the prepared baking sheet. Do not press the balls down.
  • Bake for 10 minutes or until the centers of the cookies no longer appear wet (they should not brown – if they do, they’re overbaked and will be cakey instead of chewy). They should have formed a light crust.
  • Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Baking, blog, cookies, debbie, debbiegillum, july, myblog

Strawberry chocolate chip cookies

Debbie
Photo from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Easy + Delicious = Debbie’s Favorite Recipes
I found this recipe on Pinterest for these delicious Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies, courtesy of Sallys Baking Addition blog.
I made it last Sunday and took the leftovers into my co-workers. They looked at the cookies strangely at first (“Why’s it pink?”) then once they smelled them, they were a hit. The cookies have a strong strawberry smell and are very berry soft. I would make this recipe again because of how simple it was. You can mix it all by hand and the ingredients are pretty common household items. 
Makes 24 cookies. 
Ingredients:
  • 1 box (18.25 oz) strawberry cake mix
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup vegetable/canola oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I just used like a half a bag) 

In the oven
Instructions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
  • Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 
  • In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and baking powder. 
  • In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla by hand.
  • Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir to form a dough 
  • Gently mix in the chocolate chips.
  • Drop rounded balls of dough onto prepared baking sheet. 
  • Bake for 10 minutes
  • Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
Cookie dough
Baking, blog, cookies, debbie, debbiegillum, june, myblog

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Debbie
Cranberry white chocolate cookies
Even the dough looks delicious

Last night, I used a recipe from Pinterest to make some delicious white chocolate chip cranberry cookies.

It was a pretty straightforward recipe that I’d recommend to someone who is willing to be patient for these delicious puppies. You can find the original recipe here.

The recipe does ask you to chill the dough for at least 2 hours. I went for a jog/ watched Friends/ unpacked from the weekend. Another thing that made this recipe unique to me was that it called for 2 tsp of cornstarch. I had to go out and buy some of this but it was only $1. I think this helped thicken up the cookies.

Bakes at least 3 dozen

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown sugar and lived to tell the tale)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg,
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch (aka cornflour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white chocolate chips (I used half a bag) 
3/4 cup dried cranberries (I used a bag of Craisins)

Instructions:
 
In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until completely smooth and creamy.

Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color.

Beat in egg and vanilla on high speed.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together until combined. It’ll look like a whole lot of white powder.

On low speed, slowly mix into the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.

The cookie dough will be quite thick. Add the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries  mix on low for about 5-10 seconds until evenly distributed.

I passed them out at work

Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. I was impatient and didn’t wait the full 10 minutes and it just made the cookies harder to roll.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Place rolled balls on each baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. They will look extremely soft when you remove them from the oven.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Deb’s Notes: I’d bake this recipe again. It wasn’t too hard, especially with my new Kitchen Aid mixer. I just had to buy the white chocolate chips, cornstarch and craisins. So, the ingredients were pretty standard. The only annoying part was waiting for it to chill, but it was worth it. Maybe next time, I’d cut the recipe in half. It made a lot!  

blog, cookies, creativewriting, fiction, flashback, high school, old, writing

Home Made Chocolate Chip Cookies

Debbie
This is another flashback post. I wrote this in high school for my Research and Exposition class with Mr. Rickert. I think the topic was to describe our favorite food or explain a recipe. I was going through a phase where I would microwave cookie dough and eat it so I wrote about that. For a high school paper, it’s not too poorly written. 
Home Made Chocolate Chip Cookies
“cookie face”
Cookies are my biggest weakness. I can never refuse one and I always eat too many. There have been times when I’ve eaten a couple of cookies every single day for a week or two. I enjoy cookies as an after breakfast snack, a post dinner snack, a snack while I watch television, and as simple comfort food. Whenever I eat or bake them myself, I always feel warm and fuzzy inside. They have a magical ability to always put a smile on my face.
I’m not a very good cook. I am, however, good at following the instructions on packages and using the microwave, so I am thankfully able to make chocolate chip cookies. Whenever I bake cookies, I typically use the Betty Crocker dried cookie mix powder package. My parents always make sure to keep at least one or two packages of cookie mix in the pantry, just for me. Occasionally, my family does buy raw cookie dough but this is an unwise decision because we end up eating just the raw cookie dough and never actually baking the cookies.
The cookie mix makes cookies very simple to make. All you have to do is mix a stick of melted butter, an egg, and the cookie mix powder, then stir. Next, you roll the dough into small balls and place them onto an ungreased baking pan. Last, you bake the cookies at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about ten to twelve minutes in the oven. I normally cook them for ten minutes because I prefer slightly undercooked cookies and because I’m a very impatient person.
I strongly dislike burnt or hard cookies. The best type of cookie to me is a warm, soft, fresh one. The cookie must fall apart in your hands, gooey chocolate must cover your fingers, and the steam should be visible because it’s fresh out of the oven. The store-bought cookies, such as Chips Ahoy, are no match for a home baked cookie. Store-bought cookies are always too hard and crunchy, like rocks, and you can practically taste the factory when you eat one. Gross!
There is only one cookie that can even compare to my home baked chocolate chip cookies. I discovered this cookie at Walt Disney World when I ventured into a candy store by myself. The moment the giant massive chocolate chip cookie caught my eye I knew that I had to have it. This was no ordinary cookie. It weighed almost two pounds and looked like a giant mound of slightly baked cookie dough. It looked like it was somewhat undercooked, making me even more excited. So I went and found my parents and asked them to buy it for me,and since I’m an only child they naturally bought it for me. When we returned to the hotel, I plopped myself down on a comfy couch with my cookie in hand and started to munch on it while watching TV. My mom saw me, and warned me not to eat the entire cookie in one setting. I acknowledged her suggestion but continued to eat it. Before I knew it, my delicious cookie was gone and my stomach made an unfriendly gurgling noise. It was the best cookie I ever had but it was also the worst stomach ache I ever had.  
.            I like to eat chocolate chip cookies with fat free white milk, if it is available. Like many other people, I dip my cookie in the milk, let it soak up the milk for a few seconds and then eat it. I also like to bake cookies especially in the late evening, on random occasions and surprise my family with them. I tend to bake cookies only if I’m still hungry after dinner and if I’m bored. The cookies that I make myself always taste the best.
Whenever I bake chocolate chip cookies I always eat at least one uncooked cookie and then two or three baked ones. I also have to make sure that every last ounce of cookie dough is licked off of the bowl and the spoon used to mix it, because it is a sin to waste cookie dough.
When I sink my teeth into a warm chocolate chip cookie, it feels like heaven. I hear an angelic choir in my head and I feel like nothing in the world could ever be better than this. They always make me grin and think of all the other good things in life. The chocolate melts on my tongue and the soft cookie just glides down my throat. The smell of a chocolate chip is almost as good as the real thing. When they’re in the oven, my nose goes crazy because of their irresistible smell.

When I die and go to heaven, I can only hope that there is an oven and chocolate chip cookie mix waiting for me. I would want nothing more than to be able to eat as many warm, undercooked chocolate chip cookies as I wanted all day long for eternity.