Brown Sugar- Spice Cookies Recipe

These cookies are simple, crispy yet chewy, buttery, and sweet - perfect in a lunch for the kids, or as a treat with your afternoon coffee. They also make great ice cream sandwich cookies.

Adapted from a recipe by Serious Eats. I like to add my favorite spices to this - cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. I also will often use 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour and 1 cup all purpose flour. It adds a bit of fiber and I like the texture of the cookie with the pastry flour. 

Leave some room around each cookie as they do spread. This recipe makes two pans of cookies (12 on each pan) so I refrigerate the second pan while the first bakes. It helps ensure the second batch doesn't spread too much.

Quantity: about 24 cookies

Ingredients

• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (7 ounces; 200 grams)
• 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar, divided (10.5 ounces; 300 grams)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (3g)
• 1 large egg (50g)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10ml)
• 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour (285g) or 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour plus 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (4g)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2g)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom

 Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
2. Mix butter, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add in egg and vanilla and stir.
4. Add to the bowl, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom and gently mix until combined.
5. Pour 1 cup raw or turbinado sugar into a separate bowl.
6. Scoop dough using a 1 inch cookie scoop, or about the size of a walnut sized and gently roll in sugar. 
7. Place on cookie sheet and press down slightly to ½ inch thickness. Place 12 on each pan.
8. Bake about 10 minutes - until golden edges appear and the tops have puffed and crinkled a bit.
9. Let cookies cool on pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Grammie's Ginger Snaps

Only nine ingredients and a little bit of time stands between you and these spicy, sweet ginger snaps. These are so easy to pull together. My kids love rolling them in the sugar and placing them on the baking sheet. I prefer to use raw sugar to roll the cookies in - it's crunchier than regular granulated so it adds a great texture element.

The video below was made by my 11 year old - I think she did a great job - don't you?

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
2.5 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt

1 cup extra granulated sugar or raw sugar in bowl for dipping cookies

Instructions

1. Cream butter and 1 cup sugar well.
2. Beat in egg.
3. Mix in molasses.
4. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
6. Shape into 1 inch balls.
7. Roll in sugar and on baking sheet.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
9. Cool on pan for 5 minutes and then transer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Mini M&M Chip Cookies

Ever get intense, give it to me now, craving for chocolate chip cookies? I do. And there is nothing more frustrating when all I have is cold hard butter instead of the room temperature version most recipes call for. This recipe avoids the problem by using melted butter! The cookies are crispy and perfectly sweet. Mmmm craving satisfied.

I used mini m&m's but you could substitute regular or mini chocolate chips.

Ingredients

2-2/3 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 c granulated sugar
2/3 c melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp hot water
1 package (about 2 cups) mini m&ms or chips
2 eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until well mixed.
3. Add eggs and beat for 30 seconds until incorporated.
4. Mix in vanilla and water.
5. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 
6. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
7. Using 1-inch cookie scoop, place on ungreased baking pan.
8. Bake for 8 minutes.
9. Cool on pan for 5 minutes and remove to cooking rack.
10. Repeat with remaining batter.

Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are soft, cakey, chocolately and with just a whisper of coconut flavor. They are possibly my favorite chocolate chip cookie. I used coconut oil because I didn't have any butter on hand. I wasn't sure I would like it since I don't use coconut oil often but taking this risk paid off! And when they are still warm and gooey, omg, they are nirvana on your tongue!

Makes approx 4 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp hot water
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
2-2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix the espresso powder and hot water in a small bowl.
3. Beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, hot water and coffee until well combined.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
5. Add the flour mixture to the oil mixture and stir to combine.
6. Stir in the chips.
7. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, place batter onto ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 8-9 minutes.
9. They will be slightly cracked and shiny.
10. Cool for two minutes and then move to a cooling rack. As they cool, the cookies lose the shiny look and will flatten a bit.
11. If you think they are too flat, place the batter in the fridge for 20 minutes or so.

Lemon Curd Shortbread Tartlets

Lemons. Funny that something so mouth puckering is also the thing that holds smiles and memories. Childhood lemonade stands. Adult lemonade and vodkas. Summertime lemon meringue pie. Late night lemon chicken takeout. Even just the smell of lemons is refreshing. And, seriously, what's better than watching a toddler's first bite of a lemon!

These little bites of happiness won't make you pucker quite like those adorable toddlers but they will satisfy your intense desire for a zingy-tangy-sweet dessert. The shortbread base brings it all together in a finger food style dessert. And really, any sweet treat that you can eat with your hands is already on its way to being a winner in my book!

Lemon Curd Shortbread Tartlets

Lemon Curd (adapted from Fine Cooking)

Ingredients

3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon zest

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter for a minute.
2. Add the white sugar and beat for another two minutes until smooth.
3. Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for one minute more.
4. Add the lemon juice and mix. Note: The mixture will look ridiculously curdled, but as you cook it, it will all come together!
5. In a medium saucepan, cook the lemon mixture over low heat. As the mixture heats up and the butter melts you’ll see the mixture smooth and lost its curdled appearance.
6. Turn up the heat to medium.
7. Stir! Stir! Stir! And stir a bit more until the lemon curd starts to thicken and reaches 170 degrees F. You do not want to bring it to a boil!
8. Remove the curd from the heat; add in the lemon zest.
9. Place the curd in a bowl and press plastic wrap on the surface of it. Cool in the fridge. It will continue to thicken as it cools. It should last about a week.

Shortbread Cookie Cups

Ingredients

1 cup  salted butter, softened

1 cup confectioners' or icing sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tsp vanilla powder (if available otherwise omit)

2 cups all purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Lightly spray or grease 24 mini cupcake pan.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter for 3 minutes.
3. Add the sugar and beat for an additional minute.
4. Add the vanillas and mix in.
5. Carefully beat in the flour until it comes together in a smooth ball.
6. Place a generous tablespoon or so of dough into each mini muffin tin. Using your fingers, mold the dough into a cup ensuring it goes up the side of the tin.
7. Use a fork to prick the dough all over; this allows any steam to escape, and prevents the shortbread from bubbling as it bakes.
8. Bake the shortbread until it's a light golden brown across the top surface, and a deeper golden brown around the edges, about 15- 20 minutes.
9. Remove it from the oven. You’ll notice that the shortbread doesn’t look like a cup! So using a spoon or a mini cookie dough scooper, press into the dough to make a cup shape.
10. Cool completely.

Assembly

1. Carefully remove the shortbread cups from the pan and place on flat surface.
2. Add a heaping tablespoon of lemon curd to each cookie cup.
3. If desired, use a sieve to sprinkle a little bit of icing sugar over the lemon curd shortbread cup just before serving.

See how they are all puffed up? We have to make them look more like a cup to hold the curd.

Use a cookie scoop or spoon to press down on the baked tartlets to make a large indentation.

Perfect.

Heat but do not boil. The initial mixture will look a bit curdled
but it all comes together with a little heat.

Pour into a container and stir in the zest.

The mixture will thicken like this.

Remove the cups and place on serving platter.

Add a tablespoon or so of lemon curd.

Repeat until all cups are filled.

Just before serving dust with icing sugar.

Yum.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Raisins

I love oatmeal cookies, do you? These are buttery, chocolatey and semi-healthy thanks to the whole wheat flour and oats. Your kids will love to find them in their lunch bags and you'll love them as a coffee break snack :)

Makes approx. 4 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup regular all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups mini chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins
3 cups rolled oats
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In another large bowl whisk together flours, baking soda, oats, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Set aside.
3. In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and sugars for 5 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time to butter mixture. Beat for 30 seconds per egg and scrape down sides of bowl after each addition.
5. Mix in vanilla. Beat for another 30 seconds.
6. Add flour mixture and combine until just mixed.
7. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chips and raisins.
8. Drop by rounded teaspoon onto cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
10. Cool for 5 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Swimming Pool Party and Pool Cake

Birthday Pool Party!

My daughter decided to have a swimming party at UBC pool to celebrate her 9th birthday. So we made that the theme of the party.

If you are in Vancouver, I recommend UBC pool as a place for a kid's party. The cost was just under $100 for 10 kids, a party room, and a pool leader. The leader joined them in the pool for an hour as they played games and jumped off the diving boards.

Decorations

The kids spent most of their time in the pool so we kept decorations to a minimum. I found an "under the sea" roll of bulletin board paper at Michael's that we placed on a wall. I also found these pool party cut-outs on Etsy. I printed them on card stock and taped them to wood dowels. The kids LOVED them. We took pictures in front of the poster of all the kids. We also had balloons and blow up beach balls.

We served cake and a few snacks. I put the snacks in beach pails and the kids served themselves using little shovels! I also had a few shell shaped plates for other snacks. We made a balloon bouquet by simply throwing a bunch of balloons on a stick in a bucket! We also had a container of "pool water" as a drink (raspberry Kool-Aid).

Loot Bag

For the "loot bag", I found a great deal on a beach towel that turns into a backpack - normally $22 but on sale for less than $6 at Michael's! I even kept one for myself!

I made cookies for the kids to take home. One was a wave. It's a simple sugar cookie with a design I found on Glorious Treats (see her step by step tutorial) and the other one was going to be a life preserver but I couldn't get the red right so I made them "inner tubes" lol. I cut them out with a doughnut cutter I found at a dollar store.

Cake

The cake was pretty easy compared to my son's Plants vs Zombie cake! After looking on the internet for ideas, I combined my faves for this swimming pool cake!

The figures and slide are made out of fondant. The slide is held up with two straws. The cake itself is  three Texas sheet cakes - vanilla, chocolate, and "strawberry" (ok - vanilla with pink colouring!). My plan was to make a strawberry white chocolate ganache as the filling but sadly it didn't set properly (too thin). It did however, taste amazing! I didn't want to waste it so I "painted" the ganache between the cake layers and then used a vanilla buttercream as the filling on top of the ganache. The strawberry flavour really came through and made this cake a winner. I plan on perfecting the ganache and posting the recipe as soon as I can!

I "fenced" off the cake with Kit Kats!

To work off some of the sugar, we put on the kids' favorite music and let them dance until they went home.

My daughter said it was her best party ever!

Here is the sugar cookie recipe - it's my grandmother's recipe. It has shortening in it which helps the cookies keep their shape as they bake.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt

Instrutions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In bowl; whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine. Set aside.
• In another large bowl beat butter and shortening
• Beat in sugars until light and fairly fluffy
• Beat in egg and vanilla.
• Mix in flour mixture.
• Divide dough in half; flatten each slightly.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
• On lightly floured surface, roll out dough, 1 piece at a time, to 1/4-inch (5 mm) thickness
• Using 3-inch (8 cm) cookie cutters, cut out shapes.
• Press scraps together to reroll.
• Bake in centre of oven for about 12-14 minutes or until light golden on bottom and edges.
• Let cool for 1 minute on baking sheets.
• Transfer to racks; let cool completely.
• Decorate as you like.

No-Bake Chocolate Muesli "Cookie" Drops

These are not really cookies they are more like a confectionery or candy. They are quite sweet so I like to keep them in the freezer for times when I really NEED a hit of sugar. I use a muesli with lots of nuts, raisins and cranberries so I kinda think that helps add a little bit of "good stuff" to this occasional treat - yes I know I'm kidding myself but just go with it! The key to making this recipe is making sugar the butter mixture boils long enough - if it doesn't it will not set properly!

No-Bake Chocolate Muesli "Cookie" Drops

Ingredients

3/4 cup crunchy cookie butter or peanut butter or nutella
1 cup butter
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups muesli

Instructions

Melt the cookie butter, butter and sugar in a medium size saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly. Once it has come to a rolling boil let it continue to boil for another for 90 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Let sit in the pot for another 3 minutes.

Grease parchment paper or use a silpat (I prefer this method) and place it on a cookie sheet. Drop mixture by the tablespoon onto the pan.  Refrigerate until mixture sets, at least 3-4 hours. (It will set without refrigerating unless it is really hot out but the fridge is easier.)

Chocolate Caramel Obsession Cookies

These are decadent cookies. I used white Callebaut chocolate and chopped it into big chunks but any white chips will do. The disappeared in less than a day so they defintiely got the family seal of approval!

Ingredients

2 c flour

1/2 c cocoa

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 c white chocolate chips, or chopped white chocolate

1 c toffee bits (like Skor (tm) bits)

1 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 c white sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

2 eggs, large (at room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy - about 5 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time. Mix well.
• Add vanilla and mix well.
• Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and lightly stir until barely combined. Add the chocolate and toffee bits. Again mix until just combined. A light touch when mixing the dry ingredients into the wet will result in beautiful, light tasting cookies.
• Using a teaspoon or 1 inch cookie scoop, place cookies on ungreased cookie pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and remove to cooling rack. Great cooled and amazing warm!

Lebkuchen Cookies - Daring Bakers November

The Daring Baking Challenge this month was Christmas Cookies. Holiday season is the time for sharing and Peta of Peta Eats is sharing a dozen cookies, some classics and some of her own, from all over the world with us.

Sadly, the only recipe I had time to try was Lebkuchen. It is a holiday baked treat from Germany that has a long history. This recipe is adapted from The Pink Whisk. Although I was sad to only try one of the many recipes Peta offered I was happy that I chose this one! They are delicious. This Lebkuchen recipe produces a soft cookie that tastes like spiced gingerbread. The flavour improves as the days go by! I didn't have dark brown sugar, only light, so I added a tablespoon of molasses to the recipe. I also added almond flavouring to the glaze. Yum! 

Ingredients:

6 tbsp  honey
½ c dark brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 c plain flour, sifted
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 large egg, beaten
3 tbsp ground almonds

To ice:
¼ c  icing sugar sifted
1 tsp water

1 - 2 tsp almond flavouring (depending on how strong you’d like it)

Makes about 36 cookies depending on cookie cutter size.

Directions:

1.   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices and baking soda.

2.   Beat the egg in a small dish.

3.   In a medium sauce pot, over low heat, add the honey, sugar and butter. Stir until the butter and sugar have melted. Remove from the heat.

4.   Add half of the flour mixture and half of the egg to the pan and stir to combine. Repeat.

5.   Stir in the ground almonds until combined. The dough will be sticky.

6.   Place the the dough in a large Ziploc or container  and refrigerate for at least 3 hours but up to 24 hours!

7.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

8.   On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. I used small 1 to 1-1/2 inch cookies cutters.

9.   Place on a tray covered with parchment paper or a silpat leaving about an inch or so between cookies.

10. Bake in the oven for 8-9 minutes until golden brown.  Ccool for five minutes on the baking sheet before carefully transferring to a cooling rack.

Glaze: 

Combine sifted icing sugar, water and flavouring. You want it to be quite thin. Line up the lebkuchen on a wire rack (place wax paper underneath for easy clean up) and use a pastry brush to lightly glaze the cookies. If desired, add a second coat. 

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookie Recipe

This is my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe. In fact I've posted it before on the blog. The difference this time (other than putting smarties on the top) was turning the dough into a chocolate base rather than leaving it plain. By taking out a little flour and adding cocoa you, my dear baker, will get a sinful double batch of chocolate with every bite! And who could say no more chocolate??!!?!?

If, for some crazy reason, you want to try the non-chocolate version just omit the cocoa and add 2 tbsp more flour. Oh and grab a box of smarties to add to the top :)

What's better than milk and cookies???? NOTHING!

Makes 4-5 dozen cookies (depending on how small you make them and how much dough gets eaten before they make it into the oven!)

Ingredients:

1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c tightly-packed brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 c all-purpose flour

½ c cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant coffee (optional)
16 oz. good quality dark chocolate chips (I use two full bags of chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
2. In large bowl, cream sugars and butter until light and fluffy - about 3-4 minutes if using stand mixer.
3. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until each is incorporated (30 seconds)
4. In small bowl, dissolve coffee into vanilla.
5. Add vanilla into egg and butter mix and beat for another 30 seconds. Scrape down sides.
6. In another bowl whisk the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda until combined.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
8. Add the chips.
9. Using hands (make size of walnut) or preferably small 1 or 1-1/2 inch ice cream scoop place cookies on sheets.
10. Bake approximately 12 minutes. They should be golden and not too firm.
11. Cool 5 minutes and remove to racks to continue cooling.
12. Enjoy!

My 8 yr old daughter loves getting in on the photo shoot!