Day 5 of 20 (4/20 Foods) – Snacking Cookie Dough

April 5, 2017 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ Leave a comment

When we did research on classic stoner foods, cookie dough popped up in every list. This recipe is perfect for the munchies or anyone who feels a little dangerous every time you eat the cookie dough you know someone’s grandmother told you not to. This specific cookie dough is made to be eaten raw, because there is no egg. The only thing baked might be you.

P.S. Don’t try to bake this, it’s for snacking purposes only. Make this cookie dough, popcorn and pick a show on Netflix, that’s what we call church.

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Large Sugar Cookies

January 7, 2017January 7, 2017 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ 1 Comment

It’s January! A new year! And that means new recipes. And the best way to start out the new year is with a delicious sugar cookie. One of our favorite types of cookie is those perfectly large, round, sugar cookies you find in the bakery. For this recipe we actually doubled the original recipe so there would be more cookies to enjoy. You can certainly cut this recipe in half but if you want more cookies, we suggest going with the recipe as it’s written below.

The lemon zest is also totally optional but we recommend leaving it in because it gives the cookies a little extra ‘something’. And if you have Meyer Lemons, that’s even better. You know how much we love our Meyer Lemons here. Get zesty!

Also a fun fact about Sugar Cookies, they date back all the way to the 1700’s in Nazareth Pennsylvania, where German Protestant settlers created a round, buttery, cookie known as the Nazareth Cookie. This cookie actually became the ‘official’ cookie of the State of Pennsylvania. And then in the 1930’s sugar cookies gained popularity in America when children would leave them out for Santa as a midnight treat. Lucky Santa! Let us know how you enjoy these sugar cookies!

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Ginger Crinkle Cookies

December 12, 2015December 15, 2015 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ 2 Comments

Today on the blog we have another delicious cookie that can be made for Old Saint Nick or Chanukah Harry. This recipe comes straight from my (Marlee) Grandma’s recipe box and we’ve take this old tasty classic and updated it just a smidge.

While using dried ginger is totally okay, using additional fresh ginger really gives these ginger crinkle cookies and extra kick of awesome and punch of flavor that they were missing.

Like our sugar cookies, the longer you bake these, the crispier they turn out. We prefer these cookies to be a little softer and more chewy, so we just bake them for less. And while the cookies turn out crispier, they aren’t hard to eat and the inside is still slightly chewy. Weird, yet delicious.

This dough is super easy to make and fun for the the whole family. As a child, I fondly remember making these with my Grandma Alyce and Grandpa Fred.

Auntie Alyce’s Ginger Crinkles

Ingredients

2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar*
1/2 Cup White Sugar*
1 Large Egg
5 Tablespoons Molasses
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger (Heaping)
2 Cups AP Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ginger (Dried)
1/2 Teaspoon Cloves
1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 Cup White Sugar

Step 1:

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2:

In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, mix together the vegetable oil and sugars.

Step 3:

Next, add the egg and beat it in until combined.

Step 4:

Stir in the molasses and fresh ginger and set the mixture aside.

Step 5:

In a bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, dried ginger, and cloves.

Step 6:

In two batches, add the flour mixture to the oil mixture. You can start with a wooden spoon and then move to your hands. Knead the dough until all the flour is combined.

Step 7:

In a small bowl, combine the white sugar and pumpkin pie seasoning.

If you don’t have pumpkin pie seasoning, you can totally substitute it for cinnamon.

Step 8:

For the rolling process it’s really about preference and what size cookie you like. We went for just about a tablespoon of dough, which you roll into a ball and then roll in the cinnamon sugar.

Line up the ginger dough balls, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes. If you like crispier cookies (like Auntie Alyce did) bake them 11-13 minutes.

Step 9:

Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer to cooling rack. Repeat Step 8 until all the dough is baked.

**If you want a softer chewier cookie do a full cup of brown sugar and exclude the white sugar. The dough will be super sticky, so add an extra tablespoon or so of flour and continue. Just be aware it won’t make the same dough as pictured!

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

December 5, 2015December 6, 2015 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ Leave a comment

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies are the perfect cookie to make for the Jolly Old Man who makes his way down your chimney every year. Wow, that’s super creepy when you say it out loud.

Either way, these cookies are super easy to make and are fun for the whole family to make! And these are the perfect cookie to decorate with family and friends. If you plan on decorating with frosting, you can leave off the optional glaze at the end.

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Cup butter, softened
1 Cup granulated white sugar
2 Teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
1 egg
2 Teaspoons baking powder
3 Cups AP flour
1Teaspoon Salt

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 350.

Step 2:

In a mixer (or bowl with a hand mixer) cream softened butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy.

Step 3:

Crack egg into measuring cup and lightly beat, add vanilla into the egg, then add both to the mixer.

Step 4:

In a medium bowl, add flour, baking and a dash of salt. Mix together and add a scoop at a time until it’s all incorporated.

Step 5:

Divide dough into four, then begin to roll it out. Roll out to desired thickness.

Thinner and the cookies will be crispier; thicker and they’ll be chewier. We settled on 1/4 of an inch.

Another tip, if you let the dough sit for thirty minutes before rolling the cookies will be a crispier as well, and if you roll immediately they will be softer and more chewy. We’ve made these a couple of times, and the results have varied, but the taste is always delicious!

Step 6:

Bake for about 7 minutes.

Step 7:

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Optional Glaze:

Combine the juice of half a lemon, about a cup of powdered sugar (sifted), a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste (or extract), and a splash of half and half.

Mix the ingredients together till it forms a delicious glaze. Adjust to your liking and desired to consistency. It’s really about what you like, like lemon? Add more lemon. Don’t like vanilla (craaazy!) take out some vanilla.

You get the idea! Mix and match, and if it’s too thick, had more half and half or lemon juice!

Snacking Cookie Dough

May 27, 2015March 28, 2017 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ 1 Comment

Need some hump day comfort; NO, we don’t mean that you dirty bird, you! Here’s a recipe for cookie dough that you can safely snack on because we don’t use eggs, and it’ll comfort your soul long enough to get you to the weekend.

P.S. Don’t try to bake this, it’s for snacking purposes only. Make this cookie dough, popcorn and pick a show on Netflix, that’s what we call church.

Snacking Cookie Dough

Ingredients

1 Stick Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature)
6 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
6 Tablespoons Bakers Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract or Paste
1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons of AP Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
3/4 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Step 1:

In a stand mixer, add the butter, sugars, and vanilla and mix with a paddle attachment, beat until the mixture is smooth.

Step 2:

Next, add the flour, baking soda and salt to the mixture and continue mixing until combined.

Step 3:

Add the milk and finishing mixing until the dough is smooth.

Step 4:

Fold in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to two days or freezer for up to three months.

Darkside Cookies

April 7, 2015May 22, 2015 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ Leave a comment

Yup, thats right. These are the cookies that the Darkside has been promising if you join them.

Darkside Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, salted
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp instant espresso
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
2 1/4 cup of AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chunks
1 tsp vanilla

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 350° and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Use Pam underneath the parchment paper to keep it from moving.

Step 2:

Cream together the butter and sugar in a mixer.

Step 3:

Add eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.

Step 4:

Mix together flour, baking powder, cocoa and espresso powder.

Step 5:

After that start putting in the flour/cocoa mixture in batches until fully mixed.

Step 6:

Mix or fold in the chocolate chips and chunks. Taste dough, because that’s what making cookies is all about!

Step 7:

Use an ice cream scoop to get uniform cookies. (Spray the scoop with Pam first so the dough doesn’t get stuck.)

Step 8:

Bake cookies for 10-14 minutes. We suggest to under bake them a little so they stay wonderfully chewy, so start at 10 minutes and decide from there.

ENJOY

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

April 5, 2015May 22, 2015 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ 4 Comments

As you know, we LOVE cookies. And we are always looking for the best cookie recipe and when we stumbled upon Hugs and Cookies recipe, we had a good feeling.

The secret to her perfect cookies, is raising the base temperature of the oven and then lowering it as soon as the cookies go in to the oven. Because of this, it makes the outside of the cookie slightly crunchy and the inside is a gooey mess of deliciousness. When the cookies come out of the oven, they almost look like they are blushing. I kid you not. Blushing cookies. You will thank us, and then you will thank Hugs and Cookies, we certainly do! These are by far some of the best chocolate chip cookies we have ever made!

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups AP flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup bittersweet or dark chocolate chips (Ghiradhelli or Guittard)

Step 1:

Sift together the AP flour and baking soda, and then mix in the salt. Stir until combined and set aside.

Step 2:

In a mixer (stand or by hand) mix together the butter and sugars until blended.

Step 3:

Add the vanilla, egg and yolk and blend until creamy.

Step 4:

Mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not over-mix! Next stir the chocolate chips in by hand.

Step 5:

This step is important: you must chill your dough for at least 3 hours. We know, it sucks to wait, but this step really does pay off. Go watch a movie or binge watch your favorite show. OR clean the kitchen, or you can do what Peaches did and take a nap. Also, don’t forget to cover your dough with plastic wrap.

Step 6:

While the dough is chilling, line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. We always spray the sheet with Pam first and then line with parchment, this prevents the parchment from moving around.

Step 7:

Just before the dough is nice and chilled preheat your oven to 425°. Using a scoop or a spoon measure out 1.5 to 2 ounce cookie balls. Place on the sheet.

Step 8:

As soon as you put the cookies in the oven immediately lower the temperature to 375°. According the the original recipe (and us as testers) this sets a “base” heat, that cooks the cookie quicker but giving it that nice crust on the edge and keeps the inside moist and gooey! Bake for 9 minutes to 10 minutes. We always say under-bake your cookies just a little bit, that really helps achieve that gooey center.

Step 9:

When the cookies are done, let them cool on the cookie sheet and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Repeat step 8 until all the dough is baked. Remember to raise the temperature back to 425° and lower when the cookies are in the oven.

“Breakfast” Oatmeal Cookies

March 28, 2015May 22, 2015 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ 1 Comment

There’s nothing better than a simple oatmeal cookie. As you’ve kind of gathered, we love cookies, and are always finding the best cookie recipes, it’s an addiction!

We definitely like to “under bake” these cookies. When you try these warm, it’s like eating your morning oatmeal. Only better. So. Much. Better. Warm gooey, delicious oatmeal cookies.

What You Need

Cookie Sheet
Parchment Paper
Pam
Ice Cream Scoop

Ingredients

1 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
2 cups AP flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Step 2:

In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, mix together butter and sugars. Until smooth and creamy.

Step 3:

Beat in the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla and maple.

Step 4:

In a medium bowl swift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and then stir in the salt.

Step 5:

In a separate bowl mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and oats together. Once thoroughly mixed, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. If using chocolate chips, mix them in now.

Step 6:

For best cookie results, we always recommend cooling the dough before using. If you’re in a hurry and want the cookie NOW, pop the dough in the freezer for about thirty minutes. If you have the time, stick the dough in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

Step 7:

When the dough is nice and chilled, scoop out your dough into balls. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes. These cookies are best a little underdone, the gooeyness is very similar to your morning oatmeal, only better. Let cool on cookie sheet for 3 minutes, and then remove to cooling rack.

** Instead of large cookies, you can do teaspoons instead of scoops. If doing teaspoons, baking 8 to 10 minutes. That should yield waaaaay more cookies than what we made.

Browned Butter Stuffed Cookies

March 21, 2015May 22, 2015 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ Leave a comment

So as you know, we love cookies, so we though the best way to start your Saturday is make these delicious Browned Butter Stuffed Cookies. And you can stuff these bad boys with just about anything. Okay, maybe not anything, but you can can experiment and see what tickles your fancy.

We reccomend Nutella, Cookie Butter and Peanut Butter. Those are front runners in this household. But like the recipe states you can try a whole bunch of different “stuffers”. Let us know, what you’re favorite is!

What you need?

Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Saute Pan
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
Medium Sized Bowls
Wooden Spoon
Cookie Sheet x2
Wax Paper
Parchment Paper
Pam (optional)

Dry Ingredients

2 1/14 cups AP flour
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup bakers sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
Fleur De Sel (for sprinkling)

Wet Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
A jar of your favorite spreadable (cookie butter, peanut butter, jam, marshmallow fluff, Nutella ect.)

**These cookies are big, so if you want a lot of cookies, double the recipe. Especially if you’re a nibbler like me.

Step 1:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set to the side.

Step 2:

In a heavy bottom sauce/sautee pan (if you can, avoid non-stick) turn your burner to medium heat and put the butter in the pan, stirring constantly. The butter will foam, but keep stirring. If you see brown specks, don’t be alarmed, that’s a good thing! When the butter goes from a butter smell, to a nutty aroma, then your butter is browned.

Step 3:

Immediately remove from the heat, and pour into a heat proof bowl. Stick in the freezer for no more than five minutes to cool. Remember, you don’t want it to harden, just cool!

Step 4:

In a stand mixer, cream together butter and both sugars until well blended.

Step 5:

Next beat in the egg, the yolk, vanilla paste (or extract) and yogurt until fully incorporated.

Step 6:

Slowly, add the dry ingredients until just combined. I know you want to keep mixing, but don’t. It’s okay if still see some flour.

Step 7:

Fold in dark chocolate chunks.

Step 8:

If you want successful cookies, my mom says to always chill your dough! You have two choices, you can either stick it in the fridge for 1.5-2 hours or stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes. I personally do the freezer.

Step 9:

Depending on which chilling method you use, turn the oven on just before the cookies are ready to come out. Preheat oven to 350°.

Step 10:

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper, and take your favorite spreadable (I’m partial to Cookie Butter and Nutella) and drop little dollops onto the wax paper. Put in the freezer to harden them. This will make putting them in the dough, much easier. I did about quarter sized dollops, but the sizes varied. You can also do this before you make the cookies, so they dollops are fully frozen. It’s much easier to work with frozen filling, than just chilled. Trust me.

Step 11:

While the dough is still chilling, take your cookie sheet and line them with parchment paper. Christie uses cooking spray to keep the parchment paper on the tray. Hello life hack!

Step 12:

Once the dough is fully chilled, and the dollops are firm enough to handle. It’s time to start making the cookies! Take some dough (we eyeballed it) and flatten it out in your palm, about 4 inches across, and place a dollop of Cookie Butter or Nutella in the center. Close the cookie up, and gently roll it.

Step 13:

On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, place the delicious dough balls down. I only did six cookies total, three on each side or two down. It all depends on how you look at it. But no more than six on a cookie sheet. These bad boys spread.

Step 14:

Bake the cookies for about twelve minutes, slightly browned on the edges, but still slightly “underdone” in the middle. I like chewy on the middle, but crunchy on the outside. I always slightly undercook my cookies to achieve this.

Step 15:

As soon as the cookies are out of the oven, sprinkle with fleur de sel and let cool on cookie sheet for about two minutes. This allows the salt to really stick to the melted chunks. DO IT.

Step 16:

The cookies are delicate so gently remove them from the cookie sheet, and place on a cooling rack. Repeat until all the dough is gone. Oh, and then eat. Cause they’re delicious.