Cookie Dough...Cookies

Surprises are the best, aren't they?

Fresh flowers on the coffee table. Dinner ready when you get home from work. An impromptu ice cream date on a random Tuesday night.

A new book waiting for you on the kitchen counter...The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing.

Wait a minute. Seriously? That's a surprise someone would want?

Friends, in my husband's world, there is no better surprise than a lengthy, detailed book on the topic of genetics, developmental biology, and the like. His brain contemplates mutations on the M8 gene of fruit fly at the same intensity that my brain ponders how to perfect my next pie crust.

Don't ask me to explain it, but it works.

With this in mind, I set out last week to surprise Adam with the Oxford's latest edition of Modern Science Writing. But I couldn't let the surprise stop there. I had to add some sweet lovin' into the mix.

Enter Cookie Dough Cookies.

That's right: They're cookies that taste like unbaked cookie dough. Again, don't ask me to explain. They're simply amazing.

Did I mention that they're vegan? They are. And that almost makes them healthy, right?

I set a little plate of these suckers right next to his new science-y book, and when he got home from work I watched the joy wash over over his face.

I'm not sure which he enjoyed more, but it was definitely a close race.

Cookie Dough Cookies

Makes 32 cookies

(inspired by Katie's Cookie Dough Ball Recipe at Chocolate-Covered Katie)

This recipe is based on the widely-acclaimed "Dough Ball" recipe that swept the blog world last year. The variations are endless. I've made them with sprinkles for a Funfetti version, and peanut butter for a PB version. You could white chocolate chips, chopped pecans, coconut, or mini M & Ms for your mix-ins.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup brown sugar (these cookies aren't too sweet; if you prefer a sweeter cookie, consider experimenting and increasing the sugar amount)
• 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, melted
• 1/3 cup crunchy almond butter
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or other milk of your choosing)
• 2 - 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• For your mix-ins: For a chocolate-chipper version, use 1 cup mini chocolate chips (or full-size chocolate chips, coarsely chopped); Or, use rainbow sprinkles for a Funfetti version.

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 and coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

2) Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Beat in margarine, milk, and vanilla until well-combined. Stir in mix-ins.

3) Scoop dough by even tablespoon-fuls onto the cookie sheet. Do not flatten! Leave them in their cute little rounded shapes. Bake for 7 - 8 minutes--I like mine to stay slightly gooey in the middle (they are cookie dough cookies!).

Homemade Oreos in the House

These little sandwich cookies will blow your Oreo-loving mind.

Seriously.

The cream filling is indistinguishable from the stuff you'll find in their prepackaged counterparts. The chocolatey cookies will remind you of a softer version of their crispy, store-bought twins.

And don't even get me started on their cute, bite-size nature. Bite size = more cookies per serving.

Friends, let's just say these Oreo taste-alike treats are pretty darn delicious. Adam even went so far as to say they're the best cookies that have come out of the Hungry Spoon kitchen.

Really? The man's mother is practically a professional baker. How can I compete with that?

Apparently I just did :)

In addition to their fabulous tasty-factor, these cookies have so much potential for creativity. The cream filling can be dyed to color-coordinate with a party theme. Try adding mint extract and sneaking an Andes mint into the cream filling of each cookie sandwich. Or, add more filling, and roll the edges of each cookie in sprinkles.

Infinite possibilities!

One caveat to keep in mind: The dough is sticky and can be hard to manage! Keep the dough you're not working with in the refrigerator. The next time I make them (tonight?), I may actually experiment with freezing the dough.

Ultimately, just remember the moral of today's story: Once you go homemade Oreo, you may never go back.

Homemade Oreos

(recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)

These classic little cookies will take you straight back to your childhood--be sure to enjoy with a tall glass of milk. And remember: the dough is very sticky. You may want to freeze it prior to using.

Cookie Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 - 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 - 2/3 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda

Cream Filling Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 2 - 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 - 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Cream the shortening and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and milk and beat until well-combined. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate dough for at least 4 hours (or, try freezing it? I'm going to experiment with this step).

2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut another piece of parchment paper about the size of the cookie sheet you will be using. Divide the dough into 4 large chunks. Place 3 chunks back in the refrigerator, and place the remaining dough piece on the parchment paper. Cover dough with another piece of parchment paper, and use a rolling pin (on top of the parchment) to roll the dough into a disc about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick.

3) Use a 1 - 1/2 inch cookie cutter (or, I used the rim of a shot glass!) to cut the cookies. Use a thin spatula (or careful hands) to place cookies on another piece of parchment paper. Be careful! Again, the dough is sticky and can be tricky to work with :)

4) Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Allow to cool briefly on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining dough.

5) To prepare the filling, cream the shortening and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, and mix the powdered sugar in slowly. Filling should be thick and pliable.

6) To prepare your sandwich cookies, spread the filling on the bottom of one cookie, and top with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies.

I'll Take Chocolate in My Cookies, Please.

My intern's favorite type of cookie is Oatmeal Raisin.

Yes, I said raisin.

I tease him about this mercilessly. He tells me raisins are what all the cool kids are doing these days. I tell him I've always been a nerd.

A nerd who prefers chocolate and peanut butter and pecans in her cookies.

But who am I to question a person's cookie preference? Desserts are such a personal thing. And if everyone in the office loved chocolate, the treat-to-person ratio would be far smaller when someone brings a plate full of cupcakes in for sampling.

So, I'll give my intern a pass on the whole Oatmeal Raisin Cookie thing. I promised I would make him a batch before he graduates next month. In the meantime, I'm taking baby steps by starting with Banana-Oatmeal-Chocolate Cookies.

Did I mention they're vegan?

Vegan-licious, that is. They're moist and tasty and full of banana + milk chocolate flavor (Note: for truly vegan cookies, you'll need to use vegan chocolate, as opposed to milk chocolate. I was willing to sacrifice their full vegan nature in the name of milk chocolate). Adam says, "They're great. But they taste too healthy to be a cookie."

That's my guy. Looks like I just found an excuse to make brownies this weekend :)

Chocolate Banana-Oat Cookies

(recipe adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)

I definitely wouldn't call these a "health" cookie--unless you count adding oats to a dessert as healthy. And definitely go with the pure milk chocolate on this one--Although, that de-veganizes the recipe, I feel like milk choco is getting the shaft in all the trendy chocolate recipes lately...and her good taste and flavor just shouldn't be passed up.

Ingredients:

• 1 large, super-ripe banana (it's got to be browning!)
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. ground flaxseed
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chunks

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

2) In a large mixing bowl, mash the banana. Stir in the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir until well-combined. Fold in chocolate chunks.

3) Drop the dough by rounded tablespoon-fuls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges (remember--it's always acceptable to under-bake vegan cookies).

Bakin' My Way to His Heart

I'm not afraid to admit it: I love Valentine's Day.

I spent the better part of my insanely awkward teenage years wishing I had a Valentine, and yet still celebrating the holiday with my equally awkward girlfriends. We embraced our glasses-wearing, brace-faced, frizzy-haired selves, and reveled in V-Day slumber parties that involved lots of raw cookie dough, prank phone calls, and late-night viewings of "Loveline with Dr. Drew."

I was the classic dorky teenager.

Today, I'm fortunate enough to have secured a somewhat permanent, and exceptionally stellar Valentine in my life. This guy draws me pictures of stick figures, cleans off my KitchenAid stand mixer, and warms up my car every morning. He also puts up with my hideous singing voice, my resistance to putting clean dishes back in the cabinet, and my minor obsession with Coldstone Creamery's Cake Batter ice cream.

To thank my sweet dude for all the ways he shows he cares, I baked my way to his heart. This year, it came in the form of Chocolate-Dipped Cherry Shortbread Cookies.

Buttery. Flaky. Pink. And chock full o' love.

These little cookies are subtly sweet and just plain precious. Semi-sweet chocolate was a perfect match, but I imagine that white chocolate or dark chocolate would go equally as well.

So, whether your Valentine is your significant other or your best friend, your mom or your favorite co-worker--there's always someone out there who could use a little lovin' from you.

Bake up some Cherry Heart Cookies for them this weekend. And be grateful you don't have braces anymore.

Chocolate-Dipped Cherry Shortbread Hearts
(recipe from Taste of Home)

These cookies look like the essence of Valentine's Day. Pink + Chocolate + Hearts. Bonus: They taste awesome and buttery!

Ingredients:

• 1 - 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 3 TBSP sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
  
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
• 1 TBSP cold water
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 TBSP butter

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Cut in butter and mix with a fork until crumbly. Gently add in cherries, water, and extract--be gentle! Shortbread can be tricky :) Feel free to add a dash more of water to hold the dough together if you need to.

3) On a lightly floured surface, gently roll/pat the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut using small heart cookie cutters and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.

4) In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and 1 TBSP butter. Dip half of each cookie in the chocolate and place on wax paper to cool. Give to your Valentine.

Cookies on the Brain

For some households, cookie season ends right around the New Year...about the same time the Christmas decorations are packed away, and everyone is vowing to a year of healthy decisions.

Fortunately, the Hungry Spoon cookie season lasts 365 days a year. We never tire of new cookie recipes. Plus, it's critical to practice your cookie-making skills throughout the year so you're fully prepared for the next holiday season.

I guess this makes cookie-baking a pretty self-less act then. (I've become fairly good at rationalizing my baking compulsions, haven't I?)

At any rate, this week Adam was hungry for Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, and I was eager to deliver. I created a new recipe based on one in my favorite cookie cookbook: Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.

My use of non-vegan vanilla yogurt and non-vegan chocolate chips stripped them of their virgin vegan status, but I'm not complaining. The yogurt contributed to a ridiculously moist crumb, and the double-shot of chocolate (from both cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips) made these cookies blue ribbon winners in our house.

Cheers to a cookie-baking season that lasts 365 days a year!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

(adapted from a recipe in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)

These bite-size cookies are the perfect treat to pair with a cup of coffee, sneak into your favorite person's lunch bag, or just to munch on while you're cooking dinner :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3 TBSP non-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk (I used skim)
• 1 TBSP ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, melted (I simply melted mine on a double boiler)
• 1 - 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 TBSP cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt

For the coating:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees and coat baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, mix the sugar, oil, yogurt, vanilla, milk, flaxseeds, and melted chocolate until smooth. Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. You will have a thick, moist dough. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, place the sifted powdered sugar on a large plate, and pour the granulated sugar in a small bowl. To prepare the cookies, take a large, rounded tablespoon of dough, roll it in a ball, roll it in the granulated sugar, and then roll it in the powdered sugar. Place on the baking sheet and repeat until the dough is gone.

4) Bake cookies for about 11 - 12 minutes, or until they're puffed and cracked. Allow to cool and gobble them up--I swear they taste like brownie cookies :)

I Met a New Cookie. And I Liked It.

I introduced myself to a Cinnamon-Pecan Cookie this week.

My only regret is that I waited this long to meet her. She was chewy and chunky, sweet and salty, loaded with a super-dose of cinnamon, and chock full of toasted pecans.

I've decided that she's truly the unsung hero of the Cookie Universe.

Once baked--and sufficiently tasted--these babies were packaged up for a 7 hour drive to Kentucky (the land of horse races and bourbon). My parents were traveling to the Bluegrass state this weekend to visit family, and I figured it was high time I expand this Cinnamon-Pecan Love beyond the borders of WV.

(Truth: I was powerless in the face of the Cinnamon-Pecan influence. That stack of cookies had complete and utter control over me...so much so that I had to ship them 7 hours away to resist.).

I hope that you all have the opportunity to meet a Cinnamon-Pecan Cookie in the near future as well. Don't be shy, now. She'll like you just as much as you like her. Promise.

Cinnamon-Pecan Cookies

(recipe adapted from this one by Ina Garten in her Back to Basics Cookbook)

Oatmeal cookies so often include raisins, other dried fruit, or chocolate chips. I switched this recipe up to highlight two perfectly-paired ingredients: cinnamon and toasted pecans.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pecans, toasted (toast on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 /2 tsp. salt
• 1 - 1/2 cups quick oats

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat baking sheets with cooking spray

2) Cream the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well-combined. Add dry ingredients to the batter and beat well. Stir in toasted pecans (don't forget to toast them--it's key!).

2) Drop by rounded tablespoon-fuls on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Yield: about 24 cookies.

Dough-Lovers Anonymous

I love vegan cookie dough.

Although the risk of salmonella poisoning never stops me from devouring regular cookie dough, I hold back nothing when it comes to consuming vegan cookie dough. Is there a 12-step program for dough-loving fools like myself? I fear I'll one day reach a point where I simply turn off the oven, grab a spoon, and call it quits on baking altogether.

Okay, probably not. But I'm close.

This weekend I made some vegan dough and (reluctantly) baked them into chewy, yummy Chocolate-Cherry-Almond Cookies. Think Black Forest Cake meets Sugar Cookie. I love taking the flavors of decadent desserts and baking them into bite-size cookie form.

These cookies are adapted from a recipe I found in my favorite dessert cookbook: Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. This cookbook has taught me the basics of vegan baking, and I've learned that flaxseed and canola oil are truly the best friends of stellar vegan cookie.

And friends, this is one seriously stellar cookie.

Do you have any favorite vegan dessert recipes? Share your link below!

Chocolate-Cherry-Almond Cookies

(recipe adapted from one found in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)

For me, the essence of a good cookie is in its chewy-ness factor. Do NOT give me a cake-like cookie. A cake-like cookie is just what it is: a miniature cake that simply doesn't fit in the cookie category. These cookies are definitely rocking a perfect chewy factor.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 6 TBSP vanilla almond milk (unsweetened)
• 2 heaping tablespoons of ground flaxseed
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 - 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup oat flour (whir one cup of oats in your food processor)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips (or a rockin' mixture of both!)
• 3/4 cup chopped, toasted almonds
• 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugars, milk, flaxseed, and extracts until thoroughly combined. Stir in the flours, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the almonds, chocolate chips, and cherries.

3) Drop dough by spoonfuls onto the baking sheets and bake for 10 - 11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Eat up!

Week of Sweets: Day 4, Red Velvet Cookies

My Pandora Christmas Station has gone into overdrive, and I've been singing "Jingle Bells" like it's my second job.

Did I mention that I'm watching "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" tonight? We all need a little Chevy Chase in our lives this time of year.

And if the old adage "You are what you eat" is true, then I've most definitely turned into a giant vat of cookie dough, Peanut Butter Balls, and red and green sprinkles.

Friends, with evidence this clear, there's no doubt that the holidays are here.

Today's sweet recipe screams "holidays!" almost as much as Lampoon's Uncle Eddy and Chevy Chase's light display. We're talking Chewy Red Velvet M & M Cookies.

Oh yes I did.

I spied Chewy Red Velvet Cookies on Jessica's blog earlier this month, and I knew it would be a unique twist on the classic red and green M & M cookies I make every Christmas. The cocoa powder adds a surprising flavor, and the bright red hue says "Eat me! I'm an adventurous Christmas cookie!"

If you're looking for an extra layer of wow-factor, I suggest making miniature size versions of this cookie and sandwiching a layer of chocolate ganache between two of them.

Now if you'll excuse me, there's a glass of eggnog and a couch calling my name.

Red Velvet M&M Cookies
(recipe from Jessica at How Sweet Eats)

Who doesn't love red velvet cake? Better yet, who doesn't love a chewy M & M cookie? Mash these two together and you've got yourself Chewy Red Velvet M & M Cookies. The holidays are good to us, aren't they?

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. red food coloring
• As many red and green M&Ms as your heart desires

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well-combined. Beat in dry ingredients and red food coloring. Stir in M & Ms.

3) Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Week of Sweets: Day 3, Molasses Cookies

Imagine sitting before a plate of the twelve best cookies created by bakers in your tri-county area. Your task: consume each tasty morsel, rate every cookie in a variety of categories, and consult with your food-loving peers to determine the ultimate holiday cookie.

Yep. It was just as fun as it sounds.

And no, I didn't tire of eating cookies (although I did save a portion of each cookie for Adam. Except for two. They were so delicious I couldn't resist eating the whole thing. What can I say? I can be cookie-selfish at times.).

Last month I met with fellow members of local newspaper's Food Panel to judge cookies for the Annual Holiday Cookie Contest. The winning cookie was voted unanimously as the best in the bunch: simple, small, and oh-so-Christmas-y, we chose a White Chocolate-Dipped Molasses Cookie as the 2010 winner.

Yesterday I baked a batch of the winning recipe with my mom and sister during our annual Holiday Cookie-Baking Day. We forgot to pick up white chocolate, so ours weren't dipped. They're still delightful, but I definitely recommend the white chocolate for an extra hint of decadence.

Now, it's time to go eat some more holiday treats. Because that's what we do in December, right?

What treats are gracing your holiday cookie trays this year?

Molasses Cookies (plus deliciously optional white chocolate coating)

(recipe from Pat H.--winner of the Dominion Post Annual Holiday Cookie Contest)

This cookie received rave reviews from our panel for its tender, moist crumb, its rich ginger/molasses flavor, and the simple elegance (and delicious addition!) of white chocolate. You'll love them without the white chocolate, too. These babies are going to be a new staple on my holiday cookie trays.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• Optional: White melting chocolate

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 and coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

2) Cream shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses together until fluffy. Add dry ingredients and mix until well-combined. Roll into small balls, and then roll in decorators' sugar. Place on cookie sheet and gently press down on each cookie to flatten. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool.

3) If desired (and who wouldn't desire this?!), dip half of each cookie in white chocolate and place on wax paper to cool/firm up.

Ginger Friends

Nutritious, delicious vegetarian meals will eventually return to my diet.

I promise.

But for now: gingerbread people...and lots of 'em.

(And yes, my ginger-seasoned cookie creations are gender neutral. What can I say? My Women's Studies roots even influence my baking practices.)

This gingerbread cookie recipe is classic--no frills, no creative "foodie twists." Just pure, simple, molasses n' ginger-spiced, person-shaped treats. And where does a gal turn for a traditional, classic recipe? Her trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook of course.

Since this recipe produces so many cookies, these little guys will be spreading holiday cheer all over the place this season. First on the list is a crowd who's easy to please: my students. A roomful of teenagers + a plate of Christmas cookies = one happy crowd, and one empty plate.

Another fun idea for your gingerbread folks is to use them as gift tags. Instead of writing a gift recipient's name on a gift tag, I like to write the their name on a gingerbread cookie, package in a clear cellophane bag with a ribbon, and affix to the gift.

Again, I promise the vege-head goodness will return to A Hungry Spoon soon enough. But this season only comes once a year...and so do my gender-neutral ginger friends.

Classic Gingerbread Cookies

(recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook; makes approximately 50 cookies)

Gingerbread cookies are a classic staple on any holiday cookie plate. While the cookbook recommends using a simple confectioner's sugar icing, I couldn't resist making buttercream frosting to ice mine.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBSP vinegar
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• Optional: frosting for decorating

Directions:

1) Beat the shortening, sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves with an electric mixer until well-combined. Beat in the molasses. egg, and vinegar until thoroughly mixed. Beat in flour. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets with cooking spray and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to approximately 1/8 inch thickness. Cut dough with desired cookie cutter shapes and place on prepared baking sheets.

3) Bake cookies for 5 - 6 minutes, or until edges are light brown (mine were done in 5 and half minutes!). Cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate with frosting...because it's necessary and cute.

4) For frosting: I actually didn't measure anything when I made my frosting, but I estimate that it was about 3 TBSP butter, 1 - 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, and 1 - 2 TBSP milk. I beat these ingredients together and transferred the frosting to a sandwich-size ziploc bag. I cut a hole in one tip, and used as an impromptu pastry bag.

Holiday Shortbread

Picture it: Rich, buttery shortbread, the edge dipped in smooth-as-silk milk chocolate, and lightly rolled in chopped pistachios.

To top off the cuteness of this dainty cookie, imagine this single-serving shortbread served in its own tiny teacup.

Was it Martha Stewart? Ina Garten? How about Paula Deen?

Nope. None of the above. Try my sweet mother-in-law.

Kathy is a sensational baker. She taught me the golden rule of baking: butter and margarine are most certainly not interchangeable. My life changed pretty drastically (for the better) after Kathy welcomed me into her bag of baking tricks.

Every year at Christmas she sends Adam and I home with a tin of her seasonal treats, and Adam knows to keep his hands off the chocolate-dipped shortbread. Simple, sweet, and oh-so-butterific, those little shortbread cookies are all mine.

Last month, Kathy put a creative twist on her holiday shortbread and converted them into favors for her soon-to-be niece's wedding shower. These sweet little tea cups sat at each place-setting, begging attendees to sink their teeth into the buttery goodness.

Make these cookies for your holiday cookie plates, and your neighbors and co-workers will certainly beg for more. They likely won't believe the cookie itself has only three ingredients. In lieu of pistachios, you can roll them in red and green sprinkles, toasted pecans, or whatever your heart desires.

Trust me: the old Girl Scout shortbread impostor "Trefoils" have nothing on Kathy's famous cookies.

Kathy's Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread

(from Miss Kathy herself)

Forget those long, complicated holiday cookie ingredient lists. These shortbread cookies are small on ingredients and big on taste. Hey--you can't go wrong with butter and sugar, right?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened (NO substitutes!)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 - 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• Milk chocolate chips
• Optional: crushed pistachios, crushed pecans, sprinkles, and/or other toppings

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees and coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Gradually add in flour. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes.

3) Pat into a 1/3 inch rectangle, 11 x 18 inches. Cut into small rectangles of your desired size (for Kathy's Christmas version, she does 2" by 1" rectangles). Place about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet and prick each cookie with a fork. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until bottom begins to lightly brown. Cool for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

4) For dipping: Gently melt milk chocolate in a double boiler (I used one 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips). Dip one half of each cookie in the milk chocolate and sprinkle with nuts or sprinkles (or nothing at all if you'd like!). Place on wax paper to cool completely.

Happy 100th

Tonight and tomorrow will be devoted to baking and cooking for the T-Day feast at my parent's house on Thursday. I can't bear to photograph the superb Chocolate-Pecan Pie by my pathetic night-time kitchen lighting (it just doesn't do it justice), so your pie recipe will have to wait 'til morning.

Instead, today's post (written in between rolling pie crust and chopping sweet potatoes), will highlight my favorite Hungry Spoon recipes. Why, you ask, am I copping out on the biggest food week of the year? Because, friends, today marks my 100th post.

How do I feel about hitting the hot 100? This about sums it up:

If you need five more recipes to make before 2010 ends, please add these to your list.

1) Bulgur-Apple-Almond Salad: Super simple, lots of crunch, awesomely healthy (pictured above). Undoubtedly this is my favorite bulgur recipe--it was also my first post :)

2) Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting: Anything that comes from Joy the Baker is a winner. Joy literally made me a winner when I entered these puppies in our county fair. (The county fair? I know, totally dorky. But don't expect me to be sewing a quilt anytime soon.).

3) Garlic & Pine Nut Bean Dip with Homemade Flat Bread: Oh goodness. I initially made the flatbread for a burrito recipe. When we discovered how magnificent it was all on its lonesome, the burrito recipe was scrapped and Garlic & Pine Nut Bean dip was born. Make it. Eat it. Love it.

4) Barbeque Tempeh Sloppy Joe Sandwiches: It's no secret that hearty, sloppy fork n' knife vege-head sandwiches top my list of favorite entrees. Within the category of favorite entree sandwiches, the Tempeh Sloppy Joe wins first place, hands down.

5) Pumpkin Cookies: As noted in the post, my family was on the brink of a collective food coma after eating these. What can I say? I have a shameless, unbridled enthusiasm for pumpkin cookies.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, dear readers! I love sharing recipes with you, and I'm truly grateful for each visit you make to the Hungry Spoon kitchen.

Ganache Goodness

Girls' Night = great female company, plenty of food, and bubbly beverages.

Hard to beat, isn't it?

Tonight's girls' night, hosted by my friend Kate, will certainly bring some much-needed relaxation. Hot tub included. We're all looking forward to escaping the hustle and bustle of town, as Kate lives buried in the snow-capped mountains of neighboring Preston County. (I'm only slightly embarrassed that I just used the phrase "hustle and bustle." I'm definitely 26 going on 75).

I'll be making both a sweet and savory contribution to tonight's festivities, and since we all need more chocolate + peanut butter in our lives, let's begin with the sweet: Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Ganache Sandwich Cookies.

Brace yourselves. Dangerously awesome cookie recipe to follow.

As melt-in-your-mouth luscious as these sandwich cookies sound, multiply that times 400 and you might come close to how delicious they are. The ganache is a simple filling made with fine milk chocolate, peanut butter, and cream. Does it get any better? Yep: The cookies are a slightly crisp, very rich, and viciously good.

This recipe comes for Epicurious, famous for their gourmet recipes and features from Bon Appetit and Gourmet. When it comes to desserts, they won't steer you wrong.

I'd offer you a cookie, but I doubt there will be any left by the end of the night.

What's your favorite girls' night culinary indulgence?

Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Ganache Sandwich Cookies

(recipe from Epicurious)

As noted above, these little sandwich cookies are dangerously good. Let's face it: anything with ganache is hard to turn down. You could sandwich ganache between two mushrooms and I just might eat it.

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 6 TBSP butter
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1 - 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 - 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Ganache Ingredients:

• 3 oz. fine milk chocolate
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 TBSP powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 6 TBSP whipping cream

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) Beat powdered sugar, brown sugar, and butter together until smooth. Add peanut butter and beat until well-combined. Beat in oil. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Inn a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat dry ingredients into batter. Stir in chocolate chips.

3) Spoon rounded tablespoon-fuls of cookie dough onto baking sheet. I shaped mine into neat little circles since I knew they'd be sandwich cookies :) Bake for 10 - 12 minutes (mine were done at 11 or 12 minutes), or until puffed and just lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool on wire racks completely.

4) To prepare the ganache, place the chocolate, peanut butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the cream is boiling, pour it over the other ingredients and stir until completely melted (I had to microwave the mixture for 10 additional seconds to smooth out the lumps of chocolate). Refrigerate the ganache until spreadable, about one hour.

5) To make these splendid sandwiches, spread one tablespoon of ganache on a cookie and top with another cookie. Promptly eat. Repeat.

Chocolate + Pretzels + Cookie = Brain Power

It should come as no surprise that food (read: treats) can be a highly motivating reward--and powerful tool of persuasion--when working with high school students.

I'm fortunate enough to have a job that I love, doing work that I find both fulfilling and inspiring. The students I work with are bright and determined, and they certainly make sure that no day is a dull day!

They also like to remind me that homework will get done faster during tutoring, and they'll listen more intently during programming, if they have a snack to power up their energy.

My response? Bring on the treats!

Tonight I baked a Chocolate Pretzel Cookies to take for the students this week. I found this perfectly sweet n' salty recipe on Monet's blog, and knew that it would be the ultimate after-school snack to power their brains through tutoring.

If you like chocolate-covered pretzels, this one's for you. I love the crunch, I love the chocolate, and I love the hint of salty peanut butter--these little guys showcase a great twist on the classic chocolate chipper, and they don't require any elaborate or unusual ingredients. I added a half cup of peanut butter to my batch because, well...when do I not add peanut butter to my chocolate?

Grab your apron and cookie up! It's Chocolate (plus peanut butter) Pretzel Cookie time, friends.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies

(adapted from Monet's recipe)

These cookies are the perfect kid-pleasing treat--salty pretzels, yummy peanut butter, and chocolate, all wrapped up into cookie form.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, or white--or a combo of all three!)
• 1 - 1/2 cups crushed pretzels

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) With an electric mixer, cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until well-blended. Sift in flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in pretzels and chocolate chips.

3) Drop by rounded spoonfuls on baking sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

This weekend has been filled with plenty of delicious Foodie adventures...although very few have actually taken place in my kitchen.

The Hungry Spoon kitchen was abandoned yesterday in favor of a day trip to Pittsburgh. That's right friends: we headed north for a day in "the big city."

We enjoyed a trip to the Market, explored the Strip District, spent a good deal of time at a used book store, and settled for the afternoon at the Beehive Coffeehouse. Inevitably, the day concluded at my favorite spot for vegetarian cuisine--The Quiet Storm (I ordered the ultimate and highly addictive Apple Panini. I urge you to re-create this in your own kitchen. You won't regret it).

Enough about my travels, though. Let's get to the good stuff: White Chocolate-Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. I initially feasted my eyes on these sweet treats at the Simply Life blog, and reading the recipe title alone convinced me that I had to try them.

Magnificent! I baked a batch late last night after we returned from PA, and I have no doubt they'll be gone quite soon. This cookie is chewy and rich, and the tart cranberries balance out the sweetness of the white chocolate quite nicely.

Happy Baking to you!

Do you ever do late-night baking?

Cranberry & White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

(recipe courtesy of Simply Life blog; makes about 2 dozen cookies)

This cookie exemplified the perfect oatmeal cookie for me--chewy and sweet. Cranberries and white chocolate make a great addition.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup butter
• 2/3 brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1- 1/2 cups quick oats
• 1 - 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 oz. dried cranberries
• 2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat 375 degrees. Prepare baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well-combined.

3) Combine the dry ingredients (through the salt) in a separate bowl. Add to butter mixture. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips with a spoon.

4) Place rounded spoon-fuls of dough on cookie sheet and bake 8 - 10 minutes, or until lightly browned at the edges (mine were done in 8 minutes exactly).

4) Enjoy! These are definitely good cookies to eat with a glass of milk :)