Berry Cobbler Cookie Bars (Cookie Exchange Quantity)

Unlike the other ladies on this blog, I did not try a bunch of recipes before the annual cookie exchange and I didn't even TRY my cookies until we were at the party! (I had a quantity screw up and didn't know if I needed every last crumb to meet the number of bars I was supposed to bring).

Four days before the party, I got an email that I had won four tickets to The Nutcracker in Chicago that coming Saturday.  TWO DAYS before the party, my husband emails me to inform me that I am indeed not only invited to his new job's company holiday party, but encouraged to come...THAT NIGHT! (Don't they know we need time to prepare for these things?!) So I found myself searching online two days before the party for a quick, easy bar recipe since I had to scratch the more time-consuming toffee I had planned to make.  When I found this on good ol' Betty Crocker and it had "Cookie Exchange Quantity" in the title and had nothing but good reviews I was done!  Betty calls them "Linzer Torte" bars and while I know what a Linzer torte is (a tart-like pastry traditionally with raspberry preserves on top and almonds in the crust), I wasn't sure how much of the general population would. The recipe called for using raspberry or strawberry preserves  -- I made one with cherry and one with raspberry -- and using ground walnuts in the crust. I kept the ground walnuts but added some almond extract. (I think if I could add almond extract to every baked food and bacon to every savory food, I would -- and I did actually just recently make cookies with bacon in them!).

These were super easy to make (except for cutting in the butter--I HATE cutting in butter...especially since I realized I hadn't replaced my accidentally mangled pastry cutter I had thrown out). But the ease of the rest of the recipe made up for the stupid butter cutting.

They were  a favorite at the cookie exchange and I have to say I just completely lucked out on this one!

~Leah

Berry Cobbler Cookie Bars (Cookie Exchange Quantity)

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Leah (adapted from Betty Crocker)

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour


• 3 cups powdered sugar


• 3 cups ground walnuts


• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened


• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


• 2 teaspoons almond extract


• 2 cups cherry,raspberry or strawberry preserves


• Additional powdered sugar, if desired

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and extract. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, two knives, or use a large capacity food processor to pulse until crumbly. Reserve 2 cups of the mixture for topping; press remaining mixture in bottom of ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan.


2. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Spread with preserves. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture; press gently into preserves.


3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows for 48 or 12 rows by 6 rows for 72.

Notes

You absolutely can cut these into 72 bars but they will be pretty small...however, they're pretty rich and sweet so that size is probably just about perfect. I had mistakenly cut mine into 48 but I realized that I personally would not have wanted to cut them much smaller anyway for the exchange so I stuck with 48 for my second batch also.

3.2.1263

 

 

Pretzel and Potato Chip Cookies

Ah, cookie time!

At no other time of year can I randomly whip up batches of baked goods, and do it guilt free. I used to think Wendy was crazy for experimenting with so many new recipes before her annual cookie exchange. And maybe I still do just a little. ;)

But this year I took a page from her book and made a few recipes, all in the name of science (or perhaps competition?). My favorite place to look for recipes is in the December issue's of Cook's Country magazine. It features the winners and runners up of their annual cookie contest. I am in awe of the people who are WINNING this thing! It just seems like the ultimate baked good success story. I dream of having a recipe THAT good and totally original coming out of my kitchen. Sigh.

Until then I am borrowing from another's creative genius, and hopefully coming to the party with a crowd favorite. This year I brought these Potato Chip and Pretzel Cookies with Caramel frosting. If you are a salty-and-sweet-in-one-package fan, then this is the cookie for you. I left the recipe as is, except for bumping up the quantity of pretzels just a bit. They aren't a chewy cookie...it's more of a crisp, shortbread texture. In other words, fantastic with a cup of tea. They are super easy and they definitely travel well after frosting is allowed to set. Enjoy!

~Erin

 

Pretzel and Potato Chip Cookies

Author: Erin (adapted from Cook's Country)

Ingredients

• Cookies


• 12 T. butter, softened


• ½ c. sugar, plus ¼ c. more for rolling


• 1 t. vanilla


• 1/8 t. salt


• 1 ½ c. flour


• 2/3 c. crushed potato chips


• 1/3 c. crushed pretzels


• Frosting


• ½ c. brown sugar, packed


• ¼ c. heavy cream


• 3 T. butter


• Pinch of salt


• 1 c. powdered sugar


• ½ t. vanilla


• ¼ c. pecans, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.


2. Beat together butter, ½ c. sugar, vanilla, and salt in a mixer till light and fluffy.


3. Reduce speed to low, and add flour in 3 additions. Scrape down bowl as needed.


4. Gently mix in potato chips and pretzels.


5. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar. Use the bottom of a greased measuring cup to press balls to approximately ¼” thick.


6. Bake for about 15 min until edges are golden. Let cookies cool on tray for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack.


7. FOR FROSTING – Bring brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Cool for about 20 minutes before spreading on cookies.


8. Sprinkle cookies with pecans and allow frosting to set.

3.2.1263

Sneaky Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you're like me, the idea of a healthy chocolate chip cookie sounds like an oxymoron. AND moronic. Really...if I want a chocolate chip cookie, I'm more likely PMSing and just want something sweet more than I care about if it's good for me or not! BUT, I have to say, these fit the bill as far as fulfilling a need for sweets and being healthy to boot (or at least healthy as far as cookie standards go).

I found this recipe in Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious cookbook when my kids were toddlers. I remember being so excited to get the cookbook and then feeling like a complete failure as a mother because I hadn't been setting aside my Sundays to steam and puree enough fruits and vegetables to choke a horse.  I personally found that most of the recipes were just way too labor intensive for the little time I had to prepare food while caring for a one and a half year old and a newborn. So I didn't chop, steam, puree, and freeze avocado, beets, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, peas, red peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, apples, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, cherries, and pineapple in popsicle molds. Report me to DCFS. ;)

Don't get me wrong, if you were (or are) a mom (or dad) who purees vegetables and fruits and sneaks them into food on a regular basis, I think you're awesome and amazing and I'm completely jealous. I just found I had a hard time finding the time to be able to do it...let alone shower.

Anyway, back to these cookies. As I looked through the recipes and found one after the other requiring some sort of premade puree, I practically jumped with glee when I came upon this one. No puree! The sneaky ingredient comes from a can! And its a DESSERT! I was all in.

I made them for the first time to bring to a playgroup get together at my dear friend, Liz's house and I will never forget the look on my (then new) dear friend Erin's face when I told her that there were chickpeas -- yes, chickpeas...whole beans...not pureed -- in the cookies. As I'm sure she has written on here before...Erin hates beans. I did not know this at the time so her reaction was a little comical. She was VERY hesitant to try them but, God love her, she did! And I remember her and I pulling and picking them apart trying to find the beans. You cannot find them! It's like magic! Maybe it's because these "cookies" actually have more of a soft, cake-like texture than a traditional cookie.

Give them a try...I DARE you to find a bean in there once they're baked. And the kids all loved them...then and now.

~Leah

Sneaky Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Leah (adapted from Jessica Seinfeld)

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 11 mins

Total time: 31 mins

Soft, cake-like chocolate chip cookies with protein!

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray (or a silpat)


• 1 cup packed light brown sugar


• 3/4 cup trans-fat free soft tub buttery spread (I used Smart Balance)


• 2 egg whites


• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract


• 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed


• 2 cups (12 oz.) milk chocolate chips


• 2 cups all purpose flour


• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats


• 1 tsp. baking soda


• 1/4 tsp. kosher or sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray OR line with a silpat.


2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and spread on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla then the chickpeas and chocolate chips (you may want to lower the speed a little so chickpeas aren't flying all over your kitchen). Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.


3. Drop the dough by the tablespoon (or standard cookie scoop) onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart (these don't spread much). Bake until golden brown and just set; 11 to 13 minutes. Do NOT overbake. Transfer to a rack to cool.


4. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days


5. Recipe yields 3-4 dozen cookies depending on your scoop size.

3.2.1255

 

 

Caramel Marshmallow Bars

I have a love affair with caramel.

I honestly think I could live without my husband chocolate before I could do without caramel (just kidding honey!). Give me a box of 100 assorted chocolates and I can pick out the one that is just a plain ol' chocolate covered caramel 9 times out of 10. My sister makes these UH-MAZING homemade caramels at Christmas time and gives them as gifts and I have taken to not letting anyone else in my family have any...nice spirit of sharing, right?! I find myself wondering about a person (even my 7-year-old son) if they choose the hot fudge sundae at McDonald's over the hot caramel.  They do not even COMPARE in my mind! I have recently become obsessed with the salted caramel pudding that's available at California Pizza Kitchen right now. If you have one within an hour of your house (or maybe even two), get in your car. Now. It is that worth it. If you don't, stay tuned because I am determined to either replicate the recipe or at least come up with something similar that could compare.

When Wendy had her cookie exchange this past December, I made these apple cider caramel cookies but I somehow vastly overestimated how many of the Kraft caramels I would need to buy.  I was looking at my 2 1/2 bags of caramels in my cabinet wondering what the heck I was going to do with them barring making a LOT of caramel apples or just giving them to Erin who LOVES them.  Being the good friend that I am, I decided to spare Erin's waistline and just try to find a recipe that called for them and sounded good (and then feed her THOSE). I must say this is one of those times that I stumbled upon a recipe and hit the darn jackpot! I found it on the Kraft website (of all places -- duh) and only changed the recipe the teeniest bit by adding more caramel (of course) and a little bit of salt.
~Leah

Caramel Marshmallow Bars

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Leah (adapted from Kraft)

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 14 mins

Total time: 39 mins

Serves: 15-20

Pecan shortbread crust topped with caramel, marshmallows, and chocolate.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened


• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar


• 1 1/2 cups flour


• 1/2 cup chopped pecans


• 1/4 tsp. salt


• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs


• 35 Kraft caramels


• 2 1/2 Tbsp. water


• 1 cup mini marshmallows


• 2 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Process the pecans in food processor until very fine...like sand. Set aside.


2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour, pecans, salt and cracker crumbs; mix well. Remove 1/4 cup of the crumb mixture; set aside. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake 18 min. or until lightly browned.


3. Melt caramels with water in heavy saucepan on low heat, stirring frequently until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup crumb mixture, the marshmallows and chopped chocolate.


4. Bake an additional 12 min. and then broil for another 1 to 2 minutes, keeping a close eye, until marshmallows are lightly browned. Cool. Cut into 20-24 bars to serve.

3.2.1230

 

Apple Cider Caramel Cookies

Having literally just seen my first shooting star after numerous attempts at stargazing with my hubby, writing about a cookie seems a little bit silly and insignificant... But cookies are significant too, right? My ideal would be to live in a somewhat warmer climate and go lie on my deck with my lucky guy AND a fistful of cookies. In a perfect world...



So, on with this fabulous little cookie. I'd never been to a cookie exchange before going to Wendy's three years ago and I loved it for multiple reasons. 1. I get to spend some time with girlfriends, 2. I get to take home a lot of cookies, and 3. I get to try out a new recipe. That one can sometimes bite some of us in the a$$. Nothing stinks more than scouring recipe after recipe to find that perfect one, making 80 gabillion cookies that you think are going to fabulous, and realizing they are just so-so – AND, lucky you, you get to share mediocre cookies with friends and acquaintances and not just pawn them off on your 6- and 5-year-old who will ingest anything with a high ratio of sugar (alright, throw my guy in that mix too).

 

I was a bit nervous about trying these out, but after reading positive comment after positive comment, I figured they HAD to be decent.  I mean, pretty much any time there's caramel involved, I'm there. And I was not disappointed.

~Leah

 

Apple Cider Caramel Cookies

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Leah (adapted from Six Sisters Stuff)

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 13 mins

Total time: 43 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar


• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cinnamon


• 1 cup unsalted butter, about halfway melted


• 1 cup granulated sugar


• 1/2 tsp salt (I like to use kosher)


• 1 (7.4 ounce) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix *Not sugar free*


• 2 eggs


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 1 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp baking powder


• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour


• 1 (11 ounce) bag Kraft Premium Unwrapped Caramel Bits

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Prepare cinnamon sugar by stirring together in a small bowl. Set aside.


2. In a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and all 10 packets of apple cider mix until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, then mix in the baking soda and baking powder. Add the flour and mix until just combined.


3. Cover dough and let chill for at least an hour in the fridge.


4. Scoop dough onto the parchment with a standard (size 50) cookie scoop. Flatten the dough slightly in your hand and place three caramel bits in the center. Work the dough around the caramel sealing well and rolling the dough into a ball. Roll the ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place the cookies two inches apart on the sheets.


5. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. After baking, carefully slide the parchment with the cookies onto the counter. Let cool until they are no longer soft but still slightly warm. Twist gently to remove, and cool the rest of the way upside down on the parchment or on a cooling rack.


6. Makes 30-50 depending on size

Notes

If cookies get too cool before you twist them off, freeze the whole sheet for a few minutes.

3.1.09

Gooey Butter Cookies

Oh, I just can't help myself. You knew it was going here right?

I recently whipped up a batch of these gooey butter cookies, planning to blog about them during the month of December. They just so happen to be THE cookie I brought to Wendy's cookie exchange last year. As you recall, I also brought my brand new baby boy with me. And let me tell you, it was going to take one seriously good cookie to compete with those cheeks.

These cookies are so easy and come together very fast, though you do need to plan for some time to chill in the fridge. They are adapted from Paula Deen's recipe, which is inspired by her TO DIE FOR gooey butter cake...run out and make one now if you have not had the pleasure. As far as flavors go, a Google search reveals that people use all types of cake mixes for this cookie. I am definitely a fan of using vanilla cake mix as opposed to chocolate, as I just don't feel like the chocolate has enough ooomph. That being said, I recently made a batch using Ghiradelli brownie mix for the sweets table at our elementary school's holiday shop. I'm pleased to inform you that I think we are getting somewhere. Enjoy!

Gooey Butter Cookies

Author: Erin

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened


• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened


• 1 egg


• 1 box cake mix


• 1 t. vanilla


• powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Cream together butter and cream cheese.


2. Beat in egg and vanilla.


3. Add cake mix and mix well.


4. Chill dough in refrigerator for 2 hours.


5. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls, toss in powdered sugar, and place 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.


6. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350, until bottoms are browning very slightly. Centers should still be soft. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

3.1.09

Thumbprint Cookies

Welcome to Cookie Week at Three Lucky Husbands. Check back later in the week for a few more treats!

I made these shortbread thumbprint cookies for Wendy's annual cookie exchange this past weekend. Love me a cookie party. I think this was her 3rd exchange among this circle of friends and family, and my gosh does time fly. Last year's party found me one week post-delivery of my 3rd baby. My 11 pound 4 ounce baby. You read that right my friends....that's an eleven I wrote there. But since it's going to take a lot more then that to keep me away from the cookies, I packed up baby and shuffled out the door.

This year my sweet (and now totally average-sized 1 year old) boy stayed home with big brother and sister. This mama needed some grown-up time to go along with my butter and sugar. :)

These thumbprint cookies have been a family staple for as long as I can remember. The dough comes together super fast and they freeze well, making them easy to have on hand during holiday festivities. Most importantly, use a good jam...you know, something you could eat with a spoon were it socially acceptable. Enjoy!

Thumprint Cookies

Author: Erin

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cup flour


• 1/2 t. salt


• 1 cup softened butter


• 1/4 cup sugar


• 2 egg yolks


• raspberry or apricot jam

Instructions

1. Whisk together flour and salt.


2. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.


3. Add egg yolk and beat well.


4. Add flour and mix till smooth.


5. Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place about 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.


6. Press each with index finger to make an indentation. Drop jam in to each.


7. Bake 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned. Makes 3 dozen.

Notes

This dough can be made in advance, but I recommend letting it come to almost room temperature before rolling into balls. If the dough is cold they will crack while you are trying to indent them. The quickest (and cleanest!) way to fill them is by snipping the corner off a jam-filled sandwich bag.

3.1.09

 

Thumbprint Cookies

Welcome to Cookie Week at Three Lucky Husbands. Check back later in the week for a few more treats!

I made these shortbread thumbprint cookies for Wendy's annual cookie exchange this past weekend. Love me a cookie party. I think this was her 3rd exchange among this circle of friends and family, and my gosh does time fly. Last year's party found me one week post-delivery of my 3rd baby. My 11 pound 4 ounce baby. You read that right my friends....that's an eleven I wrote there. But since it's going to take a lot more then that to keep me away from the cookies, I packed up baby and shuffled out the door.

This year my sweet (and now totally average-sized 1 year old) boy stayed home with big brother and sister. This mama needed some grown-up time to go along with my butter and sugar. :)

These thumbprint cookies have been a family staple for as long as I can remember. The dough comes together super fast and they freeze well, making them easy to have on hand during holiday festivities. Most importantly, use a good jam...you know, something you could eat with a spoon were it socially acceptable. Enjoy!

Thumbprint Cookies

Author: Erin

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cup flour


• 1/2 t. salt


• 1 cup softened butter


• 1/4 cup sugar


• 2 egg yucks


• raspberry or apricot jam

Instructions

1. Whisk together flour and salt.


2. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.


3. Add egg yolk and beat well.


4. Add flour and mix till smooth.


5. Shape tablespoonfulls of dough into balls. Place about 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.


6. Press each with index finger to make an indentation. Drop jam in to each.


7. Bake 18-20 mintues until lightly browned. Makes 3 dozen.

Notes

This dough can be made in advance, but I recommend letting it come to almost room temperature before rolling into balls. If the dough is cold they will crack while you are trying to indent them. The quickest (and cleanest!) way to fill them is by snipping the corner off a jam-filled sandwich bag.

3.1.09