Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 3/4 c. flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. loosely packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
3/4 c. chocolate chips or mini choc chips
3/4 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350° degrees F.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and brown it until it smells slightly nutty.  Do not blacken.  Remove from heat and blend with the sugars.  Let it cool 10 minutes. 

While cooling, mix the flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sour cream and butter-sugar mixture until combined. Whisk in egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in the mashed banana and mix until combined – mixture will not be smooth. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, mixing with a large spoon until a dough forms.  This recipe may be too loose.  Add a bit of extra flow, 1/4 c. at a time to firm it up so that a spoonful of dough holds its shape on a cookie sheet.  Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.


Shape the dough into the size of a golfball (or size of your choice) and place on a nonstick baking sheet about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the middles are puffy – do not overbake! Let cool completely then dig in. I suggest letting these cool completely before storing them in a sealed container or bag, and they will stay very soft because of the banana.

These need storage in the fridge as the banana will promote molding if left out and covered. 

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/10/salted-peanut-butter-cookies/

Barely adapted, just a bunch of extra notes, from the Ovenly cookbook

Yield 26 to 28 cookies with a 1 2/3 tablespoon or #40 scoop. (I halved the recipe and regret it so much.)

1 3/4 cups (335 grams) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (450 grams) smooth peanut butter (see note at end)
Coarse-grained sea salt, to finish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then the peanut butter until smooth and completely incorporated; you shouldn’t be able to see any ribbons of peanut butter. Ovenly says you know the dough is ready when it has the consistency of Play-Doh, but I can tell you as the mom of a Play-Doh fanatic that mine was thinner, softer.

If you’d like to get those pretty striations across the top of the cookies, chill the dough by freezing it in its bowl for 15 minutes, stirring it once (so the edges don’t freeze first), before scooping it. If you’re not obsessed with these markings, you can scoop it right away. Scoop or spoon the dough into balls — Ovenly uses about a 1/4-cup scoop (probably #16); I use a 1 2/3 tablespoons or #40 scoop. Place on prepared pan. For the tallest final shape, place the tray in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking.

Sprinkle the dough balls lightly with coarse-grained sea salt just before baking. Bake smaller cookies for 14 to 15 minutes and larger for 18 to 20. When finished, cookies should be golden at edges. They’ll need to set on the sheet for a minute or two before they can be lifted intact to a cooling sheet. Trust me, you should let these cool completely before eating so the different textures (crisp outside, soft inside) can set up.

Do ahead: You can definitely make the dough in advance and either refrigerate it for a couple days or freeze it longer. However, if I were going to freeze it, I’d probably go ahead and scoop it first. You can bake them right from the freezer.

About chilling the dough: The Ovenly recipe says you can scoop and bake the cookies right away, but they keep their shape better if you chill them in the freezer for 15 minutes first. I tried it with and without and did find a better dome and final shape with the 15 minutes after. However, I was incredibly charmed by the striated marks from the cookie scoop on top of the cookie I bought last weekend, as well as in the photo in their book, and I realized that I couldn’t get it at home with just-mixed dough; you’ll get more of a blob shape from your scoop. So, I also chilled the dough for 15 minutes before scooping it and was then satisfied with the shape. It’s not necessary unless you’re as taken with top pattern as I am.

Two questions I suspect someone will ask very soon: Can you make this with all-natural peanut butter and can you make this with almond or a nut butter? The answer to both is yes, however, the authors themselves warn that you’ll get the best final shape and texture from a smooth, thick processed peanut butter like Skippy (their recommendation; updated to note, thanks to a commenter suggestion, that the 16.3-ounce jar of Skippy is estimated to contain 1 3/4 cups, saving you some measuring). I suspect an almond or cashew butter will have a similar effect as natural peanut butter.

Fruitcake Shortbread

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, room temperature
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups dried cherries and dried pineapple, chopped into chunks
1 cup chopped pecans, chopped in halves
1/3 c. brandy

First, chop the fruit and set into a bowl. Pour brandy over the fruit and microwave for 45 seconds. Let the fruit soak in the warmed brandy while mixing the remaining ingredients.

Cream the butter and powdered sugar with the butter and egg. Mix the flour and cream of tartar into the butter mixture. When its thoroughly incorporated, add the fruit and mix until evenly distributed.

Divide the dough in half and spread each half onto a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Roll this up into a tube that is roughly 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Freeze both for 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat oven for 375 degrees. Set oven racks to the middle. Unwrap the frozen dough and slice with a good knife, cutting each cookie to be 1/3 of an inch thick. (1/4 inch comes out  a bit too thin and overcooked) Bake for 11-13 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool on rack.

Chocolate Ginger Snaps

Ingredients
 
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking cocoa
1-1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, chopped or pulsed in food processor
1/4 cup sugar

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, water and gingerroot. Combine the flour, cocoa, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.


Shape dough into 1-in. balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until tops begin to crack. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks. Yield: 3 dozen.

British Digestive Biscuits

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup wheat bran
4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Crisco
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons half-and-half cream
Directions:

1
Preheat oven to 350°F.
2
In a large bowl, mix together the flours, bran, baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar with a pastry blender. Mix in sugar with the pastry blender. Mix in fats with the pastry blender. The mix at this point should be crumbly and uniform. Mix the vanilla in the half-n-half and add to the mix. Mix with pastry blender until it is uniform and resembles really soft playdoh.
3
You can at this point refrigerate for 20 minutes to make the dough easier to handle, but it is not necessary. Be sure to roll out dough between two pieces of waxed paper! Roll to approximately 1/8" thickness. Cut into rounds with cookie cutter about 2 1/2 inches in diameter (I used the ring off one of my canning jars).
4
Transfer to cookie sheets or baking stone and prick with a fork. Bake 15 to 18 minutes (adjust the baking time up to dry them out more if the biscuits are too soft and fluffy), or until golden. Let cool on wire rack.
5
Optional: spread the backs of the cooled biscuits with melted semi-sweet chocolate (as in chips - almost everyone has these for chocolate chip cookies). Set the biscuits chocolate side up on the rack until chocolate hardens.
6
Store in an airtight tin -if storage is even necessary! They will go fast.

Read more: <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/digestive-biscuits-455682?oc=linkback">http://www.food.com/recipe/digestive-biscuits-455682?oc=linkback</a>

Bret's Black Pepper Butter cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

Cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1 c. sweet unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
extra sugar, for dipping glass
Directions:

1
Mix all ingredients (except for the extra sugar for dipping the glass) together.

Roll into balls of 1 to 1/12 inch size.  Place on cookie sheet.

Use a flat-bottomed glass that has been dipped into sugar to flatten each dough ball on the cookie sheets.

Bake in a preheated 350 F (or 180 C) oven for 9-10 minutes or until lighly browned on the edges- do not overbake.

Remove to wire racks to cool.

Drizzle
1 c. chocolate chips
4 tsp coconut oil or shortening (non-hydrogenated)

Method:
melt chocolate and oil/shortening in a double boiler on soft heat.  Stir till smooth.

Arrange cookies on wax paper and then drizzle chocolate with a spoon until all chocolate is used.  Sprinkle with colored mini-non-pareils.

Danish PebernØdder Cookies

http://klappekage.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/pebernodder-madness/

So today I decided to make pebernødder (pronounced [something like] pey-wa-nudler), as the second half of the “double feature.” I have to admit, I usually have a bit of an obsession with them, especially when sitting and writing exam papers so I’m super excited that it’s Christmas and they’re all over the stores. They’re an awesome snack while studying and I usually just eat the whole bag when I have them sitting next to my computer. Before today, I’ve always bought them and was surprised to find that they’re actually quite easy to make and, furthermore, you can make a ton of them for quite cheap!

The recipe I used for pebernødder is as follows (with the English in parentheses):

Ingredienser:

250 g. smør (250 grams of butter)
250 g. sukker (250 grams of sugar)
2 æg (2 eggs)
2 tsk natron (2 teaspoons of baking soda)
1 tsk ingefær (1 teaspoon of ginger)
1.5 tsk kanel (1.5 teaspoon of cinnamon)
2 knsp hvid peber (2 pinches of [white] pepper)
500 g. hvedemel (500 grams of flour)

1) The first step is to mix the sugar and the butter together. An awesome thing about it being so cold and snowy is that it’s super easy to get really soft butter by setting it for a few minutes on the heater. That way, mixing it with the sugar was really easy. Blend together until the sugar and butter are completely mixed.

2) Once you’ve mixed the sugar and butter, it’s time to add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing the egg in with the sugar and butter mixture well.

3)After you’ve mixed the eggs in, add the flour and other spice ingredients in a separate bowl. Though the directions call for certain amounts, how you do this here (except for the baking soda) really just goes with your taste. If you really like ginger, add a bit more. If you like a peppery taste, add a few more shakes of pepper. The recipe calls for white pepper – I used black but not too much of it as I’m not too crazy about the pepper flavor if it’s too strong, but again – it’s up to you!

4) After mixing the spices with the flour, add that mixture in with the egg and sugar.

5) Once you’ve mixed all the flour mixture in, take the dough and roll it out into finger sized or so logs.

6) After you’ve rolled them out, cut them into small pieces. The recipe calls that you cut them in 1/2 – 2 cm pieces, and I think it works great when you cut them into varying sizes.

7) After you’ve cut them out, place them on a baking sheet and bake them for about 10-15 minutes at 200°C (400°F).

8) After around 10-15 minutes, take the pebernødder out and let them cool.

9) Once they’ve cooled, place them in a bowl and enjoy this Danish Christmas snack!

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 1 teaspoon baking powder
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/2 cup butter, softened
 1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. roasted pureed pumpkin (Cinderella, Winter Luxury or Sugar Pie) (Canned will do...)
 1 egg
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 c. mini or regular chocolate chips

Variations:
=========
OPTION 1
-instead of 1 c. chocolate chips,
use 1/2 c. chocolate chips, 1/2 c. white chocolate chips

OPTION 2
-crush about 4 oz. worth of peppermint candies/candy canes and stir into cookie mix
-combines well with the chocolate OR white chocolate

OPTION 3
Glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar
 3 tablespoons milk
 1 tablespoon melted butter
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Sugar Plums, Alton Brown

Ingredients
6 ounces slivered almonds, toasted
4 ounces dried plums
4 ounces dried apricots
4 ounces dried figs
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch kosher salt
1/4 cup honey
1 cup coarse sugar
Directions
Put the almonds, plums, apricots, and figs into the bowl of a food processor and pulse 20 to 25 times or until the fruit and nuts are chopped into small pieces, but before the mixture becomes a ball.

Combine the powdered sugar, anise seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, cardamom, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the nut and fruit mixture and the honey and mix using gloved hands until well combined.

Scoop the mixture into 1/4-ounce portions and roll into balls. If serving immediately, roll in the coarse sugar and serve. If not serving immediately, put the balls on a cooling rack and leave uncovered until ready to serve. Roll in the coarse sugar prior to serving.

The Sugarplums may be stored on the cooling rack for up to a week. After a week, store in an airtight container for up to a month.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sugarplums-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Alex Ginter's Racial Equality Butter Cookies

Oven @ 300 degrees F
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. organic shortening

-Cream the above ingredients together

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. vanilla

-add in

2 c. flour

-mix in the flour gradually

bake @ 300 degrees F.
Make cookies with 1 tsp measure
Bake for 11 minutes

Alex Ginter's Moon Cookies

Oven @ 325 degrees F

2 lb butter
1 lb ground almonds
2 scant c. sugar
8 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond or rum/brandy extract

mix all ingredients
shape into crescents on cookie sheet
bake 15 minutes

Bret and Alex's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Bret and Alex's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips, chopped
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 c. chopped walnuts

Instructions
Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix powdered sugar, flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Stir in chocolate chips. Add egg whites and vanilla; mix with a fork or electric mixer on medium until batter is just moistened. (Do not overbeat or batter will stiffen.)
Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets in evenly spaced mounds. Bake cookies until tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 15 minutes. Cool briefly, then carefully remove from parchment paper with a spatula. Cookies may be soft and fragile so proceed carefully to lift cookies and place them on racks to cool. Do not wait too long to remove them from baking sheets, for they will stick, even to parchment paper. Repeat with remaining batter. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes

OLD FASHIONED SOFT MOLASSES COOKIES

1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening or lard (non hydrogenated)
2 cups molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream or Greek style (thick) yogurt
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in a small amount of hot water
6 cups flour (or more)

Cream together sugar and shortening (butter may be used but cookies will spread out more when baked), add molasses, vanilla, sour cream or yogurt, slightly beaten egg and spices. Dissolve baking soda in just enough hot to mix; add to dough.Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough, stirring just until combined.
Cover bowl and set dough aside for one hour in a cool place.
After 1 hour, roll dough out 1/4-inch thick, or slightly thicker, and cut with a large round cutter dipped into flour or cocoa before each cut. (Note: For fancy cutouts, add a little more flour to make a stiffer dough, making dough easier to handle).
Lift cut-out cookies gently with a spatula to a greased cookie sheet.
Bake in a preheated 350°F for about 15 minutes or until done.
Cookies should be soft inside.
Spicy Variation: Add 1 tablespoon rum or bourbon, increase cloves and nutmeg to 1 teaspoon and ginger to 1 1/2 teaspoons (very spicy and an acquired taste)

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

http://southernfood.about.com/od/chocchipcookies/r/r90510e.htm
Browned butter and lots of vanilla give these chocolate chip cookies some extra special flavor.
 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, browned and slightly cooled*
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons light cream, evaporated milk, or milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

*To brown butter, , heat in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter begins to simmer. Continue cooking, stirring, just until butter begins to turn golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Pour off into a measuring cup or bowl, leaving darkest sediment behind. Let the butter cool to room temperature. In a large mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat the browned butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until well blended.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg and butter mixture, mixing on low speed, until a soft dough forms. Scrape the bowl a few times. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover and chill for about an hour.
Heat the oven to 375°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat; spray paper with cooking spray. Using a cookie scoop, drop balls of dough onto the silicone mat or greased parchment, allowing about 2 to 3 inches in between the cookies.
Bake for 6 to 10 minutes, until browned around the edges. Cool completely and transfer to an airtight container for storage.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies, depending on size.