2nd Annual Cookie Weekend - December 2012


Featured Recipes:

Rugelach Pinwheels
Lace Cookies
Snicker Surprise Cookies
Fig and Walnut Biscotti
Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Choco-Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
Holiday Pretzel Treats
Chocolate Chip Cookies


 The ingredients




Double oven!!!!!!!!!!!!




Pre-measured ingredients courtesy of Adam




FaceTime with Setch!


Hard at work.
Megs (and Elijah!) making the rugelach. 
Putting together the pretzel treats.
G wants to make some, too.


So many cookies!  We made hundreds, literally.  How many dozen did we each take home?
I've lost count!








Post-Cookie Girls' Night Out!
(Three cheers for enchiladas and sangria!)










Holiday Pretzel Treats

Submitted by Lori


Ingredients
                        3 (10 ounce) bags checkerboard or windowpane shaped pretzels
                        1 (17 5/8 ounce) bags holiday M&M's plain chocolate candy ( red & green)
                        3 (13 ounce) bags Hershey's Hugs chocolates
                        3 (13 ounce) bags Hershey's chocolate kisses 










Directions
Preheat oven to 170 degrees.  Open the bags of pretzels and remove all
the unbroken pretzels.  Place them on waxed paper-lined cookie sheets in
a single layer.

Unwrap Hugs, place one on each pretzel, repeat for an entire cookie
sheet.  DO ONLY ONE TYPE OF CANDY PER SHEET, as the Hugs melt
much quicker than the Kisses.  Repeat using the Hershey Kisses.


Place cookie sheet/s in the preheated oven, bake for 4 MINUTES FOR
THE SHEET OF pretzels and HUGS, 5-6 minutes for the pretzels and
Kisses.

Immediately upon removing from the oven, place one M-n-M on top of
each pretzel/chocolate.  Place cookie sheet in freezer for 8-10 minutes, to
allow chocolate to reset.










Choco-Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

Submitted by Meliss



     1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons spooned and leveled bleached all-purpose flour
         1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
         1/2 teaspoon salt
         8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
         2 3/4 cups sugar, divide
         1/4 cup canola oil
         2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
         2 tablespoons light corn syrup
         2 large eggs
         1 large egg yolk
         2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
         1 1/2 tablespoons of peppermint extract
         1 cup sugar

Directions
In a medium bowl, beat together well the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on 50 percent power for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 15 seconds more and stir; set aside.

Beat together 2 1/2 cups of the sugar, the oil, butter and corn syrup to blend. Beat in the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla and peppermint extract. Then on low, beat in the melted chocolate. Add the flour mixture and beat in on low speed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line bakesheet with parchment. Take out about one-quarter of the dough at a time to shape. Roll the dough into 2 inch balls. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar into one bowl and the confectioners’ sugar in another bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball lightly in granulated sugar first, then very heavily in confectioners’ sugar. (By rolling in plain sugar first, the confectioners’ sugar does not soak in so much and stays on the surface better).

Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on the foil. For crisp cookies, bake 12 to 14 minutes. For a chewier cookie, bake 10-12 minutes. Bake one sheet at a time.


Fig and Walnut Biscotti

Submitted by Megs 


1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup dried Turkish or Calimyrna figs, quartered
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons or 3 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
6 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1/2 a large orange (I used a clementine)
1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (or 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons) unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon. ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 egg white, lightly beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Allow the walnuts to cool completely.

2. Place the walnuts and dried figs in a food processor and process until they are finely chopped.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula occasionally. Beat in the vanilla and the orange zest.

4. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture to form a somewhat firm dough. Add the walnuts and figs and beat until thoroughly combined. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and chill 35 to 40 minutes or until completely firm.

5. When the dough has chilled, lightly grease a baking sheet. On a floured board, use your palms to roll the piece of dough into a log the length of the baking sheet. Place the log on the baking sheet.

6. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork until frothy. With a pastry brush, glaze the log with some egg white and sprinkle it with granulated sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (this took longer in my oven, but everything seems to these days), or until the log is lightly golden brown, firm to the touch and just beginning to crack slightly.

7. Allow the log to cool on the cookie sheet until cool to the touch, about 40 minutes. With a serrated knife, slice the biscotti, slightly on the bias, into 1/2-inch slices. Lay the slices on the cookie sheet in single layer (I always end up needing a second baking sheet in this step, as they have a lot more surface area); Return the biscotti to the oven and cook for 20 more minutes, or until the biscotti are toasted and crisp.
Store the biscotti in an airtight container. They will keep up to about 2 weeks.

Dipped Vanillas


Submitted by Laura




Ingredients
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1/2 cup ground almonds
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
* 1/2 teaspoon shortening






Directions
* In a small bowl, beat the butter, almonds, sugar and vanilla until blended. Gradually add flour and cornstarch and mix well. Roll into 1-in. balls; shape into crescents and place on greased baking sheets.
* Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire racks.

* In a microwave, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip one end of each crescent into chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Decorate as desired. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.

Rugelach Pinwheels

Submitted by Megs


Dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups sifted bleached all-purpose flour

Filling
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup apricots preserves, heated and cooled slightly

Topping
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and continue processing until fully incorporated. Add flour and pulse just until dough comes together. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make filling. In a medium bowl, mix together granulated and brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and walnuts; set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Spread a thin layer of preserves over dough; sprinkle with filling mixture. Roll dough into a log beginning with one of the long sides; wrap in plastic wrap. Transfer dough log baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough. Place dough logs in refrigerator; let chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar for the topping; set aside.

Slice chilled dough logs crosswise, about 1/4 inch thick. Toss each cookie in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place cookies 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 18 to 20 minutes. Lift parchment paper from baking sheets and transfer to a wire cooling rack; let cool.