Oatmeal Reese cookies

My dad and nonna are clearing out the kitchen in preparation for their brand new kitchen renos. My nonna found this Bunnykins plate along with a 2 matching mugs (a tall slim one and a short  fat one) and a matching bowl in that inconvenient and obscure over-the-fridge cabinet where unused dishes are sent to retire.

I suspect my sister is jealously staring at the Bunnykins plate right now and not even looking at the cookies on it.

As kids we each had a set of Bunnykins china. I’m surprised that survived our childhood given all the other glass dish casualties. One of us had a mug and bowl, the other had a mug and a plate. I can’t quite remember whose was the bowl and whose was the plate, but I vividly whose mug was whose. I thought the mugs reflected our respective appearances — Vicki’s was the tall slim mug and mine was the short fat one. She was taller than me until I was about 7 years old, but she was always skinnier. Still is.

Anyway, Vic, your Bunnykins china is safe and sound in my cupboard in case you’re looking for it.

For those readers more interested in the cookies on the plate, it was a recipe I threw together on Wednesday night when I felt like baking. I had very few ingredients hence the recipe only makes 6-8 albeit large cookies. I had no flour, no white sugar, no raisins or chocolate chips, but I managed to bang out a really tasty cookie that Matt “can’t stop eating” (his words, not mine).

I thought the chunks of pb cups would stay in tact, like chocolate chips. They did not. They sort of just melted into the cookie making it sweeter. Oh well.

Oatmeal Reese Cookies

Ingredients

1/4 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. quick oats
1/2 c. besan (aka chick pea flour)
1 t baking powder
2 t vanilla extract
4 Reese peanut butter cups, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350*F.

Cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Form 2 tablespoons of cookie dough into a ball and place it on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough – you should get 6 to 8 cookies out of this.

Bake for 12 – 14 minutes or until golden brown at the edges but still very soft on top. The cookies will harden slightly as they cool but should remain very chewy.

This recipe is part of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies being hosted by Abby Sweets.

Week 5: Candy Corn Cookies
Week 4: Apple Pie Squares (Vegan)
Week 3: Superhero Balls (Raw & Vegan)
Week 2: Chewy Spiced Ginger Cookies (Vegan)
Week 1: Double Chocolate Biscotti

Candy Corn Cookies

So after my teaser cookie post I present you with the recipe for the most adorable cookies ever.

These are for week 5 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies. Granted, you probably don’t want to bake these for Christmas (…unless perhaps you have “The Nightmare Before Christmas” themed festivities. In which case, do have room for one more on the guest list?). I suppose you could Christmas them up a bit by using green and red food colouring instead of yellow and orange. Just a thought.

The original recipe calls for “flour” which means, presumably, the white all purpose stuff. I rarely have all purpose flour in the house since I usually bake bread and stick with higher gluten varieties, so I improvised with white bread flour.

Until I realized that I only had half a cup of the stuff. So I further improvised by using whole wheat bread flour. Bad idea. The white part is more brown than white and they sorta look they have been through the ringer. Stick with the recipe please.

Anyway, I can’t take credit for these cookies. I’m not that creative. Leave it to Baked Bree whose creativity always astounds me. Be sure to check out hers because they actually look like candy corn. They put mine to shame.

At least Frankenstein likes them.

And so does Bagigis.

Candy Corn Cookies

(from Baked Bree)

Ingredients

1 cup butter room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
orange gel food coloring
yellow gel food coloring
sanding sugar

Directions

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg, orange juice, orange zest and salt.  Slowly add the flour and baking soda.  Beat until combined.  Divide the cookie dough into three and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Add the first third of the dough to the loaf pan pressing it evenly in the bottom.  Add a few drops of orange to the second third of dough and press that into the pan.  Do the same thing and make yellow and press it into the pan.

Wrap the cookie dough and refrigerate until firm.  At least two hours or overnight.

Unwrap the cookie dough and slice into 1/4 inch slices.  Slice the dough into triangles.

Dip one side of the cookie into the sanding sugar (I did not do this).  Arrange on the cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes.  Cool on a cooling rack.

The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies is being hosted by Abby Sweets.

Week 4: Apple Pie Squares (Vegan)
Week 3: Superhero Balls (Raw & Vegan)
Week 2: Chewy Spiced Ginger Cookies (Vegan)
Week 1: Double Chocolate Biscotti

Vegan Ginger Cookies

See these cookies on Finding Vegan.

Twice Baked

There’s something about me that gives people the impression that I’m a stoner. I can’t quite peg it. Maybe it’s because I’m not a stoner so I don’t know what to look for. I consider myself intelligent and active. I can be laid back when it comes to some things, but usually I’m uptight. I would never use these qualities to describe a typical pothead, but nonetheless people have implied that I look like a stoner, I have been told flat out “you must smoke pot”, and I’ve been the only person in a group offered mj from total strangers.

Does this look like the face of someone who’s baked all the time?

Okay, maybe.

But honestly, I’m not.

These cookies on the other hand are baked. Twice. Duuuuuude….

Usually I prefer a really soft, chewy, under-baked cookie– something that will just melt in my mouth. But then there are times when I want to dunk it and that’s when I need a biscotti. Any other cookie will crumble under pressure, but a biscotti can really take the heat.

The first time they’re baked is as a log. Then they are sliced and baked again to get the chunky, crunchy texture that can stand up to the hottest latte.

Here’s a recipe for the crispest, most delicious, twice baked cookie I’ve ever made. They are rich and chocolaty and make a great companion to a cup of coffee or warm milk.

Double Chocolate Chunk Biscotti

Ingredients

1/3 c. butter
2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 c. Dutch process cocoa powder
1-3/4c. all purpose flour
4 oz. white chocolate, chopped
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F

Beat butter in large mixing bowl with sugar and baking powder until combined.
Beat in the eggs.
Stir in the cocoa powder and the flour by hand.
Stir in the chocolates.

Divide the dough in half  and shape each portion into a 9″ log.
Place on a cookie sheet, 4″ apart.
Flatten the logs slightly until they are about 2″ wide.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325deg.
Slice the logs diagonally into 1/2″ thick slices.
Lay the slices on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.
Turnover and bake for another 8 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack.

Enjoy!