cook like james

According to their site, Andes Crème de Menthe candies rank as the “number one after-dinner mint” delivering a “smooth blend of mint and chocolate flavors– the perfect post-meal treat”. They are particularly popular during the holidays and easy to find at your local grocery store. They help bring these easy chocolate “brownie” cookies to a new level of decadence. After removing the cookies from the oven, each one is topped with an Andes mint while still warm. The residual heat melts the candy, turning it into a spreadable “frosting” to swirl over each cookie.  They’ll be the hit of any holiday gathering cookie swap.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Download Andes Crème de Menthe Chocolate Brownie Cookies recipe

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups packed (10 1/2 ounces) brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

12 ounces Ghirardelli Bittersweet or Semisweet chocolate chips

2 ½ cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

48 Crème de Menthe Andes Mints, foil wrappers removed

1. Combine butter, brown sugar, and water in medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted, 3-4 minutes. Add chocolate chips and stir constantly until chips are melted. Transfer mixture to bowl of stand mixer and let cool for 10 minutes. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl.

2. Fit mixer with paddle, add eggs to bowl with chocolate mixture, and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, and mix until just ­combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Refrigerate until dough is firm, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

3. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with half the dough, roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Refrigerate remaining dough until ready to bake next batch. Bake until just set, 8 to 10 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.

4. After removing cookies from oven, immediately place 1 Andes Mint in center of each cookie. Let stand until chocolate is softened, about 5 minutes, then spread chocolate over tops of cookies. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely before serving, about 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and Andes Mints. (Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Jam Thumbprint Almond Cookies

You usually see these cookies during Christmas, but they’re great to give on Valentine’s Day in a festive box. A family friend, the "sweet little old lady" kind, named Ginny Fitzsimmons, shared her recipe with me when I was about 11 years old. I found it the other day, typed neatly (by her) on an index card, and decided I should make them. They’re just as I remember – a rich buttery shortbread-like cookie with a sweet jam center and slightly crunchy outer coating. Bake up a batch for the Valentine in your life.

Download Jam Thumbprint Almond Cookies Recipe

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg, separated, each part lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup blanched almonds, finely ground (or skinned hazelnuts)

Strawberry or raspberry jam, for filling

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment  paper.

2.    Mix flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

3.    Mix butter and 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4.    Add egg yolk and vanilla, and mix well. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt, and mix until just combined.

5.    Stir together ground nuts and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar  on a plate. Beat egg white with fork in a small bowl until frothy.

6.    Roll dough into 1-inch balls; dip balls in egg white, then in nut-sugar mixture. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press down center of each ball with the rounded end of a wooden spoon (or your thumb) . Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven; press down centers again with the end of a wooden spoon. Rotate sheets and return to oven. Bake cookies until light golden brown, about 10 minutes more.Fill each center with about ½ teaspoon of jam and return to oven for 2 minutes. Let cool slightly on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in a single layer in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days. 

Ginny's Original Recipe Card

Moist and Chewy Date Nut Squares

I love recipes that don’t require mixers, beaters and lots of bowls. These squares really should be called Date Nut Brownies because of their soft and chewy texture. The combination of dates, nuts and brown sugar make them reminiscent of Sticky Toffee Pudding. These moist bars will make anyone a fan of dates which are one of the best natural sources of potassium. 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup whole wheat flour (4.5 ounces)

1 cup chopped pitted dates

1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust rack to middle position. Lightly butter a 9x13 pan and set aside.

2. Beat butter, sugar, salt, soda, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs, scraping the bowl and mixing until well combined.

3. Beat in flour, dates, and nuts. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Using wet hands, press the dough and smooth batter into an even thin layer.

 4. Bake the squares until golden brown, about 22 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and let cool on wire rack for 30 minutes.  Cut into 2” squares and dust squares with confectioners’ sugar.

Raspberry Oat Squares 

One of my favorite treats - they're great any time of year.

 Download Raspberry Oat Squares Recipe 

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7.5 ounces)

1 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats 

1/3 cup granulated sugar (2.3 ounces)

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon table salt 

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or almonds, or a combination

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces and softened by still cool

3/4 cup raspberry preserves

½ cup fresh raspberries

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1.    Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fold two 16-inch pieces of foil lengthwise to measure 8 inches wide. Fit one sheet in bottom of greased pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan (overhang will help in removal of baked squares). Fit second sheet in pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2.    In bowl of standing mixer, mix flour, oats, sugars, baking soda, salt, and nuts at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at low speed, add butter pieces; continue to beat until mixture is well-blended and resembles wet sand, about 2 minutes.

3.    Transfer 2/3 of mixture to prepared pan and use hands to press crumbs evenly into bottom. Bake until starting to brown, about 20 minutes.

4.    Meanwhile, combine preserves, raspberries, and lemon juice in small bowl; mash with fork until combined but some berry pieces remain.

5.    Using rubber spatula, spread raspberry mixture evenly over hot bottom crust; sprinkle remaining oat/nut mixture evenly over preserves. Bake until preserves bubble around edges and top is golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time.

6.    Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1½ hours, then remove from pan using foil handles. Cut into 1¼- to 1½-inch squares and serve.

It’s that time of year when my kitchen often turns into a cookie factory. Each year I try to come up with a few new treats, as well as tried and true Christmas favorites like – Sugar Cookies, Gingersnaps, Peanut Butter Blossoms ,Jam Thumbprints, and Mexican Wedding Balls.  This year I decided to focus on “icebox cookies” – I love the “slice and bake” ease of this type of cookie. Most recipes make fairly large quantities of small round buttery cookies. If you like shortbread, Lorna Doone’s or Pecan Sandies, then you’ll love this recipe. The brown sugar and butter create a wonderful caramel/butterscotch-like flavor which is a perfect match to the finely chopped walnuts. Great with a cup of tea or coffee, these crunchy cookies just melt in your mouth. 

Download Butterscotch Walnut Icebox Cookies recipe

 2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon (optional)

½ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Turbinado sugar (commonly sold as Sugar in the Raw. Demerara sugar, sanding sugar, or another coarse sugar can be substituted.)

1. Sift the flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Cream the butter, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon (if using) in a stand mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 ½ -3 minutes. Stop the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of bowl.

3. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed to combine, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl again.

4. Add the nuts and mix on low speed just until incorporated, 5-10 seconds.

5. Using a rubber spatula or bench scraper, divide dough in half and place each on a large piece of parchment or wax paper and shape into logs about 9-10 inches long. Roll the dough up in the paper and twist the ends. Refrigerate the dough for 4-5 hours or overnight. (After the dough has been wrapped in parchment, it can be double-wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 2 weeks.)

6. Remove the dough from refrigerator and carefully unwrap dough. Let stand for 5-10 minutes and then sprinkle paper with sanding sugar and roll log to coat completely.

7. About 15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a few rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

8. Using a chef’s knife, slice dough into 1/3” thick pieces. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on prepared sheets (you can also dip the tops of the sliced cookies in more sanding sugar, and place them on the sheet, sugar side up)

9. Bake the cookies until they are golden, about 40 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 10 minutes; using thin metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature. Store cooled cookies between sheets of parchment paper in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Traditional Russian Tea Cakes/Mexican Wedding Cookies

These have to be one of the quintessential Christmas cookies. They are known by many names but Mexican Wedding Cookie seems to be the most common. There are several variations of this cookie in many countries –  Biscochitos in Mexico (always made with lard), Kourabiedes in Greece, Polvorones in Italy and Spain - making them  a universal holiday cookie treat. It’s important to use the highest quality butter when making these melt-in-your-mouth morsels. 

Download Traditional Russian Tea Cakes Mexican Wedding Cookies recipe

2 cups whole pecans or walnuts

2 cups bleached all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon table salt

½ pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened (preferably Plugra)

1/3 cup superfine sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar for rolling cooled cookies

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2.  Finely grind 1 cup nuts in a food processor to the texture of coarse cornmeal, 10-15 seconds, then transfer to a medium bowl. Coarsely chop remaining nuts in processor, about 5 seconds, and transfer to same bowl and stir in flour, salt and optional cinnamon.

3. In bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed or by hand, beat butter and superfine sugar until light and creamy, about 1 ½ - 2 minutes with an electric mixer; beat in vanilla. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula; add flour mixture and beat at low speed until dough just begins to come together but still looks scrappy, about 15 seconds. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl again with rubber spatula; continue beating at low speed until dough is cohesive, 6 to 9 seconds longer. Do not overbeat.

4. Working with about one tablespoon dough at a time (or using a small cookie scoop http://bit.ly/vv1g0s) roll and shape cookies into balls and place on prepared sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake until tops are pale golden and bottoms are just beginning to brown, turning cookie sheets from front to back and switching from top to bottom racks halfway through baking, 17 to 19 minutes.

5. Cool cookies on sheets about 10 minutes; then transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Working with three or four cookies at a time, roll cookies in confectioners’ sugar to coat them thoroughly. Gently shake off excess. (They can be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days.) Before serving, roll cookies in confectioners’ sugar a second time to ensure a thick coating, and tap off excess.

Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies  

Download Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies Recipe

Christmas in a cookie! You can roll them in sugar or drizzle them with icing – either way, they’re perfect for the holidays.

2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces)

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda 

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger 

½ teaspoon ground cloves 

¼ teaspoon ground allspice 

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 

¼ teaspoon salt 

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/3 cup molasses (about 6 ounces), light or dark

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup sugar for dipping in 8- or 9-inch cake pan.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in medium bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.

3. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter with brown and granulated sugars at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add yolk and vanilla; increase speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low and add molasses; beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bottom and sides of bowl once with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to lowest setting; add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl down once. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Dough will be soft.

4. Using tablespoon measure, scoop heaping tablespoon of dough and roll between palms into 1 1/2-inch ball; drop ball into cake pan with sugar and repeat to form about 4 balls. Toss balls in sugar to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Drop 2-3 drops of water to create crinkled surface. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are browned, still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), about 11 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.

5. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then use wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature. When completely cool, return cookies to cooled parchment-lined baking sheets. Whisk confectioners' sugar and 2 ½ tablespoons dark rum in medium bowl until smooth. If the glaze is too thick to drizzle, whisk in additional tablespoon rum. Dip spoon into glaze and then move spoon over cookies so that glaze drizzles down onto them; repeat as necessary. Transfer cookies to wire rack and allow glaze to dry, 10 to 15 minutes.

This is the time of year that I look for delicious pumpkin recipes. This is a great version of the classic chocolate Whoopie Pie ( click here for Original Recipe ). The fluffy marshmallow buttercream sandwiches the cinnamon-spiced, tender cakes perfectly.

 Download Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Marshmallow Fluff Buttercream recipe

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

¾ cup cake flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. soda

½ tsp. salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup plus light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg

¾ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon cloves

½ teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 ½ T molasses

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin

¼ cup buttermilk

 1.    Preheat oven to 400°F.Lightly grease cookies sheets with oil or line with parchment paper.

 2.    Sift flours, soda, powder, salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

 3.    Cream butter, sugars, the spices, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 ½ minutes. Stop the mixer twice to scrape down sides.

 4.    Add the eggs, one at a time, blending about 10 seconds after each addition.

 5.    Add the molasses and pumpkin and mix about 10 seconds until blended. Scrape the bowl and add the buttermilk and beat for 5 seconds.

 6.    Fold in the flour mixture by hand, the beat on low for about 5 seconds. Scrape the bowl and beat for another 10 seconds until smooth and velvety.

 7.    Drop the batter by generous rounded tablespoons (or use small ice-cream scoop) about 2 inches apart.

 8.    Bake about 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Marshmallow Fluff Buttercream Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

5 heaping tablespoons Fluff ( order Fluff here )

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Pinch of salt

½ tsp. vanilla

1.    Place all ingredients in mixing bowl and beat on low speed until all the sugar is absorbed.

2.    Scrape bowl down and then beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

3.    Sandwich the whoopie pies with the filling, about 2 generous tablespoons for each pie. Makes about 14 pies.

Best Ever Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups coined the slogan "two great tastes that taste great together" and I completely agree. I made these the other day for a friend who exclaimed, “these are the best ever!” and while that might be a slight exaggeration, I must admit they are my current favorite “treat”. 

Download Best Ever Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars recipe

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup smooth peanut butter

½ cup sugar

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup oatmeal, quick or rolled

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust rack to middle position. Lightly butter 9x9 baking pan.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt together into a medium size bowl and set aside.

3. Beat butter, peanut butter, both sugars and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy – about 1 ½ minutes. Scrape bowl down with rubber spatula.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on medium-low to combine, about 10 seconds. Increase to medium speed and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape bowl down to combine all ingredients.

5. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low to combine, about 10 seconds.  Add the chocolate chips and oats and mix to combine.

6. Spread the dough evenly into prepared pan.

7. Bake until the bars are deep golden on the edges and the center is lightly golden and puffed about 20 -25 minutes.

8. Let bars cool in pan on wire rack and then cut into squares.

In addition to “chewy”, “rich”, and “moist”, you can almost add “healthy” to the list of adjectives for these delicious brownies. The recipe is from one of my favorite baking cookbooks that my sister gave me years ago - King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking: Delicious Recipes Using Nutritious Whole Grains. http://amzn.to/qHgQPN 

Download Chewy Nut Blond Brownies recipe

½ cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter

2 cups (15 ounces) packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vinegar, preferably apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½  cups (6 ounces) traditional whole wheat flour

1 ½ (5 ½ ounces) chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Adjust rack to center position and preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan.

2. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or in a saucepan set over low heat. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, mixing until well blended. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and let it cool to lukewarm.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vinegar, vanilla, baking powder and salt. Stir in the flour and nuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

4. Bake until the top looks shiny, 26 to 28 minutes. Don't overbake; bake just until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a sharp knife tip poked into the very center reveals sticky crumbs but not wet batter.

5. Remove from the oven and run a knife all around the edge of the pan; this will help keep the brownies flat as they cool, by allowing the edges to settle in the pan along with the middle. Cool completely before cutting. If you prefer squares with a very smooth texture, wait 24 hours before cutting; this waiting period gives the bran in the whole wheat time to soften up.