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Peppermint Candy Cookies

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Peppermint Candy Cookies
Yummy peppermint candy cane cookies are filled with peppermint flavor. Each cookie has a hidden filling made with crushed candy canes and cream cheese. After baking the hot cookies are sprinkled with a little extra crushed candy cane to make a pretty cookie, just right for Christmas sharing. The original recipe calls for a drop of red food coloring added to the filling, but I think the color from the candy canes provides enough color so I have deleted the food coloring from the directions.
Recipe type: Dessert | Shaped Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Ungreased or Parchment Lined Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 3 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup pecans, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Filling:
  • ½ cup finely crushed candy canes (about 3 to 4 ½-ounce candy canes)
  • ½ cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon milk (preferably whole milk)
Tip: to crush candy canes, Place candy in a ziplock plastic bag, crush candy inside the bag by lightly pounding with the flat side of a large knife or rolling pin
Instructions
Dough:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and pecans; whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and confectioners’ sugar; mix together until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add vanilla extract; mix until thoroughly blended. Add flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
Filling:
  1. In a small bowl, combine crushed candy canes and confectioners’ sugar. Reserve ¼ cup of this mixture for topping cookies.
  2. To remaining candy cane mixture, add cream cheese and milk; stir to thoroughly combine. Set aside.
  3. Reserve about ½ cup of the dough to cover the cookie filling. Shape remainder of dough into small balls, about 1” in diameter. Tip: A small ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized cookies.
  4. Use your index finger or a wooden spoon with a rounded handle to make a deep indentation with the tip of the handle in the center of each cookie ball. If the dough sticks dip the tip in flour before pressing.
  5. Fill center of cookie with ¼ teaspoon filling. Use a small bit of the reserved dough; flatten into a small disk and place over the filling to seal the hole, smooth and blend the edges. Gently reshape or reroll into a ball shape if necessary.
  6. Bake: Place filled balls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookies are set but not browned. Remove from oven and leave cookies on baking sheet. Sprinkle the top of the hot cookies with a small amount of the reserved candy cane and confectioners’ sugar mixture. Let cookies cool on baking sheet 2 to 3 minutes, then remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Source: Naftalin, Rose, Grandma rose's Book of Sinfully Delicious Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Cheesecakes, Cake Rolls & Pastries, Random House, New York, 1975

Pumpkin Pecan Tassies

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Pumpkin Pecan Tassies
A mini pumpkin pecan pie combined into one bite-sized cookie treat. If you love traditional Pecan Tassies and Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, then Pumpkin Pecan Tassies are destined to become a new favorite. These Tassies begin with a tender cream cheese pastry pressed into mini muffin pans, a filling made with pumpkin, spice, and a kick of rum, and finished with a brown sugar pecan topping.
Recipe type: Dessert | Shaped Cookies | Pastry | Filled Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 24-Cup Mini Muffin Pan Pan Prep: Ungreased Oven Temp: 325° Yield: 24 Tassies Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, accurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Pastry:
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Pumpkin Filling:
  • ⅔ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream
  • 1 tablespoon rum (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Pecan Topping:
  • ½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Cream Cheese Pastry:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, using an electric stand mixer or hand mixer, add butter and cream cheese; mix together on medium speed until smooth and thoroughly blended. Use a rubber spatula to scrap down the side of the bowl as needed. Add the flour and salt, mixing just until combined.
  2. Pat pastry into a 6 inch disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
  3. Remove chilled pastry from the refrigerator and divide into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place in an ungreased mini muffin pan. Press the pastry against the bottom and up the sides of each cup to form the Tassie shells. Tip: Using one 24-cup or two 12-cup mini muffin pans is ideal. If you have only one smaller pan, keep the extra pastry in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  4. Cover filled pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate Tassie shells until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Filling:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, pumpkin, melted butter, egg, whipping cream, rum, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Use a wire whisk and whisk together just until smooth. Tip: Do not over-mix, and do not use an electric mixer as this will create too many air bubbles in the filling. Set aside.
Topping:
  1. In a small bowl, combine chopped pecans, brown sugar, and melted butter. Set aside.
  2. Remove the pastry filled muffin pans from the refrigerator. Pour the filling in each cup, filling only about two-thirds full. Don’t over-fill as the filling puffs up while baking. Tip: to make filling the cups less messy, use a liquid measuring cup with a spout to pour the filling. Sprinkle the pecan topping on top of the filling in each cup.
  3. Bake: Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown around the edges. Rotate the pans from front to back toward the end of the baking time so the Tassies brown evenly. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Run the tip of a small sharp paring knife around the edges of the muffin cups to loosen the Tassies. When Tassies are cool enough to handle remove from the muffin pan and place on wire cooling racks to let cool.

Pecan Tassies

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Pecan Tassies
Tassies are a southern Christmas treasure, normally taking center stage on the cookie tray. These cookies taste like a bite-sized morsel of pecan pie, with a golden brown crust and lots of chopped pecans in a gooey filling – yummy and addicting
Recipe type: Dessert | Shaped Cookie | Pastry | Filled Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two 24-Cup Mini Muffin Pans Pan Prep: Ungreased Oven Temp: 325° Yield: 48 Tassies Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature, or Freeze

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Pastry:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling:
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups lightly toasted pecans, coarsely chopped, divided
Instructions
Cream Cheese Pastry:
  1. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, add butter and cream cheese; mix together on medium speed until smooth and thoroughly blended. Use a rubber spatula to scrap down the side of the bowl as needed. Add the flour and salt, mixing just until combined.
  2. Divide pastry in half; pat each half into a 6 inch disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
  3. Remove one of the chilled pastries from the refrigerator and divide into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place in an ungreased mini muffin pan. Press the pastry against the bottom and up the sides of each cup to form the shell. Return the filled muffin pan to the refrigerator until ready to add the filling. Tip: Using two 24-cup, or four 12-cup mini muffin pans is ideal. If you have only one pan, keep the extra pastry and filling in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  4. Remove remaining pastry from refrigerator, and repeat.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Filling:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Use a wire whisk and whisk together just until smooth. Tip: Do not over-mix, and do not use an electric mixer as this will create too many air bubbles in the filling.
  2. Remove the pastry filled muffin pans from the refrigerator. Distribute 1 cup of the pecans among the pastry-lined muffin cups, sprinkling a few pecan pieces in the bottom of each cup.
  3. Pour the filling over the pecans in each cup, filling only about two-thirds full. Don’t over-fill as the filling puffs up while baking. Tip: to make filling the cups less messy, use a liquid measuring cup with a spout to pour the filling.
  4. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of pecans on top of the filling in each cup.
  5. Bake: Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown around the edges. Rotate the pans from front to back toward the end of the baking time so the Tassies brown evenly. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Run the tip of a small sharp paring knife around the edges of the muffin cups to loosen the Tassies. When Tassies are cool enough to handle remove from the muffin pan and place on wire cooling racks to let cool.
Adapted From: Walden, Hilaire, The Great Big Cookie Book, Hermes House, London, 2008,

Orange Cornmeal Sandies

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Orange Cornmeal Sandies
Cornmeal is the “sandy” ingredient in these flavorful orange cookies. When cooled, dip one end of each cookie into melted chocolate. This recipe was published in the Oregonian FOODday December 5, 2006.
Recipe type: Dessert | Rolled and Cutout Cookies | Chocolate
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Parchment Lined or Lightly Greased Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 3 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Melting Chocolate, Chocolate Types, Toasting Nuts and Seeds

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
  • ½ cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (1 orange)
  • 1 teaspoon pure orange extract
  • ¼ cup finely ground toasted walnuts or pecans
Topping:
  • 6 to 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
Instructions
Dough:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add egg yolks, orange zest, and orange extract; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour mixture and nuts; stir to mix.
  3. Divide dough in half, form each half into a flattened disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets; lightly grease with shortening, or line with parchment paper, or line with a non-stick baking mat.
  5. On a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board. and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll one of the discs to a ¼ inch thickness. Cut dough into circles with a floured 3 inch-round cookie cutter or drinking glass. Cut each circle in half.
  6. Bake: Place cutout dough 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 15 minutes or until cookies are set and the edges are just barely browned. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.
  7. Remove remaining dough from refrigerator, and repeat.
Topping:
  1. In In top of a double boiler over hot water, Melt the semi-sweet chocolate. Tip: Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 2 inches of water and bringing it to a simmer. Turn the heat off and place a stainless steel, ceramic, or glass bowl on top of the simmering water, the upper pan should not touch the water.
  2. Holding each cookie by the straight side, dip the points and rounded side of the cookie into the melted chocolate, leaving most of the cookie exposed. Lay on a parchment lined baking sheet and let sit 1 to 2 hours, or until chocolate hardens.

Neapolitan Cookies

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Neapolitan Cookies
Two types of flavors combine to make a distinctive cookie. Light dough filled with almond flavoring, cherries and nuts is sandwiched between a chocolate, cinnamon, nutty dough. These take a little more time to prepare, but they get rave reviews.
Recipe type: Dessert | Refrigerator Cookies, |Chocolate
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 9"x5"x2¾" Loaf Pan and Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Parchment Lined, Lightly Greased Oven Temp: 400° Yield: 9 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds, Melting Chocolate, Chocolate Types

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dark Dough:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
  • Tip: See Toasting Nuts and Seeds. Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales for accurate measuring.
Light Dough:
  • ½ cup finely chopped dark raisins
  • ¼ cup finely chopped golden raisins
  • 12 finely chopped candied cherries.
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
Instructions
Prepare one 9x5x2¾ inch loaf pan; lightly grease with shortening and then line with parchment paper.
Dark Dough:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves together; whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  2. In top of a double boiler over hot water, melt the chocolate. Or, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, use 50% power and stir frequently just until the chocolate is melted; do not overheat as chocolate will burn easily. Set aside to cool slightly. Tip: Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 2 inches of water and heat to simmering. Place a stainless steel, ceramic, or glass bowl on top of the simmering water, the upper pan should not touch the water.
  3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and brown sugar; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add eggs; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add melted chocolate; stir to mix. Add flour mixture; stir until mixed. Add nuts, stir to mix. Set aside while mixing the light dough.
Light Dough:
  1. Chop the raisins and cherries; sprinkle the chopped raisins and cherries with 1 teaspoon flour to keep the fruit from sticking together. Set aside. Tip: Since the raisins and cherries get very sticky when chopping, sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon of flour before chopping to help cut down on the stickiness.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt together; whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add egg, water, vanilla extract, and almond extract; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour mixture; stir until well mixed. Add chopped raisins and cherries; stir until mixed. Set aside.
Assembly:
  1. Divide the dark dough in half. Place half the dark dough in the bottom of the loaf pan, packing it down evenly. Add all of the light dough, packing it evenly over the dark dough. Add remaining dark dough, packing it evenly over the light dough.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets; lightly grease with shortening, or line with parchment paper, or line with a non-stick baking mat.
  4. Grabbing the top edges of the parchment paper, lift dough from loaf pan, remove paper and discard. Using a long kitchen knife, cut dough lengthwise into thirds. Keep one third of dough out, wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap and return to refrigerator until ready to use.
  5. Bake: Slice dough into ¼ inch slices and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 12 minutes or until cookies are set. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.
  6. Repeat with remaining dough.
Recipe adapted from Rose Naftalin's Holiday Goodies

Maple Pecan Drops

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Maple Pecan Drops
Cool autumn days are perfect for rich, golden, maple flavored cookies. These cookies have a subtle maple flavor, which are enhanced with the taste of sweet dates and toasted pecans, then topped with a creamy maple flavored frosting.
Recipe type: Dessert | Drop Cookies | Frosted Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Ungreased or Parchment Lined Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 2 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Refrigerated

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup quick-cooking oats
  • ½ cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped
Maple Frosting:
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1½ cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
  • ½ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
Dough:
  1. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add maple syrup; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; stir until well mixed. Add oats, pecans, and dates; stir until mixed.
  2. Bake:
  3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 12 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet two minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.
Maple Frosting:
  1. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, and confectioner’s sugar; beat until smooth. Spread a small amount of frosting on each cooled cookie; sprinkle with finely chopped pecans.

Seven Layer Bars

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Seven Layer Bars
These cookies are quick and easy to make with no mixing, stirring, or extra bowls required; just seven ingredients, layered right in the baking pan.
Recipe type: Dessert | Bar Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 13"x9"x2" Oblong Pan Prep: Ungreased Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 3 Dozen Bars Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Chocolate Types
Ingredients
Bars:
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 7 full graham cracker sheets)
  • 1 cup shredded or flaked sweetened coconut
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bars:
  1. Melt butter in one 13x9x2 inch oblong pan. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the melted butter and press down.
  2. Sprinkle on the coconut, then the chocolate chips, then the butterscotch chips. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over all. Sprinkle on the nuts and press down lightly to compact the mixture.
  3. Bake: Bake for 30 minutes or until very lightly browned. Leave cookie in the pan to cool; place baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool. Cut into 2 inch bars.
Tip: My favorite tool to cut bar cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a pizza cutter or small kitchen knife to cut the cookie into bars.

Sweet Potato Drops

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Sweet Potato Drops
Add these delicious Sweet Potato Drop cookies to your Thanksgiving dessert table along with the pumpkin and pecan pies. Everything about these cookies tastes of the holidays; from the sweet potatoes, raisins, spices, pecans, to the bourbon. The bourbon glaze drizzled over the top also saturates into the cookies, giving them a potent bourbon kick.
Recipe type: Dessert | Drop Cookies | Glazed Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Parchment Lined or Lightly Greased Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 4 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 1 pound sweet potatoes (about 1 or 2 medium)
  • ⅓ cup dark raisins
  • ⅓ cup golden raisins
  • ¼ cup bourbon
  • 8 ounces canned crushed pineapple
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¾ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
Bourbon Glaze:
  • 1 cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets; lightly grease with shortening, or line with parchment paper, or line with a non-stick baking mat.
Dough:
  1. Bake the sweet potato until fork tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Cut potato in half and scoop out the insides. Mash with a fork. You should have about 1 cup. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the dark raisins, golden raisins, and bourbon. Set aside to soak.
  3. Drain the pineapple in a colander, pressing out the excess liquid with the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans; whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  5. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and brown sugar; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add egg; beat until thoroughly mixed. Stir in 1 cup of mashed sweet potatoes and pineapple. Stir in the raisins and bourbon. Add flour mixture; stir until mixed.
  6. Bake: Using 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie, drop dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. With the back of a spoon, flatten each cookie to a 2½ inch circle. Bake 15 minutes or until the cookies are firm to the touch and the edges are golden brown. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.
Bourbon Glaze:
  1. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and bourbon; stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.
Adapted From: Bluestein, Barry and Kevin Morrissey, The Complete Cookie, Doubleday, New York, 1996

Swiss Meringue Horns

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Swiss Meringue Horns
These tender cookies with meringue and nuts almost melt in your mouth. Swiss Meringue Horns are easy to make, but they have several steps which make them seem difficult, but the cookies are worth the effort. The dough is rolled into circles, covered with a sweetened meringue, and sprinkled with chopped nuts. After baking a bit of icing and chopped nuts are spooned on top of the still hot cookies.
Recipe type: Dessert | Shaped Cookies | Meringue Cookies | Filled Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Ungreased or Parchment Lined Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 10 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Making Meringue

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Filling:
  • 1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (or a combination of both)
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Rolling Dough:
  • About 1 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
Icing:
  • 2 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons warm milk, plus more if needed (preferably whole milk)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
Dough:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and yeast; whisk together to mix. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolks, sour cream, and vanilla; stir with a wooden spoon, electric hand mixer, or with your hands until thoroughly mixed.
  2. Divide dough into 10 equal portions, using about ⅓ cup for each portion. Roll each portion into a ball, cover and refrigerate while preparing the filling.
Filling:
  1. Finely chop the nuts either by hand using a sharp kitchen knife, or by pulsing in a food processor. Set aside.
  2. To make meringue: In a large mixing bowl and using clean beaters, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla and continue beating about another minute until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate meringue until ready to use, and keep refrigerated while not using during cookie assembly.
Rolling Dough:
  1. Generously sprinkle a pastry mat or pastry board and rolling pin with some of the powdered sugar.
Assembly:
  1. Remove one of the balls from the refrigerator. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before rolling, if necessary, to soften the dough enough to make rolling easier. Roll the dough ball into an 8 inch circle. Tip: As you are rolling the dough, gently pick the dough up and lightly re-sugar the work surface. Make sure it is not sticking to the board when ready to add the filling or it will make rolling into cookie rolls difficult.
  2. Spoon ¼ cup of the meringue on the circle and spread evenly with a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the chopped nuts over the meringue.
  3. Using a sharp kitchen knife, pizza cutter, or pastry cutter, cut the dough into 12 wedges. Tip: The easiest way to cut each piece evenly is to cut the dough as though cutting a pizza. Cut the dough into quarters, and then cut each quarter into thirds.
  4. Starting from the wide end, roll up each wedge. Place the cookie rolls on the cookie sheet with the point underneath.
  5. Bake: Bake for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are light brown and the meringue is a light golden brown. Remove from oven and ice the cookies while still hot.
Icing:
  1. In a medium bowl, and using an electric mixer or hand mixer, combine powdered sugar and vanilla. Add warm milk in small quantities, start with 2 tablespoons of milk, then when it’s getting close to the right consistency add milk in teaspoonfuls or just drops of milk at a time, until it is the desired consistency; The icing should be like a sour cream or a little thinner.
  2. While cookies are still hot from the oven, spoon about ¼ teaspoon of icing on top of each cookie. Sprinkle about ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon chopped nuts (left over from the filling) on top of icing. Use a metal spatula to carefully transfer the fragile cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool.
  3. Repeat assembly, baking, and icing for remaining dough balls. Tip: Either use fresh parchment paper for each pan of cookies, or clean off the parchment paper, pan, or non stick baking mat between uses, otherwise any meringue, icing, or nuts that are left on the pan will burn when put back into the oven.
Recipe adapted from Redbooks Special It’s Almost Christmas Cookbook, November 1977

Holiday Cranberry Bars

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Holiday Cranberry Bars
The snowy white frosting with a sprinkling of cranberry and orange pieces then drizzled with white chocolate makes a holiday cookie showpiece. These cookies are festive looking, delicious, and rich.
Recipe type: Dessert | Bar Cookie
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 12"x17"x1" Jelly Roll Pan Pan Prep: Greased Oven Temp: 400° Yield: 4 dozen Bars Storage: Airtight Container, Refrigerate

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds, Chocolate Types

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1¾ cups white chocolate chips
  • 1½ cups dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup grated orange zest (about 2 oranges)
Frosting:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (about half of 1 orange)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Topping:
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (about half of 1 orange)
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare one 12x17x1 inch Jelly Roll pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening.
Dough:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla; use an electric mixer or wooden spoon and beat together until mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat until mixed. Add white chocolate chips, cranberries, pecans and orange zest; stir until mixed.
  2. Bake: Spread the dough evenly in the jelly roll pan (dough will be stiff). Bake 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Leave cookie in pan to cool; place baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool.
Frosting:
  1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioners sugar, butter, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and vanilla. Use an electric hand mixer or wooden spoon and beat together until mixture is smooth. Spread on cooled cookie.
Topping:
  1. In a small bowl, combine cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Sprinkle over frosting.
  2. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the white chocolate chips; stir constantly until melted so chocolate does not burn. Drizzle melted chocolate over cookie.
  3. When chocolate is set, cut into 3 inch squares; cut each square in half diagonally. Tip: My favorite tool to cut bar cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a pizza cutter or small kitchen knife to cut the cookie into bars.
Tip: These bars can be baked in a 9 inch by 13 inch baking pan; bake about 35 minutes.

Russian Teacake Cookies

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Russian Teacake Cookies
Rich with butter and nuts, these little shortbread-like “cakes” seem to melt in your mouth. Roll these cookies twice in confectioners sugar; the first rolling allows the sugar to melt into the cookie, the second rolling gives the finished snowy-white topping, making a festive favorite holiday cookie. This cookie is known by many names including Mexican Wedding Cakes, Swedish Tea Cakes, Italian Butter Nut Cookies, Butterballs, and Snowballs.
Recipe type: Dessert | Shaped Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Ungreased or Parchment Lined Oven Temp: 400° Yield: 3½ Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

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TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
Topping:
  • About 1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
Dough:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and salt; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, add butter and beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add confectioner’s sugar and beat until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, continue beating until mixture is thoroughly combined and mixture is creamy, about another 1 to 2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrap down the side of the bowl as needed. Add flour mixture and chopped nuts; beat starting on low speed, and then increase to medium speed as the mixture is combined. Tip: after adding the flour mixture the dough may seem dry and crumbly, keep beating until the dough comes together, this may take 1 to 3 minutes.
  3. Shape dough into balls, about 1” in diameter. Tip: An ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized cookies.
  4. Bake: Place balls about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set but not brown.
  5. Remove baking sheets from oven.
Topping:
  1. While cookies are still hot from the oven, roll each ball in powered sugar until completely coated.
  2. Place cookies on wire cooling racks to let cool. When completely cooled, either roll the cookies in confectioners sugar again until completely coated, or use a fine mesh sieve and sprinkle the tops of the cookies with the confectioners sugar. This second rolling finishes the cookies with a snowy-white topping.

Vanilla Nut Refrigerator Cookies

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Vanilla Nut Refrigerator Cookies
This recipe, originally called Ice Box Cookies, is from Grandma Myers recipe box. It has been modified a bit by substituting unsalted butter for the shortening, and toasting the nuts. This century old recipe is still delicious.

I often keep the unbaked cookie logs in the freezer instead of the refrigerator. The logs are easier to slice and they can be stored for long periods of time if well wrapped.
Recipe type: Dessert | Refrigerator Cookies | Icebox Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Ungreased or Parchment Lined Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 10 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Dough:
  1. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar; beat together until mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; stir until mixed. Add nuts; stir until mixed.
  2. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a round or square log, about 10 inches long. Wrap each log in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Tip: keep the unbaked logs in the freezer instead of the refrigerator if you prefer. The logs are easier to slice and they can be stored for long periods of time if well wrapped.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
  4. Slice dough into ¼ inch slices and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Return remaining dough to refrigerator until ready to use. Tip: My favorite tool to cut refrigerator cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a small kitchen knife to slice the cookies.
  5. Bake: Bake 9 minutes or until cookies are set and the edges are just barely browned. Tip: if the unbaked cookie logs are stored in the freezer instead of the refrigerator the baking time will normally be longer, about 14 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.

Date Pinwheel Cookies

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Date Pinwheel Cookies
A brown sugar dough surrounding a date nut filling make these cookies absolutely delicious. They are time-consuming to prepare, but well worth the effort. The date filling is cooked beforehand, spread on the rolled out dough, then the dough is rolled up. When chilled, sliced, and baked they become a rich date-filled pinwheel delight.
Recipe type: Dessert | Refrigerator Cookies
Serves: About 9 dozen cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Parchment Lined or Lightly Greased Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 9 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Filling:
  • 1½ cups finely chopped, pitted dates, preferably Medjool dates
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅔ cup water
  • 1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, very finely chopped Tip: Chop the nuts in a small food food grinder
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Dough:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, add the butter and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add granulated sugar and beat until creamy. Add brown sugar and beat until well mixed, creamy, and any lumps in the brown sugar are dissolved. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour mixture; stir until mixed.
  3. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Tip: you want the pieces of dough as equal in size as possible. If you have a food scale weigh the pieces to ensure they are all the same size and weight.
Filling:
  1. In a medium heavy saucepan over low heat, combine chopped dates, sugar, and water, stir constantly until mixture is thick and bubbling. Remove from heat, stir in nuts and vanilla. Let cool, then refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Assembly:
  1. Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to a 7 inch by 9 inch rectangle.
  2. Place one fourth of the date filling (about ½ cups) on the dough. Use a small offset spatula or kitchen knife that is lightly dampened to gently spread the filling over the dough right up to the dough edges.
  3. Roll-up dough jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Brush off any excess flour from the dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Tip: the dough logs may also be frozen for longer storage until ready to use. Freezing the logs also makes them easier to slice when ready to bake.
  4. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Bake:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets; lightly grease with shortening, or line with parchment paper, or line with a non-stick baking mat.
  2. Remove one dough log from the refrigerator or freezer and slice into ¼ inch slices and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Return remaining dough to refrigerator or freezer until ready to use. Tip: My favorite tool to cut refrigerator cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a small kitchen knife to slice the cookies.
  3. Bake: Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until cookies are a medium golden brown. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet one minute. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Cranberry Chip Cookies

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Cranberry Chip Cookies
Bursting with tangy cranberries, crunchy toasted pecans, and pieces of sweet chocolate, these cookies are easy to make and look festive for your holiday cookie tray.
Recipe type: Dessert | Drop Cookies | Cranberry | Chocolate
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Parchment Lined or Lightly Greased Oven Temp: 375° Yield: 5 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds, Chocolate Types

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (about ½ of an orange)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2½ cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets; lightly grease with shortening, or line with parchment paper, or line with a non-stick baking mat.
Dough:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and orange zest. With the mixer on medium speed beat the butter and orange zest about 1 minute until it is smooth and lightened in color. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the brown sugar and beat another 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add the egg, beating about 1 minute to thoroughly mix.
  3. With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended. Scrape the bowl down, and add about one half of the orange juice, blending just until mixed. Scrape the bowl down again and continue alternating with the flour mixture and orange juice, ending with the last portion of the flour, and stirring just until blended.
  4. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the cranberries, pecans, and chocolate chips, just until mixed. Don’t over mix as the cranberries will smear.
  5. Bake: Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until cookies are set and very lightly browned. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool. Tip: An ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized Scookies.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

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Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
Enjoy the rich flavor of a chocolate pecan pie in a bar cookie. The brown sugar cookie crust is covered with a rich chocolate and pecan filling, then baked to a golden brown.
Recipe type: Dessert | Bar Cookie
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 13"x9"x2" Oblong Pan Prep: Greased Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 3 Dozen Bars Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Chocolate Types

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Crust:
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Filling:
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup light corn syrup
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1¾ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1½ cups pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare one 13x9x2 inch oblong pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening.
Crust:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir together until mixture is crumbly.
  2. Bake: Press mixture evenly into the baking pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven.
Filling:
  1. Prepare filling while crust is baking. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, corn syrup, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla; using a wire whisk, whisk together until thoroughly mixed. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
  2. Bake: Pour filling into the still hot baked crust. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until filling is set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Leave cookie in the pan to cool; place baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool. Cut into 2 inch bars.
Tip: My favorite tool to cut bar cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a pizza cutter or small kitchen knife to cut the cookie into bars.

Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies

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Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies
These cookies are perfect for St Patricks Day since they have just a hint of green, and they are full of chocolate chips to satisfy the chocolate lover. The pistachio pudding mix provides the green color and delightful taste.
Recipe type: Dessert | Drop Cookies | Pudding Mix Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Parchment Lined or Lightly Greased Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 5 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds, Chocolate Types

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 small package (3.4 ounces) pistachio flavored instant pudding mix
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk (preferably whole milk)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets: lightly grease with shortening, or line with parchment paper, or line with a non-stick baking mat.
Dough:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and pudding mix; whisk together to mix. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar and butter; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add eggs; beat until thoroughly mixed. Stir in milk and vanilla. Add sifted flour mixture; stir until mixed. Add walnuts and chocolate chips; stir to mix.
  3. Bake: Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until cookies are set and edges are very lightly browned. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool. Tip: An ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized cookies.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

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Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
These cookies are loaded with toasted pecans and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Toasting the pecans before adding to the dough helps bring out their best flavor.
Recipe type: Dessert | Drop Cookies | Chocolate
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Ungreased or Parchment Lined Oven Temp: 375° Yield: 5 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds, Chocolate Types

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2½ cups toasted pecans, coarsely chopped.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
Dough:
  1. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; stir until mixed. Add chocolate chips and pecans; stir to mix.
  2. Bake: Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes or until cookies are set and very lightly browned. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool. Tip: An ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized cookies.

Cherry Nut Delights

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Cherry Nut Delights
This is one of my daughter Jessica’s favorite Christmas cookies. They are easy to make, and very festive. Use either red or green cherries, or a combination of both.
Recipe type: Dessert | Shaped Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Ungreased or Parchment Lined Oven Temp: 325° Yield: 4 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
Topping:
  • 2 large egg whites, slightly beaten
  • 2 cups finely chopped walnuts or pecans
  • About 4 dozen red or green candied cherries
Instructions
Dough:
  1. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, sugar and corn syrup; beat together until mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add egg yolks; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour; stir until mixed.
  2. Cover dough and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
  4. Shape dough into small balls, about 1” in diameter. Tip: An ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized cookies.
Topping:
  1. Dip the top of each ball into beaten egg whites, and then dip the top into the chopped nuts.
  2. Bake: Place balls, nut side up, 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Press a candied cherry into the center of each cookie. Bake 20 minutes or until cookies are set and very lightly browned. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.

Bourbon Pecan Bars

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Bourbon Pecan Bars
A topping of brown sugar, pecans, bourbon and a hint of cinnamon covers a bourbon cookie base. Dust the baked cookie with powdered sugar to finish. These cookies are not overly sweet and the bourbon provides just a mild flavoring.
Recipe type: Dessert | Bar Cookie
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 9"x9"x2" Square Pan Prep: Greased Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 2 Dozen Bars Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks, divided
  • 3 teaspoons bourbon, rum, or brandy, divided
Topping:
  • ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups pecans, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon bourbon, rum, or brandy
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons confectioners (powdered) sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare one 9x9x2 inch square pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening.
Dough:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar; whisk together to mix. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1 egg yolk and 2 teaspoons bourbon; stir until mixture forms a smooth dough.
  2. Bake: Press dough evenly into baking pan. Bake 15 minutes or until firm but not browned.
Topping:
  1. Prepare topping while cookie is baking. In a small heavy saucepan over low heat, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg whites, and cinnamon. Cook and stir constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until sugars are dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and bourbon.
  2. In a small bowl, add 1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon bourbon, rum, or brandy; whisk with a fork to combine.
  3. Brush egg yolk mixture over baked cookie with a pastry brush, then spread topping evenly over top.
  4. Bake: Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Leave cookie in pan to cool; place baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool. Cut into 2 inch squares while cookie is still warm, and use a fine-mesh sieve to sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.
Tip: My favorite tool to cut bar cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a pizza cutter or small kitchen knife to cut the cookie into bars.

Fruit ‘N’ Nut Cookies

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Fruit 'N' Nut Cookies
With a combination of pineapple, nuts, cherries, dates, and coconut, these cookies are colorful and full of fruit and nuts. They are a perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray.
Recipe type: Dessert | Refrigerator Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Ungreased or Parchment Lined Oven Temp: 375° Yield: 7 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • ½ cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup vegetable shortening
  • 1¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
  • ½ cup red maraschino or candied cherries, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup green maraschino or candied cherries, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup shredded or flaked sweetened coconut
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Dough:
  1. Chop the dates; sprinkle the coarsely chopped dates with 1 teaspoon flour to keep the dates from sticking together. Set aside. Tip: Since the dates get very sticky when chopping, sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon of flour before chopping to help cut down on the stickiness.
  2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, shortening, and brown sugar; beat together until mixture is smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add 4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; stir until mixed. Add pineapple, dates, cherries, coconut and nuts; stir to mix.
  3. Divide dough into 3 pieces. Shape each piece into a 10 inch roll. Wrap each roll in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
  5. Slice dough into ¼ inch slices and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Return remaining dough to refrigerator until ready to use. Tip: My favorite tool to cut refrigerator cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a small kitchen knife to slice the cookies.
  6. Bake: Bake 12 minutes or until cookies are set and the edges are just barely browned. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet one minute. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies & Bars Fall 2007

Chocolate Crackles

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Chocolate Crackles
Rich, chewy, and Chocolaty, with a white coating of powdered sugar, these are the very best. When they bake, the tops crack open revealing the dark chocolate under the sugar coating.
Recipe type: Dessert | Shaped Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Parchment Lined or Lightly Greased Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 4 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Toasting Nuts and Seeds, Chocolate Types
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or, 8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate chopped into small pieces
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten to break up
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, semi-coarsely chopped, optional
Topping:
  • About ½ cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
Instructions
Dough:
  1. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour baking powder and salt. Sift or whisk to mix. Set aside.
  2. In a medium-size heavy-bottom pan over low heat, combine chocolate and butter, stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until melted. Remove from heat.
  3. Add brown sugar, use a wooden spoon to beat until thoroughly mixed. Then add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour mixture; stir until well mixed. Add nuts if using, stir to mix.
  4. Cover dough and refrigerate until well chilled, about 4 hours or overnight.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets; lightly grease with shortening, or line with parchment paper, or line with a non-stick baking mat.
Topping:
  1. Roll the balls in powdered sugar until completely coated.
  2. Bake: Place balls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 15 minutes or just until cookie edges are set. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.

Republish 10-6-18 to update recipe instructions

Chocolate Nut Biscotti

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Chocolate Nut Biscotti
This great recipe is from the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. The small amount of coffee in this recipe provides a subtle mocha flavor that enhances the chocolate. Using bittersweet chocolate provides a rich chocolate taste. After the twice-baked cookies are cooled, either leave plain or dip the cookie ends in bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate.
Recipe type: Dessert | Shaped Cookies | Twice Baked Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Lightly Greased and Floured Oven Temp: 325° Yield: 2½ Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Melting Chocolate, Chocolate Types

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 bar (4 ounces) Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, melted
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
Topping:
  • 1 bar (4 ounces) Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, melted, or ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets; lightly grease the sheets with shortening and dust with flour.
Dough:
  1. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add eggs, instant coffee, and vanilla; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; stir until well mixed. Add melted chocolate and nuts, stir until mixed.
  2. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into two logs, each 14 inches long, 1½ inches wide, and 1 inch thick. The log should be slightly rounded in the center.
  3. First Bake: Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; leave cookies on the baking sheets, place on a wire cooling rack to cool slightly.
  4. Cut each log diagonally into ¾ inch slices. Tip: My favorite tool to cut biscotti cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a pizza cutter or small kitchen knife to slice the cookies.
  5. Second Bake: Lay slices flat on the baking sheet, return to oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn slices over and continue to bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on wire cooling racks to cool.
Topping:
  1. Melt chocolate in a medium heavy saucepan over low heat; stir constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until melted so chocolate does not burn. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Or, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, use 50% power and stir frequently just until the chocolate is melted; do not overheat as chocolate will burn easily. Set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Dip the end of each biscotti halfway into the melted chocolate, then place on wax paper until chocolate is set and firm.

Chocolate Toffee Bars

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Chocolate Toffee Bars
So easy to make, and so good. Use milk chocolate candy bars to melt over a buttery brown sugar cookie base, and then sprinkle with nuts. Once the bars cool and the chocolate hardens, they are ready to eat.
Recipe type: Dessert | Bar Cookie
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 13"x9"x2" Oblong Pan Prep: Greased Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 3 Dozen Bars Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Chocolate Types, Toasting Nuts and Seeds

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Topping:
  • 4 milk chocolate candy bars (1 or 1½ ounces each), broken in small pieces
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare one 13x9x2 inch oblong pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening.
Dough:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla; use an electric mixer or wooden spoon and beat together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add flour and salt; stir until mixed.
  2. Press dough evenly into bottom of baking pan.
  3. Bake: Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown.
Topping:
  1. Remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle chocolate candy bars onto hot crust. As soon as the chocolate is soft, spread evenly over entire crust. Sprinkle nuts evenly over warm chocolate.
  2. While cookies are still warm in pan, cut into 2 inch squares. Leave cookie in pan to cool; place baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Tip: My favorite tool to cut bar cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a pizza cutter or small kitchen knife to cut the cookie into bars.

Cocoa Bourbon Balls

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Cocoa Bourbon Balls
Bourbon or rum or brandy can be used for these no-bake cookies. These little bite-sized morsels are quick and easy to make. After mixing the ingredients together, roll into balls, then roll in sugar.
Recipe type: Dessert | No-Bake Cookies | Shaped Cookies
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Type: Unbaked Yield: 3 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Chocolate Types
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 1 cup finely crushed vanilla wafers (about 30 wafers)
  • 1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • ¼ cup bourbon, rum, or brandy
Topping:
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Dough:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine crushed vanilla wafers, confectioner’s sugar, nuts, cocoa, corn syrup, and bourbon rum or brandy; mix well with a wooden spoon.
  2. With slightly wet hands, Shape dough into small balls, about 1” in diameter. Tip: An ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized cookies.
Topping:
  1. Roll the balls in granulated sugar until completely coated. Store in an airtight container.

Date Bars

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Date Bars
Include this scrumptious recipe in your holiday baking. My mom’s friend Joanna shared this recipe with me, and if you like dates, you will love this cookie.
Recipe type: Dessert | Bar Cookie
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 13"x9"x2" Oblong Pan Prep: Greased Oven Temp: 325° Yield: 3 Dozen Bars Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature

Help: Cookie Hints and Tips
Ingredients
Batter:
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups dates, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
Topping:
  • ¼ sup confectioners (powdered) sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare one 13x9x2 inch oblong pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening.
Batter:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla; use an electric mixer or wooden spoon and beat together until thoroughly mixed. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir until well mixed. Stir in dates and nuts.
  2. Bake: Spread the batter evenly into the baking pan. Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  3. While the cookie is still warm, cut into 1 inch by 3 inch bars.
Tip: My favorite tool to cut bar cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a pizza cutter or small kitchen knife to cut the cookie into bars.
Topping:
  1. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the tops of the still warm bars with confectioners sugar. Leave bars in pan to cool; place baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool.