Chocolate Thumbprint Shortbread Cookies

Preheat oven to 350
Chocolate Thumbprint Shortbread Cookies
(Martha Stewart)
2 sticks of butter
1 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
Topping
6 T butter, melted
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 tsp corn syrup

Cream together butter, sugar, salt and vanilla (about 2 min.) Beat in flour, beginning with low speed and gradually increase to medium until dough is well combined.

Scoop out dough and roll into balls, spacing at least 1 in. apart. Bake for 10 min., take the pan out of the oven and press and indintation in the center of the cookie with your thumb (I use the back of a whisk handle). Return to oven, and bake for another 10 min. Press the center of the cookies one last time and cool completely on a rack.

The recipe calls for melting the choclate over a double boiler, but I melt the butter in a pan, take it off the heat and mix in the chocolate and corn syrup (or dump the metled butter over the chocolate in a bowl.) The residual heat from the butter is enough to melt the chocolate, if it is chopped fine enough. Be careful  to stir constantly, as the heat from the pan can scorch the chocolate. Place the melted chocolate into a ziplock back and fill cookies.

I really love these cookies and find myself making them often, as they are so simple to make. I tried placing a Rollo candy on the cookie as soon as they come out of the oven - the heat melts them down nicely! (you can smooth out the tops of the candies with a spoon abit so they're not so ridgid looking.  :-)  Enjoy!

Macaroons

Baking for the troops!

I usually bake Chocolate Chip or Salted Oatmeal cookies, but lately I've been baking S'mores Bars and Rum Cake because I know they'll stay moist during the long journey - I've heard it can take anywhere between 2-4 weeks for the troops to receive their packages. GAH.

This time, I wanted try macaroons into the mix.

Preheat Oven to 350F
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
(make sure you do this, or the cookies WILL STICK to the pan)

1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 C milk
1/4 C + 2T flour
1 bag Sweetened Shredded Coconut



Stir together Sweetened Condensed Milk and Milk.
Add flour and coconut. Combine well.


Drop by the tablespoon, 1 inch apart


Bake for 16 minutes, or until it turns golden around the edges.
Cool and then transfer to rack.

Of course I had to 'taste test' one, and they came out very good.

Crispy on the edges and moist and chewy on the inside. Success!

Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I wanted to try and new cookie recipe and this one sounded so good.

Double chocolate with a brownie-esque texure. Had to give it a try.

Preheat oven to 325F

Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 C butter
2 eggs
1 1/4C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 C flour
1/2 C cocoa powder (Valharona)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2C semi-sweet chocolate chips


Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate over low heat. Cool


Mix together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda.


On medium speed, beat eggs and sugar for 3 min. until light and fluffy.


Turn mixer to low speed and slowly add chocolate mixture.


Add flour to combine. Mix in chocolate chips.


Drop spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 12 min. Cool.

It is Angel Baking time, so these got packaged up for my Soldier!

(along with Salted Oatmeal cookies and Smores bars.

Maple Shortbread Cookies with Candied Bacon

Dev and I LOVE bacon. Who doesn't like bacon?!

Last summer, I came across a recipe for Chocolate Chip BACON Cookies. It seemed odd but tempting: crispy bacon added to Chocolate Chip cookie dough. I've been meaning to make these for months now, BUT, the other week I saw a recipe for Candied Bacon Ice Cream by David Lebovitz - the bacon was coated in brown sugar and beautifully caramelized. It was THIS candied bacon, that got me thinking...
Maple Shortbread Cookies with Candied Bacon.

Preheat oven to 400F

Candied Bacon
10 slices of thick-cut Maple bacon
Brown sugar


Lay bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 9 min.

I transferred the bacon to another clean sheet of parchment paper at this point - a lot of grease came out and the sugar will burn if you don't. Flip the bacon over, sprinkle more brown sugar on top and bake another 9 min. Flip again and bake another 5 min., or until it looks mahogany in color.

Cool on a rack.


Chop up bacon and sprinkle on another baking sheet lined with parchment.

Reduce oven to 350.

Bake bacon bits for another 5 min.
You don't have to do this step, but I wanted the bacon xtra crispy.

Shortbread cookies
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 C + 2T maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/4C flour
1/2 tsp salt



Mix together butter and sugar. Add maple syrup and vanilla.



Add flour one cup at a time. Add diced bacon.


Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Turn out onto waxed paper.

Roll into logs and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.



Cut into slices 1/4in thick. Bake for 11+ min. until lightly golden brown.

Enjoy! A drizzle of maple glaze or dark chocolate might make these even tastier!