Tag: cookies (Page 2 of 3)

Maple Molasses Cookies

March 3, 2016 / Jenny / 27 Comments

These cookies are delicious. Downright delicious. They are soft and moist, with the deep, rich flavors of maple syrup and molasses blending together beautifully.

Since it is maple sugar season here, I thought I would share a recipe with maple syrup in it. One of my favorite cookie recipes of all time is one of the first ones I ever posted on this blog–the recipe for molasses snaps. I modified that recipe just a bit for these cookies, and put in some maple syrup in place of some of the brown sugar. This change made the cookies even moister and gave them a richer flavor.

There is something so satisfying about using natural sweeteners like molasses (especially blackstrap molasses, which I like to use) and maple syrup. Maybe it’s because I know they contain important minerals found in the good earth (potassium, zinc, manganese, and iron, to name a few), so it feels like these coookies are quite healthy. Or at least nourishing. Perfect for a snack or to stick in the kids’ lunches. They have definitely been disappearing quickly around this house.

It’s March now, and outside my windows the snow is lightly falling. We had another snowstorm a couple of days ago, resulting in another snow day for the kids. Much of our half of the world is thinking about spring, yet we in Michigan are still blanketed in snow. For now, I will take the soft snow. It will be gone soon enough, and my upper body feels stronger from all of the shoveling!

I hope you all have a great weekend!I’m going to take a plate of these cookies over to Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by two great bloggers–Josette @ thebrookcook and Lily @ Little Sweet Baker.

Maple Molasses Cookies

Servings: about 40 cookies, depending on size
Time: approximately one hour
Print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup of pure maple syrup
1/4 cup of dark molasses (preferably blackstrap molasses)
1 egg
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Beat (or stir vigorously) the butter in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually stir in the brown sugar, maple syrup, and molasses until fluffy. Add the egg, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Stir well to blend.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Slowly add this mixture to the butter mixture, stirring well until just combined.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoon onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven (375 degrees) for about 7 minutes, or until cookies are firm, yet still moist. Let cookies sit on the baking sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat until all the dough is baked. Enjoy!

Chocolate and Chia Oatmeal Cookies

October 16, 2015 / Jenny / 13 Comments

These cookies are moist, rich in flavor, and full of good things like oats, chia seeds, chocolate chips, cinnamon and vanilla. They somehow bridge that gap between healthy and luxurious, and they always disappear quickly at my house.

The weather has definitely turned in the past few days, and it feels more and more like fall and less and less like a lingering summer. The blustery wind is blowing leaves off the trees, and the trees themselves are becoming so colorful, seemingly overnight. The sunsets have been stunning and dramatic lately, and they are occurring earlier and earlier. Now I get to watch the sunsets as I am walking with my soccer-mom walking buddies, and our kids end up practicing soccer in the twilight, not stopping until dark. Last night’s sky was especially dramatic, with windswept clouds turning from gray to dark orange, making the colorful leaves look even more vibrant in the glowing light. There is something cozy about spending time with friends outside in the dark, while our kids run and chase and laugh.

Chilly days and nights call for jackets, hats, gloves, and cookies! This cookie recipe is a favorite of mine, because the cookies turn out so delicious, and there are some healthy ingredients in there too. It is based on a recipe I found on the inside of the lid to my Quaker oats container, though I have made a few changes, including adding chia seeds and chocolate chips. I have noticed an improvement in the taste and texture of my baked goods since I have been using butter from grass-fed cows (I have mentioned this before), and the nutritional value of such butter is improved. The oat and whole wheat flour provide fiber, vitamins and minerals, while the chia seeds contain vitamins and minerals, protein, antioxidants, and Omega-3 (good) fatty acids.

Just like with everyone, there is a lot going on right now, a lot of balls in the air, so to speak, and sometimes I find myself worrying about things I cannot control. Although I know I am not supposed to do that, sometimes I do it before I realize I am doing it. That’s when it’s important to be aware of my thoughts, take a step back, and get some perspective. We all have different ways of gaining perspective. For me it helps to go outside and exercise, bake, talk to a trusted person, or read. And this dramatic weather is really something that can make a person feel emotional. It is sometimes essential to just drop everything and get out into the gorgeous autumn and be in the present moment. There is nothing like the present moment to give a person some healthy perspective. I always turn to one of my favorite poems at this time of year to put this feeling into words, and I know I shared this excerpt last year in October. But I will share it once again, because I love it so much, and it is so fitting right now. It is the third stanza of “A Vagabond Song” by Bliss Carman: “There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir;/We must rise and follow her,/ when from every hill of flame/ she calls and calls each vagabond by name.” I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and that you get a chance to get out and experience the beauty of October, along with the comforts of warm cookies and a cup of your favorite drink.I am sharing this recipe over at Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Effie at Food Daydreaming and Lindy at Lindy Mechefske.

Oatmeal Cookies With Chocolate and Chia

Servings: about 4 dozen cookies
Time: approximately 20 minutes preparation, about 40 minutes for baking
Print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) plus 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour (you can also use whole wheat pastry flour if you prefer)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt (optional)
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
3 cups of old fashioned rolled oats, uncooked
1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large mixing bowl, mix (I like to mix them by hand, but you can use an electric mixer if you like) the butter and the sugars until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir vigorously, until well-combined.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flours, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and chia seeds.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter mixture. Stir until well-combined. Then stir in the oats. Mix again until the oats are incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips, until well-combined.

Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake in your 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Let them cool 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, store them tightly covered. Enjoy!

Orange Chocolate Tea Cookies

April 23, 2015 / Jenny / 17 Comments

Times like these call for a hot cup of tea. Lulled into a false sense of spring fever by the warm weather last week, we are now plunged back into winter weather with a bitter wind and even snow. I am pretty sure by next week things will feel like spring again, but for now, we need to cope with this sudden blast of cold. Hot tea is the most soothing and comforting drink I know, and tea tastes even better with cookies. I wanted to make some cookies with a fruity flavor, but also with dark chocolate (since dark chocolate is good for us), and I have always loved the combination of orange and chocolate. I built this recipe based on basic sugar cookie ingredients, and just added some orange zest, dark chocolate chips, and almonds. The cookies are lightly sweet with a subtle orange flavor, and the unmistakable taste of dark chocolate.

A cup of tea and a plate of cookies signals comfort and quiet joy to me. A pot of tea and a plate of cookies shared with a friend or family member invites intimate conversation and trust. We are urged to slow down and wait for the tea to cool to a temperature we can drink. We sit quietly and breathe in the aroma of the tea and let the steam warm our faces. The warm liquid soothes our busy minds and allows us to think more clearly. To drink tea and share cookies with someone is to slow down and savor the present moment with them. To be present with someone or even to be present with oneself is a great gift. We are able to hold the moment as it passes into the next, enveloped in a comforting glow of warmth, no matter what is going on in the outside world. That, to me, is the beauty of cookies and a cup of tea.

Orange Chocolate Tea Cookies

Servings: about 36 to 42 cookies, depending on size
Time: approximately 45 minutes
Print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened
1 and 1/2 cups of unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons of orange zest
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup of slivered almonds (optional)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grate the peel of an orange for your orange zest. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with a wooden spoon. Add half of the flour, and all of the sugar, egg, baking soda, vanilla, and orange zest. Stir until well combined. Add the rest of the flour and stir again, incorporating the dry ingredients into the moist batter. Stir in the dark chocolate chips and the slivered almonds until well combined. Drop the batter by a rounded teaspoon onto a baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. (I like to made these cookies on the small side, to made them perfect to go with tea.) Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are firm, yet soft, and lightly golden. (The orange zest will make them lighter in color.) Repeat until all the batter is baked. Enjoy!