Giant Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Dear Readers:

First, I want to say that I am sorry for not posting on a regular basis this year. It has been an emotionally filled roller coaster year. For every single great moment that has occurred this year there has been an equally devastating one to match it. On bright side, as I type this post I can feel the shift of sadness leaving my life and love coming towards me.

In June, I graduated from school (magna cum laude). Then in late August, I took a job that I was unsure of, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. I have met the most wonderful people at work ...F & J. And lastly, I learned a life lesson (the hard way). I learned, that some people are cruel, mean, and vindictive. I learned that I cannot "love away" their meanness no matter how hard I try to. There is a lot more to tell, but I want to focus on the positive and wonderful things in my life.

And speaking of amazing things, these cookies are just that. Who could turn down a giant, buttery, chewy, cookie packed full cranberries, coconut, nuts, chocolate and good for you oatmeal? Not I.

Also, here are some FYI tips. I used a 4 ounce scooper and only placed 6 cookies per pan. I then placed the pans with dough in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes before baking. I do this to ensure that they don't over-spread. Add an extra minute or two to the baking time. These are really giant cookies. One cookie per person is more than enough.

Print Recipe: Giant Cranberry...

Ginger-Spice Cupcakes

This is what happens when you bake while listening to the nutcracker. You get gingerbread men dancing on top of cupcakes. I've had this tiny gingerbread cookie cutter for awhile now and I've been wanting to do something special with it. Last week Tara of "When Tara Met Blog" threw a Christmas cupcake exchange party. It works just like a cookie exchange party, but instead of cookies we exchanged cupcakes!

Oh, the cupcakes! So many different flavors. There was a horachata cupcake, red velvet, devil's food with royal icing, lemon coconut, chocolate with a ganache center, minty oreo cupcake, and coffee cake cupcakes just to name a few. We then cut up samples of the cupcakes, tasted them and then we voted. There were three categories and I tied in the "Best Decorated". I received a lovely gift tote which contained a holiday movie, cookie cookbook and decorating supplies. Thanks Tara! It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

The ginger-spice cupcake was delicious! I like "gingerbread" but not enough to eat a cupcake and a cookie at the same time. That's why I went for a ginger spice cake instead. And who doesn't like cream cheese icing? It just goes so well with everything. If you want to make the cupcakes all the links are in the next sentence.

The cupcake recipe is here, the cream cheese frosting recipe is here, the gingerbread cookie recipe is here, and the cookie cutter is here. The gold liners are from Sur la Table. Happy Holidays~Gigi

Strawberry Jam Crumb Bars

Please do not let my lack of photography skills keep you from trying these cookies (bars). They are simply the greatest bar-cookies I have ever had. I am completely amazed. No matter what I type, I will not be able to do these cookies justice. They recipe can easily be changed to whatever filling your heart desires. Oh, and the recipe makes a ton of cookies. I only made half but I will be making a full batch for the holidays with apricot or peach jam. If I were not a college student, I would easily slap a “money back guarantee” on these cookies.

So there you go, a must make, must try, hypothetical money back guarantee cookie recipe. Happy Holidays!

Jam Crumb Bars
adapted from the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook

• 3 sticks of butter cut into small pieces at room temperature.
• 11 oz. blanched almond finely ground
• 3 cups of flour
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 ¾ cup of jam

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Butter and line a 15x10x2 pan with parchment paper with a 1-inch over hang. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the almond, flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Transfer half of the dough to the prepared pan and press into the pan. Including the edges. Dough should be firmly packed with no cracks or holes. Bake rotating half through for 15-20 minutes until golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Evenly spread jam over the cooled crust. Scatter the remaining crumbs over the top of the jam. Bake rotating the pan halfway through until the top is a light golden brown about 20-22 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cookie from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 3-inch by 2-inch bars.

White Chocolate-Butterscotch Cookies

As I’ve mentioned before, I am completely in Christmas mode. Nothing else occupies my time or thoughts right now. I am on a cookie baking, packaging, shipping, journey. However, lately my friend Katie has peaked my interest in a Christmas/Fruit cake recipe. I think it’s too late for me to start a real Christmas cake. Where was I? Oh yeah, Christmas. Every year I send out cookie tins containing 12 different types of cookies. (I will post a complete directory with photos and recipes a couple weeks before Christmas in case you need a couple good cookie recipes.) Every holiday season I search for 12 cookie recipes that will essentially become Christmas gifts.

From day one, I never had any interest in making this cookie. White Chocolate-Butterscotch Cookies …boring. That’s what the recipe said to me. Therefore, I kept skipping over it for about a year or so. Finally, out boredom I baked the cookie. Which turned out not to be so boring. Huh? That’s right; this simple cookie is full of so many great flavors that I was completely awed. I usually eat one or two of whatever I bake and give away the rest. This time I was greedy and squirreled away 6 cookies all to myself. They were good. (Real good.) The cookies bake up crisp with a chewy center. I’ll let you in on a secret. This cookie will definitely be included in the Christmas Cookie tin. Until next time, happy baking!

White Chocolate-Butterscotch Cookies

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Makes about 2 dozen
1 ¾ cups of flour
½½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature.
¾ cup of vegetable shortening, at room temperature.
1 ¼ cups packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
8 ounces best quality white chocolate, chopped into chunks
Please do not skimp on this ingredient. The chocolate is a key player in this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, butter, and shortening until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed and the flour in two batches until just combined. Stir in the chocolate.

Drop 2 tablespoons of dough at a time about 2 inches apart. Bake rotating the pans halfway though, until lightly golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Let cookies cool on the pans for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Cookie can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Double Chocolate Cookies

As I’ve mentioned before, I love to give out cookies for the holidays. Don’t laugh, I refer to them as the “twelve days of cookies”. For weeks I bake cookie recipes that have caught my eye, or that just seemed to scream “I’m delicious!” The cookies that I love go into a “Yes!” pile. The “yes” pile has to meet certain criteria besides being yummy. One of the big deal breakers is when a cookie is not shippable. You see, most of the cookies are shipped across the country. So they must arrive intact, no crumbs allowed. Which brings me to this lovely cookie.

This cookie is the result of a sugar cookie and a brownie merging together to create a new dessert life form. The cookie is soft and buttery, like a sugar cookie, but the center is chocolate-y and fudgy like a brownie. It’s like two desserts rolled into one! The recipe is also very easy to make and has very few ingredients. I did make one variation from the recipe. Instead of melting the butter with 4 ounces of milk chocolate I used bittersweet. It gave the cookie a more “brownie” taste to them. The chocolate that you fold in, I did keep as milk chocolate. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from Holiday Cookies (2005)
By Martha Stewart Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of unsweetened dutch cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces of good-quality milk chocolate ( 4oz. cut coarsely chopped, 4oz. cut into 1/4" chunks)
1/2 cup of butter
1 & 1/2 cups of sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 325'F degrees. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt; set aside. Melt 4oz. of the coarsely chopped chocolate with the butter in a small heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water; let cool slightly. (I melted mine in the microwave on a low setting.)

2. Put the chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

3. Using a 1.5-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough unto parchment lined baking sheets, (must use parchment cookies will stick) spacing two inches apart. Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces crack, about 15 minutes (cookies will be soft). let cool on parchment on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of wax paper in air tight containers for at room temperature for 3 days.

Classic Peanut Butter Cookie

Peanut butter cookies are the ultimate classic cookies. They are easy to make, comforting, and delicious. What more do you need from a cookie?

The Other day I really wanted a cookie, I even went to the market, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy "manufactured" cookies. Also, I was going to limit myself to one cookie, so I was kind of hoping to find a cookie as big as my head!

During the holidays I give away cookie boxes to family & friends and remembered that everyone had raved about the peanut butter cookies. To the holiday "cookie files" I went!The giant cookie above is result. Even though they are not as big as my head they were still very delicious and comforting.

The recipe is from Martha Stewart and of course I changed a couple of things. I used creamy peanut butter instead of chunky and I made the cookies large enough so that only 6 fit on a standard cookie sheet. The recipe makes 48 but, I only got 16 giant cookies. Classic!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

... Did I mention it's raining? Whenever it rains in my part of California, I get homesick for Chicago. I guess it's because I miss the seasons (the change in weather dictating the season to come). When I get home sick I bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies and feel a little a better. Nothing screams home like a plate of cookies and an ice cold glass of milk! The cookies are for all the "transplants" who are homesick, there just like mom's! Enjoy!

The recipe I use is exactly like the one on the bag with two exceptions: 1) I add an extra 1/2 cup of flour, 2) an extra cup of chocolate chips.