Cayenne Chocolate Coffee Cookies | Cookie Recipe

By biteclub
Cayenne Chocolate Coffee Cookie recipe
Cayenne Chocolate Coffee Cookie
Cayenne Chocolate Coffee Cookie recipe
Cayenne Chocolate Coffee Cookie

First off, these can pack a punch if you turn up the addition of cayenne, so watch out! The cookies end up with a rich, fudgy almost brownie-like consistency. I love the addition of coffee liqueur and tart fruit in the batter. Very unique indeed.

Cayenne Chocolate Coffee Cookies

Shalana Patout
“These are great cookies to bring to holiday parties! They seem like such an unassuming little cookie at first. I have people ask me for the recipe constantly!”

Ingredients
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup raisins
4 T. coffee liquor (such as Kahlua)
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped (I used TCHO for something really special. You can use Ghiradelli or another bar type chocolate)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/8 – 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like your cookies)
2 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 T. pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, combine dried fruit, raisins and coffee liquor. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and remove from heat immediately.

Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring between each, until almost melted; do not overheat. (I’ve ruined too many good bars of chocolate this way, so I just make a double boiler out of a metal mixing bowl and a saucepan with simmering water).

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, black pepper and cayenne. 
In a separate mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in melted chocolate.

Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in fruit and coffee liquor mixture.
 At this point the batter will seem thing — more like a brownie batter than a cookie dough. Don’t worry, it will hold up.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in the center, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe yields about 24 cookies.

Notes: 
You can use any variation of dried fruit to equal a cup.

Chocolate Kiss Snowballs | Cookie Recipe

By biteclub
Chocolate Snowball Cookie Recipe
Chocolate Snowball Cookie
Chocolate Snowball Cookie Recipe
Chocolate Snowball Cookie

These are best while still warm and the center “kiss” soft and gooey. I forgot the dusting of powdered sugar (that makes them the snowballs), so maybe mine are more like dirtballs. Either way, they’re absolutely delicious.

CHOCOLATE FILLED SNOWBALLS

By Bethany Wilson
“With all the chocolate eating that happens when the kisses are being unwrapped, it’s hard to say how many cookies this recipe really makes. We’ve had this recipe in our family for over 50 years!”

1 stick softened butter
1/2 c. butter-flavored Crisco
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour
1 c. finely diced walnuts (very fine, like coarse flour)
1 pkg. Hersey’s chocolate kisses

Directions:
Cream together butter, Crisco, sugar and vanilla. Add flour and walnuts. Chill dough for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap about a dozen of the kisses. Take about a 1 tsp pinch of dough and flatten slightly in the palm of your hand. Put the kiss in the center and working quickly, pinch up the sides of the dough around the kiss, then roll into a ball.  The right amount of dough is the least it takes to get the kiss covered. It’s okay if the dough is very thin on the edges of the kiss.

Places balls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes, making sure balls are blonde in color, but not brown. When cool roll in sifted confectioners sugar.
My notes show that I once got 10 dozen cookies from 1 1/2 batches, but

Yes We P’Can Tarts | Cookie Recipe

By biteclub
Pecan Cookie Recipe
Yes We P’Can Tarts Cookie Recipe
Pecan Cookie Recipe
Yes We P'Can Tarts Cookie Recipe

This is by far one of my favorite cookies of the year, but I’m especially partial to shortbread recipes. I used Chai honey from Beekind to spice up my glazed nuts. You’ll be the hit of the party if you make a few extra nuts for snacking on.

Yes We P’Can Tarts

By Smoran

“I combined my favorite glazed nut recipe with a rich cookie recipe, added orange zest and these were a big hit. When you’re done, declare cocktail hour and eat any leftover nuts with a…let’s see…Whiskey Sour perhaps.”

Cookie Dough
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
2 egg yolks (save whites to glaze cookies if desired)
1 Tbs. orange zest
2 1/2 cups flour

Cream the butter with the sugar. Add the corn syrup, egg yolks and orange zest, beat to mix. Fold in the flour. Form the dough into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for two hours or more. Meanwhile make the glazed nuts.

Glazed Nuts

2 1/2 Tbs. Honey
2 Tbs Maple Syrup
2 cups pecans
1 Tbs. butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 Tbs. orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the honey and maple syrup in a large bowl. Toss in the nuts and stir to coat. Place on parchment -lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with oil or use a Silpat baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring twice.

While the nuts are roasting, put the butter in a n ovenproof dish and place in the oven just a minutes to soften. Remove and stir in the vanilla and orange zest. When the nuts are done, remove them from the pan and stir them into the butter mixture. Sprinkle with the salt. Place on a parchment paper to cool.

To Bake:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Form cookie dough into medium sized balls. Bit larger than a walnut, more like a mutant walnut. Glaze with slightly beaten egg whites if desired. Bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven, gently press 2 -3 pecans on end into the center, return to oven and bake 10 minutes more or until golden brown. There may be nuts -glaze goo leakage. It should harden up. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Rosemary Cardamom Pinwheels | Cookie Recipe

By biteclub
Rosemary Cardamom Pinwheel Cookie Recipe
Rosemary Cardamom Pinwheel Cookie
Rosemary Cardamom Pinwheel Cookie Recipe
Rosemary Cardamom Pinwheel Cookie

The cream cheese dough is reminiscent of a rugelach. Filled with savory and sweet spices and sugar, it’s a unique take on the usual holiday cookie.

Rosemary Cardamom Pinwheels

By Amy Meiers

“My mom’s cousin Dolly and I have been getting together every Christmas to bake cookies for our friends and family. We start in late November and get together at least 2 more times in December to bake. Every year we try a new cookie or technique to keep it interesting! My mom had always been our official “cookie tester” but this August she lost her battle with breast cancer. So I merged two of her favorite cookies into one to create this cookie in her memory! The rosemary isn’t a something that’s usually used in cookies and the cardamom has such a wonderful aroma. These do take a little extra work but are so so worth it!”

Dough:
2 ½ cups of flour
2 TBS granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter cut into chunks
8oz cold cream cheese cut into chunks

In a stand mixer combine flour, sugar and salt. Stir a couple of times to mix together. Add chunks of butter until crumbly then add the cream cheese and mix until just combined. Refrigerate for about an hour.

“Rolling out” sugar:
½ cup of granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom

Filling:
½ cup of granulated sugar
1 tsp of very finely chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the refrigerated dough in half and roll each half into a rectangle (aprox 18” x 10”) using the “rolling out” sugar to prevent it from sticking to the board or rolling pin. Put a thin layer of the filling over the dough and roll. Refrigerate another half hour then cut into quarter-inch slices. Sprinkle the rolling out sugar on top of the cookies. Bake for 8 minutes then flip over, re-sugar and bake for another 3 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Death By Chocolate Chip Cookie | Cookie Recipe

By biteclub
Death By Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Death By Chocolate Chip Cookie
Death By Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Death By Chocolate Chip Cookie

Death By Chocolate Chip Cookie

By Judy Johnson Smith

COOKIE DOUGH:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2-1/4 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or more if you wish up to 1/2 tsp.)
2 cups (12 ounce) package best quality bittersweet chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli’s)
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
TOPPING:
1/3 to 1/2 cup very finely chopped toasted walnuts
4 to 8 oz.very high quality bittersweet chocolate chips

COOKIE DOUGH:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Toast the walnuts lightly in a saute pan and set aside to cool. While nuts are cooling, gather your ingredients, mixer and kitchen tools, then measure out your ingredients. Chop one cup cooled walnuts for the cookie dough and set aside, then mince up the rest of the walnuts for the topping and set aside. Cream butter , sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beat well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until combined. Gradually beat the dry mixture into creamed mixture. Remove bowl from mixer, Stir in 2 cups chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped walnuts. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet using a portion scoop or by spoon-full. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on baking sheet, then remove from cookie sheet and cool on rack.

TOPPING: To finish, you’re going to dip the cookies in bittersweet chocolate and sprinkle the chocolate dipped side with some of the very finely chopped walnuts.

Before beginning the dipping process, place a sheet of foil or parchment paper on the counter under the bowl of chocolate to catch the drips. Place another parchment sheet on the counter to put the finished dunked cookie on. Place the finely chopped walnuts next to the parchment the dipped cookies will go on.

Melt the chocolate  over a hot water bath (low heat) until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Pick up a cookie by one side and dunk the other side in the bowl of melted chocolate, so that the cookie is at least half-covered with chocolate, use the bowl edge to scrape excess chocolate off the bottom of the cookie, then place on the parchment paper. As soon as the cookie is placed on the parchment paper, before the chocolate solidifies, sprinkle a pinch or two of the very finely chopped walnuts on top of the chocolate. Then wait for the chocolate to cool completely onto the cookie. Store in cool, dry area, in an airtight

The Coquito Holiday Treato

By biteclub

If you’re a fan of holiday nogs — and really who isn’t — El Coqui’s got  a Latin twist on the yuletide classic that’s all kind of tasty. The Puerto Rican grog they’re serving at the downtown Santa Rosa restaurant over the next few weeks is made with a secret blend of coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, vanilla and with a healthy hint of the hard stuff. Typically that means a bump of rum, but at the restaurant, they’re using a less potent Soju to keep you on your feet.  Served by the glass only (though we think they oughta bottle this stuff!) 400 Mendocino Avenue  Santa Rosa, 542-8868.

Wanna make your own?
Here’s the full-fat, fully loaded recipe from All Recipes.

Much ado about Bovolo?

By biteclub

Healdsburg was abuzz with the rumor that longtime eatery, Bovolo (106 Matheson Street  Healdsburg, 431-2962) was destined for a  shutter. Owners John Stewart and Duskie Estes say the no way. “We’re not going anywhere. We have a lease,” said Stewart, mid-preparation for his staff holiday party. The Zazu owners share the space with Copperfield’s bookstore, and Stewart said there have been many different plans for the space over the years, but his immediate departure isn’t one of them.

Meanwhile, the couple are selling 2,000 pounds of their Black Pig Bacon a month, with shipments going to former Iron Chefs, restaurateurs and specialty shops around the country. That’s a whole lotta bacon, any way you slice it.

Gingerbread People | Cookie Recipe

By biteclub

This is the truest ginger cookie recipe I’ve made to date. By boiling the sugar, molasses and butter together, you get a lush syrup that isn’t quite as bitter as some recipes. Be careful or you’ll be tempted to eat all the batter before you’ve rolled out the dough. We use all sorts of cookie cutters (including a lobster!) to add fun.

Gingerbread Men and Women

By Sarina

“Every year my family does a cookie bake day in December. This tradition began over 25 years ago when I was a small child. My grandmother would have my brother, my cousin and I over to roll out and bake gingerbread men and women. As a child I remember playing with the rolling pin, not being very successful as a 5 year old rolling out the dough without help of my grandma, and dusting the dough with flour as to keep it from sticking. One of my favorite smells of the holidays is still the warm spices of gingerbread baking in the oven on the cold winter day. After we baked the men and women, we would get to frost and adorn our creations with all sorts of candy that passed our taste testing. To this day we all still get together, young and old, to decorate cookies. The only addition, besides more family members over the years, is now my husband and I create a gingerbread house each year for my grandmother as a token of appreciation for her love and creativity when I was a child.”

1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp soda
1 tsp ginger
1 cup butter
3 tbl vinegar
6 cups flour
2 tbl cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt.

Add butter, sugar, vinegar and molasses into a pot and bring to a boil. Let cool.

When cool, add eggs and flour with all other spices. Mix well, dough will be stiff, and then set in fridge for 2 hours. Roll into ¼ inch sheet, cut and bake at 375 for 15 min. When cool decorate with all sorts of frosting, candy and love.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Creams | Cookie Recipe

By biteclub
chocolate peanut butter creams cookie recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Creams
chocolate peanut butter creams cookie recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Creams

These are super-rich, super-decadent cookies that end up a lot closer to a Whoopie Pie than an Oreo. After making them, I considered making the next batch of cookies a bit smaller for a more snackable bite-size version. If you try that, let me know!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Creams

From Laurie Figone

1 cup butter, room temp.
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup toasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
3/4 cup peanut butter, creamy style
4 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. 1/2 & 1/2
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375’. In mixing bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. In separate bowl, mix together flour, cocoa and baking soda. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in peanuts.

2. Shape into 1 in. balls and place evenly on baking sheet. Press to flatten slightly. Bake for about 6 minutes, until done. Place on rack and cool.

3. Make peanut butter filling. Cream together peanut butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add milk or half-and-half if you need to for a creamy, spreadable filling. Place a heaping tbsp. of filling on bottom of half of the cooled cookies. Top with bottom of other half of cooled cookies. Press mini- chocolate chips around the outer edge of the filling.

Lenguas de Gato Cookie Recipe

By biteclub
Lenguas de Gato Cookie Recipe
Lenguas de Gato Cookies
Lenguas de Gato Cookie Recipe
Lenguas de Gato Cookies

These really do look like little cat’s tongues. In texture, they remind me of Madeline’s. Work fast while you’re piping, or the dough gets runny. Yum!

Lenguas de Gato

Lenguas de Gato are thin cookies that resembles the shape of a cat’s tongue. This is my favorite holiday treat when I lived at the Islands. Delicious when paired with your favorite cup of coffee or tea.
Beware! this is so addicting!!! This should be called magic cookies. The contents of the jar are all gone without knowing it. – Yayo

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup superfine white sugar
Whites from 3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

Cooking procedure:
Preheat oven to 375 deg.F. Line baking tray lined with parchment paper. Get the piping bag ready with a standard number 12 round tip. (You can use a zip-top bag with the tip cut off if you don’t have a piping bag).

Cream the butter using an electric mixer then gradually add the sugar until mixed for 2 minutes. Stir-in the egg whites and mix for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add salt and vanilla extract. Slowly stir-in the flour. Continue to mix for about 3 minutes or until the mixture is thoroughly incorporated. Get a piping bag and install the round tip. Place the mixture in the piping bag. Begin piping each piece to 21/2 to 3 inches in length.

Bake for about 10 minutes, just until there is a hint of brown around the edges. Remove from the oven until the temperature cools down. Then place in a small plate for serving, or an air tight container to keep for a week or two. Serve with your favorite hot beverage.