Chocolate Krisp Cookies

These are like Nestle Crunch bars meet cookie dough, thanks to the addition of Rice Krispies! On the outside these look like regular chocolate chip cookies, but one bite reveals the crispity crunchity secret inside! (Shut up spell checker, 'crispity' and 'crunchity' are too words.)

Also, this is an epic output recipe. You can make 4 dozen cookies out of this, no problem. I froze half my dough for later; otherwise I'd be spending my entire evening feverishly checking the oven.


Mmmmmmmmmmmm, cookie dough.

Chocolate Krisp Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 ½ cups flour
1 ½ cups rice krispies
¼ cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups chocolate chips (whatever kind you want, really)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. Add oil, egg, and vanilla. Blend.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, rice krispies, baking soda, and salt. Mix into butter mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips and mix until combined.

Use an ice cream scoop to drop dough onto lined baking sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes until center is set and edges are golden-brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 4 dozen easily, probably more. I ended up halving my dough and freezing it, but I got 2 dozen out of the half I baked.

--Jirafa

Chocolate Toffee Cookies

I love to make cookies but I don't quite like eating them. However, I think my roommates are fine with this arrangement (so are my thighs).

These cookies have a lot of dough with subtle chocolate toffee crunches, if that's your thing. You can always add in another bar and amp up the crunchy yumminess!

Chocolate Toffee Cookies:

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 bar Lindt Toffee Crunch, chopped

In a large bowl (or in a mixer) cream butter and sugars together for 4 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl occasionally. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Putting the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture until just combined. Mix chocolate toffee pieces in with a wooden spoon.

Chill dough at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 10-12 minutes, until cookies are browned but slightly soft still. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

--Jirafa

Chocolate Cherry Crinkle Cookies

This is my first experience with a chocolate-based cookie. All the cookies I’ve made previously incorporated chocolate in some way but never to this extent.

Verdict: deeeeeeeeelicious.



Cookies are so magical, aren’t they? They shouldn’t work, all of this and that thrown into them and warmed to a crisp.

And yet somehow they do. Cookies, Eighth Wonder of the World. I’m telling you.



¾ cup flour
½ cup white sugar
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ table salt
½ stick butter, melted
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips (semisweet work fine, too)
1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped roughly
¾ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mix together butter, cocoa powder, egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; mix in sugar. Combine with wet goods. Add chocolate chips and dried cherries to batter, mixing well.

Roll into roughly 2’’ balls and coat in powdered sugar. Be sure to coat thickly so the cracks will show as the cookies bake. Place on a lined cookie sheet and bake 12-14 minutes.

Yields about 24 cookies.

--Jirafa

Gingersnaps

It’s not the holidays without cookies! I’ve never been a fan of ginger but the elusive gingersnap won my heart and I promised I would create a recipe that didn’t bring tears to my eyes.

Well. At least not ginger-spicy tears.



These delicate cookies cook up nicely with a delicious golden brown color and light ginger flavor that is assisted by the addition of candied ginger. Not to mention they’re easy and oh so tasty.

But don’t trust me. Never trust me. Make them yourself.

Trust me a little.




Gingersnaps:

½ tsp ground ginger (you can add another 1/2 tsp for extra ginger flavor)
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp crystallized (candied) ginger, finely chopped

In a large bowl, mix together shortening, molasses, eggs, butter, and sugar. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt. Add in batches to wet goods, mixing well after every addition. Stir in candied ginger with a wooden spoon or spatula at the end; chill dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment. Flatten slightly and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and firm in the middle.

--Jirafa

Cookie Bonanza Night

(Oatmeal Raisin, Snickerdoodles, Thumbprints)

Tomorrow is my Japanese class party (end of the quarter, YAY) so I volunteered to bring cookies. And cookies. Oh yeah, and more cookies.



At this point…I think I hate cookies. But 3+ hours of baking will do that to a person. Not to mention out about five dozen cookies my roommates were only allocated three each. I sense their disapproval.

Nevertheless, I’ve included the recipes used for your perusal. Cookies are fun, especially when they’re meant for other people.


Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:

I used the recipe on the inside lid of my Quaker oatmeal which is as follows:

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mix butter and sugars over medium speed until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add this to the wet goods in three batches, mixing well after each addition. Stir in oats and raisins, mixing well.

Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool on a wire rack. If you’re like me, pull out the second rack inside your oven and use it as a cooling rack because you’re a poor college student. Grumble as hot cookie breaks apart and slips through wide gaps. Eat broken cookies. Rejoice.



Snickerdoodles:

I used the recipe here: Eat Me, Delicious

Quite delicious.



Thumbprint Cookies, Two Ways:

½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening
2 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups finely chopped almonds (or whatever nuts you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mix together brown sugar, butter, and shortening; beat in egg yolks and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet goods, mixing thoroughly. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dip balls into egg white then roll into finely chopped almonds. Place cookies about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet; press thumb deeply in center of each. Bake until light brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Fill thumbprints with jam or melted chocolate.


--Jirafa