Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

WARNING: These cookies are completely addictive.

I don't bake cookies all that often.  But a few months back, when I was working on a movie, my boss brought in a box of these amazing chocolate chip cookies topped with sea salt.  Made courtesy of his ridiculously talented baker of a mom.  Seriously, this woman is nuts I've been lucky enough to taste many of her treats and to bake with her and she is truly a wonderful baker.

Well these cookies were so good and completely the opposite of what I usually look for in a chocolate chip cookie that I had to ask her for the recipe.

Frosting for the Cause: Dozens of Tulip & Daisy Sugar Cookies

When I first saw Mardi over at Eat Live Travel Write tweet about baking with Frosting for the Cause last November, I had to see what it was all about.  What I learned was that Frosting for the Cause is an online baking project started by Paula Kelly to help raise funds and awareness for women's cancers by having food bloggers back and frost cookies and cupcakes to donate to local cancer hospices and centers.  You are also asked to make a nominal donation of $25 to the American or Canadian Cancer Society.  But when 365 people make that donation we'll have raised over $9,000!

What a great idea! Not only do I get to bake, but I know that the time spent baking will be going to a good cause, and not just mine and the boy's bellies!  I immediately signed up and was assigned January 16 as my day to post about my baking and a woman I know who has dealt with cancer.

To read more about my cookies and two very important women, head on over to Frosting For The Cause and if you haven't already signed up to bake do it now!  It really is a great cause and takes very little time.

If you are in Toronto and baking I highly recommend donating your baked goods to Gilda's Club.  It is part of a network of clubs around North America start in honor of Gilda Radner and is meant to help support not only the women dealing with cancer but their families too.  The Toronto clubs holds weekly family dinners as a part of this and my cookies were served at one of those dinners.  They were so excited and grateful to receive them and it felt really good to bring a little sunshine on a snowy winter day.

Christmas Cookie Round-up

There is something about Christmas that just makes me want to bake large amounts of cookies.  I'm generally not a cookie person and yet I always make them this time of year.  Since many people have a few days off this week for the holidays I wanted to share what I've been baking as each recipe can easily be done in a day, so there's still time to make them for Christmas Day or they are so yummy they'd even be great to bring to a New Year's Eve Party.  I didn't get to making as many varieties of sweets as I would have liked, but what I did make was delish!

Debbie Cookies

These cookies are a treat that the boy actually baked. They are something a family friend of his made when he was growing up and he LOVED them. So much in fact, that with all the baking I've been doing he really wanted to make these cookies. His sister sent along a list of ingredients with no directions so I helped him figure it out as he went. He was extremely pleased at how well they turned out, exactly as he remembered. I was so happy that he wanted to bake!

Debbie Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and oats. In a large bowl cream together shortening and sugar. Mix egg into sugar & shortening.
2. Add dry ingredients into wet and carefully mix. Mix in butterscotch and chocolate chips. Drop tablespoons of dough onto a prepared cookie sheet, I use cooking spray and parchment paper. Leave room between each drop, as the cookies spread when they bake.
3. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and remove cookies to a cooking rack.


I really liked these cookies, they are crispy on the edges and deliciously chewy at the center. I may try making them with whole wheat flour (but don't tell the boy!) because I think it will work well with the oats. These are so simple and something I recommend making the next time you are considering making chocolate chip cookies, as they are just as satisfying and way more special. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Drop Cookies

This is another one of my Grandmother's recipes. When I first saw this recipe I was intrigued at the use of sour cream. I've seen plenty of cakes, muffins and breads that use yogurt or sour cream but haven't really come across anything, much less a cookie that used sour cream. Let's be honest, I haven't really been looking, but I am always on the look out for new recipes and I can't say I noticed anything like this before. I don't remember eating at Grandma & Grandpa's when I was younger but it was one of the many recipes in the book my Dad has back at their house. As most of my Grandmother's recipes have been, this was super easy with very little by way of directions, just through it in a bowl mix and bake.

Sour Cream Drop Cookies
makes 20-24

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1¾ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup shortening
¼ tsp salt
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Drop onto a prepared cookie sheet, leaving an inch between each drop. Bake in preheated over for 12-15 minutes.

These weren't exactly a hit with the boy, although he couldn't pinpoint exactly what he didn't like about them. So, I brought them into the office and they went over very well. Everyone at the office tends to prefer it when the boy turns his nose up at something because it means they'll get more. The cookie has a light and cakey texture that I liked. I may try to use cocoa powder next time for a chocolate cookie.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies

We have finally made it to Phase 2 of South Beach! Finally some real desserts (in moderation of course) are allowed. Now I'm not going to pretend I didn't cheat with a piece of toast or 2 last week. The intensity of the boot camp I have been doing made it really tough to cut out all carbs and there were two days last week that I after my workout I needed a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter. Once I realized it wasn't just a craving but my body needed the food, as in I got all tired and cranky I decided a cheat like that was ok.

Moving on. Phase 2 yummy South Beach approved Peanut butter & Jelly cookies. These are super easy and oh so yummy. My sister first made this recipe when I was back in LA and they are extremely satisfying if you have a sweet tooth and are craving a sweet treat. Remember to keep the serving to just 2 cookies. But paired with a glass of iced cold skim milk they are the perfect post dinner treat.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies
from the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook

3/4 cup granular sugar substitute
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup creamy trans-fat-free peanut butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar-free jam, any flavor

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix sugar substitute, egg, and vanilla with an electric mixer set on low for 3 minutes. Add peanut butter and baking soda. Mix on medium until dough comes together, about 30 seconds.
3. Form dough into 24 (2-teaspoon) balls and place on baking sheet 1 inch apart. Gently press your thumb into the center of each to make an indentation. Fill each indentation with 1/2 teaspoon jam.
4. Bake until lightly browned on the bottom, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I used Smuckers Sugar-Free Apricot jam for my cookies because it was all we had in the house. The boy wasn't thrilled of the idea of apricot jam with peanut butter, preferring raspberry or strawberry, so he asked that I leave it off of some of the cookies. I did but we both concluded that they are much to dry with out the dollop of jam and as I suspected were very tasty with the apricot. Next time I'll make sure to have a few types of jam around just so I can make a variety. Enjoy!

Black & White Cookies

For this week's Sweet Sunday I made mini Black & White Cookies. I grew up eating Black & White cookies with my dad. Whenever we'd go to the grocery store we'd always get them. I don't know if it's an Italian bakery thing or a New York thing or what, but it has been near impossible for me to find a good Black & White cookie for a long time. I even got some at the grocery store when I was home over Thanksgiving and Dad just looked at them and said "Why did you waste your money?" The perfect Black & White cookie has hard sugary icing and a cakey cookie, either vanilla or chocolate. Dad and I preferred the chocolate, but the recipe I found was for vanilla and I decided to try it out. This recipe took me twice to get right. The key is to smooth out the edges of the cookie after you drop them onto the cookie sheet. This is to make a nice dome before you bake them, don't assume they'll spread and look ok, because they won't. But if you take the time to touch them up after they are on the sheet, you wont be sorry. Below is the recipe from Epicurious that I followed exactly.

Mini Black & White Cookies
from epicurious.com

Cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg

Icings
2 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 to 6 tablespoons water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Make cookies:
1. Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 large baking sheets.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing just until smooth.

Drop rounded teaspoons of batter 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed, edges are pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Make icings while cookies cool:

Stir together confectioners sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth. If icing is not easily spreadable, add more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Transfer half of icing to another bowl and stir in cocoa, adding more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to thin to same consistency as vanilla icing. Cover surface with a dampened paper towel, then cover bowl with plastic wrap.

Ice cookies:

With offset spatula, spread white icing over half of flat side of each cookie. Starting with cookies you iced first, spread chocolate icing over other half.

Cooks' note:
Once icing is dry, cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 4 days.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing just until smooth.

3. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed, edges are pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a rack to cool

4. Make icings while cookies cool: Stir together confectioners sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth. If icing is not easily spreadable, add more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Transfer half of icing to another bowl and stir in cocoa, adding more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to thin to same consistency as vanilla icing. Cover surface with a dampened paper towel, then cover bowl with plastic wrap.

5. Ice cookies: With offset spatula, spread white icing over half of flat side of each cookie. Starting with cookies you iced first, spread chocolate icing over other half.

6. Cooks' note: Once icing is dry, cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 4 days.

These cookies came out perfectly and looked so nice in my holiday cookie tins, with the grasshopper squares. If you love Black and White's these are authentic and great! If you've never had them make these and you'll love them.

Happy Hanukkah today and Merry Christmas for Thursday (In case I don't get a chance to post again)! Enjoy!