Cookie Cogitations

Is there a way to make a decent cookie without creaming butter and sugar? Suppose you just want to throw some stuff in a bowl and then put blobs of it on a sheet pan to bake. I've been mulling this over for a couple of days now and have a few ideas but I thought that I would check here.

rwj

I don't know if this is what you mean, but they are damn good. I make these for gifts.

Recipe by my friend Karen Brack in Dallas. Makes a ton of cookies!


Chocolate Double Cherry Cookies

1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
12 ounces bitter sweet chocolate -- cut into large chunks
1 stick unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate -- coarsely chopped
4 large eggs at room temp.
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 T instant espresso powder
2 t pure vanilla extract
8 ounces dried cherries -- plumped in cherry liquer

Whisk together flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and set
aside until needed. Divide the bittersweet chocolate in half and set
half aside.

Place butter, the remaining bittersweet chocolate and the unsweetened
chocolate in the top of a double boiler over, but not touching,
simmering water. Heat mixture, stirring occasionally, until butter and
chocolates are melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, put the eggs, sugar, coffee powder, and vanilla in the bowl
of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at high
speed for about ten minutes, until the mixture is very thick and forms
a slowly dissolving ribbon when the whisk is lifted and the mixture is
allowed to drizzle back into the bowl.

With the mixer at low speed, very slowly add the warm butter-chocolate
mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and
work your spatula around the bottom of the bowl, then continue to mix
just until the chocolate is thoroughly incorporated. Add the dry
ingredients, the remaining bittersweet chocolate chunks, and the drained, plumped cherries. At this point, it will probably be more efficient to finish the mixing by gently folding the ingredients in with a rubber spatula. The mixture will look like a thick, lumpy cake batter.

Cover the bowl with plastic and chill for several hours or overnight.
(The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 4 days.).

When you are ready to bake, position the oven racks to divide the oven
into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking
sheets with parchment.

Using a heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie, drop the dough
onto the lined sheets, leaving at least two inches between each cookie
- these cookies spread. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes,
rotating the pans front to bake and top to bottom halfway through the
baking time. These cookies are better underdone than overdone, so if
in doubt, take them from the oven sooner rather than later. The
cookies shouldn't appear dry and they won't be crisp. Use a wide metal
spatula to transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool to room
temperature. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cookies can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for 2
days or kept frozen for up to a month. Thaw, still wrapped, at room
temperature.

Here are three of our eight holiday cookies. The other five are the type you are weary of.

ALMOND MACAROONS:

14 - 16 oz Almond paste
2 C Sugar
¼ tsp Salt
¼ C Flour
2/3 C Powdered sugar
2/3 C (5 extra large) Egg whites
Red sprinkles

Soften almond paste with clean hands or mixer. Work in sugars, salt, flour, and egg whites. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2” apart on parchment paper on cookie sheets. Sprinkle with red sprinkles. Bake high in a 325º oven for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and slide parchment paper onto a wet dish towel. Let set for few minutes, and then remove from parchment to wax paper to cool.

HOLIDAY MACAROONS:

WHITE MACAROONS:

2 Eggs
¾ C Sugar
1/8 tsp Salt
1/3 C Flour
¼ tsp Baking powder
1 tbl Melted butter
1 tsp Vanilla extract
7 oz Shredded coconut
1 tbl Grated lemon rind
Green sprinkles


Beat eggs until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating constantly until thickened and light in color (takes five minutes with electric mixer). Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt. Then add butter, vanilla, coconut and lemon rind. Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with green sprinkles. Bake high in a 325º oven for 12 - 15 minutes. Let stand a few minutes, remove from sheets and cool on wax paper.

CHOCOLATE MACAROONS:

Same recipe except omit lemon rind and green sprinkles; and add a 4 oz package of German’s Chocolate melted, and slightly cooled; one half teaspoon cinnamon; and red sprinkles.

ELISE SPICE COOKIES:

4 Eggs
14 oz Sugar
2 tbl Vanilla sugar
1/8 tsp Ground cloves
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Rum extract
¼ tsp Lemon extract
1 tbl ea Lemon & orange peel
9 oz Slivered almonds ground
7 - 9 oz Hazelnuts (filberts), ground (shell 1 lb leave skins on)
¼ tsp Baking powder
2 C Powdered Sugar
2 tbl Cocoa

Grind nuts and mix with baking powder. Beat (with electric mixer) eggs till frothy. Slowly add sugars and beat another five minutes until thick and creamy. Add spices, flavorings, and nuts (not the last two ingredients). Place mixture by the heaping teaspoonful onto parchment paper on cookie sheets. Make 4 X 5 rows. Smooth each cookie with a wet knife into a dome shape. Bake high in a 300º oven for approximately 25 minutes. Cool on wax paper. When cool make two batches of icing. One with one cup of sifted powdered sugar and three tablespoons of warm water, and one the other cup of sifted powered sugar and cocoa, and 3 - 4 tablespoons warm water. Ice half cookies with each, and let dry on the wax paper.

Princess, Carl, thank you both. I am going to give this idea of mine a stab tomorrow. I'll post results, of course.

Princess, those cookies sound absolutely celestial! I am definitely trying those soon.

rwj

cogitation - ergo some cookies