Yesterday was another one of those days that there were just no cookies in the house, which I find unacceptable. Especially since I'm only here to provide my house with cookies for another month or so, then I'm off to New York to study hard. So, I got right to it. I opened one of my new cookbooks and saw this recipe for whoopie pies and had to try it. I've always wanted to try and make whoopie pies, so I did. They were delicious. The whipped vanilla filling was the best part, since the filling is always the best part I mean come on. It really does feel like you're eating whipped cream, but instead tastes more buttery and has no cream in it! Well, it has milk and butter and sugar instead, shhhh.
0 Comments
Last night we finish dinner and 8:00 rolls around and my mom goes, "So what's the deal here, Katherine? No cookies?" Now lets just be clear, there were cookies in the cookie tin and pop-tarts in a Ziploc container, but that wasn't enough for my mom and sister apparently. Of course I have no problem making them more dessert, but a lot of the times I just get them complaining about how many cookies and cupcakes and what not we have in the house, and here they are asking me for more. Of course I obey and get right to it, even at 8:00 at night (that's late for me okay). So I whip these up in under an hour, and they were delicious! A slightly crunchy while still chewy peanut butter cookie rolled in sugar and then topped off with a mound of chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough on top. It comes from a cookbook called "The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook", a.k.a. "Katherine's Cookbook". I love cookie dough. Who doesn't though, let's be real? But no worries, this cookie dough is egg-free. Give them a shot!
Please do not close your browser right away after reading "zucchini". I promise, these are really good. This is coming from someone who grew up hating vegetables, I mean I'm a baker, right? Not a cook. I do like many more vegetables now, including zucchini depending on how it's cooked (this way is obviously preferred), but nevertheless you could hate zucchini and I promise you will still like these. I told my brother to try one and he goes, "They look so weird and green". But I forced him to try it and he goes, "They taste just like chocolate chip cookies, what's the point of the zucchini". So I guess that's good and bad feedback. One, he likes them and can't tell they have zucchini, and two, he makes a good point, which is that what is the point of the zucchini? Not really sure. Maybe to trick yourself into thinking you're eating a healthy cookie (sorry, not really). Or maybe because it's cool to get a sliver of your daily vegetables in a chocolate chip cookie. Both are probable reasons. I just thought it was cool. And no, these aren't exactly healthy cookies, but when you make two chocolate chip cookies, one with sugar and butter, and one with sugar and butter and zucchini, I guess the one with the zucchini is probably a bit healthier. Everything put in perspective, am I right?
Anyways, my point is try these out! It's summer and zucchini are beautiful right now, and I personally think it's pretty cool to make cookies that taste like cookies but actually include vegetables. The best part is making someone try it without telling them the secret ingredient, then telling them they just ate vegetables without even knowing, hehe :). I made these cookies twice, actually. Once at night because we were all out of cookies, which is an obvious signal that I need to make more ASAP. However, our oven, which I love for cooking correctly and how shiny and new it is, is really stupid and makes the TINIEST little noise when it's done preheating or when your cookies are done, so I went to go watch a shark week episode (yay shark week), and my cookies burnt to a crisp. My brother got up to go do something and said right away, "I smell something burning." I was like "Shoot my cookies!!" I opened the oven and a whole burst of smoke came out and my cookies were black. Not even brown, but black. I tried a teeny piece of one of the least burnt cookies and it sizzled in my mouth like pop rocks. It was a tragic night.
So, I made them again the next morning, and they were delicious. My dad even said, "Are you making cinnamon buns or something? It smells good." I was like score! So they're delicious to taste and they make your house smell like cinnamon buns, as long as you don't burn them to a crisp while watching shark week... Today the most annoying thing happened. The big news all-day long was how we were going to get hit with this huge summer storm in the afternoon. There was a tornado watch in effect, the national weather service had warnings going all day, they even taped over the national news with the local news to talk more and more about the storm (I hate when they do that)! Guess what we got? Rain. For 2 minutes. Most people I asked didn't even know it rained. I love summer storms and they got me allll excited and then we got rain. So annoying. I'm never going to be a weatherman, they're just so disappointing!
Anyways, on to cookies. I got up at 7:45 p.m. tonight from my couch and said to my dad, "Guess what?". "What, Katherine?". "I'm going to go make cookies!". "Ohhh, awesome. Go do it!". I love when my family members want me to make food. My mom came home and got super annoyed because she's like on a diet or whatever but we can ignore that. These are really good. If you've never used vanilla bean before (it was my first time, too!), it's really easy and so delicious. Everyone's so used to vanilla in their cookies that we don't realize how delicious of a spice it is. I also love the speckled effect. I used a vanilla bean in the cookie dough and then just used vanilla bean paste in the glaze because I like it better and had it on hand, but you can also just follow the recipe. Also enjoy this lovely picture of my brother gnawing on one of my cookies approximately 5 seconds after I said they were done. Right now I am on the paleo diet, which means I successfully made a whole batch of delicious chocolate cookies without having ANY of the dough. It was hard, I have to say. There were times when I took a little piece and stared at it for a solid minute before just throwing it in the sink so I couldn't eat it. However, I did try like one-sixth of one of the cookies to make sure they were good. They looked good, but if I was going to put them on my blog I had to know they were good. And guess what, they were... they were really good. They have the texture and look of a chewy gingersnap but they taste like pure chocolate heaven. They do have to refrigerate, but other than that these are super easy and quick to make!
You've all heard me rave about Biscoff spread before, so now it's time to rave about Biscoff cookies. These cookies are mainly sold in Europe, although if you're lucky you may be able to find them around here, too. Other than being sold in supermarkets and candy stores, these cookies are also oftentimes served with coffee or tea. When I went to France, we went to go get coffee at a corner coffee shop, and my friends, who ordered espresso, were served a small packet of two Biscoff cookies to eat with their coffee. This is actually one of the main reasons I made them. My sister is coming home for her birthday this weekend (expect to see pictures of a birthday cake coming up soon), and our plan is to use all these beautiful new teacups we were given by our grandmother's best friend to have a tea party. I thought it sounded adorable, although I'll probably have hot chocolate or something because I don't like tea. Anyways, I made these for our expected tea party because they're a nice little sweet to have with coffee and tea. Plus, if you know what a Biscoff cookie is or have ever tried one, I was very impressed by how dead-on this recipe got the taste of them. Took me back to France again!
These cookies were amazing. As I've stated many times before, I love white chocolate, so I guess it would've been pretty hard to make a cookie with white chocolate chips that I don't like. However, these just tasted perfect. A lot of it had to do with the extra two teaspoons of vanilla extract than normal. I even used vanilla bean paste, since I almost always do now and I swear I'm not an advertisement when I say that I think you all should to. Nevertheless, the combination of vanilla extract in the dough with the white chocolate chips worked perfectly.
Fun fact, did you know white chocolate is not chocolate? It's cocoa butter that is oftentimes even dyed white. My boss taught me that (I work at a café so it's not a big surprise). But I still love it, sorry. This is yet another batch of cookies going to be served to the French Club at my high school. I went on a little hunt for some interesting cookie recipes I can try and made a list that I am hoping to get through in the next couple of weeks. My only problem with some of these cookies is that the dough needs refrigeration, which I usually don't like, but this time I planned accordingly and it worked out. So, beware, the dough needs to chill. And it really isn't optional, it NEEDS to chill. Chocolate chocolate cookies like these ones are oftentimes a bit like brownie batter, so if you don't chill them they will come out like brownie crisps. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself, and you will get brownie crisps. Don't worry, I've done it before. Everyone has their fair share of baking fails. Speaking of which, I made a cake for my cousin's 9th birthday yesterday. Beautiful, chocolate cake, all finished and packed up in my handy-dandy cake container. As I walked out the door it fell out of the container and the cake fell splat on the top. Five-second rule, right? Everyone said it was delicious, but not the prettiest of all my cakes, I'll admit. Although, my uncle pointed out, I still have a pretty good record. I've made probably like 50+ cakes before and that was my first fall. Although I have had a bundt cake disaster, but that's a story, and if you've made a bundt cake, you have also probably had a bundt cake disaster, don't try and deny it.
Anyways, to the recipe. These are soooo delicious. They are so addicting it's crazy! Thank god they're leaving my house tomorrow, or else I would gain like 5 pounds this week just from these cookies. They are nice and soft, just like I like them, but not cakey, because I don't like that. Plus, they are loaded with chocolate! What's better? I'll tell you, nothing's better. I made these biscotti for my mom's Italian-themed dinner party, but I actually make them every week at the café I work at, so that can go to show you how good they are. They're super easy and amazingly quick! I call these "Basic Biscotti" because this is the recipe I use every time and then I spice it up by adding different ingredients for a new flavor every week. Some ideas for flavors are:
The biscotti pictured above and below is chocolate chip pecan biscotti. These are all the flavorings I've tried before. However, there are infinite many possibilities, which is one of the reasons I love biscotti so much! I was thinking the other day about maple walnut biscotti. I haven't tried it yet but I would do 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil (instead of 3/4 cup), add 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, and do only 3/4 cup sugar, then use walnuts for the nut. They all sound so delicious! |
AuthorMy name is Katherine and I love, love, love to bake! You can find all my baking adventures on this blog, plus you can follow me on Social Media by clicking below! Archives
January 2016
Categories
All
|