Ginger Cookies

Cookies baked and photographed by Ben McNutt

Recipe by Carlyn Clark

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Line 2 cookies sheets w/parchment or wax paper & grease lightly.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 1/2 cup granulated sugar with brown sugar, butter and margarine until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg, continuing to blend well. Add the molasses.
4. Sift the dry ingredients together 3 times, then stir into butter mixture.
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Place the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a shallow dish.
7. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls, then roll in sugar to coat.
8. Place the balls 2" apart on prepared cookie sheets and flatten slightly. Sprinkle a little more sugar on top of each cookie.
9. Bake until slightly golden around edges, but still soft in the middle (12 - 15 minutes). Let stand for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.

**To make Gingerbread Men: increase the amount of flour by 1/4 cup. After refrigerating the dough roll it out and cut shapes with a cookie cutter.

S'More Cookie Bars

Recipe by Carlyn Clark

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes + cooling time

Yield: 16 bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 graham crackers)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 King Size (2.6 ounce) Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars
• 1 1/2 cups Marshmallow Fluff or Creme (do not substitute melted marshmallows as they harden when they cool)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8" square baking pan.
2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugars until light. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add this to the butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. Divide the dough in half. Press half of the dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Don't worry if it seems thin it will rise.
4. Break chocolate bars into pieces and place on dough in a single layer. Spread the Marshmallow Fluff or Creme over the chocolate bars. Form the remaining dough into small (approximately 3-4" square) flat sheets by patting between the palms of your hands. Lay these pieces on top of the Marshmallow. They don't need to cover completely, they'll spread during baking.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. If the top is browning too quickly cover the pan with tin foil. Cool completely and cut into 16 bars. (If they're not cool enough they'll crumble as you try to cut them.)

Salted Caramel Sauce

Recipe by Carlyn Clark

No need to buy caramel sauce at the store, when it's so easy and so much tastier to make it yourself.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons (90 grams) unsalted butter, cut into six pieces
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Maldon Smoked Sea Salt*

Cooking Directions

1. Heat sugar in medium saucepan, over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Sugar will form clumps and melt into a thick amber-colored liquid as you stir. Be careful, it burns easily.
2. As soon as sugar is completely melted stir in the butter. Be careful as the sugar will bubble up rapidly as you add the butter. Stir until the butter is completely melted.
3. Very slowly, and carefully, drizzle in the cream. Again, be careful! The mixture will bubble up and sometimes splatter as the cream is added.
4. Allow the mixture to boil for one minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the salt. Allow to cool before using.
6. The caramel, covered tightly, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

* regular table salt can be substituted for the Smoked Sea Salt (but I don't think it's as tasty) If you can't find it at your local market, Amazon's got it:

Marbleized Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Recipe by Carlyn Clark

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 23 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips
• 24 whole peanuts (unshelled)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. In a double boiler, melt the semisweet chocolate chips over hot water. (You can also do this in the microwave. Use the lowest setting and run at 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval. Be very careful, chocolate burns easily in the microwave.) Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
4. In a medium bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachement, combine the sugars with the butter and beat until well combined. Add the peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined. Add the flour mixture and the milk chocolate chips and beat until no streaks of flour are visible.
5. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix partially with a wooden spoon until marbleized.
6. Drop the dough in 3 tablespoon mounds 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Top each cookie with a whole peanut. Bake about 23 minutes, or until just set, and still soft. Cool on the cookie sheet for 30 seconds, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Cookie Recipe: Mexican Wedding Cakes

Our good friend Ben McNutt wants to increase his cookie repertoire and asked me to share some of our family favorites. So here's the first one, a tried and true recipe that's quick and easy.

Mexican Wedding Cake cookies baked and photographed by Ben McNutt

MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES

Recipe by Carlyn Clark

A time-tested cookie recipe that is quick and easy to make. It's buttery, nutty and melts in your mouth.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 16 - 1 1/2" cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (+ more for coating)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup finely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Cream butter until fluffy.
3. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and mix thoroughly.
4. Add flour and salt and beat until completely combined.
5. Stir in nuts.
6. Roll into small balls.
7. Bake until lightly browned, 6 - 8 minutes.
8. Place powdered sugar on small plate. While still warn, roll cookies in powdered sugar to coat completely.

Ben added a dollop of whipped cream.

Mexican Wedding Cake cookie baked and photographed by Ben McNutt with an added dollop of whipped cream.

cook•er•y  [kook-uh-ree]

n., pl. -er•ies.

1. the art, study, or practice of cooking

2. a place equipped for cooking.

Origin: 
1350–1400; Middle English cokerie.


"Good cookery is the food of a pure conscience." Des Essarts (described in Larousse Gastronomique as having "an appetite proportionate to his corpulence."  i.e. he was quite fat)

"Those who have a profound indifference to the pleasures of the table are generally gloomy, charmless and unamiable." Lucien Tendret