Buttercup Bake Shop Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is a wonderful recipe for oatmeal chocolate chop cookies which are always a favorite.

 

Bittersweet Chocolate Meringues

Meringues are such perky little cookies. What I love most about them is just how light they are and so easy to make. Here is a great recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, which really lightens up the calories on these tasty treats.
 
 

 

Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookies

 This recipe is dedicated to my friend Piyali who is the biggest fan of these cookies. I’ve just added a simple twist to my regular chocolate chip cookies by adding caramel bits to it. The better quality caramel you use, the yummier the cookies turn out – but good old butterscotch morsels from Nestle work just fine too.

 

 

 

 

 

CHOCOLATE WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Lets just call these the PMS cookies.

Every woman needs just about this much chocolate, at least once a month. The recipe for these little beauties is taken from the Buttercup Bakes at Home Cookbook. You can tell that these cookies were made by a woman…for women…
 

 

 

CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Why settle for chips,

When you can have chunks…

These cookies are pretty unbelievable.

It’s another master recipe from my new favorite cookbook – The Clinton Street Baking Company’s Cookbook.

It’s a must try…

Brookies

Do you know what a Brookie is?

It is the ridiculous combination of a brownie and a cookie.

It is the ultimate chocoholics delight.

I discovered this recipe recently from The Clinton Street Baking Company’s Cookbook, which by the way is one of our favorite brunch places in New York City.

Try the recipe…

One bite and you will be addicted!

THE EASIEST TOFFEE BARS EVER

This recipe is so easy and tastes so good that it is almost ridiculous.

I got this recipe from my friend Michele Filorimo, a few years ago and it hasn’t failed to impress yet.

I just whip up big batches of these as it only takes minutes to make and seem to disappear just as quickly.

The best part is that you can easily freeze these toffee bars and take out as needed.

Please do read the tips listed below before making the recipe.

Parisian Macarons

Have you ever tried a Parisian Macaron?

I have been obsessed with them ever since I tried them. The best ones I’ve ever had ( I haven’t been to Paris yet) are at Payard in New York City. A Parisian Macron is a small round cake/cookie with a crunchy outside and soft inside. It comes in all kinds of beautiful colors and flavors and is filled with many kinds of delicious fillings. I love all the flavors- chocolate, raspberry, pistachio, almond – I could go on and on.

I’ve always held the Parisian Macaron in reverence and never had the courage to try making them, until last week when I chanced upon a recipe by Gourmet for Raspberry Chocolate French Macrons. It looked easy enough and given that Payard has shut down, I figured its time to give it a try!

The results were marvelous!! My kids have literally been inhaling the Macarons! We’ve decided that we are going to make them in red, green and white for our christmas cookie plate this year. So… I thought I’d share this wonderful recipe with all of you….I can promise you that you will soon be addicted…just as I am!

Raspberry Chocolate French Macarons

Dainty pink cookies sandwiched together with a silky ganache look as if they belong on a restaurant’s petits fours plate. In fact, the perfect little rounds can be made with a makeshift pastry bag. You can fill the macarons with either the ganache or any kind of  jam – I used raspberry jam. You can also substitute the flavors – if you can’t find raspberry extract use orange or chocolate and use any color food coloring to make your Macarons look pretty.

Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Active Time: 45 min

Total Time: 1 3/4 hr

For the Macaron

6 oz sliced blanched almonds (not slivered; 2 cups)

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

3 large egg whites

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Red or pink food coloring

For chocolate raspberry ganache

3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (60 to 64% cacao), finely chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1/16 teaspoon raspberry extract (preferably McCormick brand)

Special equipment: parchment paper; a gallon-size sealable plastic bag (not pleated)

Make Macarons:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Pulse almonds with 1/2 cup confectioners sugar in a food processor until very finely ground, 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.
• Sift in remaining cup confectioners sugar, stirring to combine.
• Beat egg whites with salt in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks.
• Add granulated sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and continue to beat until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks.
• Add drops of food coloring to reach desired shade and mix at low-speed until evenly combined.

• Stir almond mixture into meringue with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. (Meringue will deflate.)
• Spoon batter into bag, pressing out excess air, and snip off 1 corner of plastic bag to create a 1/4-inch opening.

• Twist bag firmly just above batter, then pipe peaked mounds of batter (the size of a chocolate kiss) onto lined sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Let cookies stand, uncovered, at room temperature until tops are no longer sticky and a light crust forms, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 300°F.

• Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until crisp and edges are just slightly darker, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool completely on sheets on racks, about 30 minutes.

Make ganache while macarons bake:

• Melt chocolate with cream in a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water or in top of a double boiler, stirring until smooth. (Bowl should not touch water.)
• Remove bowl from heat, then add butter and raspberry extract, stirring until butter is melted.

• Let stand at room temperature until cooled completely and slightly thickened.

Assemble cookies:

• Carefully peel cookies from parchment (they will be fragile).
• Sandwich a thin layer of ganache (about 1/2 teaspoon) between flat sides of cookies.

Cooks’ note: Filled Macarons keep in an airtight container at room temperature 3 days.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nobody makes chocolate chip cookies like Mrs. Fields does! I just love this recipe. These cookies are always a hot seller and don’t last for more than a day in my house. Sometimes I double the dough recipe and keep some unbaked dough in fridge so I can keep making the cookies fresh.  I under-bake these cookies slightly as I love them gooey and chewy. If you cannot find brown sugar, you can substitute with Demerara sugar. It works just as well. Check out the mouth watering picture below and I’ll betcha you’lle be hankerin’ for the cookies right about now!

Blue-Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

44 min | 20 min prep – makes about 40 cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 ounces)

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Mix well with wire whisk.
• Set aside.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer blend brown and white sugar at medium speed.
• Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
• Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until just blended.
• DO NOT OVERMIX!
• Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed.
• DO NOT OVERMIX!

• Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.

• Bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.
• Bake to desired softness or crispness.
• Transfer cookies immediately to a cool surface with a spatula.