Blame the pandemic or blame the Great British Bake Off, but as the pandemic wore on and I found myself at loose ends, I started to bake. And bake. And bake. I may have now baked my bodyweight in butter. I wanted to create a catalog/record in a single place of the things I’ve made and also links to recipes, should you so desire to try one (or many) of the recipes.
I will, however, try to organize a little bit by type of cookie, since I am a taxonomist.
Roll Cookies
I used both a classic Royal icing recipe with egg white as well as a vegan one, with aquafaba (bean water). The red design has egg, the blue does not.
Gingerbread tiles with rum butter glaze
If you like a cookie with A LOT of flavor, this cookie IS FOR YOU (and me). Super.
Drop Cookies
Brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies
I decided to make my own toffee for this recipe, and you can find the toffee recipe linked further down this page. Keep this in your back pocket for another one that will impress your friends.
These were a big hit with the fans of molasses ginger cookies.
Tahini, orange and chocolate chip cookies
I asked a while back on Twitter for recommendations of cookies that people bring out to WOW their friends. This was one that showed up and did not disappoint. Very interesting, with a nice light bite that then turns a little gooey.
Freezer Cookies
A rich, chocolately shortbread style cookie, studded with chocolate chunks.
I thought these looked really cool but didn’t taste like much. I am planning another go-round with some added flavor.
a subtle cookie, mostly like a sugar cookie
Salted chocolate chunk shortbread
Alison Roman’s THE COOKIE – this is rich, dense, salty, sweet, crunchy – satisfies me on pretty much every level. I pretty much always have a log (or 3) in the freezer to bake up as I want.
Filled and Sandwich Cookies
I have been baking these for YEARS. A perennial fave. Also great because you can do these in steps, and freeze the dough, logs, and cookies.
I am on the hunt for a strong chocolate hazelnut cookie. This had the right ratio of hazelnut to chocolate, but the cookie wasn’t quite the texture I was looking for. It is gluten-free, so that’s a bonus for those of you looking.
This was one of the first recipes I tried. I actually made them a second time because I wanted to see if I could improve on the first batch. Happy to say I did! I used a cookie press rather than pipe the dough and it worked great. The recipe says to make the sandwich and then dip in chocolate and decorate with nuts or sprinkles (as you can see), but I found I liked them better when I just put chocolate and jam inside the sandwich (also displayed above).
Chocolate peanut butter cup cookies
I just made these and they are THE BOMB. Have also compelled several friends to make them. Just do it, as that ad campaign would say.
Spiced brown butter Linzer cookies
If you are looking for ONE COOKIE to impress, this is it. A couple of notes: use whatever jam you like. I tried it with currant (as the recipe calls for) and found I liked raspberry better. Also the dough is incredibly crumbly and difficult to work – add water, a tablespoon at a time, until it comes together and you will stop cursing. Additionally this was my first foray into brown butter and now I AM OBSESSED.
Vegan macarons: filled with either vegan ganache or vegan lemon curd!
Macarons, what can I say? If you love ’em, you love ’em.
Biscotti
The recipe does not call for chocolate, but I think everything is better with chocolate. So I drizzled.
These ended up being my favorite. The crunches from the figs are super and the walnut gives it a nice fragrance. I suppose you could try a different nut if you don’t like walnuts.
These were just ok in my book. I did not break a tooth.
Candy
Sea salt vanilla caramels – as you can see, I covered mine with chocolate
I’m sorry I don’t have any good pictures to share of the toffee. It’s not the most photogenic.
Chocolate filled with boozy spiced ganache
I have some candy molds that I just coat with melted chocolate, let the chocolate cool, then fill with a flavored ganache. Ganache recipe as follows:
6 oz chocolate
3 oz coconut milk/cream
2 Tbl Cointreau
Pinch or two of salt
Shake of cayenne
Melt the chocolate in the coconut milk, add the Cointreau and spices to your taste. You can make the chocolate as dark as you like. I often use half 72% and half 100% chocolate.
Savory(ish)
She says these are like Cheez-Its and my friends, she does not lie. They are amazeballs. Also I had made some olivada/tapenade and the crackers were otherworldly topped with the olive spread. But you can just pop them in your mouth too.
Croccantini (I think I tried this recipe)
Just made these as well and they were super. I did end up baking them about 5 minutes longer than the recipe said, but I think I didn’t make the dough thin/flat enough. Also they toast up well. They made my tea taste that much butter.
Tune in next month when I shall have more cookie updates (and possibly a few other treats).
