Red Velvet Seven Layer Bars from Sally's Baking Addiction

Red Velvet Seven Layer Bars - made December 10, 2022 from Sally's Baking Addiction

1 1/4 cups (156 grams) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon (5 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring

1 1/3 cups (120 grams) sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup (180 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup (90 grams) white chocolate chips

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup (130 grams) chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13" baking pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add granulated sugar and beat until combined. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating until combined. Add food coloring and mix until uniformly colored. Add dry ingredients in two additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
4. Press dough into an even layer into prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
5. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle top evenly with coconut, semisweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips. Spread sweetened condensed milk evenly over top. Sprinkle with pecans.
6. Return pan to oven and bake until set, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting and serving.

I'm a little ambivalent about this recipe, which is unusual as I normally rave about anything from Sally's Baking Addiction.

First, I love Seven Layer Bars or Magic Cookie Bars or whatever you want to call them. And I like red velvet so it seemed like the perfect bar cookie to make for the holidays, both for care packages and holiday gifts. It was good, don't get me wrong. But I didn't love it.

Second, I think it's because I'm just too attached to the graham cracker crust in magic cookie bars and this didn't have that because of the red velvet/holiday twist. 

Third, I would recommend making this in a 9 x 9-inch pan rather than 9 x 13 so you have a thicker crust. I did like the red velvet base itself but it was a bit too thin for me. I think I just prefer a graham cracker crust to go with the topping and as a thicker base layer. Also, I recommend baking the crust longer than 8 minutes. If it's not baked enough and is still raw/too soft when you put on the topping, some of the unbaked crust bubbled through the top and mixed with the sweetened condensed milk to leave pink patches. 

Cookie Butter Cookies from Kroll's Korner

Cookie Butter Cookies - made dough November 19. 2022 from Kroll's Korner 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cake flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

1/2 cup creamy cookie butter

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon cookie butter emulsion

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

10 Biscoff cookies, crushed (leave some chunks)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cake flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, cookie butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined, 2-3 minutes, and no butter lumps remain. Add egg, egg yolk, cookie butter emulsion and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
3. Add dry ingredients in two additions and mix on low speed after each addition until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and crushed Biscoff cookies.
4. Portion dough into 8 large dough balls of equal size. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Break each dough ball in half and press the halves together with the jagged edges up. Evenly space on baking sheets. 
6. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are set and middles no longer look raw. Remove from oven and gently press Biscoff cookie chunks or halves on top if desired. Let rest on baking sheets for 15 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with melted cookie butter if desired.

I've been wanting to make this recipe for awhile but first I didn't have cookie butter emulsion then I had to go get Biscoff cookies. The stars finally aligned and I got this together. It's similar to the cookies I've tried from Baking with Blondie in that they're meant to be huge, thick cookies and each recipe only makes a few of them. That works well for me.

For the taste test cookie, I drizzled warm, melted cookie butter over the cookie and stuffed half a Lotus Biscoff cookie into the top. So it's full-on cookie butter flavor. It bakes up as a dense cookie so it's not fluffy or cakey.

I'm not sure I like this one as much as the big, dense cookies from Baking with Blondie. It could just be this particular cookie or else I tried the taste test cookie when I was already over my sugar quota. It's good but I love cookie butter so much I think I just had high expectations.

Oh, and if you want to know where to get cookie butter emulsion, try Michaels. And don't forget to use one of their weekly coupons.

Oatmeal Pecan Cookies from Chelsea's Messy Apron

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - made November 29, 2022 from Chelsea's Messy Apron

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup oat flour (grind oats in blender then measure)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick oats)
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1. Cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy, at least 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, oat flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until just combined. Add in oats and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.
3. Portion into golf-ball-size dough balls and flatten slightly into thick discs. Cover and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and evenly space dough discs. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until edges are set and middles are barely past the raw stage. Let cool for a few minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

The original title for these were Oatmeal Pecan Cookies but I omitted the nuts (because you know how I feel about nuts in cookies) and used raisins and chocolate chips instead. I know, I know, I despise raisins even more in cookies than I do nuts but these weren't going to be for me and I wanted to try this recipe for oatmeal cookies. So I cheated. After I finished mixing the dough but before I added the raisins and chocolate chips, I took a scoop of "plain" dough and added chocolate chips. That was my test cookie. I added raisins and chocolate chips to the rest of the dough and we were off to the races.

The cookie itself was pretty good. The edges were crisp and the cookie was nice and chewy. They still spread more than I would've liked but it seems like most of my cookies have been baking flatter in the past few months, even tried and true recipes that normally baked up thick cookies. I'm starting to be convinced the butter is the culprit. Not only has butter gotten more expensive but I suspect they've also become more watered down. There's NO WAY all of my previously tried recipes that used to be thick are now always spreading thin. It's a little annoying. #firstworldproblem. At least the taste is still good on each one. But butter makers, I see you and what you're doing to increase prices and cut quality at the same time. Boo.

Anyway, back to this cookie. If you like a good oatmeal raisin (or pecan or chocolate chip) cookie, this is a good one to try. You want to bake them just until the edges are golden and caramelized and the middles look just barely past the raw stage. Remember the cookies will continue baking on the hot cookie sheet until you transfer them to a wire rack so don't leave them too long in the oven.

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies from Pastry and Beyond

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies - made November 20, 2022 from Pastry and Beyond

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2/3 cup (150 grams) unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup (60 grams) unsulphured molasses

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter and sugar. Whisk to combine. Add egg and whisk to combine. Add molasses and whisk to combine.
4. Add dry ingredients in two additions, stirring until just combined after each addition.
5. Portion dough into balls and evenly space on baking sheets. Bake 8-9 minutes or until edges are set and middles no longer look raw. Let rest on baking sheets for 15 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

It's that time of year when I attempt to make the flavors of the season. Since I'm not an eggnog person nor do I care for peppermint unless it's gum, I usually default to something along the lines of a ginger molasses cookie.

I'm not big on a strong molasses flavor but I don't mind the spices that go into a ginger molasses cookie (namely the ginger and cinnamon, I can take or leave cloves). To keep my care packages for Soldiers Angels somewhat in keeping with the season, I tried out this recipe from Pastry and Beyond.

I did a rookie mistake though and misread the directions to melt the butter. Instead, I beat it from solid form to incorporate with the sugars and into the dough. As you can see from the pictures, that mistake didn't seem to have done the cookies any harm and they turned out quite well: not too much spread. good chewy texture and a "warm" flavor without being too spicy.

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Chewy Oatmeal M&M Cookies from Sally's Baking Addiction

Chewy Oatmeal M&M Cookies - made dough November 20, 2022 from Sally's Baking Addiction 

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon molasses

1 1/2 cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups (240 grams) old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups (240 grams) M&Ms

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined and smooth, about 2 minutes.
2. Add eggs, vanilla extract and molasses, mixing until just combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to butter mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed after each addition until just combined.
4. Mix in oats on low speed until combined. Fold in M&Ms.
5. Cover and chill dough for 30-60 minutes. Portion chilled dough into golf-ball size dough balls, cover and chill another hour or overnight.
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Evenly space dough balls. Bake 11-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown and middles no longer look raw. Let rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

If you want a reliable recipe for any cookie, Sally's Baking Addiction is a pretty good bet. I wanted to use up some M&Ms from Halloween and this was a great option. Bonus that it's easily made ahead of time, portioned into dough balls and frozen until you're ready for your holiday baking.

The cookies were crisp at the edges and the oats gave it a good chewiness. It's not overwhelmingly sweet but still tasty. For the holidays, you can substitute holiday M&Ms to make it more seasonal.

Coconut White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Coconut White Chocolate Chunk Cookies - made dough November 5, 2022 from Averie Cooks

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, browned and cooled for 15 minutes

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, lightly packed to measure

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup white chocolate chips, plus more to adding to the tops

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together browned butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined. Add egg and beat to combine. Add vanilla and beat to combine.
2. Add the flour, baking soda and salt, beating until just combined. Do not over mix. Beat in coconut and white chocolate chips. 
3. Portion dough into golf-ball-size (or smaller if you prefer) balls. Cover and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and evenly space chilled dough balls. Bake 11-13 minutes or until edges are golden brown and middles no longer look raw. Let rest on baking sheets for several minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

I first made these cookies in 2020 but it was during the time I wasn't updating my blog so I didn't take pictures. But I really liked these cookies and I want to preserve the recipe for posterity so I made them again and this time documented it. Because if I don't take pictures and blog about it, they might not exist. And these are too good to lose.

Like so many recipes from Averie Cooks. this one is straightforward, easy to make and came out really well. I'm not a big white chocolate fan but it goes perfectly with the coconut as well as the brown sugar cookie. Plus I liked the chewy texture.

I'm out of the uppity high-quality white chocolate chunks I normally order online and, like the unsweetened chocolate chunks I also normally source online, they were criminally expensive this time around. So I (reluctantly) went with a bag of Nestle's white chocolate morsels. They weren't as bad as I feared although I still prefer the soft meltiness of a Callebaut-caliber white chocolate. But since I didn't win the powerball (yes, hard to believe none of the 5 tickets I bought didn't win, ha), I gotta stick with my budget.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fantasies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fantasies - made November 13, 2022 from Golde's Homemade Cookies

Pastry

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 egg yolks, beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup unsalted peanuts, finely chopped

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 12-ounce package chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine all pastry ingredients together in a large bowl and beat on low speed until crumbly. Press crumb mixture into an even layer in prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Set aside chocolate chips. In a medium bowl, combine remaining topping ingredients together.
4. Turn off oven and remove pan from oven; spread topping evenly over baked crust. Sprinkle with chocolate chips sand return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes until chocolate chips have softened enough to spread. Remove from oven and spread chocolate into an even layer. Let cool before cutting.

In honor of my niece's boyfriend, who served in the US Air Force, I made these peanut butter bars for him for a belated Veteran's Day lunch.

I'm still trying out recipes from Golde's Homemade Cookies and I thought this would fit the bill: shortbread base, peanut butter filling, chocolate topping. All good, right? Er, you know what I'm going to say next? Yup, these were okay.

Honestly, they weren't bad and my niece's boyfriend enjoyed them so I packed up the rest for them to put in their freezer so he could have it in future lunches once he starts his new job. All good. For me personally, with my picky taste buds, I would've preferred the shortbread base to actually be more like a shortbread with a more crisp crunch (it was soft, without much snap) and I'm still indifferent to peanut butter! Yeah, that's a me problem. But so far, this baking book still keeps delivering only on the "okay" side of the spectrum.

Crumbl Copycat Chocolate Oreo Cookies from Salt & Baker

Chocolate Oreo Cookies - made October 31, 2022 from Salt & Baker

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup black cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

20 Oreos, finely crushed (about 2 1/2 cups)

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

6 tablespoons butter

6 ounces cream cheese

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon heavy cream

2 tablespoons Oreo cookie crumbs, for topping

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined, light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
2. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing to combine. Scrape down bottom and sides of bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in 2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs.
4. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 2 additions, mixing on low speed after each addition until just combined. 
5. Portion dough into 1/3 cup portions and roll into balls. Flatten slightly to form thick discs. Roll into remaining 1/2 cup Oreo crumbs. Cover and chill while oven preheats.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Evenly space dough discs on baking sheets and bake 8-9 minutes or until edges are barely set and tops are no longer shiny. Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheets for 3 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
7. Make frosting: cream together butter and cream cheese until well combined. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until well combined. Add heavy cream to thin frosting.
8. Frost cooled cookies and garnish with Oreo cookie crumbs.

What's (almost) better than Oreo cookies? Using them to make Oreo cookies. Only bakers would understand that statement. I love Oreos straight out of the package. I'm less enamored of "cookies and cream" baked goods and prefer unadulterated Oreos. But I don't seem as snobby when it comes to using Oreos to make big, chewy cookies.

The key to getting that Oreo-like taste in a cookie, besides incorporating actual (crushed) Oreos into it, is using black cocoa. Not dark unsweetened cocoa but actual black cocoa. I used King Arthur's black cocoa and it worked really well to bring that Oreo flavor to this cookie. Like the Crumbl copycat pink velvet cookies, I didn't frost these (yeah, me and frosting have a distant relationship) but this cookie was just fine plain. Crisp around the edges, chewy in the middle and that satisfying Oreo flavor. This delivers on all fronts.