Espresso Toffee Shortbread Cookies from The Monday Box

Espresso Toffee Shortbread - made dough July 2, 2023 from The Monday Box 

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1 tablespoon boiling water

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup confectioners' sugar plus extra for dusting

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3.5 - 4 ounces chocolate covered toffee bits or 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the espresso powder in the boiling water.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and confectioners' sugar for 3 minutes at medium speed.
3. Add the vanilla and espresso, beating until combined.
4. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Fold in the toffee bits or mini chocolate chips.
5. Transfer the dough into a gallon-size ziploc plastic bag and leave "unzipped". Roll the dough into a rectangle the width of the bag and 1/4" thick, keeping the dough crease-free inside the bag.
6. Zip the bag closed, removing as much air as possible. Refrigerate for 2 hours up to 2 days.
7. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Cut open the ziploc plastic bag and place the dough rectangle on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into desired shapes and evenly space on baking sheet. Using a fork to poke holes in each cookie.
9. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and dust with confectioners' sugar while cookies are still hot. Let rest on baking sheet for several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Time for a quick and easy recipe that's good for hot summer temps and care packages. This one from The Monday Box fits the bill nicely. For summer picnic-type events, it's always a safe bet to bring something no-fuss that doesn't have frosting. No need to worry about anything melting. For care packages to deployed military personnel, I'm always on the lookout for recipes that have coffee or espresso as our military seems to enjoy their coffee (most of the time).

You can make this with either mini chocolate chips or toffee bits. I went with toffee bits to offer a sweeter contrast to the espresso flavor. This is easy to make in the sense that you put the dough into a gallon-size ziploc freezer bag before you roll it out. The bag keeps the dough within the size of the bag and helps give you an even thickness as you roll it out. If your dough gets too warm, chill it briefly first.

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The cookies didn't spread much, although they did at the edges so mine weren't as clean cut as The Monday Box's. The espresso flavor comes through quite well so if you're not a coffee lover, you might want to cut back a bit on the espresso powder or amp up the toffee bits for the sweetness. This had a nice crisp texture that shortbread should have. Don't overbake it but don't underbake it either or you won't get the "snap" of the shortbread texture.

Crumbl Copycat Waffle Cookies from Lifestyle of a Foodie

Crumbl Copycat Waffle Cookies - made dough July 1, 2023 from Lifestyle of a Foodie

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon butter flavoring (emulsion)

3/4 teaspoon maple flavoring (I substituted butter flavoring)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Buttercream

1/2 stick butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon butter flavoring (emulsion)

1 tablespoon heavy cream or whole milk

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and creamy.
2. Add egg, egg yolk, butter flavoring, vanilla extract and maple flavoring; mix until combined.
3. Add flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking powder and salt; mix until just combined.
4. Portion dough into 12 equally-sized dough balls and flatten slightly. Using a chopstick, slightly press down on the dough discs to make waffle indentations.
5. Freeze cookie dough discs for 15 minutes and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Evenly space cookie dough discs on baking sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until edges are set and middles no longer look raw. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 15-20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
7. Make the buttercream: beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, butter flavoring and 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk until light and fluffy. If mixture is too thick, add a few more drops of heavy cream or milk until desired consistency is reached.
8. Top each cookie with a dollop of buttercream and a drizzle of maple syrup if desired.

Remember when I tried the Crumbl Waffle Cookie and wished I had tasted it without the syrup first because. with syrup, all I could taste was the syrup and not the cookie itself?

So it seemed obvious that the thing to do was to try a copycat recipe, especially from Lifestyle of a Foodie since she has the best copycat recipes, some of whom are even better than Crumbl's OG cookies. Because then I can leave out the syrup and just have the cookie.

I've got to say, that was one of my more brilliant ideas. OMG, this cookie was fabulous. As in, if I were to try the original Crumbl waffle cookie without the syrup, I'm not sure it would be better. I don't think it can be; this cookie was that good. The dough was perfect, not dry or too sticky and, as you can see from the pictures, it kept the waffle indentations very well.

But it was really the flavor that won me over. I didn't have maple extract so I subbed in vanilla extract but even without the maple extract, this still tasted maple-y and waffle-y. That's probably due to the brown sugar but whatever it was, this cookie was fantastic. No syrup needed and I prefer it plain anyway. Look at that thickness and texture. This is definitely going on my "make again" list.

White Chocolate Lemon Bar Cookies from Baking with Blondie

White Chocolate Lemon Bar Cookies - made dough July 1, 2023 from Baking with Blondie

1 cup unsalted butter, cold

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, cold

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (reserve a handful to press on top after baking)

1 cup crumbled Lemon Oreos (reserve 1/4 cup to press on top before baking)

1. Preheat oven to 410 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat for 3 minutes on high speed, scraping sides and bottom to keep texture even textured.
3. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon extract; mix until combined.
4. Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt on low speed until just combined; do not overmix.
5. Reserve 1/8 cup white chocolate chips and 1/4 cup crumbled lemon Oreos then mix in the rest on low speed.
6. Portion dough into 8 equal-sized dough balls. Flatten slightly and handpress crumbled lemon Oreos on top. Evenly space 4 cookies per baking sheet.
7. Bake for 7-9 minutes. They should be slightly golden on the outside, slightly mounded in the middle and thick/tall and gooey in the center. Remove from oven and gently press reserved white chocolate chips over each cookie. Let rest on baking sheets for several minutes then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

I've never had Lemon Oreos before, have you? I tend to be a purist so I've always stuck to the original Oreos. No double stuff, no weird filling flavors, no cakey Oreos (cakey Oreos, I mean why??)

But I've had good results from pretty much every recipe from Baking with Blondie so I decided to give this a try. I'm glad I did as these were excellent, as per usual with one of her cookie recipes.

I do advise not pressing the Lemon Oreo pieces or white chocolate chunks on the outside until after you take the cookies out of the oven, not before baking. White chocolate will burn too easily at the 410-degree temp the recipe calls for and won't look as pretty.

But look at the texture of the inside - that's what I'm talking about. Dense, chewy, moist. The lemon flavor came out well, thanks to the lemon extract as well as the Lemon Oreos; the lemon flavor also paired nicely with the white chocolate. I really enjoyed the cookie itself so next time I might cut back on the Lemon Oreos and just enjoy the soft texture of the cookie without too much crunch. 

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies from Creations by Kara

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies - made dough June 7, 2023 from Creations by Kara 

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups toffee bits

1 cup coconut, optional

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until just combined.
2. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until just combined. Add oats, toffee bits and coconut.
3. Portion into golf-ball-size dough balls and flatten slightly to thick discs. Cover and chill 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 9-11 minutes or until edges are set and middles no longer look raw. Let rest on baking sheets for several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

I like toffee itself so you'd think I'd like them a lot in cookies. Normally I don't in "plain" brown sugar cookies or paired with chocolate chip cookies as I find the toffee adds a little too much sweetness for me.

BUT they worked fabulously well in these oatmeal cookies. In fact, I can see that toffee bits work best with oatmeal cookies. Most oatmeal cookies are brown-sugar-based which does complement toffee very well. But it's the oatmeal itself that tempers the sweetness from the toffee and adds both to the chewiness and flavor.

I really liked these cookies and would definitely make them again. They're also a perfect cookie for summer as they're easy to make, package and should survive hotter temperatures without any issues.

Blondies from Handle the Heat

Blondies - made June 17, 2023 from Handle the Heat

1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups (281 grams) mix-ins of your choice such as chocolate chips, M&Ms, nuts, etc

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 8 x 8-inch pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a heavy duty medium saucepan, melt butter. Add sugar and whisk to combine. Let cool until just warm.
3. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Stir in the salt, baking powder and flour with a rubber spatula. Stir in 1 1/2 cups mix-ins.
4. Pour batter in an even layer into prepared pan. Top evenly with remaining mix-ins.
5. Bake until edges are lightly golden but the center still jiggles slightly, about 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting and serving.

Remember I said how I don't usually like blondies? Always just seemed like a too-sweet brown sugar blondie. Well, recipe by recipe, Handle the Heat is starting to change my mind. First were her Chocolate Coconut Blondies which I really enjoyed.

And now, second, are these blondies with chocolate chunks. I probably overdid the chocolate chunks a bit but the blondie part was really good. Just the right "fudgy" texture and great flavor.

I definitely want to make these again, perhaps with a little less chocolate so I could enjoy the blondie part a little more.

When baking these, it's really important not to overbake them. I always say that but it's particularly true for blondies as they dry out more easily and quickly become cakey when fully baked.

Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars from Five Heart Home

Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars - made June 17, 2023 from  Five Heart Home

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract, optional

Topping

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon sparkling sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. 
4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until combined then add lemon juice, vanilla extract and lemon extract until just combined.
5. Add dry ingredients in 2-3 additions, mixing on low speed until just combined. Spread batter in an even layer into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with granulated sugar and sparkling sugar.
6. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; do not overbake. Cool completely before cutting and serving.

This is a straightforward, easy-to-make sugar cookie in bar form, spiked with lemon flavor. I don't make sugar cookie bars that often as I prefer them in cookie form and bar cookies tend to be more cakey than I like.

But these were pretty good, nicely chewy and not too tart or lemony but still subtly flavored with lemon. If you want to amp up the lemon flavor, grate some extra zest into the batter and/or mix lemon zest with sugar and sprinkle over the top when baking. I didn't have sparkling sugar so I used regular granulated sugar but it would have been a little more extra with the larger sugar crystals. This is a good one for summer picnics since you don't have the worry about frosting melting and they're easy to stack, store and package.

Crumbl Cookies review #43 - Red Velvet Cupcake, Waffle, Lemon Bar (mystery cookie), Fried Ice Cream

Crumbl Cookies review #43 - Red Velvet Cupcake, Waffle, Lemon Bar (mystery cookie) and Fried Ice Cream, visited June 19, 2023

I've been eating Crumbl cookies long enough and tried enough flavors that it's a rare week when they offer 4 flavors I've never tried before AND they were flavors I actually wanted to try.

I always try to take a picture of the menu for posterity's sake. This shot is a little (badly) angled as there were people in front of the kiosk putting in an order so I had to take the picture from the side.

I wasn't interested in the Chocolate Cookies and Cream so I was glad the mystery cookie was Lemon Bar. I love lemon so that one took up the 4th slot in the 4-pack I bought.

Red Velvet Cupcake

In order of how they were in my 4-pack left to right, let's start with the Red Velvet Cupcake. I've had other Crumbl red velvet cookies before so I figured I would like this one, especially since it didn't have white chocolate chips to detract from the texture of the cookie.

And sure enough, I really liked this cookie. Loved the red velvet flavor and the texture was perfectly fudgy and chewy. I also like the cream cheese frosting, even though I did have to scrape some of it off. I definitely prefer this version of red velvet vs the ones that have white chocolate chips in them.

Waffle

Unfortunately I was less impressed with the waffle cookie. I thought I would like this one better than I did as the cookie itself is usually what I like best about Crumbl cookies: nice and thick, dense, chewy, brown-sugar based. 

But I made the mistake of going by the recommendation of Crumbl Waffle cookie lovers who said to spread the buttercream dollop evenly over the cookie, pour the syrup over it and eat it warm.

I did all that and the mistake was in pouring the syrup over the whole cookie before trying the cookie without the syrup. Because with the syrup over it, all I could taste was the syrup, not the cookie. It was also messy to wrap and freeze because of the syrup.

So, yeah, no, didn't love this one. If it comes around again, I'll have to try it without the syrup. Maybe I'll like it better then.

Lemon Bar

Fortunately, the Lemon Bar more than made up for the Waffle cookie. I let it come to room temperature first (of course) and it was perfection.

The lemon curd on top was nicely tart and paired well with the sugar cookie base which I also loved since it was thick, dense and chewy. 

This might be one of my favorite lemon-based cookies from Crumbl and I'd definitely get it again. All the other lemon cookies get bumped down the list when they're up against the Lemon Bar.

Fried Ice Cream

I had never had the Fried Ice Cream before. When it came on the menu last year, I had read the "fried" topping was stale or got stale fast so I was leery of getting it. I don't eat any Crumbl cookie all at once, in one sitting or even on the same day. I usually try a piece of the cookie then break up the rest, wrap the pieces and freeze them until later.

Past experience with cereal-esque toppings have taught me those toppings don't fare well being frozen then thawed. They get stale, soft and chewy-not-in-a-good-way. But YOLO so I wanted to try it this time. 

And I'm so glad I did. I loved this cookie as well. I was going to love the cookie base anyway (look at that texture) and I appreciated the frosting wasn't so thick. But the fried topping really made the cookie. Mine was nicely crisp, almost like feuilletine, and made a great contrast with the chewy cookie and the smooth frosting, adding a perfect crunch. The downside was, as I expected, the topping didn't freeze well and wasn't as good when thawed. If I get this again, I'd prioritize eating it sooner than later to avoid having to freeze it.

All in all, this (last week) was a great week for Crumbl flavors. Which turned out to be a good thing because this week (week of June 26, 2023) had nothing that interested me. I'm hoping the mystery flavor this week will be good. Otherwise, it's a (rare) skip week for me at Crumbl.