Baby Shower Cookies

These came about years ago when Trader Joe’s first got in Amarena Cherries. They were just too good not to use!

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 1 stick butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp Kirsch
• 1 jar amarena cherries, drained and chopped, syrup reserved
• 2 tbsp reserved cherry syrup
• 6 oz chocolate chips

Sift together dry ingredients. Cream sugar and butter, add eggs one at a time. Add cherries, cherry juice, kirsch, and chocolate chips. Stir in flour.

Divide dough in half. Shape into logs. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes.

Cool completely. Slice into 1/2” slices and toast on both sides in 350° oven.

These came about because they’re the best of all worlds – peanut butter and chocolate! Since we both prefer chunky peanut butter, it’s what I always use to make them. If you like creamy – go for it.

They do take a bit of time, but they are sooooo worth it!

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup semi-sweet/bittersweet chocolate

cookie dough:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• demerara sugar – or granulated – for rolling before baking

for assembly: 

make the ganache:

1. Microwave the chocolate and peanut butter in 30 second spurts until melted.
2. Refrigerate until thick enough to form 18 balls. Keep balls refrigerated until ready to use.

make the cookie dough:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Cream butter and peanut butter with brown sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in egg and vanilla.
5. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until dough forms.

to assemble:

1. Portion dough into 18 balls.
2. With thumb, make hole in dough ball and insert a ganache ball.
3. Completely seal balls and roll in sugar.
4. Place on cookie sheet.
5. Bake for about 10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.

Coconut… what’s not to love? The basic recipe is really simple. I did a bit of an oops, though. The recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk and I thought I had 2 cans in the cupboard – but I had one can of dulce de leche caramel and one can of sweetened condensed milk.

I figured what the hell – and went for it. They came out great!

You could use two cans of either or split it up like I did.

I rolled a lot of them in colorful sprinkles and the like for the little ones…

I’m a good guncle…

• 28 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 14 ounces dulce de leche caramel
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.
2. Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.
3. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks.
4. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
5. Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
7. Cool and serve.

These are a basic cake mix cookie – the easiest thing in the world to make.

There are so many different cake flavors out there nowadays that the flavor possibilities are really good. I’ve made them with a few different mixes – this one was perfect for the occasion!

• 1 15.25 oz box red velvet cake mix
• 12 Tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg + 1 large egg white

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
3. Mix whole egg and egg white into the butter until combined.
4. Add the cake mix to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Scoop about 2 Tbsp of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are just turning golden around the edges.
7. Dip in white chocolate, if desired.

These started life as a Lemon Cookie. Over time, they have become every citrus flavor imaginable – from lemon to grapefruit, and lime to orange. This incarnation was blood orange, because they were on sale at the local grocers…

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons finely grated blood orange zest
• 1/4 cup blood orange juice
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Beat 1 cup of the granulated sugar and the butter until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Add the zest and the juice and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Put the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in another small bowl. Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, portion the dough and roll into balls. Toss each ball in the granulated sugar, then in the confectioners’ sugar, coating it generously and thoroughly. Arrange the balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets (you should have 24 balls). Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. Preheat to 350°.  Bake until the cookies spread, the tops crack and the edges are firm, 14 to 16 minutes.

This is an easy cookie to make if you don’t mind rolling out the dough.

I generally cut them about 2″ wide, but I tried maximizing the yield and cut them smaller. They tended to come apart a bit and unroll. It definitely didn’t change the taste, at all – just a bit messier presentation.

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 sticks butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch salt
• 2 cups flour
• apricot jam
• walnuts, chopped

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar and mix well. Add vanilla and salt.
2. Add flour and mix just until it’s all combined.
3. Place on counter and divide into 2 flattened logs. Wrap and refrigerate about an hour.

To make and bake:

1. Roll each log into a 6” by 18” or so rectangle.
2. Spread with jam or filling of choice and then liberally sprinkle with chopped nuts.
3. Roll and cut into 2” pieces. Brush top with egg wash and liberally top with demerara or other coarse-grained sugar.
4. Place on sheet pans and bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 20 minutes.