Baking

50 States, 50 Cookies: Rhode Island

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I’m not very good at freeform cookies so instead I used my mini-muffin tin to shape them & the prep was super easy. These are a good fall/winter cookie with the cranberry walnut flavor. I might make a variation in the future with different fruits.

Cranberry Walnut Stuffed Shortbread Cookies from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies

Ingredients
  • Shortbread Dough
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2-1/2 cups Organic Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour
  • Cranberry Walnut Filling
  • 1 cup Dried Cranberries unsweetened
  • 1/3 cup Orange Juice
  • 1/4 cup Evaporated Cane Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 2/3 cup Finely Chopped Walnuts
Instructions
  1. Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract.
  2. Gradually add the flour while mixing. Once well mixed, remove from bowl and gather into a ball.
  3. Roll out into a log about 2½ inches wide. Roll in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for minimum of 3 hours to firm.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Slice the log of shortbread dough into ¼ thick slices and lay out on baking sheet.
  6. Place filling ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook covered, stirring occasionally until orange juice is absorbed, but still moist.
  7. Scoop ½ to ¾ tbs of the cranberry walnut filling onto each circle of dough. Press the filling together to clump. Pinch the dough on one side, then push the opposite side in toward center. Pinch the three corners to form even triangle. If bottom cracks at all, simply repair by pushing edges together.
  8. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Bottoms will be golden, but tops will still be light. Allow to cool on baking rack before serving.

50 States, 50 Cookies: Pennsylvania

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These cookies were fine but nothing special. They were a decent cutout cookie recipe for the future but I’d probably do a powdered sugar frosting next time.

 

Cranberry & Walnut Sand Tart Cookies from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies

 

Ingredients
  • 2-1/2 cups Granlated Sugar
  • 4 cups Organic Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups Unsalted Butter
  • 2 Eggs well beaten
  • 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries (chopped)
  • 1/4 cup Walnuts chopped
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together.
  2. Slowly add in eggs, mixing until well-combined. Add flour a bit at a time and mix thoroughly. Cover tightly and chill over night.
  3. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies and place on greased cookie sheet.
  4. Bake at 350-F about 10 minutes or until set.

50 States, 50 Cookies: Virginia

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I didn’t use the proper caramel sauce for these cookies. I used ice cream caramel sauce so it was runny and din’t set up properly. I also thought the cookies themselves were rather bland so overall these were huge disappointment.

Peanut Brittle Shortbread Cookies from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Salted Butter room temperature
  • 1/3 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1-1/4 cup Organic Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Peanut Brittle smashed into bits
  • 1/2 cup Caramel Sauce
  • crushed Peanuts for garnish optional
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add in vanilla and mix well.
  2. Add in flour and powdered sugar and mix on low to medium speed until dough forms a ball. Fold in peanut brittle bits.
  3. Using a 2 oz cookie scoop scoop dough onto a lined baking tray and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Make an indentation in the center of the cookie with your thumb, creating a 1″ circle.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a flat surface to cool completely. Once cook, spoon about 1 Tbs of caramel sauce into the center well of each cookie. Top with crushed peanuts if desired.

50 States, 50 Cookies: Vermont

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The sugar cookie themselves turned out really well. I will probably make these again minus the maple frosting and use as one of my go to sugar cookies.

 

Easy Sugar Cookies with Maple Frosting from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 cup Butter softened
  • 1 tsp Maple Syrup
  • 1 Egg
  • 2-1/3 cups Organic Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Maple Frosting

  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
  • Milk to thin with if necessary
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Beat the sugar and the butter until creamy. You can use an electric beater if you want.
  3. Stir in 1 teaspoon of real maple syrup and the egg. Stir in flour and baking soda.
  4. Shape the dough by teaspoonfuls into balls.
  5. Place on parchment paper and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Be sure to flour the bottom of the glass to avoid sticking.
  6. Bake about 10 minutes and allow to cool on rack completely before frosting.
  7. Mix the powdered sugar and real maple syrup together in a small pot and heat on low heat. Ensure there are no lumps. You can thin with milk if necessary.
  8. Frost quickly and enjoy!

50 States, 50 Cookies: Nevada

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I love monster cookies. I like lots of flavors and textures in my cookie. These were slightly underwhelming. They were very cake like which is not how I prefer my monster cookie. I don’t want them crunchy but I like them to be that perfect medium of soft and crunchy. Just a bit of chewiness. Mine also bake much more quickly than the recipe indicated.

Monster Cookies (Nevada) from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Butter softened
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar packed
  • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 3/4 cup Peanut Butter
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1-1/2 cups Organic Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
  • 1 cup Regular Rolled Oats
  • 3/4 cup Candy-Coated Milk Chocolate Pieces
  • 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Using your hand or stand mixer, add the butter and both sugars. Mix until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
  3. Add in peanut butter, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until eggs are incorporated and everything is mixed well.
  4. In a medium bowl, add the baking soda, flour, cinnamon and oats. Stir to mix ingredients together.
  5. With your stand or hand mixer on a low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
  6. Stir in candy-coated milk chocolate pieces and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.
  7. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes. Place the cookie sheet on a hot pot and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Place cookies on a wire rack and let cool.

50 States, 50 Cookies: North Dakota

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I loved the concept of these cookies but unfortunately mine didn’t turn out that well. The shortbread was too thick & resulted in too much cookie & not enough filling. I might try to adapt these in the future to use up my garden fresh rhubarb.

Rhubarb Linzer Cookies (from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp almond
  • 3 cups flour
  • 10 tbsp rhubarb jam
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºf and line two cookie sheets with parchment.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and extracts. Gradually mix in the flour until combined.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. (alternatively you can wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 2 days before proceeding to the next step.) Roll out the dough until it’s 1/4-inch thick.
  4. Cut out 3-inch circles using a cookie or biscuit cutter. Place half of the cookies on the baking sheet 1 inch apart. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out a shape from the center of the remaining cookies. Place those on the cookie sheet 1 inch apart (you may have to bake in batches).
  5. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies turn slightly golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
  6. Once cooled, place about 2 tsp of jam in the center of a cookie and then squish into a sandwich with one of the cutout cookies. Repeat with remaining cookies and then let set overnight.
  7. Dust with powdered sugar before serving and enjoy!

50 States, 50 Cookies: Texas

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These cookies were decent. They had a nice cake like consistency & had a well rounded peanut butter, honey, chocolate flavor. Nothing special but nice to try.

 

Texas Sheet Cake Cookies with a Peanut Butter Twist from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter you can use natural and can use other nut butters, too
  • 2 Tbls unsalted Butter at room temperature (you can use Earth Balance if you prefer)
  • 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 Egg lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 3/4 cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
  • 1/8 cup Dairy Free Semi-Sweet Cocolate Chips or other preferred mini chocolate chips

For the icing

  • 1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter or preferred nut or seed butter
  • 2 Tbls Cocoa Powder
  • 3 Tbls Honey
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
For the Cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 350° and line baking sheet with parchment or silicone mat, set aside.
  2. Use an electric mixer to cream peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add egg and vanilla, and continue beating until creamy.
  3. Fluff or sift flour and then spoon into measuring cup. If you use your measuring cup to scoop out flour, you will end up with too much flour.
  4. Add flour and baking powder to mixing bowl and beat on low speed until combined.
  5. In a microwave safe bowl heat chocolate chips on high in 30 second increments until melted, stirring after every 30 seconds.
  6. Mix melted chocolate directly into cookie dough until evenly mixed.
  7. Drop dough by a measured tablespoon-sized mounds onto baking sheet, lightly press down a bit. They will not spread. Bake for 7-8 minutes until cookies appear just set. They will still be very soft on the inside. DO NOT over-bake!!
  8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
For the Icing
  1. Using a food processor (or bowl), add peanut butter, cocoa powder, honey and vanilla. Mix together.
  2. Spread icing over cookies and enjoy

50 States, 50 Cookies: New Jersey

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I thought these cookies were actually pretty gross. I really like ricotta cheese but the texture was not to my liking. Also the flavors were just off. Next time I will just make regular a cannoli.

Cannoli Cookies from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies

Ingredients

Cannoli Cookies

  • 2 cups Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1/4 cup Ricotta room temperature
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • zest from one Orange
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 large Egg room temperature
  • 3/4 cup Chocolate Chips
  • 1/2 cup Cannoli Shell crumbs optional
  • Filling
  • 1-3/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar
  • zest from half an Orange
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 3 Tbsp Mini Chocolate Chips plus more for decorating
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, ricotta, sugar, and orange zest together until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the vanilla and egg until it is well combined – about another minute.
  5. Slowly add the flour and beat until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and cannoli crumbs, if using. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
  6. While the dough is chilling, make the filling. Mix together all the ingredients for the filling together until well combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  7. Take out the dough and make balls of cookie dough that are about two tablespoons big.
  8. Bake for about 12 – 14 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown – the tops will not brown much. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. When completely cool, add the filling to half the cookies, then top with the remaining half. If desired, roll the edges of the sandwiches in mini chocolate chip cookies.

50 States, 50 Cookies: Maine

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I had high hopes for these cookies but they were really nothing special. I also messed up on by buttercream and it broke (i.e. it separated). Perhaps I’ll try a variation of these in the future.

 

Lemon Blueberry Cream Cookies from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 cup Butter softened
  • 1-1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2-1/4 cups + 1/2 cup Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour or Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour

Blueberry Cream Filling

  • 1/2 cup Frozen Blueberries defrosted
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 tsp Milk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract or blueberry for more flavor
  • 3 cups + 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth.
  3. Add egg, vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Mix until combined.
  4. Add flour evenly distributed over egg mixture.
  5. Sprinkle remaining dry ingredients over flour.
  6. Mix until fully combined.
  7. Lightly dust a solid surface with flour.
  8. Turn dough out and sprinkle with flour.
  9. Roll to about 1/3″ thick. Cut with a 2″ cookie cutter.
  10. Place on sheet pan.
  11. Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden.
  12. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
Filling:
  1. Cream butter, extract, milk and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar until smooth. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar until buttercream is fully combined. Frosting should be thicker than normal.
  2. Hand fold in blueberries.
  3. Add filling to pastry bag and pipe onto cookie bottoms.
  4. Add cookie tops. Enjoy!

Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb Meringue Dessert

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I made this awhile ago with my first harvest of rhubarb from this summer. Summer came & went super quickly. I won’t complain. Fall is my favorite time of year. The majority of people in Minnesota would agree with me. Fall is the best season with the cooler weather, leaves changing, pumpkins, Halloween, etc. Other people would add football to the list and I suppose I will too. Not because I like watching it but because I like making food for other people and using that Sunday time to bake. A time for me to relax in the kitchen & try new things. While I am exited for the pumpkins, squash, & root veggies to take over, I have to say I will miss being able to go pick fresh rhubarb from the garden. Gardening is the main thing I enjoy about summer. At least I have a little stockpile in the freezer which I will probably use to make this dish again. It may just be my new favorite rhubarb recipe.

Rhubarb Meringue Dessert (from Betty Crocker)

  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup half & half or whipping cream
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup flaked coconut

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix butter, 1 cup flour and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press evenly in ungreased square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Bake 10 minutes.

Mix egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, the salt and half-and-half in large bowl. Stir in rhubarb. Pour over hot crust. Bake 45 minutes.

Beat egg whites in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Beat in vanilla. Spread over rhubarb mixture; sprinkle with coconut. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown; cool about 30 minutes. Cut into about 3-inch squares.