MINI girl

Toasted Almond Chip Balls

This is a recipe that came from my grandma and is a family favorite. My uncle calls them "cocoa balls." I usually make a double batch because they are always popular on the cookie tray!

Yield: 28 - 36 cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup ground chocolate chips
1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted and finely chopped
Powdered sugar, for rolling

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar. Stir in vanilla. Add flour. Stir in chocolate and nuts.
3. Scoop a tablespoon of dough and squeeze it together until it forms a ball; repeat with remainder of dough. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15-18 minutes.
4. Cool cookies. Roll in powdered sugar.

© Susanne Leighton 2008

Kahlua Balls

I adapted this recipe from one that my friend Deb told me about.

Yield: 36 balls

Ingredients:
18 Oreo cookies
about 3/4 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts)
about 2/3 cup Kahlua (or substitute your favorite liqueur)
about 1 cup powdered sugar

Method:

1. Crush cookies in food processor until quite fine; add nuts and process until finely chopped.
2. With machine running, slowly pour Kahlua in until it reaches a consistency similar to peanut butter but a bit wetter. Add powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, processing until mixture cleans sides of bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Form into small balls, about one inch in diameter. Roll balls in additional finely ground Oreo cookie crumbs or powdered sugar. Alternately, the balls may be dipped in melted chocolate.
4. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

© Susanne Leighton 2008

Big, Soft Ginger Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
1/4 cup molasses
Demerara sugar or white sugar, for rolling

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar (on low speed if using a mixer) until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the water and molasses.
4. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

© Susanne Leighton 2008

Amy’s Truffles

This is my sister Amy's famous truffle recipe. It is surprisingly quick and easy. Feel free to substitute your favorite flavoring or liqueur for the framboise.
 
Ingredients:
1 c heavy cream
12 oz best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3-4 Tbsp framboise liqueur, optional (or substitute vanilla if desired)
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

1. Gently warm cream in a saucepan over medium heat, until small bubbles appear along edges.
2. Place chocolate in a food processor; pour hot cream over it and allow to stand for 15sec. Then, process until smooth. Add flavoring and mix briefly.
3. Pour into shallow pan, cover w/ plastic, chill until very firm (3 hours).
4. Place cocoa into Ziploc bag. Form chocolate into 1” balls w/ hands. Drop into cocoa and roll to coat. Keep clean towel handy to wipe hands in between rolling.
5. Store up to 2 weeks in refrigerator, covered.

Recipe courtesy of Amy Essma

Rosemary-Walnut Shortbread Cookies

Rosemary represents remembrance. So Martha Stewart's rosemary shortbread cookies are sure to make a lasting impression.

Ingredients

Makes about 4 dozen

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup finely ground walnuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Raw sugar, for decorating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk flour, nuts, rosemary, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until lightened, about 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until dough comes together and is smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Turn out dough onto parchment paper, and pat into a round. Place parchment paper on top; roll into a 12-inch round, 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Cut out cookies using various sizes of heart-shape cutters (1/2 inch to 3 inches); transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. (Keep same-size cookies on same sheet.) Roll scraps; cut out. Gently press raw sugar onto edges of cookies.
5. Bake until just golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

From Martha Stewart

Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies

I was skeptical of substituting Smart Balance for all of the butter, but they turned out just great! These cookies are actually quite addictive; try a batch and see for yourself! They are guilt free.

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 c Smart Balance® Extra Virgin Olive Oil spread
3/4 c Splenda® brown sugar blend
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters® (or egg whites)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c all natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
1 1/4 c flour
1 c bran cereal (uncooked bran buds)
3/4 c rolled oats or plain oatmeal, uncooked
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Heat Smart Balance until partially melted. Place in mixing bowl with brown sugar blend, sugar, egg, egg substitute, vanilla, and peanut butter. Mix well on low speed.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, bran cereal, oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir this mixture into the peanut butter mixture. Blend well on low speed.
4. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes or until just done. Cool for a couple minutes on the pan, and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Low calorie, low sugar, low fat

© Susanne Leighton-Brooder, 2008

Russian Tea Cakes

This is my grandmother's recipe and a family favorite. I've been eating them for as long as I can remember.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. chopped nuts

powdered sugar, for rolling

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F degrees.
2. Cream butter using paddle attachment in stand mixer. Add vanilla and continue mixing. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for several minutes until the sides of the bowl start to wipe clean and the mixture comes together.
3. Roll dough in hands to form 1" balls. Place on baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Allow to cool slightly. Roll in powdered sugar when still warm.
6. Roll in powdered sugar a second time.

Elizabeth "Betty" Leighton

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This is another recipe I learned to make in cooking school.

Ingredients:
6 oz butter
4 oz sugar
8 oz brown sugar
3 oz eggs
2 oz water
0.5 oz vanilla
7 oz pastry flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
6 oz nuts
6 oz raisins, soaked
10.5 oz oatmeal

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (325ºF convection oven).
2. Cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar on low speed, until no butter shows; scrape down bowl. Add next 3 ingredients and mix until combined (will not be smooth).
3. Combine flour & baking soda in a separate bowl. Slowly add to creamed mixture, along with nuts, raisins and oatmeal. Mix only until combined – do not overmix.
4. Drop cookies into equally sized mounds onto parchment paper lined sheet pans.
5. Bake for 5 minutes, turn pans around, bake 3-5 minutes longer.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (using high gluten flour + pastry flour)

This is the chocolate chip cookie recipe that I learned to make in culinary school. However, most people do not have high gluten flour at home!  Therefore I recommend just following the recipe on the back of the bag of Tollhouse chocolate chips...it is simple, delicious and it never fails!

Ingredients:
8 oz butter, softened
8 oz sugar
8 oz brown sugar
4 oz eggs
½ tsp vanilla
7 oz high gluten flour
7 oz pastry flour
3/8 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
8 oz Chocolate chips

Method:

1. Mixing: Creaming method. Cream together first 3 ingredients until no butter shows; scrape down as needed. Add next 2 ingredients and mix until it looks the same as before; scrape down. Add next 4 ingredients (that have been loosely combined first); mix only until combined. Add chocolate chips and mix for 2 minutes.
2. Makeup: Drop method. Use portion scoop to drop onto parchment lined sheet pans (or greased cake pan for a cookie cake).
3. Baking: 325ºF convection for 6 minutes, turn pans around, bake 4-6 minutes longer.