Sweet and Salty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Also known as MMM Cookies, or Magical Marvelous Memorable Cookies.

These cookies are sweet, salty, and have little crunchies in them from granola and pecans. Many people pick them up thinking they’re just a normal chocolate chip cookie only to ask, “hey, what’s in here?” when they realize there are some delightful little sweet and salty add-ins dotting the chocolate chip landscape.

The recipe that inspired these cookies is called “Magical, Marvelous, Memorable Cookies”. I like to think of the pretzels as magical, the pecans as marvelous, and the granola as memorable. Irony of ironies, I could never remember the whole title and would always forget “memorable.” I decided to give them a little bit easier and more descriptive name. While I do enjoy the original more whimsical one, it is harder to remember and gives no indication as to what is in these cookies or what they will taste like.

Cookies that unite

Somehow, their everything-but-the-kitchen-sink-esque ingredient list works really well together. They unite people, when you think they would divide, especially when they include things like pretzels and nuts. I’m not normally one to like pretzels in my desserts. The pretzels are one of my favorite parts. My mom doesn’t like nuts in her cookies. She likes the pecans in these.

Granola? In cookies?

The recipe calls for granola, which might seem ambiguous in light of all of the different kinds of granola out there, store-bought and homemade. Use whatever kind you’d like! Yes, each time the cookies will be a bit different, but as long as you like the granola you’re using, the cookies should turn out delightful. It doesn’t even have to be pure granola. Recently I’ve been using Post Great Grains Crunchy Pecan and it works very well.

Likewise, pecans are one of my favorite nuts in dessert (if I want nuts), but you can use your favorite nut here, if you don’t have or don’t want to use pecans.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe inspired by Food52

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Sweet and Salty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 24-30 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup / 225g Butter, softened OR 3/4 cup / 169g Neutral-flavored cooking oil

• 3/4 cup / 150g Granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup / 150g Brown sugar

• 2 Eggs

• 2 tsp / 10g Vanilla extract

• 2 1/4 cup / 270g All-purpose flour

• 1 tsp Baking soda

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 cup / 170g Semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup / 120g Granola or granola-like cereal

• 1/2 cup / 50g Pecans, chopped

• 1/2 cup / 20g Pretzels, crushed

Directions:

Oven 375°F / 177°C. 1 or 2 ungreased cookie sheets

1. In bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. If using oil, simply mix oil and sugars.

2. Beat in eggs and vanilla, until thoroughly combined.

3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.

5. Stir in chocolate chips, granola, pecans, and pretzels until evenly distributed.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges start to turn golden and centers still look a bit soft.

7. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from cookie sheet to cool completely.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Any variety of pretzels can be used, as long as they can be broken into small pieces. Sticks or tiny twists (mini) are probably the easiest to work with.

• The options for what kind of granola to use in these is almost endless. You could use store-bought or homemade, any flavor you like.

Yield 24-30

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

25 Min

Cook time

10 Min

Total time

35 Min

Print

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Sweet and Salty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sweet and Salty Chocolate Chip Cookies with the addition of pretzels, pecans, and granola. The ingredients might sound a bit "everything but the kitchen sink" but surprise everyone with just how tasty they are.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup / 225g Butter, softened OR 3/4 cup / 169g Neutral-flavored cooking oil
• 3/4 cup / 150g Granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup / 150g Brown sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp / 10g Vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cup / 270g All-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 cup / 170g Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup / 120g Granola or granola-like cereal
• 1/2 cup / 50g Pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup / 20g Pretzels, crushed

Instructions

1. Oven 375°F / 177°C. 1 or 2 ungreased cookie sheets
2. In bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. If using oil, simply mix oil and sugars.
3. Beat in eggs and vanilla, until thoroughly combined.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
6. Stir in chocolate chips, granola, pecans, and pretzels until evenly distributed.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges start to turn golden and centers still look a bit soft.
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from cookie sheet to cool completely.

Notes

• Any variety of pretzels can be used, as long as they can be broken into small pieces. Sticks or tiny twists (mini) are probably the easiest to work with.
• The options for what kind of granola to use in these is almost endless. You could use store-bought or homemade, any flavor you like.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

268

Fat

15 g

Sat. Fat

3 g

Carbs

31 g

Fiber

1 g

Net carbs

29 g

Sugar

17 g

Protein

3 g

Sodium

180 mg

Cholesterol

14 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 cookie from a 24-cookie batch.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/8/27/mmm-cookies

no chill chocolate chip cookies, everything but the kitchen sink cookies, magical marvelous memorable cookies

dessert

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies are very much like a classic chocolate chip cookie, but with two important differences: They have butterscotch chips and dark chocolate chips instead of the classic semi-sweet. Also, a sprinkling of sea salt on top gives these an extra little sweet and salty kick.

The orange and dark chocolate give these an autumnal, even Halloween look. I love that a simple, quick to make cookie can still look subtly festive without having to make cutout cookies with icing and such.

A Note on Chips:

These cookies call for butterscotch chips. I recommend checking the ingredients of butterscotch chips before buying as some brands include artificial colors. While butterscotch chips may not be the most wholesome thing on the market, some options are still better than others. I’ve found butterscotch chips at Aldi that use natural coloring and for one of the better prices, too!

While any flavor of chocolate chips can be used in these, milk, semi-sweet, or dark, I really enjoy dark chocolate chips or chunks. The bitterness from the dark chocolate helps to cut the sweetness of the butterscotch chips while also complimenting the sea salt.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 24-30 cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup / 168g neutral-flavored cooking oil

• 3/4 cup / 150g sugar

• 3/4 cup / 150g brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp / 5g vanilla extract

• 2 1/2 cups / 300g all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup / 170g butterscotch chips

• 1 cup / 170g dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

• sea salt, for sprinkling, optional

Directions:

Oven 375° / 190°C. 1 or 2 ungreased cookie sheets.

1. In a large bowl, combine oil, both sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well with a spoon for about 30 seconds - 1 minute.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. Add dry ingredients along with butterscotch and chocolate chips to wet ingredients. Mix until well combined.

4. Drop by generous tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are just starting to turn light golden brown and centers look mostly set.

Jenny’s Notes:

• While cookie recipes never include notes about needing to add more flour, like bread recipes often do, I often find it necessary to add more flour to get the consistency I like. If you can see cookie dough spreading in the bowl after mixing, rather than staying mostly in a mounded shape, it’s probably too soft. Add 1/4 cup flour at a time until desired thickness is achieved. If in doubt, you can always bake off a test cookie. Scoop out enough dough for just one cookie onto cookie sheet and bake, adding more flour if cookie spreads too thin. Conversely, if cookie is too thick and doesn’t spread much at all, next time add less flour.

Yield 24-30

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

10 Min

Total time

25 Min

Print

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Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy cookies with dark chocolate, butterscotch, and a sprinkling of sea salt.

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup / 168g neutral-flavored cooking oil
• 3/4 cup / 150g sugar
• 3/4 cup / 150g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp / 5g vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups / 300g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup / 170g butterscotch chips
• 1 cup / 170g dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• sea salt, for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

1. Oven 375° / 190°C. 1 or 2 ungreased cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, combine oil, both sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well with a spoon for about 30 seconds - 1 minute.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients along with butterscotch and chocolate chips to wet ingredients. Mix until well combined.
5. Drop by generous tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are just starting to turn light golden brown and centers look mostly set.

Notes

• While cookie recipes never include notes about needing to add more flour, like bread recipes often do, I often find it necessary to add more flour to get the consistency I like. If you can see cookie dough spreading in the bowl after mixing, rather than staying mostly in a mounded shape, it’s probably too soft. Add 1/4 cup flour at a time until desired thickness is achieved. If in doubt, you can always bake off a test cookie. Scoop out enough dough for just one cookie onto cookie sheet and bake, adding more flour if cookie spreads too thin. Conversely, if cookie is too thick and doesn’t spread much at all, next time add less flour.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

235

Fat

11 g

Sat. Fat

2 g

Carbs

31 g

Fiber

1 g

Net carbs

30 g

Sugar

15 g

Protein

2 g

Sodium

193 mg

Cholesterol

15 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 cookie if recipe makes 24.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/10/12/butterscotch-chocolate-chip-cookies

no chill cookies, chocolate chip cookies, butterscotch chip cookies, sea salt cookies, crackly cookies

dessert

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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S'mores Cookies

Last Updated September 22, 2024

An ode to the sweet, summer campfire treat, these cookies are full of nostalgia and summer goodness.

Graham crackers are ground into a flour to make soft and chewy graham cracker cookies, speckled with milk chocolate and pops of marshmallows that get all toasty in the oven.

There are a couple of different ways to make these cookies, depending on if you prefer to whip up cookies using ingredients you probably already have on hand, or if you don’t mind planning a bit ahead to make it as close to a real s’more as possible.

The Chocolate

Classic s’mores call for Hershey’s milk chocolate. The thin, milk chocolate 1.55oz bars. Not thick ones, not the minis given out at Halloween. For some reason, s’mores need that specific thickness and size of Hershey’s. For this reason, to get the closest to classic s’mores as possible, use the 1.55oz Hershey’s milk chocolate bars.

For a slightly more convenient option, use milk chocolate chips. It’s still milk chocolate, even if it doesn’t have the unique taste of Hershey’s milk chocolate.

In a pinch, you can use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips in these, but those options are not as s’mores-esque as milk chocolate.

The Marshmallows

Classic s’mores call for regular sized marshmallows, but cutting up marshmallows is sticky and not so fun. Mini marshmallows are the way to go. Here I do highly recommend you do not skip nor forget to line your cookie sheets with silpat or parchment paper, as any marshmallows that come into contact with the cookie sheet while baking will want to stay attached for life. The marshmallows get all chewy in the cookies and delicious, so can be worth any potential mess.

S'mores cookies made with milk chocolate chips and dehydrated marshmallows

Another option is to use dehydrated marshmallows. They still give the marshmallow flavor without getting too sticky. They might not be as readily available as regular or mini marshmallows, but they have become more mainstream than when I first discovered them years ago. My local Meijer grocery store carries them! If you aren’t able to find them locally, they can be found on Amazon if all else fails, although probably more expensive than a grocery store.

The Graham Crackers

You’ll want to use classic, or regular graham crackers for these, or whatever you’d normally use to make s’mores. They lend a subtle, but buttery graham flavor to the cookies that completes the trio of s’mores flavors. They’ll need to be ground up to make fine crumbs, almost flour-like in consistency, or at least as fine as you can get them. Using a food processor is quickest, but you can also grind them up with a rolling pin.

If you’re thinking that adding 18 sheets (270g), of graham crackers feels like a lot, especially when the recipe already calls for 2 cups of flour, rest assured it is the correct amount. In fact, when I first began playing with this recipe I started with less graham crackers because I thought it might be too much. It wasn’t, and I was able to easily square off the recipe with using an even two packages (9 each) of graham crackers.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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S’mores Cookies

Makes about 26-32 cookies

Cookies and 2 year old drawings in the background, does it get any sweeter?

• 3/4 cup / 169g neutral-flavored cooking oil

• 3/4 cup / 150g sugar

• 3/4 cup / 150g brown sugar

• 3 eggs

• 18 sheets / 270g graham crackers, finely ground

• 2 cups / 240g all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup / 175g milk chocolate chips OR 4 (1.55oz bars) Hershey’s milk chocolate candy bars, roughly chopped

• 1 cup / 50g dehydrated marshmallows OR 2 cups / 114g mini marshmallows

Directions:

Oven 375°F / 190°C. Line 2 cookies sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

1. In a large bowl combine oil and both sugars. Beat in eggs.

2. In a separate bowl whisk together Graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently stir in marshmallows and chocolate just until combined.

3. Drop by generous tablespoonfuls evenly spaced onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes or until just starting to turn golden and centers look set.

4. Allow cookies to cool just for a few minutes on cookie sheets before removing to cool completely.

Jenny’s Notes:

• The use of mini marshmallows in these can cause a sticky mess if not handled carefully. Try to keep marshmallows on the top and center of cookies and away from bottom and edges, so as to stick less to cookie sheet. Don’t skip the parchment or silpat! Remove cookies from cookie sheet as soon as they’ll hold up, just a few minutes.

Yield 26-32

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

25 Min

Cook time

10 Min

Total time

35 Min

Print

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S'mores Cookies

Graham crackers are ground into a flour to make soft and chewy graham cracker cookies, speckled with milk chocolate and pops of marshmallows that get all toasty in the oven. An ode to the sweet, summer campfire treat, these cookies are full of nostalgia and summery goodness.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup / 169g neutral-flavored cooking oil
• 3/4 cup / 150g sugar
• 3/4 cup / 150g brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 18 sheets / 270g graham crackers, finely ground
• 2 cups / 240g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup / 175g milk chocolate chips OR 4 (1.55oz bars) Hershey’s milk chocolate candy bars, roughly chopped
• 1 cup / 50g dehydrated marshmallows OR 2 cups / 114g mini marshmallows

Instructions

1. Oven 375°F / 190°C. Line 2 cookies sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
2. In a large bowl combine oil and both sugars. Beat in eggs.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together Graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently stir in marshmallows and chocolate just until combined.
4. Drop by generous tablespoonfuls evenly spaced onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes or until just starting to turn golden and centers look set.
5. Allow cookies to cool just for a few minutes on cookie sheets before removing to cool completely.

Notes

• The use of mini marshmallows in these can cause a sticky mess if not handled carefully. Try to keep marshmallows on the top and center of cookies and away from bottom and edges, so as to stick less to cookie sheet. Don’t skip the parchment or silpat! Remove cookies from cookie sheet as soon as they’ll hold up, just a few minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

227.73

Fat

9.98 g

Sat. Fat

2.05 g

Carbs

30.67 g

Fiber

0.59 g

Net carbs

30.08 g

Sugar

13.51 g

Protein

2.35 g

Sodium

231.19 mg

Cholesterol

18.89 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 26 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/8/24/smores-cookies

s'mores cookies, toasted marshmallows, Hershey's milk chocolate, graham cracker cookies, summer dessert

dessert

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last Updated September 2, 2024

Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies made with semi-sweet chocolate chips

Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies: like classic chocolate chip cookies, but malted. The malt is subtle, but irresistible, and makes the cookies extra tender and chewy.

The Effect of Adding Malt Powder to Cookies

You’d think you could take your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and just add some malted milk powder, right? Not quite. Something about malted milk powder makes cookies thin and spread a lot. If you add less malt powder, the flavor won’t come through enough. Adding more flour to try and offset this will only make the cookies cakey and weird.

To combat the cookies from spreading too much, there are a few key things this recipe includes:

1. Cornstarch - helps keeps cookies thick and soft

2. Brown sugar - most chocolate chip cookies call for both white sugar and brown sugar. Cookies made with white sugar spread more, so these cookies only call for brown sugar

3. Refrigeration - Chilling dough helps cookies to maintain their shape a bit more and get those golden, crispy edges while maintaining a soft, chewy center. While these cookies are already naturally chewier than most thanks to the malt powder, chilling the dough helps them to spread less. While I’m fully aware of the benefits and reasons for chilling cookie dough, I’m also a huge fan of no-chill cookie dough, and most of the recipes on this blog reflect that. I usually want cookies NOW, haha. That said, the chilling for this recipe is important enough that I really do recommend it!

This recipe has been on the blog since its first year, but you would never know it because it was very well hidden at the end of a satire piece I wrote for April Fools. I only recently rediscovered it myself and decided it was high time to give these cookies their own post, their own spotlight, not hidden in some other piece.

So here’s a fresh and clean post for Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies with some fresh photos to boot!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from Cookies and Cups.

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Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 24-36 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups / 300g all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup malted milk powder

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp cornstarch

• 1 cup / 113g butter, softened or 3/4 cup / 169g oil

• 1 1/2 cups / 300g brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 Tbsp / 15g vanilla extract

• 2 cups / 340g semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips or 2 cups (250g) coarsely chopped malted milk ball candies (Whoppers)

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, malted milk powder, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. If using oil, beat to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla.  

3. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined. Switch to a spoon and stir in chocolate chips.

4. Cover and chill dough for at least 2 hours or up to 72 hours.  

5. When ready to bake dough, preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C.  Scoop out dough by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. 

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges begin to turn golden-brown but centers still look soft.  

7. Allow to cool for a a few minutes before transferring from cookie sheets to cooling racks or clean counter to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Jenny's Notes:

• 2 cups of whoppers is about 2 (5oz) packages of Whoppers

• Try these cookies with chocolate malt powder for a chocolatey twist!

Yield 24-36

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

10 Min

Inactive time

2 Hour

Total time

2 H & 30 M

Print

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Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft and extra chewy chocolate chip cookies with an irresistible malty flavor

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups / 300g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup malted milk powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 cup / 113g butter, softened or 3/4 cup / 169g oil
• 1 1/2 cups / 300g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp / 15g vanilla extract
• 2 cups / 340g semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips or crushed malted milk ball candies (Whoppers)

Instructions

1. Whisk together flour, malted milk powder, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. If using oil, beat to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla.
3. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined. Switch to a spoon and stir in chocolate chips.
4. Cover and chill dough for at least 2 hours or up to 72 hours.
5. When ready to bake dough, preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C. Scoop out dough by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges begin to turn golden-brown but centers still look soft.
7. Allow to cool for a a few minutes before transferring from cookie sheets to cooling racks or clean counter to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Notes

• Try these cookies with chocolate malt powder for a chocolatey twist!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

261.15

Fat

12.69 g

Sat. Fat

7.79 g

Carbs

35.23 g

Fiber

0.35 g

Net carbs

34.87 g

Sugar

23.27 g

Protein

2.27 g

Sodium

197.97 mg

Cholesterol

34.61 mg

Nutritional information is approximate and based on 1 serving if recipe makes 24 cookies.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/8/26/malted-chocolate-chip-cookies

chocolate chip cookies, best ever soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies, malted Whopper chocolate chip cookies

dessert

American

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookie BAKE OFF

Last Updated: July 9, 2024

Welcome to my sourdough chocolate chip cookie throw down.

What did I do with scads of sourdough discard piling up in my fridge? Why, bake up multiple batches of sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies to see which ones are the best, of course.

The first step was to pick the recipes. I wanted ones that seemed to be popular, but most importantly, recipes with varied approaches. The first time I ever made sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies was a recipe by the Boy Who Bakes. That recipe involved browning butter and using only egg yolks, which may seem fussy for chocolate chip cookies, but there are valid reasons behind it.

Can’t you just throw some sourdough discard in your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and call it a day?

Well, yes. And no.

When it comes to sourdough discard, it works very well in quick breads, pancakes, muffins, etc. It starts to change things up noticeably, though, when added to things like cookies. This is because cookies have a very low moisture content compared to cakes or muffins. If you add water or liquids to a cookie, they’ll turn cake-y. Sourdough discard is often half water. This poses a problem for cookies. This can be offset by eliminating water elsewhere in the recipe to make up for it. Egg whites contain water, so the first step is to use just egg yolks. Secondly, by browning the butter, you evaporate the water content in butter.

When I learned this, it all started to make so much sense why you can’t just toss some discard in your cookie dough if you want the same beloved, chewy texture. There is a science-y reason for it! Yet…why are there so many recipes for sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies that call for only one or neither of these things? Does that mean it’s not necessary to do the extra work? Is the science not science-ing?

Well, I was here to find out!

I decided to make 3 new sourdough discard recipes, combined with 2 more I tried at different times, for a total of 5 contenders.

Each recipe has different elements so you can see how they affect the final product. I found it fascinating and hopefully the results will help you decide which sourdough chocolate chip cookie recipe will be your new go-to!

About this Bake Off

• The 3 principal recipes in this bake off were all made on the same day with the same ingredients and baked in the same oven. Recipe 4 was made in Italy with Italian ingredients, so that would be the most different. However, being so similar in nature to recipe 2, I felt it was still worthwhile to include it. Recipe 5 was made shortly after but not on the same day as the 3 principal recipes.

• All 5 recipes were followed as precisely as possible, without making any adjustments, even based on best judgement. For example, 2 recipes I would have normally added more flour, but I resisted to keep this bake off as true as possible.

• All recipes requiring refrigeration were chilled overnight, even if one recipe’s minimum chill time was 2 hours, it still got an overnight chill.

• All ingredients in these recipes were weighed for maximum consistency.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses, and American companies and products made in the USA for American readers. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake Off

Cookie #1 Little Spoon Farm

This recipe was the closest to a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe, calling for regular butter and a whole egg.

Raw dough: Gooey, had a “pull” to it, rather like a stiffer bread dough, where you can see and feel the gluten build up in the dough. This dough had the most pronounced “sourdough” taste to it.

Baked: Had a pockmarked appearance, and a texture again that made one think of bread. But it was not “bready” per se, nor was it cake-y. It still had a nice chew to it, it just wasn’t as dense as a classic chocolate chip cookie. Overall a very tasty cookie, and the sourdough taste was lessened with baking.

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Cookie #2 Sugar Spun Run

This recipe was the most tedious to make, because it not only required browning and cooling the butter, but also called for just egg yolks.

Raw dough: almost identical to classic chocolate chip cookie dough in texture, with a lovely nuttiness from the browned butter. The browned butter also did a good job of balancing out the sourdough taste.

Baked cookie: nice bake, not too flat, not to tall. Chewy, delicious, and still very similar to a classic chocolate chip cookie. Minimal sourdough taste.

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Cookie #3 King Arthur

This recipe was a hybrid of the two recipes above, using browned butter yet a whole egg.

Raw dough: very soft; too soft. I knew it would need more flour but decided to make the recipe exactly as written for testing purposes. Delicious, again with browned butter the nuttiness really mellowed out the sourdough taste. Had it been a bit firmer it probably would’ve been similar to cookie #1 in texture with that slight glutinous “pull.”

Baked cookie: too much spread, too flat and soft. Definitely the most chocolatey. Tricky to get off the tray (should have used a silicone baking mat or parchment paper).

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Cookie #4 The Boy Who Bakes

This is the first sourdough discard chocolate chip cookie recipe I ever made. I could really get behind his method, and how he thoroughly and clearly explained how he arrived at the recipe. Science. It made sense to me. I didn’t include this recipe in with my 3 cookie bake-off since I had 1) already made these 2) was looking to try all new ones, and 3) Sugar Spun Run’s was already similar.

This recipe is very similar to Sugar Spun Run in that it calls for browned butter and only egg yolks.

Raw Dough: Sticky, I should’ve known it would need more flour despite the chilling, but other than that pretty similar to standard chocolate chip cookie dough, with that wonderful nutty flavor from the browned butter pairing with the subtle tang from the discard.

Baked Cookie: Yes, they were delicious. Similar to King Arthur’s recipe, for test results in my kitchen, I would have adjusted the recipe to include more flour the next time, as the cookies came out very thin and flat.

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Cookie #5 My mom’s chocolate chip cookies

My mom always uses oil in her cookies. Oil (certain kinds, anyway) is often seen as a healthier alternative to butter, especially for those who avoid dairy or cholesterol.

None of the other 4 cookies I tried included oil in the recipe, so I decided to try my mom’s recipe with sourdough discard, and used whole eggs.

Raw Dough: Stickier and with more of, again, that glutinous “pull” than is usual for cookie dough. Tasted wonderful, faint tang from the discard.

Baked Cookie: These turned out closest to Little Spoon Farm, which used regular butter and whole eggs; a delicious chocolate chip cookie with a just a bit more volume, hint of chew, hint of breadiness.

These were by far the easiest and least fussy. No need to separate of eggs, no need to brown then cool butter, no need to cream the butter, no need to chill the dough. Easy.

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Conclusion:

All of these recipes are valid and yielded delicious cookies. Boy Who Bakes and King Arthur both would need more flour, based on my results, but this could also be dependent on my preference of cookies as well as the state of discard starter and various other possible factors.

At the end of the day, there are two recipes I would be most likely to return to.

For absolute best taste and texture, #2 Sugar Spun Run was the stand out, followed closely by the #4 Boy Who Bakes.

For quickest cookies to whip up in a pinch, #5 my mom’s recipe wins for easiest and fastest.

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Almond Joy Cookies

Almond Joy candy bars in an easy to make, homemade cookie form.

These cookies are loaded with chocolate chips, coconut, and sliced almonds, bursting with that coconut and almond flavor. They’re sweet, chewy, and pure joy to eat. (Heh heh.)

Make these with toasted coconut!

While I’ve written the recipe as a quick and easy to whip up recipe with regular, unsweetened coconut, these are DELICIOUS if you have a few extra minutes to toast your coconut.

To toast coconut:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C.

2. Spread 2 cups coconut into an even layer onto an ungreased baking sheet or dish.

3. Bake in oven for 8-10* minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Check every 2 minutes or so to ensure it doesn’t burn. Stir as necessary.

* Baking time will vary depending on oven and type of baking dish used.

I used to always use a baking sheet or cookie sheet to toast coconut, until I tried using a Le Creuset baking dish, and I’ve never used anything else since. The coconut toasts so evenly I rarely have to stir it anymore, and burning it is a distant memory.

Le Creuset is made of enameled stoneware which creates even baking, and easy clean up! One more amazing use for Le Creuset. They’re an investment and can be very expensive, but certain pieces are more affordable, or even if you can find them on occasion at Home Goods or Le Creuset’s outlet stores, you can get some pretty good deals.

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Almond Joy Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup / 168g neutral-flavored cooking oil

• 3/4 cup / 150g sugar

• 3/4 cup / 150g brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp coconut extract

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 2 cups / 160g unsweetened shredded coconut

• 2 1/4 cups / 270g all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 cups (12 oz bag) / 350g semi-sweet or milk chocolate chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup / 42g sliced almonds

Directions:

1. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together oil, and sugars.

2. Beat in eggs and extracts. Stir in coconut.

3. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

4. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

5. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds by hand, just until evenly distributed.

6. Drop by generous tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until cookies look puffed, slightly golden, and center no longer looks gooey.

7. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes on cookies sheets before removing to cool completely.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Try these cookies using toasted coconut! (Toast coconut by spreading into an even layer on a baking sheet or dish, and bake at 350°F / 177°C for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown, check every 2 minutes or so to ensure it doesn’t burn, stirring if necessary.)

• I like to use a mix of both semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips in these!

• For nut lovers, you can increase the amount of sliced almonds in this recipe!

Yield 24 cookies

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

10 Min

Total time

30 Min

Print

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Almond Joy Cookies

Chewy cookies loaded with coconut, chocolate, and almonds, just like the Almond Joy candy bar.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup / 168g neutral-flavored cooking oil
• 3/4 cup / 150g sugar
• 3/4 cup / 150g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 cups / 160g unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 1/4 cups / 270g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups (12 oz bag) / 350g semi-sweet or milk chocolate chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup / 42g sliced almonds

Instructions

1. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together oil, and sugars.
2. Beat in eggs and extracts. Stir in coconut.
3. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds by hand, just until evenly distributed.
6. Drop by generous tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until cookies look puffed, slightly golden, and center no longer looks gooey.
7. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes on cookies sheets before removing to cool completely.

Notes

• Try these cookies using toasted coconut! (Toast coconut by spreading into an even layer on a baking sheet or dish, and bake at 350°F / 177°C for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown, check every 2 minutes or so to ensure it doesn’t burn, stirring if necessary.)
• I like to use a mix of both semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips in these!
• For nut lovers, you can increase the amount of sliced almonds in this recipe!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

298.91

Fat

17.71 g

Sat. Fat

7.83 g

Carbs

31.57 g

Fiber

1.82 g

Net carbs

29.76 g

Sugar

16 g

Protein

2.62 g

Sodium

159.65 mg

Cholesterol

13.64 mg

Nutritional information is approximate and based on 1 cookie.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/4/5/almond-joy-cookies

no chill cookie dough, chocolate chip cookies, Almond Joy

dessert

American

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Whole Wheat Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

One bowl chocolate chip cookies featuring whole wheat flour and oats.

While the whole wheat flour and oats may trick you into thinking these cookies are trying to be healthy, that’s really not what they’re here for! Sure, an added bonus is that these cookies do have added nutrition, but the whole wheat flour and oats serve to add a more complex flavor profile.

Whole wheat flour adds a nutty flavor while the oats add, ahem, “oatiness” and that beloved chew from an oatmeal cookie. You can use your favorite kind of chocolate chips in this recipe, but I really love the bitterness of dark chocolate chips in these. On the flip side, I also think using white, or even white and dark (!) would be a really beautiful combo.

Chocolate chip cookies are a timeless American staple, and I love all the endless variations! Here is yet another for you to try and add to your baking repertoire!!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Whole Wheat Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 14-18 medium cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup / 113g oil

• 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar

• 1/4 cup / 50g sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp / 5g vanilla extract

• 3/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 1/2 cups / 135g rolled or quick oats

• 3/4 cup / 96g whole wheat flour

• 1/4 cup / 25g oat bran, wheat germ, or wheat bran

• 1 cup / 175g semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Oven preheated to 350°F / 177°C. 1 ungreased baking sheet

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil, both sugars, and salt. Beat in egg and vanilla.

2. Mix in baking powder and baking soda until thoroughly combined.

3. Stir in oats, flour, oat bran, and chips until combined.

4. Drop by generous tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until lightly golden and no longer look wet.

5. Allow to cool for several minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely.

Jenny’s Notes:

• If you don’t have oat bran, wheat bran, or wheat germ on hand, you could add in extra flour or oats, instead. In fact, I’ve even used baby cereal with great success!

• While you can really use any kind of chocolate chips you wish, I really enjoy dark chocolate chips or chunks in these cookies; it really compliments the nutty whole wheat flour!

Yield 14-18 cookies

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

12 Min

Total time

27 Min

Print

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Whole Wheat Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies made with oats and whole wheat flour. The extra nutty flavor pairs beautifully with the chocolate chips for an indulgent yet nutritious treat.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup / 113g oil
• 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar
• 1/4 cup / 50g sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp / 5g vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups / 135g rolled or quick oats
• 3/4 cup / 96g whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup / 25g oat bran, wheat germ, or wheat bran
• 1 cup / 175g semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Oven preheated to 350°F / 177°C. 1 ungreased baking sheet
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil, both sugars, and salt. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in baking powder and baking soda until thoroughly combined.
4. Stir in oats, flour, oat bran, and chips until combined.
5. Drop by generous tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until lightly golden and no longer look wet.
6. Allow to cool for several minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely.

Notes

• If you don’t have oat bran, wheat bran, or wheat germ on hand, you could add in extra flour or oats, instead. In fact, I’ve even used baby cereal with great success!
• While you can really use any kind of chocolate chips you wish, I really enjoy dark chocolate chips or chunks in these cookies; it really compliments the nutty whole wheat flour!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

231.82

Fat

13.14 g

Sat. Fat

4.56 g

Carbs

28.53 g

Fiber

2.44 g

Net carbs

26.1 g

Sugar

12.2 g

Protein

3.66 g

Sodium

174.98 mg

Cholesterol

11.82 mg

Nutritional information is approximate and based on 14 servings.

If you don’t have oat bran, wheat bran, or wheat germ on hand, you could add in extra flour or oats, instead. In fact, I’ve even used baby cereal with great success! While you can really use any kind of chocolate chips you wish, I really enjoy dark chocolate chips or chunks in these cookies; it really compliments the nutty whole wheat flour!

cookies, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, whole grain, whole wheat flour

dessert, cookies

American

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Nutella-Filled Pillow Cookies

These are buttery sugar cookies with hints of almond and vanilla, stuffed with Nutella. The almond really compliments the Nutella! I guess hazelnuts and almonds make good company.

I first made these cookies over 10 years ago and they’re still a cookie I love to make. Because they’re cutouts, I tend to save them for special occasions, but the extra time is so worth it!

These cookies melt in your mouth and keep you going back for more, despite being a generous size to begin with! They’re also pretty little things, which makes them suitable for nice occasions, especially with a little dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder on top. You can use different shapes for different occasions, which makes these not only delicious and beautiful, but also versatile! These are always a winner.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Nutella-Filled Pillow Cookies

Makes about 12 large cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup / 225g butter

• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar

• 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 Tbsp / 15g vanilla

• 1/2 tsp almond extract

• 3 cups / 360g flour

• 1 Tbsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• about 2/3 cup / 200g Nutella

• powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder for dusting, optional

Directions:

Oven preheated to 375°F / 190°C. Ungreased cookie sheets.

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in extracts.

3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk.

4. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, mix until thoroughly combined. If dough seems too wet, add a bit more flour until a thicker consistency is reached.

5. Cover and place dough in refrigerator until chilled, at least 1 hour.

6. Remove dough from fridge. Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4in / 1/2cm. Use a 3in / 7.5cm cookie cutter to cut the cookie dough. Re-roll and cut more.

7. Place half of the cut out cookies onto a cookie sheet. Spoon or pipe about 2 tsp of Nutella onto the middle of the cookie. Place a second cookie on top, using fingers or a fork to seal edges together.

8. Bake in preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, or until edges just barely start to turn golden. Allow cookies to cool for several minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to cooling racks or the counter.

9. When cookies are completely cool, dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Round or square cookie cutters work best for these pillow cookies, but any shape will do, as long as it has a large enough center area for the Nutella to be able to be sealed in. I like to do heart shapes for Valentine’s day, as pictured!

• While these may have Nutella in the name, I’ve stuffed these with other things before that were also delicious! Small chocolates like Reese’s, Dove chocolates, etc. could be used. I once used these hazelnut chocolates that are common in Italy, Gianduja, and they were wondeful in these!

• Don’t over bake! Not only can this lead to dry cookies, but it can affect the filling, as well.

Yield 12 Large Cookies

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

45 Min

Cook time

11 Min

Inactive time

1 Hour

Total time

1 H & 56 M

Print

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Nutella-Filled Pillow Cookies

Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies with hint of vanilla and almond, stuffed with Nutella, and topped with a dusting of powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1 cup / 225g butter
• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar
• 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp / 15g vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 3 cups / 360g flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• about 2/3 cup / 200g Nutella
• powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder for dusting, optional

Instructions

1. Oven preheated to 375°F / 190°C. Ungreased cookie sheets.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in extracts.
4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk.
5. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, mix until thoroughly combined. If dough seems too wet, add a bit more flour until a thicker consistency is reached.
6. Cover and place dough in refrigerator until chilled, at least 1 hour.
7. Remove dough from fridge. Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4in / 1/2cm. Use a 3in / 7.5cm cookie cutter to cut the cookie dough. Re-roll and cut more.
8. Place half of the cut out cookies onto a cookie sheet. Spoon or pipe about 2 tsp of Nutella onto the middle of the cookie. Place a second cookie on top, using fingers or a fork to seal edges together.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, or until edges just barely start to turn golden. Allow cookies to cool for several minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to cooling racks or the counter.
10. When cookies are completely cool, dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Notes

• Round or square cookie cutters work best for these pillow cookies, but any shape will do, as long as it has a large enough center area for the Nutella to be able to be sealed in. I like to do heart shapes for Valentine’s day, as pictured!
• While these may have Nutella in the name, I’ve stuffed these with other things before that were also delicious! Small chocolates like Reese’s, Dove chocolates, etc. could be used. I once used these hazelnut chocolates that are common in Italy, Gianduja, and they were wondeful in these!
• Don’t over bake! Not only can this lead to dry cookies, but it can affect the filling, as well.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

388.68

Fat

21.3 g

Sat. Fat

14.73 g

Carbs

48.95 g

Fiber

1.74 g

Net carbs

47.2 g

Sugar

18.17 g

Protein

5.22 g

Cholesterol

67.95 mg

Sodium

345.08 mg

Nutritional info is approximate, based on 1 cookie

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/1/27/nutella-filled-pillow-cookies

Cookies, Nutella, Pillow Cookies, Cutout Cookies, Rolled Cookies, Sugar Cookies

dessert, cookies

American

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Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Last Updated September 7, 2024

As far as simple and delicious cookie recipes go, this is a good one to have on hand.

These cookies have only 4 ingredients, and are gluten-free, dairy-free (as long as your chocolate chips don’t contain dairy), and many other allergen and dietary needs friendly.

This is a recipe I’ve had around for ages, since I was a kid! I believe I originally got it from my cousin. I recently re-discovered these, they’re almost too easy to make, and a great way to use up extra egg whites. They’re easy enough kids can help or even make them by themselves, and with the chocolate chips, M&M’s, or other add ins, also very appealing to kids!

Are you ready for some of the easiest cookies you’ve made yet? Yeah, let’s go!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe from my cousin

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Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

M&M Meringue Cookies

Makes about 24 (about 1 1/2inch / 3cm) cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites

• 1 pinch of cream of tartar

• 1/2 cup / 100g granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup / 128g mini chocolate chips or other add-in of choice

Directions:

Oven preheated to 250°F / 121°C. Line a cookie sheet with a silpat or lightly grease.

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand-held electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with whisk attachment until foamy.

2. Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

3. Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.

4. Drop onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until set and just starting to turn a light golden color. Allow to cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Mini M&M’s are also a hit in these cookies! You can get creative, any kind of crushed candy or cookie like Oreo’s, or nuts, sprinkles, etc.

• These cookies are best enjoyed within a day or two. They can be stored loosely covered at room temperature, but if you cover too tightly they turn soft and sticky even quicker.

Yield 24

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Total time

50 Min

Print

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Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

4 ingredient meringue cookies with a slightly crunchy exterior and a soft, chewy inside, speckled with chocolate chips.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 1 pinch of cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup / 100g granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup / 128g mini chocolate chips or other add-in of choice

Instructions

1. Oven preheated to 250°F / 121°C. Line a cookie sheet with a silpat or lightly grease.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand-held electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with whisk attachment until foamy.
3. Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.
5. Drop onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until set and just starting to turn a light golden color. Allow to cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

Notes

• Mini M&M’s are also a hit in these cookies! You can get creative, any kind of crushed candy or cookie like Oreo’s, or nuts, sprinkles, etc.
• These cookies are best enjoyed within a day or two. They can be stored loosely covered at room temperature, but if you cover too tightly they turn soft and sticky even quicker.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

45.69

Fat

1.32 g

Sat. Fat

0.81 g

Carbs

8.05 g

Fiber

0.15 g

Net carbs

7.9 g

Sugar

7.7 g

Protein

0.54 g

Cholesterol

0.84 mg

Sodium

8.04 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 cookie from a 24-cookie batch.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2023/10/9/chocolate-chip-meringue-cookies

meringue, egg whites, cookies, gluten-free, dairy-free

dessert, cookies

American

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Paste di Pistacchio Siciliane - Sicilian Pistachio Cookies

Last Updated September 7, 2024

Paste di Pistacchio, or Pistachio cookies, hail from the beautiful island of Sicily. They have a delightfully crisp outer shell and a chewy, soft center.

Two years ago I put up the recipe for Paste di Mandorle, or Sicilian Almond Cookies, and it has become one of the top recipes on this site.

It’s not hard to figure out why…with only 4 ingredients that get mixed together in a bowl with a spoon, rolled in powdered sugar and baked, it really doesn’t get much easier than this. No fancy equipment. Not to mention with the almonds there are more nutritional benefits to these than your average cookie. Or at least, that’s what I tell myself when I’m going for my fifth cookie. They’re also gluten-free and dairy-free friendly.

Sometimes great ideas pop into my head. Sometimes really awful ones, too, but I try to only filter the good ones here onto this blog, k? One day, I saw a half bag of pistachios in my cupboard. The first half had been ground into pistachio flour to make this Pistachio Cake with Honey Vanilla Buttercream for Christmas. Then I had an idea, what if I take the Paste di Mandorle recipe and replace part of the almond flour with pistachio flour?? So I did. And this recipe was born.

After the fact when all the cookies had been gobbled up within a couple hours, I wondered if maybe this recipe wasn’t original to me? It seemed too easy for no one else to have thought of this. Turns out these are definitely already a thing. Sicily is known not just for their almonds but also for their pistachios, especially the area of Bronte. Naturally, these pistachio cookies are a classic right alongside the almond ones.

The original Paste di Pistacchio Siciliane

The original recipe itself has a few variations, as I will list below. You can choose to implement any of the following as per your taste, or just follow the main recipe below, which is my favorite way of making it. Any way you go, you will have a scrumptious cookie that is not only unbelievably easy, but also an authentic Italian sweet!

• Grind your own flour vs storebought flour. Some will instruct to grind your own almonds and pistachios. This not only gives you fresh nut flour, but it allows you to control how fine you grind it. Some advise against buying almond flour or pistachio flour from the store because it’s too thin. However, if you don’t have a food processor, spice grinder, coffee grinder or any other tool that will get the job done, I have used store bought flour and it turned out fine. No pun intended. ;)

• Honey. I’d say most of the recipes claiming to be the original I’ve seen call for adding a bit of honey, anywhere from 10-20g. Honestly I don’t, but it would be easy to add if you truly want as close to the original as possible. If adding honey, use a bit less of the cane sugar.

• Powdered sugar. Some recipes call for using powdered, others granulated. Others call for granulated but have you grind the sugar with the nuts, so you end up with powdered sugar anyway. I generally use granulated sugar and don’t grind, because I grind the nuts in a small electric coffee grinder and there isn’t room for the sugar. Either way you will have great results.

• Cookie shape. The cookies can be shaped into the classic S shape (Roll dough into logs about the width of a finger, then slice into pieces about the length of half of an index finger, roll in powdered sugar, and use your fingers to shape into the S), ovals, or simply round cookies. I chose the round shape for the recipe below, as it’s the simplest. If you’d like to see the S shape, check out the pictures in this recipe.

• Dough resting/refrigeration. Some will instruct to let the dough rest after you’ve shaped it so it will be less sticky. As with the almond cookies, if you’ve glanced or made that recipe, the refrigeration or resting is not strictly necessary. It allows the dough to dry out a bit, which means they retain their shapes better when baked. But if you’re going for the round or oval shape, there’s not much need.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Here is one of the recipes I referenced in Italian and also gives a good visual of the “S” shaped cookie.

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Paste di Pistacchio Siciliane - Sicilian Pistachio Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 125g whole unsalted almonds or almond flour

• 125g whole unsalted pistachios or pistachio flour

• 250g granulated sugar (or 230g granulated sugar and 20g honey)

• 2 / 60g egg whites

• pinch of salt

• powdered sugar, for rolling, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.

1. Using a food processor, spice grinder, or coffee grinder, grind the nuts until coarse. Small chunks are ok.

2. Mix all ingredients together, and form into balls or desired shape. Roll in powder sugar, if desired.

3. Place evenly spaced on ungreased cookie sheets. At this point cookies can be covered and refrigerated overnight or baked immediately.

4. Bake in preheated oven for about 8-12 minutes, or until cookies just start to turn golden.

Jenny’s Notes:

• If working with a food processor or other tool large enough, you can grind the nuts with the sugar, creating powdered sugar in the process, as some recipes call for.

• If the dough is too sticky, you can let it sit for an hour or refrigerate for several hours to let it thicken/dry out a bit.

• This recipe is also delicious using all pistachio flour!

Yield 24

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

12 Min

Total time

27 Min

Print

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Paste di Pistacchio Siciliane - Sicilian Pistachio Cookies

Traditional Sicilian sweets with a delightfully crunchy outside and chewy inside. Made with just 4-5 ingredients and naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 125g whole unsalted almonds or almond flour
• 125g whole unsalted pistachios or pistachio flour
• 250g granulated sugar (or 230g granulated sugar and 20g honey)
• 2 / 60g egg whites
• pinch of salt
• powdered sugar, for rolling, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.
2. Using a food processor, spice grinder, or coffee grinder, grind the nuts until coarse. Small chunks are ok.
3. Mix all ingredients together, and form into balls or desired shape. Roll in powder sugar, if desired.
4. Place evenly spaced on ungreased cookie sheets. At this point cookies can be covered and refrigerated overnight or baked immediately.
5. Bake in preheated oven for about 8-12 minutes, or until cookies just start to turn golden.

Notes

• If working with a food processor or other tool large enough, you can grind the nuts with the sugar, creating powdered sugar in the process, as some Italian versions call for.
• If the dough is too sticky, you can let it sit for an hour or refrigerate for several hours to let it thicken/dry out a bit.
• This recipe is also delicious using all pistachio flour!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

108.15

Fat

5.13 g

Sat. Fat

0.51 g

Carbs

14.12 g

Fiber

1.10 g

Net carbs

13.02 g

Sugar

12.21 g

Protein

2.73 g

Cholesterol

0.00 mg

Sodium

36.38 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 cookie rolled in powdered sugar.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2021/4/29/paste-di-pistacchio-siciliane-sicilian-pistachio-cookies

Italian dessert, Italian cookie, Sicilian dessert, Sicilian recipe, authentic Italian recipe, original Sicilian dessert recipe, pistachio, almond, gluten free, dairy free

dessert, cookies

Italian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Last Updated September 6, 2024

Chocolate no-bake cookies are actually known as Chocolate Sand Dune Cookies around the Morris household, because no-bakes is not as fun, ya know? They’re well enough known that probably doesn’t matter, but as I grew up near the famous Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, you will understand why, many years ago, my older brother decided to call these mounds of cookies “sand dunes”. Or rather “chocolate sand dunes” because these cookies are not the color of sand. The name stuck, and here we are today.

Chocolate sand dune cookies a.k.a. chocolate no-bake cookies, no matter what you call them, are delicious and just a little too easy to make.

They’re also made without any flour, so if you use certified GF oats, they are easily gluten-free. These cookies made a come back during the quarantine and the flour shortage! They can also be made with a milk-alternative and butter-alternative if you wish to have dairy-free cookies. They’re naturally egg-free!

What follows is the classic recipe I grew up making with my mom. Little did I know until I was a teenager and making no-bake cookies with a friend that the actual “original” recipe includes peanut butter. What?! You don’t put peanut butter into chocolate sand dune cookies! Actually you can, and it’s delicious. Peanut butter and chocolate together, hello. Of course it’s delicious.

However, this is not to disregard my mom’s classic recipe. While she loves chocolate and peanut butter, she doesn’t prefer them together. So she omitted the peanut butter and never looked back from making this pure chocolatey, fudgy version of no-bake cookies. Some of my family members still prefer them without the peanut butter, others prefer with. So if you or someone you know doesn’t like peanut butter with chocolate, or has a nut allergy, know you can omit the peanut butter and have an equally delicious cookie.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

A recipe from my mama

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Chocolate Sand Dune Cookies

Makes about 36 cookies

The pan was full at one point…

Ingredients:

• 4 cups / 800g sugar

• 1/2 cup / 50g cocoa powder

• 1 cup / 237g milk

• dash of salt

• 1 cup / 225g butter (2 sticks)

• 1/4-1 cup / 65g - 260g peanut butter, optional

• 2 tsp / 10g vanilla extract

• 5 1/2 cups / 495g quick oats

Directions

1. In a large pot, stir together sugar, cocoa, milk, and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes then remove from heat.

2. Add butter, peanut butter, and vanilla; stir well.

3. Add the oats and stir until all oats are coated. Let mixture sit for 8-10 minutes to thicken, stirring occasionally to check consistency.

4. When mixture has thickened enough, spoon mounds onto wax paper or a clean counter. Allow to set and enjoy!

Jenny’s Notes:

• Brown sugar can be used instead of white sugar, if you prefer.

• I grew up baking with salted butter and this recipe reflects that with the dash of salt. Here in Europe and in most bakeries unsalted butter is used, so if that’s what you are using, simply add two dashes of salt if you wish!

• You may notice the variance in the peanut butter measurement; use up to 1 cup for peanut butter lovers, or as little as 1/4 cup for just a hint.

• Regular or crunchy peanut butter can be used, and it’s also fine to use natural peanut butter. People often don’t recommend using natural in recipes, but as I prefer not to buy the kinds with added sugars and hydrogenated oils, I usually use it anyway and have hardly met a recipe where you can’t successfully use the natural kind.

• Quick or instant oats are my preferred kind of oats to use for chocolate sand dunes, but as you will notice from my photos that regular or rolled oats can also be used. Rolled oats give more of a bite to your cookies, and you will probably need to let the mixture sit a bit longer before spooning out the cookies so the oats have time to thicken up the mixture. If after 10-15 minutes your mixture still isn’t thickening up satisfactorily, you may need to add additional oats.

• The above recipe makes about 36 cookies, great for sharing, large families, and parties. It can also easily be halved to make about 18 cookies, or even quartered to make 9. The photos on this post are from the 2 month lockdown in Italy when I decided that a quarter batch should suffice for 2 people who can’t leave the house.

Yield 36

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

5 Min

Total time

25 Min

Print

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Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Chocolate No-bakes are decadent mounds of chocolatey oat cookies made without flour, eggs, or an oven, which makes them ideal for summer baking and people with gluten or egg allergies.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 4 cups / 800g sugar
• 1/2 cup / 50g cocoa powder
• 1 cup / 237g milk
• dash of salt
• 1 cup / 225g butter (2 sticks)
• 1/4-1 cup / 65g - 260g peanut butter, optional
• 2 tsp / 10g vanilla extract
• 5 1/2 cups / 495g quick oats

Instructions

1. In a large pot, stir together sugar, cocoa, milk, and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes then remove from heat.
2. Add butter, peanut butter, and vanilla; stir well.
3. Add the oats and stir until all oats are coated. Let mixture sit for 8-10 minutes to thicken, stirring occasionally to check consistency.
4. When mixture has thickened enough, spoon mounds onto wax paper or a clean counter. Allow to set and enjoy!

Notes

Brown sugar can be used instead of white sugar, if you prefer.I grew up baking with salted butter and this recipe reflects that with the dash of salt. Here in Europe and in most bakeries unsalted butter is used, so if that’s what you are using, simply add two dashes of salt if you wish! You may notice the variance in the peanut butter measurement; use up to 1 cup for peanut butter lovers, or as little as 1/4 cup for just a hint. Regular or crunchy peanut butter can be used, and it’s also fine to use natural peanut butter. People often don’t recommend using natural in recipes, but as I prefer not to buy the kinds with added sugars and hydrogenated oils, I usually use it anyway and have hardly met a recipe where you can’t successfully use the natural kind. Quick or instant oats are my preferred kind of oats to use for chocolate sand dunes, but as you will notice from my photos that regular or rolled oats can also be used. Rolled oats give more of a bite to your cookies, and you will probably need to let the mixture sit a bit longer before spooning out the cookies so the oats have time to thicken up the mixture. If after 10-15 minutes your mixture still isn’t thickening up satisfactorily, you may need to add additional oats. The above recipe makes about 36 cookies, great for sharing, large families, and parties. It can also easily be halved to make about 18 cookies, or even quartered to make 9. The photos on this post are from the 2 month lockdown in Italy when I decided that a quarter batch should suffice for 2 people who can’t leave the house.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

192.48

Fat

9.10 g

Sat. Fat

4.01 g

Carbs

26.75 g

Fiber

0.92 g

Net carbs

25.83 g

Sugar

22.75 g

Protein

2.47 g

Sodium

89.28 mg

Cholesterol

13.96 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 cookie if using the full cup of peanut butter in the recipe.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2020/6/16/classic-no-bake-cookies

no-bake cookies, chocolate, oats, no bake dessert, summer dessert, fudgy chocolate cookies, oat cookies, peanut butter

dessert

American

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

---

White Chocolate Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies

Last Updated August 29, 2024

Happy official fall and pumpkin season!!!

Starting off the season with soft, fluffy pumpkin cookies stuffed with white chocolate and cranberries with a hint of orange. These are lightly sweet which helps the white chocolate shine and offset the tartness of the cranberries. A bit of orange extract makes the whole combo into this deliciously bright fall offering.

Aside from the orange, these cookies are similar to my White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. Same condiments, different cookie. One a light and fluffy ode to fall, another a chewy classic oatmeal cookie. Both scrumptious.

Before writing up this recipe I felt a twinge of pumpkin guilt. You know, the I’m making and sharing so many pumpkin recipes and desserts that maybe everyone is already sick of them except me? Then I remembered that I actually haven’t shared any truly fall recipes on the blog yet this year! I somehow managed to hold myself off until after the autumn solstice. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been baking fally things, uh uh no. I’ve already opened one of my precious cans of pumpkin from the States (what I did with the extra room in my baggage because a small can of pumpkin costs almost 5euro in Florence) and squeaked out a batch of these pumpkin cookies, brownies with a spiced pumpkin cream cheese swirl, and pumpkin streusel coffee cake. Fall, I welcome thee with open arms.

So, I hope wherever you are in the world, you share my love for autumnal things, and enjoy baking up these White Chocolate Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies, don a sweater and some cozy socks, and read a book with a nice mug of tea. Hopefully your weather allows for that.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses, and American companies and products made in the USA for American readers. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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White Chocolate Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup / 240g pumpkin purée

• 1 1/4 cups / 250g sugar

• 1 egg

• scant 1/2 cup / 90g oil

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp orange extract

• 2 1/2 cups / 300g all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3/4 cup / 105g dried cranberries

• 3/4 cup / 127g white chocolate chips

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C. Baking sheet lined with parchment paper, silpat, or greased.

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, egg, oil, and extracts in a large bowl.

2. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt.

3. Add dry ingredients, cranberries, and white chocolate chips to wet ingredients, stirring until evenly moistened.

4. Drop by generous spoonful onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 9-12 minutes, or until bottom of cookies are golden brown and the center still looks a bit wet.

Jenny’s Notes:

• I used half goji berries half cranberries last time and really liked it. Dried cranberries usually have loads of sugar and I liked that the goji berries were unsweetened.

Yield 24-26

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

25 Min

Cook time

12 Min

Total time

37 Min

Print

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White Chocolate Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies

Soft and fluffy pumpkin cookies loaded with mini white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and goji berries with a hint of orange and cinnamon.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup / 240g pumpkin purée
• 1 1/4 cups / 250g sugar
• 1 egg
• scant 1/2 cup / 90g oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp orange extract
• 2 1/2 cups / 300g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup / 105g dried goji berries or cranberries
• 3/4 cup / 127g white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Oven 350°F / 177°C. Baking sheet lined with parchment paper, silpat, or greased.
2. Combine pumpkin, sugar, egg, oil, and extracts in a large bowl.
3. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
4. Add dry ingredients, cranberries, and white chocolate chips to wet ingredients, stirring until evenly moistened.
5. Drop by generous spoonful onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 9-12 minutes, or until bottom of cookies are golden brown and the center still looks a bit wet.

Notes

I used half goji berries half cranberries last time and really liked it. Dried cranberries are usually sweetened and I liked that the goji berries were unsweetened.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

168.23

Fat

5.85 g

Sat. Fat

1.37 g

Carbs

27.70 g

Fiber

0.93 g

Net carbs

26.77 g

Sugar

17.09 g

Protein

1.99 g

Sodium

130.03 mg

Cholesterol

8.86 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 24 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/9/26/white-chocolate-cranberry-pumpkin-cookies

cookies, pumpkin, white chocolate chips, cinnamon, orange, cranberry, goji berry, fall recipe

dessert

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Jeannie's Healthy Breakfast Cookies

Last Updated August 28, 2024

What could be better than a cookie? How about a cookie that’s packed with nutrients and can be eaten anytime, especially for breakfast, guilt free?

I love cookies. They are my go-to when I want to whip up something with limited time, or don’t have much energy for other more entailed desserts. I’m sure this has NOTHING to do with the fact that cookies are also one of my favorite things to eat. It ends up turning into a win-win-win situation because I’m having fun, being productive, get to eat some of the ingredients while baking, get to eat some dough while baking, and BONUS if there is enough dough to actually be baked into cookies! So many wins.

I have to bring up the negative, however, to classic cookie baking. They’re kinda calorific and not very good for you. I’m all for eating cookies for breakfast, but that usually goes along with a sugar crash later on. What to do?

Bake healthy cookies! They have to be delicious of course, and not gross. I have just the recipe for you, made up by my mom many years ago when we needed a portable nutritious breakfast for a trip. This recipe has been in my recipe box ever since as “Jean’s breakfast cookies”, made with many adjustments because the add ins are very versatile depending on your tastes. My mom likes to be called Jeannie (not by her kids of course) so I adapted the title accordingly.

One thing this recipe is not is a taste-alike recipe to say, chocolate chip cookies with a surprise twist that it’s healthy. Nope, these cookies have a satisfyingly healthy look and taste and are upfront about it from the get go. They get positive feedback and recipe requests wherever they go!

The recipe that follows is just one version of many, many possibilities. Just keep in mind that major adjustments may need other adjustments. For example, if you don’t have any honey or maple syrup on hand for the sweetener, you could use raw or regular cane sugar. Substituting a liquid for a dry ingredient, however, will mean you may need more liquid from elsewhere. Maybe add another egg, a bit more oil, or even water until you get a cookie dough consistency once again. Other ideas to make the recipe your own:

• Use any kind of flour you wish instead of wheat flour. Oat flour, almond flour, coconut flour…I often use wheat germ in place of part of the flour or flaxmeal, usually 1/4 cup.

• If you want these cookies to be gluten-free, ensure that your oats are gluten-free, and use a gluten-free flour.

• Change up the spices. Sometimes towards fall I also add a bit of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Cardamom is also nice.

• Beyond dried fruit and walnuts, get creative with your add-ins! Just try not to go too far beyond 1 cup, otherwise there might not be enough dough to hold everything together. In the photos on this post I used dried apples, dried cranberries, and walnuts. I’ve also added various combinations of dried cherries, prunes, dried apricots, raisins, dates, dried figs, dried pears, fresh apples, grated coconut, pecans, hazelnuts, dark chocolate, crystallized ginger, and anything else I had on hand!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from my mama

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Jeannie’s Healthy Breakfast Cookies

Makes about 18-22 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup / 112g olive or coconut oil

• generous 1/3 cup / 120g maple syrup or honey

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup / 120g all-purpose or whole wheat flour

• 1 1/2 cups / 135g rolled oats

• 1/2 cup / 90g flaxmeal

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

• 3/4 cup / 105g nuts, roughly chopped

• 1/2 apple, diced

• 1/4 cup / 50g dried fruit, chopped if necessary

Directions:

Oven 375°F / 190°C. Baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper.

1. In a large bowl combine wet ingredients: oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla; beat with a spoon until smooth.

2. In another medium bowl whisk together dry ingredients: flour, oats, flaxmeal, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

3. Add dry ingredients, nuts, apple, and dried fruit to wet ingredients, mix until well combined.

4. Spoon generous tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly as they won’t spread much, leaving at least 1 inch between cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges turn lightly golden brown and centers are no longer doughy.

Jenny’s Notes:

• you can make flaxmeal at home by simply processing some flaxseeds in a coffee or spice grinder.

• olive oil has a rather strong taste so if you prefer to avoid that, try going with the coconut oil option or even a neutral oil like peanut oil.

• 3 egg whites can be substituted for the 2 eggs for cholesterol-conscience people.

Yield 12-16 cookies

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

10 Min

Total time

30 Min

Print

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Jeannie's Breakfast Cookies

Healthy cookies packed with nutritious ingredients that make for a great breakfast or anytime snack. Dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and can easily be made gluten-free.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup / 112g olive oil or coconut oil
• generous 1/3 cup / 120g maple syrup or honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup / 120g all-purpose or whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups / 135g rolled oats
• 1/2 cup / 90g flaxmeal
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup / 105g nuts, roughly chopped
• 1/2 apple, diced
• 1/4 cup / 50g dried fruit, chopped if necessary

Instructions

1. Oven 375°F / 190°C. Baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl combine wet ingredients: oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla; beat with a spoon until smooth.
3. In another medium bowl whisk together dry ingredients: flour, oats, flaxmeal, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Add dry ingredients, nuts, apple, and dried fruit to wet ingredients, mix until well combined.
5. Spoon generous tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly as they won’t spread much, leaving at least 1 inch between cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges turn lightly golden brown and centers are no longer doughy.

Notes

you can make flaxmeal at home by simply processing some flaxseeds in a coffee or spice grinder.olive oil has a rather strong taste so if you prefer to avoid that, try going with the coconut oil option or even a neutral oil like peanut oil. 3 egg whites can be substituted for the 2 eggs for cholesterol-conscience people.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

265.40

Fat

15.87 g

Sat. Fat

2.49 g

Carbs

27.23 g

Fiber

3.34 g

Net carbs

23.89 g

Sugar

9.53 g

Protein

5.72 g

Sodium

188.36 mg

Cholesterol

31.00 mg

Nutritional information is approximate and based on 12 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/9/5/jeannies-healthy-breakfast-cookies

healthy, nutritious, cookies, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, dried fruit, apple, fall spices, oats, nuts, coconut, portable

breakfast, dessert, snack

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

---

Sicilian Almond Cookies - Paste di Mandorle

Last Updated August 16, 2024

Paste di mandorle, or almond cookies, are one of the simplest and most delicious cookie recipes you could ask for, requiring only 4 ingredients and an overnight refrigeration (and even that is optional), so you can make the dough one day and bake the next. And because they only use almond flour, they are gluten-free friendly!

These cookies and many variations of them hail from Sicily, where the land is full of sunshine and Mediterranean breezes, charming towns, and has the perfect climate for some of the most succulent citrus fruits and almonds. Or so I’ve heard, I have yet to actually go there! The first time I found a bag of Sicilian almonds in Italy I snatched them up, hoping for a taste experience like never before. Basically setting myself up for disappointment. They were good, yes, but I think it would be best to eat them fresh, in Sicily. Until that day when I go to Sicily, I will content myself with tastes of their culture, like the occasional good arancini (fried balls of rice stuffed with cheese and veggies or meat) that you can find around Florence, granita (a slushy type drink), brioche stuffed with gelato, and cannoli. And of course, these almond cookies. And they’re so simple to make. Dangerous.

A Note on What You Call These Cookies in Italian

The original name of this post I had named as “Paste alle mandorle” but I believe that is used more to denote almond paste, or marzipan, so I’ve updated it to Paste di Mandorle.

While most translating apps will tell you “cookie/cookies” translates to “biscotto/biscotti”, it’s not a catch-all. For as often as I talk about, bake, and eat cookies, this word has always given me grief. If you want to get technical, and you know I do, “biscotti” can be broken down into two root words: “bis” meaning two or twice, and “cotti” meaning baked or cooked. Thus, biscotti actually refers to cookies that have been baked twice. In America, you probably are familiar with the word biscotti, meaning those long hard cookies often sold at coffee shops. Those are truly biscotti, because they’re twice baked. The whole dough is baked, then they’re sliced and baked again. So if you want to talk about cookies in Italian but you don’t want to talk about the twice-baked ones, what do you call them? There is no catch-all, but you have some options. You could simply call them “dolci” (sweets) or dolcetti (little sweets) which is always safe, or cookies made with butter, similar to what we know as shortbread, you could call “frolli”. Or, you can call them “paste” as I did in this post, which in the most general translation of the word means "doughs” or “pasticcini” which is similar. Just looking up this recipe in Italian, on the first page you will probably find them called paste, pasticcini, and biscotti.

Then don’t get me started on the Italian word for “cake” which is “torta”. That one IS a catch-all, but in a bad way, because then I’m calling desserts “cake” in Italian that are definitely not cake in English. They have no word for pie, so then if someone comes to your Thanksgiving dinner and asks what the pumpkin pie is, you might say “torta di zucca” or, pumpkin cake. Sigh. Pie, like Americans think of pie (apple pie, cherry pie) doesn’t exist in their traditional cuisine so it makes sense. But confusing for an American who wants to talk about it in Italian. Some desserts, like apple, are known enough now in Italy that you can refer to them by their English name, apple pie.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Original recipe adapted and translated from GialloZafferano

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Sicilian Almond Cookies - Paste di Mandorle

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups / 250g almond flour

• 1 1/4 cups / 250g granulated sugar

• 2 / 60g egg whites

• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Garnishes (optional)

• powdered sugar

• whole, sliced, or slivered almonds

Directions:

Oven 350F / 180C

1. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour and the sugar.

2. Mix in the egg whites and the almond extract until thoroughly combined. This can be done with a spoon, a hand mixer, stand mixer, or even in a food processor.

3. Cover dough and place in fridge overnight or for at least 7 hours.

4. Remove dough from fridge and roll into balls, then roll in powdered sugar. Flatten cookies a bit, as they will not spread much in the oven. Press in a few almond slices on top. Alternately, shape them as you wish, as they hold their shape well after the overnight refrigeration.

5. Place cookies on a silpat or parchment covered baking sheet, leaving about 1” between cookies.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, until just lightly golden. Be careful no to overbake, cookies should be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Jenny’s Notes:

• If you have almonds and a method to grind them, such as a food processor, go ahead and make fresh almond flour! Be careful not to over grind, you don’t want the almonds to heat up and the oil to start to escape, resulting in almond butter.

• If you prefer other extracts, go ahead and play around with other flavors; vanilla, orange, lemon, coconut, etc.

• This recipe, if you go by weight instead of imperial measurements, is very easy to modify or double, triple, halve, etc.! You can see that the ratio of almond flour to sugar is 1:1: essentially all you have to do is mix together equal weights of almond flour and sugar, with just enough egg whites to bind them together easily and a touch of extract for flavor. Voila.

• These cookies have many variants and shapes and are often piped with candied cherries on top. I’m not a huge candied fruit person, and so I found a simple recipe and omitted the piping for one of the simpler almond cookie methods, rolling in powdered sugar and decorating with almonds.

Yield 24

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

30 Min

Cook time

12 Min

Inactive time

7 Hour

Total time

7 H & 42 M

Print

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Sicilian Almond Cookies - Paste alle Mandorle

A classic Italian cookie originating in Sicily with a soft center and crunchy exterior. 4 ingredients and gluten-free.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups / 250g almond flour
• 1 1/4 cups / 250g granulated sugar
• 2 / 60g egg whites
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Garnishes (optional)

• powdered sugar
• whole, sliced, or slivered almonds

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour and the sugar.
2. Mix in the egg whites and the almond extract until thoroughly combined. This can be done with a spoon, a hand mixer, stand mixer, or even in a food processor.
3. Cover dough and place in fridge overnight or for at least 7 hours.
4. Remove dough from fridge and roll into balls, then roll in powdered sugar. Flatten cookies a bit, as they will not spread much in the oven. Press in a few almond slices on top. Alternately, shape them as you wish, as they hold their shape well after the overnight refrigeration.
5. Place cookies on a silpat or parchment covered baking sheet, leaving about 1” between cookies.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, until just lightly golden. Be careful no to overbake, cookies should be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Notes

If you have almonds and a method to grind them, such as a food processor, you can make fresh almond flour! Be careful not to over-grind, you don’t want the almonds to heat up and the oil to start to escape, resulting in almond butter. If you prefer other extracts, play around with other flavors; vanilla, orange, lemon, coconut, etc. This recipe, if you go by weight instead of imperial measurements, is very easy to modify or double, triple, halve, etc.! You can see that the ratio of almond flour to sugar is 1:1: essentially all you have to do is mix together equal weights of almond flour and sugar, with just enough egg whites to bind them together easily and a touch of extract for flavor. Voila. These cookies have many variants and shapes and are often piped with candied cherries on top. I’m not a huge candied fruit person, and so I found a simple recipe and omitted the piping for one of the simpler almond cookie methods, rolling in powdered sugar and decorating with almonds.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

110.04

Fat

5.24 g

Sat. Fat

0.40 g

Carbs

14.38 g

Fiber

1.31 g

Net carbs

13.07 g

Sugar

12.51 g

Protein

2.76 g

Cholesterol

0.00 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 cookie.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/5/23/almond-cookies-paste-alle-mandorle

gluten-free, Sicilian almond cookies, Paste alle Mandorle

dessert, cookies

Italian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Last Updated July 9, 2024

I like cookies.  I like cheesecake.  What happens when you put them together?  These Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies! Think buttery Graham cracker cookies with a creamy, dreamy cheesecake center.

You know what's great about this recipe?  Besides being delicious, of course, is that it calls for one sleeve of graham crackers.  Boxes of Graham crackers usually come with 3 sleeves. Graham cracker crusts for pies usually call for 2 sleeves. What to do with the remaining sleeve if you don’t want to eat it? Make these Cheesecake Cookies! They look more time consuming to make than they really are, it's pretty straightforward.  So let's get to it! 

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Makes about 20-24 cookies

Ingredients:

For the Graham Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups / 135g (1 sleeve) finely crushed regular or any flavor graham crackers

• 3/4 cup / 90g all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 cup / 113g butter, softened, or 85g oil

• 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar

• 1 egg white

For the Cheesecake Filling

• 3 ounces / 85g cream cheese, softened

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/4 cup / 50g sugar

• 1 teaspoon / 5g vanilla extract

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, optional

• Powdered sugar or cocoa powder for sprinkling, optional

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.  

Make the Graham Cookies

1. In a large bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, flour, and baking powder.  

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter or oil with brown sugar. Beat in egg white. Add mixture to graham cracker mixture and mix until combined.  

3. Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, scoop a generous tablespoon worth of dough onto prepared cookie sheet. If dough seems too soft to easily hold its shape, add a bit more flour. Repeat until all the dough has been scooped onto the cookie sheet, evenly spaced at least 1” apart. Gently roll each piece into a ball.

Make the Cheesecake Filling

1. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and zest; beat until smooth.

2. Press your thumb into each cookie to make a deep well; fill with cream cheese mixture. 

3. Bake 8-11 minutes or until the filling is just set.  

Jenny's Notes:

• Try these out with different flavors of graham crackers! I like making these with chocolate graham crackers, see picture!

• Regular sugar can be substituted for the brown sugar with a slightly different texture for the cookie. Not bad, just slightly different. Or add a teaspoon or two of molasses to 1/2 cup regular sugar and mix before adding to the recipe.

• You can fill the cookies right to the top with the cream cheese as the filling shouldn't do more than puff a bit in the oven.

Yield 20-24

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

45 Min

Cook time

11 Min

Total time

56 Min

Print

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Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies

Chocolate graham cracker thumbprint cookies filled with a cream cheese filling.

Ingredients

For the Graham Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups / 135g (1 sleeve) finely crushed regular or any flavor graham crackers
• 3/4 cup / 90g all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup / 113g butter, softened, or 85g oil
• 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar
• 1 egg white

For the Cheesecake Filling

• 3 ounces / 85g cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup / 50g sugar
• 1 teaspoon / 5g vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, optional
• Powdered sugar or cocoa powder for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

Make the Graham Cookies

1. Oven 350°F / 177°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicone mat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, flour, and baking powder.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter or oil with brown sugar. Beat in egg white. Add mixture to graham cracker mixture and mix until combined.
4. Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, scoop a generous tablespoon worth of dough onto prepared cookie sheet. If dough seems too soft to easily hold its shape, add a bit more flour. Repeat until all the dough has been scooped onto the cookie sheet, evenly spaced at least 1” apart. Gently roll each piece into a ball.

Make the Cheesecake Filling

1. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and zest; beat until smooth.
2. Press your thumb into each cookie to make a deep well; fill with cream cheese mixture.
3. Bake 8-11 minutes or until the filling is just set.

Notes

• Try these out with different flavors of graham crackers! I like making these with  chocolate graham crackers, see picture!
• Regular  sugar can be substituted for the brown sugar with a slightly different texture for the  cookie. Not bad, just slightly different. Or add a teaspoon or two of molasses to 1/2 cup regular sugar and mix before adding to the recipe.
• You can fill the  cookies right to the top with the cream cheese as the filling shouldn't do more than puff a bit in the oven.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

111.78

Fat

6.07 g

Sat. Fat

3.44 g

Carbs

13.46 g

Fiber

0.31 g

Net carbs

13.15 g

Sugar

8.41 g

Protein

1.29 g

Sodium

108.74 mg

Cholesterol

21.56 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 cookie.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/6/13/chocolate-cheesecake-cookies

thumbprint cookies, cheesecake cookies, cheesecake, graham cracker cookies

dessert, cookies

American

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last Updated October 25, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Going back to the classics. American classics. Chocolate chip cookies. And not just any chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookies the NY Times way. Want me to say chocolate chip cookies one more time? Chocolate. Chip. Cookies.  

Why do we need one more chocolate chip cookie recipe floating around?  

When it comes to the kitchen, I'm not one much for routine. I like to explore, to try and constantly better what it is in my power to improve. And as I am constantly learning about foods and why ingredients act the way they do, the more I can apply that to recipes. When you have a classic such as chocolate chip cookies (yes, chocolate chip cookies) it may seem unnecessary to improve upon it. Chances are, even if your recipe isn't that great, they probably will taste great anyway. They're pretty hard to mess up. That's also why there are so many chocolate chip cookie recipes out there. People are satisfied with "good" when they don't know they're missing out on "great".  

I have three recipes for chocolate chip cookies that I love, including the one I am about to share with you. The other two include a classic recipe a.k.a. my mom’s famous chocolate chip cookies, and one with browned butter. You can find that one here. I'm sure there are more out there that are wonderful. But for now, I share with you another truly good recipe.  Courtesy of the NY Times, they knew what they were doing with this one.

The recipe includes bread flour and cake flour, lending a wonderful chew and delicate crumb, respectively.

Then there is the long refrigeration, which allows all the ingredients to marry and the flavor to concentrate as the dough dries out ever so slightly.

When the cookies are finally baked, the sugar is able to crystallize easier resulting in beautiful golden edges with a center still soft, and an extra caramel nutty flavor.

Even if the refrigeration has to be skipped due to a time constraint, the cookies will still turn out delicious, although I would urge you to try the refrigeration for yourself to taste that extra special result!

Recipe adapted from the NY Times

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New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 40-70 cookies, depending on size.

Ingredients:

• 220g / 2 cups cake flour

• 200g / 1 2/3 cup bread flour

• 6g / 1 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 6g / 1 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 5g / 1 tsp salt

• 283g / 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter

• 250g / 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

• 225g / 1 generous cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 9g / 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 566g / 20 oz. 60% bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

1. Whisk together cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.  

3. Add dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Carefully incorporate chocolate chips by hand using a spoon, as a stand mixer can crush chocolate chips.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 24 - 72 hours. 

5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C. Scoop cold dough out onto cookie sheets in 1" balls, or desired size. Sprinkle with a touch of sea salt, if desired.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges turn a nice golden brown and centers still look a bit soft.  

Jenny's Notes:

• Why bread and cake flour?  Bread flour has a higher gluten content and lends more crisp and chew to the cookies.  Cake flour is finer and lends a delicate crumb.  

• If you need these cookies the same day you are making the cookies, the refrigeration is not absolutely essential.  When you place a dough in the fridge, the moisture in the dough is able to be evenly absorbed, then after a time begins to dry out, concentrating the flavors.  Then, when you bake the cookies, the sugar is able to caramelize better.  That is the beautiful golden brown color you see, and nutty flavor you taste.  Also, a cold or refrigerated dough won't spread as much.    

Yield 40-70 cookies

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

30 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Inactive time

24 Hour

Total time

24 H & 50 M

Print

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NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies get a remix with bread flour, cake flour, and the magic trick of refrigeration, resulting in nothing short of amazing cookies.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 220g / 2 cups cake flour
• 200g / 1 2/3 cup bread flour
• 6g / 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 6g / 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 5g / 1 tsp salt
• 283g / 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
• 250g / 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 225g / 1 generous cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 9g / 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 566g / 20 oz. 60% bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions

1. Whisk together cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.
3. Add dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Carefully incorporate chocolate chips. You may want to use a spoon as a stand mixer can crush the chocolate chips.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 24-72 hours.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C. Scoop cold dough out onto cookie sheets in 1" balls, or desired size. Sprinkle with a touch of sea salt, if you like. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges turn a nice golden brown and centers still look a bit soft.

Notes

Why bread and cake flour? Bread flour has a higher gluten content and lends more crisp and chew to the cookies. Cake flour is finer and lends a delicate crumb. If you need these cookies the same day you are making the cookies, the refrigeration is not absolutely essential. When you place a dough in the fridge, the moisture in the dough is able to be evenly absorbed, then after a time begins to dry out, concentrating the flavors. Then, when you bake the cookies, the sugar is able to caramelize better. That is the beautiful golden brown color you see, and nutty flavor you taste. Also, a cold or refrigerated dough won't spread as much.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

235.01

Fat

13.56 g

Sat. Fat

8.26 g

Carbs

24.83 g

Fiber

2.61 g

Net carbs

22.22 g

Sugar

11.36 g

Protein

3.66 g

Sodium

122.36 mg

Cholesterol

24.84 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 cookie from a 40-cookie batch.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2017/3/26/chocolate-chip-cookies

chocolate chips, bread flour, cake flour, NY Times, cookies

Dessert

American

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

"Delicious Oats.  Sweet Oats.  Lovely, crunchy oats!  Splendid Oats."  If you've ever seen the live-action talking horse Black Beauty, you'll know what I'm talking about.  If you haven't, then you probably think I'm crazy and really like oats. I'm not denying that. But if you fall into the latter category and have never seen Black Beauty, the I suggest you make these cookies, pop a large bowl of popcorn, and do yourself a favor and enjoy this classic. The stuff of childhood.   

We all love oatmeal cookies, yes? Probably also oatmeal cranberry cookies, those little tart chunks of cranberry amidst the chewy sweet oat cookie. Add white chocolate chips and you just took a classic to a whole new level!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

A recipe by Jenny

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White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup / 210g all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 3/4 cup / 169g oil

• 1 1/4 cups / 250g sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 cups / 270g rolled oats

• 1 1/2 cups / 255g white chocolate chips

• 1 1/2 cups / 225g dried cranberries

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C. Ungreased or silpat lined baking sheet.

1. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. 

2. In another large bowl combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla; mix well. 

3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to combine.  Stir in oats, chips, and cranberries until evenly distributed. 

4. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes, until edges are set but centers are still soft and wet looking.  Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from baking sheet.

Jenny's Notes:

• Dried cherries are also a delicious combination with white chocolate.  And if you live in Traverse City, Michigan, it may be obligatory for you to try it at least once...;)

• In Italy only mini chocolate chips exist, so although you may see mini in the photos feel free to use normal sized chips! Actually, I don’t know that I’ve seen mini white chocolate chips readily available in the States…?

Yield 24

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

9 Min

Total time

29 Min

Print

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White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Chewy oatmeal cookies with tart cranberries and sweet white chocolate chips.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup / 210g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup / 169g oil
• 1 1/4 cups / 250g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups / 270g rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups / 255g white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups / 225g dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Oven 350°F / 177°C. Ungreased or silpat lined baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.
3. In another large bowl combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla; mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in oats, chips, and cranberries until evenly distributed.
5. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes, until edges are set but centers are still soft and wet looking. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from baking sheet.

Notes

Dried cherries are also a delicious combination with white chocolate.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

269.65

Fat

11.77 g

Sat. Fat

2.80 g

Carbs

38.82 g

Fiber

1.89 g

Net carbs

36.93 g

Sugar

23.64 g

Protein

3.55 g

Sodium

166.25 mg

Cholesterol

17.73 mg

Nutritional information is approximate and based on 24 servings of 1 cookie each.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2016/9/23/white-chocolate-cranberry-oatmeal-cookies

oatmeal cookies, cranberry, white chocolate

dessert

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Burgundy Chocolate Cherry Cookies

September 24 feels like a very significant day.  You know, one of those days where you feel like it's someone's birthday (well, that's always true, even if you don't know them), a holiday, or something significant happened for you on that day.  But, I have nothing.  Except, this day last year my friend Hannah and I got off our first and hopefully last overnight train in Europe...terror....nope, not that.  Oh, it's the third day of autumn.  OH YEAH.  That's significant, we'll roll with that.  If you still have a nagging feeling like you're forgetting something, best wish everyone you meet a happy birthday, just in case...

...and make these Burgundy Chocolate Cherry Cookies so it really didn't look like you forgot....worst case scenario it's no one's birthday and you have to eat them yourself...

...actually, it's always a good idea to have cookies on hand, whatever the occasion, if even just to say "Happy September 24!" Especially these ones. 

Let me list some reasons for you.  Wine, chocolate, very chocolate, cherries, super chocolatey, and very chocolatey.  In fact, the batter is so chocolatey it makes the semi-sweet chocolate chips look like light milk chocolate.  But they are not.  So chocolatey. 

Go make them. And Happy Birthday.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Burgundy Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups / 240g all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup / 75g cocoa powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup / 56g oil

• 3/4 cup / 150g sugar

• 3/4 cup / 150g brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup / 118g burgundy red wine

• 12 oz / 340g bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup / 120g dried cherries

Directions:

Oven 375°F / 190°C. Have ready 1 or 2 ungreased baking sheets.

1. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

2. In another large bowl combine oil, sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Carefully stir in wine.  Stir in dry ingredients until fully incorporated, then add chocolate chips and cherries.  Dough will be soft, but shouldn't be too soupy.  If it is, add a touch more flour.

3. Spoon little mounds onto a baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes, until edges look set but center still looks wet.  Allow to cool for several minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack or counter to cool completely.

Pairs wonderfully with...the remainder of the bottle of wine you used to make these...

Jenny's Notes:

• Feel free to use any kind of red wine you like for these!  I have used the an Italian red, Savini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva with great success, and the cookies in the photos I used a French red, Côtes du Rhône.  I chose to call these Burgundy because of the Burgundy wine region, which I think would be lovely in these, (the wine, not the region) and saying "Burgundy Cookies" is a whole lot easier than "Côtes du Rhône Cookies," no?  And, red (wine) plus brown (chocolate) makes burgundy.  Yes.  Maybe. Some other good wines would a pinot noir, cabernet, or merlot.

Yield 36 small cookies

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

25 Min

Cook time

8 Min

Total time

33 Min

Print

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Burgundy Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Double chocolate chip cookies made with a splash of red wine and tart dried cherries.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2 cups / 240g all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup / 75g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup / 56g oil
• 3/4 cup / 150g sugar
• 3/4 cup / 150g brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup / 118g burgundy red wine
• 12 oz / 340g bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup / 120g dried cherries

Instructions

1. Oven 375°F / 190°C. Have ready one or two ungreased baking sheets.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another large bowl combine oil, sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Carefully stir in wine. Stir in dry ingredients until fully incorporated, then add chocolate chips and cherries. Dough will be soft, but shouldn't be too soupy. If it is, add a touch more flour.
4. Spoon little mounds onto a baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes, until edges look set but center still looks wet. Allow to cool for several minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack or counter to cool completely.
5. Pairs wonderfully with...the remainder of the bottle of wine you used to make these...

Notes

Feel free to use any kind of red wine you like for these! I have used the an Italian red, Savini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva with great success, and the cookies in the photos I used a French red, Côtes du Rhône. I chose to call these Burgundy because of the Burgundy wine region, which I think would be lovely in these, (the wine, not the region) and saying "Burgundy Cookies" is a whole lot easier than "Côtes du Rhône Cookies," no? And, red (wine) plus brown (chocolate) makes burgundy. Yes. Maybe. Some other good wines would a pinot noir, cabernet, or merlot.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

140.06

Fat

4.82 g

Sat. Fat

1.84 g

Carbs

23.42 g

Fiber

1.24 g

Net carbs

22.18 g

Sugar

15.64 g

Protein

1.73 g

Sodium

104.48 mg

Cholesterol

5.17 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 cookie.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2016/9/24/burgundy-chocolate-cherry-cookies

Double chocolate cherry cookies, dried tart cherries, double chocolate chip cookies, Burgundy cookies, wine, red wine

dessert, cookies

American

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Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

I'm not sure where August went off to, but happy September!  Sometimes when I think too much about time, and how fast it goes by (and I'm still young by most people's standards!!) I get a little nostalgic.  I'm sorry future self, I hear it only gets worse!  However, when that happens, sometimes it's best to make cookies.  And eat a few.  A recipe for success! Sorry couldn't resist...

Now, if you followed my lead and made lots of caramel last week, (then I left you hanging and didn't blog for a while, so sorry.  It's called: Apartment hunting in Italy) then you were probably wondering what to do with all of it.  A little on ice cream, a little in coffee, a little for dipping, a little in the freezer for emergency situations, and some left over for....these salted caramel thumbprint cookies! Or if you opted for the eating by spoonful, no worries, the recipe is still up and you can just go make some more, fret not!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from The Busty Baker

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Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Makes about 18 Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup / 90g all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup / 25g cocoa powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• Scant 1/2 cup / 100g oil

• 1/4 cup / 50g sugar, plus more for rolling

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 oz / 60g semisweet chocolate or 1/3 cup chips, melted and cooled

• 1 cup / 300g caramel sauce, or make a 1/2 recipe of this caramel sauce

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt. 

2. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and oil.  Beat in egg yolk and vanilla, then mix in melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a spatula as needed.  Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Dough will be soft.

3. Place dough in fridge for about 20-30 minutes, or until dough thickens enough to be rolled into balls.  Alternately, place in the freezer to speed up the process. 

4. Place some sugar in a small bowl.  Roll dough into about 1-inch balls, then roll in sugar.  Press thumb into the center of each cookie, place on cookie sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes.  If centers have puffed up, remove from oven and press down again.  Return to oven and bake for 3-5 minutes more, until edges are cracked and set but center still looks soft.  Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool. 

5. When cookies are almost cool, spoon caramel into centers.  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. 

Jenny’s Notes:

• Cookies still warm when caramel is added makes for ooey gooey drippy caramel...yes please!

Yield 18

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Inactive time

20 Min

Total time

50 Min

Print

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Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Decadent chocolate cookies with a pool of salted caramel in the middle.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup / 90g all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup / 25g cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Scant 1/2 cup / 100g oil
• 1/4 cup / 50g sugar, plus more for rolling
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 oz / 60g semisweet chocolate or 1/3 cup chips, melted and cooled
• 1 cup / 300g caramel sauce, or make a 1/2 recipe of this caramel sauce

Instructions

1. Oven 350°F / 177°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and oil. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla, then mix in melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a spatula as needed. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Dough will be soft.
4. Place dough in fridge for about 20-30 minutes, or until dough thickens enough to be rolled into balls. Alternately, place in the freezer to speed up the process.
5. Place some sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into about 1-inch balls, then roll in sugar. Press thumb into the center of each cookie, place on cookie sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes. If centers have puffed up, remove from oven and press down again. Return to oven and bake for 3-5 minutes more, until edges are cracked and set but center still looks soft. Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool.
6. When cookies are almost cool, spoon caramel into centers. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Notes

Cookies still warm when caramel is added makes for ooey gooey drippy caramel...yes please!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

194.68

Fat

11.94 g

Sat. Fat

4.17 g

Carbs

21.83 g

Fiber

0.61 g

Net carbs

21.23 g

Sugar

16.84 g

Protein

1.30 g

Sodium

51.79 mg

Cholesterol

24.50 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 cookie from a batch of 18, using Jenny's homemade caramel sauce.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2016/9/10/chocolate-caramel-thumbprint-cookies

chocolate thumbprint cookies, salted caramel, homemade caramel, caramel sauce

dessert

American

Did you make this recipe?

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Espresso Oatmeal Cookies

Coffee. What a beautiful word.  It incites such eager anticipation, excitement, thirst, and general burst of energy even before drinking said caffeinated beverage.  It's loved the world over, with different ways and preferences for roasting, preparing, and consuming, but in the end it's something we share together, with our family, friends, and our early mornings and foggy brains. 

My mom's coffee bar. A nice mix of the Italian Moka pot on the left, an American drip coffee machine, Chemex, and a French Nespresso machine.

In Italy coffee is a way of life.  More or less espresso, because if you order a caffé or caffé normale, you will get a shot of espresso.  Drip coffee, or so to speak "normal" coffee for Americans is rare to find here.  Almost all of their drinks are espresso based and served in small espresso cups, such as cappuccino, macchiato, ristretto, etc. Whereas our coffee is served in large mugs and not nearly as strong, usually the smallest size being a 12 oz if you go to a coffee shop.  If you think about it, the Americano is aptly named, being watered down espresso.  And what is espresso?  Strong coffee.  So if you add water to strong coffee, what do you get?  A bigger cup of not as strong coffee, more similar to American coffee.  And we seem to like that quantity.  Soup bowls of it in the morning.  You know it, all the mugs with "Don't talk to me before coffee," "Coffee First," and the likes.  And we go out for coffee dates with friends that last an hour, two, or three.  And that 20 oz mug of coffee will last for almost that long. 

In Italy, you go to a bar, order your coffee at the bar, and throw that espresso back within a minute or two.  Sometimes you sit down, but usually only if you are with someone and are at your leisure.  Un caffé, or espresso, only costs 1 euro usually, so it doesn't set you back too far.  You're not dropping $5 on an Ethiopian single origin organic latte with raw honey and cardamom with a twist of lemon.  Actually, that sounds really good right now.  

Un cappuccino from News Caffé in Florence

Not to infer that Italians always drink their coffee out and at the bar, especially when they drink it throughout the day; something with milk for breakfast, such as a cappuccino, espresso to finish off the other meals and at any other time of the day that tickles their fancy. They also prepare their own at home as well, usually involving the beloved Moka pot.  According to my Italian workbook, the average Italian drinks 600 cups of caffé and cappuccino per year, and of these cups 70% are drunk at home while only 20% are drunk at a bar, and 10% at work. 

Another interesting tidbit about espresso is that the word "espresso" is the Italian past tense of "esprimere" or "to express."  The Italians love to express themselves (but who doesn't?) and I like to think of it as just another way in which they do that, in their art and passion for creating and drinking coffee.  It also denotes express meaning the speed in which the beverage is both prepared and consumed.  The express lane.  So don't be too harsh on your friends when they call espresso "expresso."  They're actually not as far off as we think.  But still, be a good friend and correct them.

Does all this talk of coffee leave you wanting some?  Me too.  And cookies.  But I always want cookies.  You know those people who sport the mugs saying not to talk to them before coffee? Yeah, I can be that way before cookies.  So today, cookies with espresso in them!!!

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Adapted from She Bakes Here

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Espresso Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 30 small cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup / 120g all-purpose flour

• 1 1/4 cups / 100g oats

• 1/4 cup / 25g cocoa powder

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup / 113g oil

• 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar

• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp / 5g vanilla extract

• 2 tsp ground espresso beans, ground coffee, or instant coffee

• 1 cup / 170g mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. In another large bowl, mix together oil, brown and white sugar.  Beat in the egg, vanilla, and espresso powder until well combined.

3. Add the dry mixture and chocolate chips to wet mixture and mix until well combined. 

4. Drop dough by spoonful onto cookie sheets and bake for 7-10 minutes or until edges are set and center still looks a touch wet.  Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

Jenny's Notes:

• Only have white sugar or brown sugar on hand?  In a recipe such as this they can easily be substituted for each other.  You can use all white or all brown sugar.  In Italy true brown sugar is hard to find, and it can have a strong molasses taste. I frequently use all white sugar and eliminate the brown sugar here, I can't have all my desserts tasting like molasses and gingerbread and Christmas time! :)

Yield 30

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

10 Min

Total time

30 Min

Print

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Espresso Oatmeal Cookies

Decadent double chocolate oatmeal cookies livened up with espresso.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1 cup / 120g all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups / 100g oats
• 1/4 cup / 25g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup / 113g oil
• 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar
• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp / 5g vanilla extract
• 2 tsp ground espresso beans, ground coffee, or instant coffee
• 1 cup / 170g mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another large bowl, mix together oil, brown and white sugar. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and espresso powder until well combined.
4. Add the dry mixture and chocolate chips to wet mixture and mix until well combined.
5. Drop dough by spoonful onto cookie sheets and bake for 7-10 minutes or until edges are set and center still looks a touch wet. Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

Notes

Only have white sugar or brown sugar on hand? In a recipe such as this they can easily be substituted for each other. You can use all white or all brown sugar.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

119.65

Fat

5.97 g

Sat. Fat

1.35 g

Carbs

16.11 g

Fiber

0.95 g

Net carbs

15.17 g

Sugar

9.72 g

Protein

1.47 g

Sodium

60.91 mg

Cholesterol

6.20 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on one cookie from a batch of 30.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2016/8/18/espresso-oatmeal-cookies

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