Cadbury Egg Brownies

If there is one holiday around here have only a handful of sacred traditions, it would be Easter. I can't entirely blame the pandemic for making this holiday seem so uneventful. If it weren't for Fannie May cream eggs (vanilla buttercream covered in dark chocolate), a jar filled with chocolate bunnies, and some baked loaves of Houska, Easter really doesn't look any different than most other non-holiday weekends. For the life of me, I don't really know why this is. Maybe as a kid I wasn't a big fan of a baked ham, so there wasn't anything to endear me (food wise, that is) to this holiday. But maybe if a leg of lamb was the traditional dinner from my childhood. things would be different. Who knows, maybe next year Easter will get the same love and attention as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Anything is possible.

Whether it was a bit of guilt or walking down the Easter candy aisle at the grocery store, I have to give them both the inspiration credit for these Cadbury Egg Brownies. Given the choice between a lamb shaped pound cake slathered in whipped cream and these fudgy, slightly decadent, fun looking Cadbury Egg Brownies to enjoy during the Easter weekend, I am definitely choosing these brownies. 

Last year, I made Cadbury Egg and Milk Chocolate Levain Style Cookies using packages of mini Cadbury eggs. When the Easter season was over, I had forgotten to stock up on bags of Cadbury eggs so I could continue making the cookies for weeks, even months afterwards. Having learned my lesson last year, I will be hoarding at least a half dozen bags of the mini Cadbury eggs before they disappear from the grocery story shelves. Because these Cadbury Egg Brownies (and cookies) shouldn't be made only at Easter. With my current stash of packages of Cadbury Eggs having expiration dates going into November, the brownies (and cookies) will have at least another six months of life until they get put on a short hiatus. 

When it comes to the texture of brownies, I will take a hard pass at a cakey brownie. But if you give me a really really good, drop the mic, double chocolatey, fudgy brownie, just don't get between me and them. They are one of my favorite things. And the recipe for these Cadbury Egg Brownies are the kind fudgy brownie lovers will swoon over. Melted chocolate, Dutch process cocoa, espresso powder, brown sugar and chocolate chips all contribute to giving these brownies a deep, rich chocolatey flavor. Having only a cup of all-purpose flour, but two eggs, an egg yolk, a half cup of granulated sugar, a half cup of brown sugar, and a half cup butter all play a role in the brownie's fudgy texture. A good quality vanilla and some Kosher salt ramp up their flavor. And, last but not least, the smashed up mini Cadbury eggs add crunch and an irresistible finished look.

Making homemade brownies takes a little more time than making ones from a boxed mix, but they are simple to make and well worth the effort. The best thing about these homemade brownies is you don't need to use a mixer. A whisk and a spatula are all you need to make the batter.

Given a choice between a thin, fudgy brownie and a slightly thicker, fudgy brownie, I am going to choose the thicker brownie every time. Using an 8" square versus a 9" square baking pan help to create irresistible, thicker, fudgier brownies. To smash the mini Cadbury eggs, put them in a zip lock bag and use a rolling pin (or large canned good) to break them up. You don't want to smash them to smithereens, you want to make sure they just broken up enough. 

Always, always preheat your oven before baking. I generally turn the oven on when I start assembling the brownies. By the time I have the brownies in the pan, the oven has preheated to the 350 degree (F) mark. Here's another baking tip. Always, always place your baking pan on a large sheet pan. This helps the brownies bake evenly. There is nothing worse than having the bottom of your brownies burn.

Allowing the brownies to cool to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator for several hours makes them easy to cut. The Cadbury Egg Brownies are good temperature, but they are even more delicious when slightly chilled.

The 8" square pan will yield 16 two inch brownies. Giving you more than enough to enjoy yourself and share with friends! 

Anyone who really loves chocolate is bound to fall deeply madly in love with these scrumptiously decadent Cadbury Egg Brownies. And anyone who loves chocolate, fudgy brownies, and Easter will be over the moon over them. But remember, don't pigeon hole these Cadbury Egg Brownies in the Easter dessert category. Their season needs to be and is worthy of lasting longer than forty days. If you hadn't already bought a package or two or three of mini Cadbury eggs, run out to the grocery store the morning after Easter and buy as many packages (on sale!) as your heart desires (remember, check those expiration dates!). 

Happiest Easter blessings to you! 

Recipe

Cadbury Egg Brownies

Makes 16 two inch very fudgy brownies

Ingredients

3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (24g) Dutch process cocoa

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon instant espresso

1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter

6 ounces (170g) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 (100g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

2 teaspoons good quality vanilla

4 ounces (115g) semisweet chocolate chips (to mix into the batter)

7.3 ounce (208g) package of Mini Cadbury Eggs, smashed up using a rolling pan or canned good

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line an 8"x 8" baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Sift together the flour, salt, cocoa, and instant espresso powder. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter and 6 ounces/170g of the semisweet chocolate chips. When the chocolate has melted remove from the heat. Let sit for 1 minute.
4. Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar into the chocolate/butter mixture until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium sized bowl.
5. Whisk in the eggs and egg yolk one at a time until fully incorporated.
6. Whisk in the vanilla.
7. Fold in the flour mixture just until there are barely any streaks.
8. Fold in the 4 ounces/115 g semisweet chocolate chips using a spatula.

9. Spread the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.

10. Sprinkle the smashed up mini Cadbury Eggs over the top.

11. Place the baking pan on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake in the preheated 350 degree(F) oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top has set or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out relatively clean. Note: Do not over bake.

12. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
13. When the brownies come to room temperature, cover tightly with aluminum foil and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight before cutting.
14. Cut the chilled brownies into 16 even pieces.
15. Pour yourself a big glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee (or tea) and get ready to experience pure brownie joy!
16. Store the Cadbury Egg Brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat chilled or at room temperature. I prefer them a little chilled as the brownie tastes even fudgier.

Equipment Needed:

Whisk

Spatula

Offset spatula

8" square baking pan

Kitchen scale or measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Saucepan (for melting butter and chocolate)

Medium sized bowl

Notes: (1) I used Gold Medal all-purpose flour. The gram weight for this flour ranges from 125 to 130 grams. I split the difference and used 128 grams. A cup of lighter all-purpose flours (like King Arthur) could weigh as much as 140 grams. (2) I used the Nestle Dark Chocolate (53% cacao) Dark Chocolate Morsels. (3) These are really good brownies all on their own. Make them year round without the smashed mini Cadbury eggs. Just lightly sprinkle them with flaky sea salt before putting them in the oven.

Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Sometimes the reality of going to a place on one's bucket list, doesn't always live up to either the hype or the expectations. But then sometimes, the experience more than exceeds them. Nothing, not even the thousands of images I had drooled over prior to going on this trip, prepared me for a recent bucket list trip. As just last week, I was in a state of head spinning, heart racing visual nirvana while taking in the sunrise beauty at Horseshoe Bend, exploring the Lower and Upper Antelope Canyons in Page, Arizona, and hiking in Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah. Places I had dreamt of going for years. The landscapes in northern Arizona and southwestern Utah were unlike anything I had ever seen before and they were beyond spectacular. And while all of the other worldly, mesmerizing images will be permanently etched in my memory, I would jump at the chance to go back there again. With everything that has gone on in the world and is going on now, being able to freely travel feels like such a privilege these days. One I don't think I will ever take for granted. In addition to the lifetime of memories, there many takeaways from this long awaited, breathtaking adventure. But there was that one resonated with me the most. Never give up on your dreams. 

After eating almost every meal at a restaurant for several days, it felt good to get back home to my kitchen, to get back to cooking and baking. There had a been a cookie recipe I had been wanting to make for months, but for some reason I kept putting it off. Had I known how decadently delicious these Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies would be, I wouldn't have procrastinated for so long. Like the magnificent landscapes out west, these cookies will take your breath away. 

Months back I stopped at Stephanie Izard's Sugargoat Bakery in Chicago to buy some cupcakes and cookies. While they all had varying wow factor levels, there was a chocolate cookie I feel madly in love with. As luck would have it (or when you put something out in the universe and the universe is listening) one of my friends actually had it. And as luck would have it, she shared top chef winner, cookbook author, restaurant owner Stephanie Izard's recipe for Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with me. At the time I looked over the ingredients for the recipe, there were two things holding me back: going out to get a jar of her 'this little goat when to Belize hearty and bright spice mix' and trying to wrap my head around how a spice mixture made of savory garlic, onion, smoky paprika, and chilies could be responsible for creating a rich, intensely chocolatey, mouthwatering cookie. Let's just say getting the jar of spice was easier than reconciling my spice-challenged imagination.

Made with only seven ingredients, these Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are the kind causing a chocolate lover to become weak in the knees. They are dense yet moist, decadent, rich, and perfectly spiced. The recipe makes somewhere between 14-16 cookies and takes somewhere around 40 minutes to make from start to finish. And having a standing mixer with a whisk attachment will make whipping up the egg whites to firm (but not dry) peaks easier than whisking by hand. 

Allowing the batter to rest for 7-10 minutes is key to enabling the dough to become 'scoopable'. Using an ice cream scoop (about 1 1/4" in diameter) makes forming the balls of dough a breeze. But if you don't have a metal ice cream scoop use a tablespoon to form golf balled size balls of dough. Note: The dough likes to stick to the ice cream scoop. If you run the ice cream scoop under hot water and dry it, the heat from the metal scoop will make scooping a little easier. But I used my fingers to release the dough from the scoop and it worked just fine.

Baking time for the cookies ranges from 12-14 minutes. The cookies will still be slightly soft in the center when you take them out of the oven, but they will firm up as you let them cool on the baking sheet. Note: Do not transfer the baked cookies to a cooking rack. Let them come to room temperature on the baking sheet.

The recipe called for rolling the balls of dough in confectionary sugar before putting them into the oven. I decided to sift even more confectionary sugar over them when they finished baking. Which means they look a little less crinkly, but I think the extra confectionary sugar made them slightly more delicious.

Chocolate Whoppers, a recipe from Maida Heatter, has been a long time favorite semi-flourless chocolate cookies. But these (truly) Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are definitely giving my death by chocolate cookie loving self a run for their money. 

I often have friends asking me to make a gluten-free cookie. And until I made and devoured these Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies I never thought a gluten-free cookie could be as good as (or better than) a cookie with gluten. These cookies prove me wrong! If you are looking for a great cookie to serve for Passover, you definitely want to make these Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies!

Recipe

Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (inspired by Stephanie Izard's Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies)

Makes 14-16 good sized cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (8 ounces/255g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

4 large egg whites

1 teaspoon good quality vanilla

2 3/4 cups (330g) confectionary sugar, divided

1/2 cup (50g) Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder

2 teaspoons This Little Goat Went to Belize spice (See Notes)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two large, heavy bottomed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small-medium bowl, melt 1 cup (170g) of the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together 2 cups (240g) confectionary sugar, cocoa powder, Kosher salt, and the This Little Goat Went to Believe spice. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the egg whites until firm peaks form. Beat in the vanilla until blended.

5. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add in the dry ingredients until combined.

6. Mix in the melted chocolate chips. Blend until combined.

7. Add in the remaining half cup (85g) semi-sweet chocolate chips and mix using a spatula.

8. Allow the batter to rest for 7-10 minutes to allow it firm up slightly.

9. Use a 1 1/2 inch in diameter ice cream scoop or tablespoon to form golf ball sized balls of dough. Roll each ball of dough into the remaining 3/4 cup (90g) confectionary sugar. 

10. Place balls of dough on prepared baking sheets, spacing at least one and a half inches apart.

11. Bake cookies until they puff up and are crackly on top (about 12-14 minutes). Allow the still slightly soft in the center cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. Note: Start checking for doneness at the 12 minute mark as some ovens can run hot.

12. If desired, sift more confectionary sugar over the baked cookies.

Notes: (1) You can buy the Little Goat Went to Belize spice at many Whole Food stores, some grocery stores, or on Amazon. (2) I used Nestle Dark Chocolate (53% Cacao) Chocolate Chips. (3) Cookies remain delicious for several days if kept in an air-tight container.

Lower and Upper Antelope Canyons, Page, Arizona, March 2022

Chocolate Chip Cookies, Jacques Torres Style

Late last week, we ventured out of the house to take a drive 'out west'. After a slightly more than an hour's road trip, the landscape changes from dense and suburban to wide open and rural. With the harvested fields blanketed in fresh show, the farm houses and barns set against the backdrop of a blue sky gave way to a most picturesque, tranquil setting. It never ceases to amaze me just how much something like a change in landscape can energize my spirit. Whether it's a walk in the woods, a drive in the country, or a trip to the mountains, my affinity and appreciation for these landscapes has grown considerably over the years. Maybe because it has, in part, become a kind of therapy for my soul. In less than a month, I will get a strong dose of landscape therapy as I travel out west to Colorado for a long weekend. I can hardly wait to return to one of my happy places for a few days. No matter how many times I return and as odd as this may sound, Colorado always feels simultaneously both familiar and new. 

Speaking of familiar, chocolate chip cookies are somewhat commonplace around here. Over the past several years, I have shared recipes for various versions of this much beloved cookie. I like them all for very different reasons, but Tara's Chocolate Chip Cookies have been my favorite go-to ones for the past six and a half years. They are ones I make for friends, for care packages, for raising money for good causes, for when I need some baking therapy, or for when I need to satisfy my fussytarian craving for a really, really good chocolate chip cookie. 

Fourteen years ago I jumped on the famed chocolatier Jacques Torres's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe when the New York Times published it. Hailed as "perfect" the consummate chocolate chip cookie was described as one "built on decades of acquired knowledge, experience, and secrets." Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, laden with chocolate, and having an addictive sweet and salty combination, qualities that would bring a chocolate chip cookie aficionado to their proverbial knees. So why on earth did I walk away from that cookie in 2008? Maybe I couldn't really appreciate that cookie or maybe it was just easier to stay with the cookie I knew. Who knows. I can't tell you specifically what prompted me to give this cookie a second chance, I can only tell you that it may be the best cookie return decision I have ever made. What I am trying to say in a rather non-linear way is that this will now be cookie I will be making for friends, for care packages, for raising money for good causes, for when I need some baking therapy, or for when I need to satisfy my fussytarian craving for a great, not just really good chocolate chip cookie.

Much has changed, including in the baking world, since I first made that Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookie. First, bread flour and cake flour are now much more readily available than they were fourteen years ago. Second, options and price points for good quality chocolate have also changed considerably. And last, and maybe most importantly, my baking knowledge has improved considerably. I am definitely not the same baker I was fourteen years ago. For those reasons as well as a few others, I will tell you I was drunk in cookie love when I took a bite of this cookie. However, in full disclosure this isn't the exact same cookie I made fourteen years ago. I made a few nuanced changes to it. 

With the exception of the vanilla, I kept the quantities of all of the other ingredients the same as the originally published recipe. So what were the specific changes I made to Jacques Torres's recipe? Instead of using only light brown sugar, I used a combination of both light and dark brown sugar and instead of using two teaspoons of vanilla, I used a tablespoon. And what were those so called subtle changes? I used European style butter as it has a slightly higher fat content than most American made butters. I can't be absolutely certain, but if Jacques Torres learned to bake in France he had to using European butter. And lastly, instead of using the very expensive oval shaped chocolate feves, I chopped up a 17.6 ounce bar of Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate. And for the coarse salt, I used Kosher salt. 

When I first made this cookie years ago, I measured the ingredients using measuring cups and spoons. This time I used my food scale and measured in grams (not ounces). If there was ever a cookie to convince you to use weighted versus cup measurements, this would be the cookie. With ingredient amounts asking for two cups of flour to be reduced by two tablespoons or one cup of sugar increased with two additional tablespoons, measuring in grams makes measuring easier.

If there was ever a chocolate chip cookie to test your patience, your ability to wait, this would be the one. Because once you make the batter, use an ice cream scoop to create eighteen to nineteen 3 1/2 ounce balls, the balls of dough need to chill in the refrigerator for at least 24 but up to 72 hours. Although I would recommend waiting until at least 36 hours before baking them. The amount of time the balls of dough need to spend in the refrigerator may sound like a drawback or deal breaker to some. But the textural and flavor benefits far outweigh any temporary inconvenience. And this is coming from someone who doesn't list patience high on their list of virtues! Note: I baked a batch at the 36 hour mark and another after a 66 hour pause. Both batches came out perfectly.

Baking time for the cookies ranges from 17-20 minutes or until they are golden brown on the edges but appear to still be slightly soft in the center. Rather than immediately transferring the baked cookies to a cooling rack, allow them to remain on the cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes. 

To get that beautiful, perfect round bakery look to your chocolate chip cookies, use a glass bowl or oversized round cookie cutter to swirl the cookies shortly (less than a minute) after they come of the oven. 

These jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies (Jacques Torres Style) have crispy, chewy edges and soft centers, are laden with chocolate, are surprisingly light, and are a seriously scrumptious, spectacular chocolate chip cookie.  At slightly more three and a half inches in diameter, these impressive sized chocolate chip cookies are certainly large enough to share. Although I would encourage you to be a tad selfish and allow yourself to savor every last morsel. The recipe below makes eighteen cookies so there is more than enough to go around. 

How do they compare to Tara's Chocolate Chip Cookies? It would almost impossible and even a bit unfair to compare these two chocolate chip cookies as they have two completely different flavor profiles. If you love a chocolate chip cookie having a slightly higher chocolate to cookie dough ratio, you will absolutely be smitten with these. They are as rich and delicious as they are gorgeous. Bringing these Jacques Torres style chocolate chip cookies back into my life (permanently this time) reminded me that good things sometimes really do come to those who wait. 

Recipe

Chocolate Chip Cookies, Jacques Torres Style

Makes 18-19 very large (slightly larger than 3 1/2 inches), bakery style cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (283g) European or European style unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (226g) granulated sugar

1 cup (200g) light brown sugar

1/4 cup (50g) dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups less 2 Tablespoons (214g) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (226g) bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 pounds (500g) dark, bittersweet or milk chocolate, chopped (I use the 17.6 oz Trader Joe's Pound Plus Bar)

Flaky sea salt (e.g., Maldon Sea Salt)

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, bread flour, Kosher salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a large standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature unsalted butter for about 2 minutes.

3. Add in the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and dark brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy (approximately 4-5 minutes).

4. Mix in the vanilla.

5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the flour mixture in three additions. When all of the flour has been added in and it is no longer visible, add in the chopped chocolate. Mix until just incorporated.

7. Using a large ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup, form 18 balls of dough (each approximately 3 1/2 ounces each). Place the balls of dough on a tray. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 36-72 hours.

8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Note: Bake only one pan of cookies at a time.

9. Place six balls of the dough (spaced at least 3 inches apart) on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt.

10. Bake the cookies on the center rack of the oven for 17-20 minutes (rotating the pan midway through the baking process) or until golden on top and along edges but still a bit soft in the center. Remove the pan from the oven. Wait one minute before using a bowl or large round cookie cutter to swirl the cookie to create a perfectly round cookie. Let cookies remain on the baking sheet for up to 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

11. Savor these beautiful bakery style looking chocolate chip cookies immediately (you have waited long enough!) or store them in a tightly sealed container once they have come to room temperature. 

Notes: (1) For calculating weight measurements, I use the following base formulas: 200g = 1 cup brown sugar, 200 g = 1 cup granulated sugar, 115 g = 1 cup cake flour, 136g = 1 cup bread flour, 226g = 1 cup unsalted butter, 371g = 1 pound chocolate (2) I chopped up the 17.6 ounce bar of the Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate for these cookies. 

Potato Chip Cookies

Some cookies are meant to be enjoyed with or dunked in milk and some are meant to be paired with prosecco or champagne. I would put these Potato Chip Cookies in the 'best enjoyed with some bubbly' category, although I won't tell you they couldn't be eaten with a tall glass of milk. They are a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, perfectly crunchy, and with a shortbread-like quality to them, these cookies are nothing short of being irresistibly, borderline addictive. And, if you are someone who happens to have a fondness for potato chips, you will understand when I say it's hard to just eat only one of these cookies. 

Almost every recipe for Potato Chip Cookies I have looked at attributed its' origin to a teacher, an aunt, a grandmother, or a church cookbook. In other words, they all came with a story, but none of them actually identified the actual Potato Chip Cookie creator. There are only two things for certain I learned with regard to this cookie. First, it was created long after 1853, the year George Crum invented the potato chip. And second, it wasn't until the 1940s or 1950s when potato chip cookie recipes started appearing in magazines and newspapers. 

Not unlike all of the other Potato Chip Cookie recipes I found out there, this one too has a story. As a rule, I am not a big fan of cookie exchanges. But had I decided not to go the running group's cookie exchange night a few weeks back, I may have never gotten the recipe for 'this' Potato Chip cookie. One coming from the aunt of my very good friend Rose. If I told you that both of these women grew up in Ireland, you might be wondering why or how the place of birth has anything to do with this cookie recipe. Well let me tell you.

If you were lucky enough to grow up eating Irish butter, you learned very early on what a game changer it was in cookies, cakes, and all things baked. Some of us (like me) didn't learn how Irish butter takes almost any cookie recipe from ordinary to extraordinary until it became readily available here on this side of the pond. But Rose and her aunt discovered the 'butter secret' growing up in Ireland. So, of course, the cookies I had tasted at the cookie exchange, the cookie I couldn't wait to get the recipe for, were made with Irish Butter. So it wasn't only the tablespoon of vanilla (yes, a tablespoon!) that took these Potato Chip Cookies to a whole new level of deliciousness, it was the cup of Irish unsalted butter. And I'm told using Irish potato chips instead of Lay's Classic Potato Chips creates an even more epic cookie! 

The recipe for making the cookies is pretty straightforward. With only six ingredients, it's an easy, unfussy cookie to make. In spite of the fact it called for chilling the dough for an hour before forming into 1' balls and baking in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven.

However, instead of forming the balls of dough from chilled dough, I formed and then chilled the balls of dough. Which I have to say worked out perfectly.

The recommended baking time for the cookies ranges from 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges but still a bit soft in center. My baking time was about 18 minutes.

Dusting the cookies with some confectionary sugar while they are still slightly warm turned out to be the perfect finishing touch of sweetness.

If there was ever an ultimate cookie to bring in, to ring in the new year, it would be these Potato Chip Cookies! 

But I am guessing once you taste how irresistible they are, you will be making them again and again in the year(s) ahead. Because once you know, you know how such an unlikely ingredient can create the most scrumptious rustic shortbread-like, sweet-salty cookie.

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy, filled with an abundance of sweetness new year! Looking forward to continuing to share new recipes and yes, even updated recipes with you in 2022! 

Recipe

Potato Chip Cookies

Makes 24-26 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (75g) crushed Lay's Potato Chips (see notes)

1 cup (226g) Irish or European-style unsalted butter, room temperature (recommend Kerrygold Unsalted Butter)

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 Tablespoon good quality vanilla

2 cups (258g) all-purpose flour

Confectionary sugar, for finishing

Directions

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter for about 1 minute.

2. Add in the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

3. Beat in the egg yolk until incorporated.

4. Beat in the vanilla just until mixed in.

5. Add in the all-purpose flour in three (3) additions. Mix just until flour is absorbed into the dough.

6. Using a spatula, mix in the crushed potato chips.

7. Using an ice cream scoop, form the dough into 1 to 1 1/4" balls and place on a sheetpan. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 55-60 minutes.

8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

9. Place twelve of the balls of dough on one cookie sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes (rotating the baking sheet midway through the baking process) or until lightly golden around the edges (and still slightly soft in the center). Remove from the oven and let sit on making sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack and generously sifting confectionary sugar over the top of each cookie.

10. Place the remaining 12 balls of dough on the other baking sheet. Bake accordingly.

11. Let the cookies cool completely before packaging or plating. Store cookies in a tightly sealed (tin) container.  The cookies will be good for up to 5 days, if they last that long

Notes: (1) I found it was easier to weigh out the potato chips before crushing them in a bowl or in ziplock bag.  (2) This recipe, like most other Potato Chip Cookie recipes, called for the use of Lay's Potato Chips. So, unless you have a bag of Irish Potato Chips in your cupboard, only use Lay's Classic Potato Chips when you make these cookies. (3) And, last but not least, use only unsalted Irish Butter when you make them. I promise it makes a difference. I used Kerrygold.

Cookies and Cream Cookies

Last year the pandemic changed many things. While some things are beginning to swing back to an old/new normal, my summer half-marathon training program isn't one of them. In spite of the much anticipated return of the in-person training program, I decided I would again run solo and train virtually. Not because I don't love running with friends (I do). However, being able to run on my own gives me the freedom to choose my routes and running surfaces (I prefer asphalt to a path), pick the time I go out for my runs (as early as possible on hot/humid days), get lost in music (I have never been able to master the run/talk thing), whine if I want to (and I sometimes do), and, last but not least, improve my running head game. Making the decision to run alone didn't come easy as there are numerous benefits to running in a group. Particularly the support, encouragement, motivation, and camaraderie that comes with running in a pack or has sometimes been the case, running in the back of a pack. My goal race is in mid-September, just three days after I turn sixty-six. And like my training program, I will be running a virtual half-marathon as my race (the Lululemon Seawheeze) will again not be an in-person event this year. Fingers crossed I stay healthy and strong enough to run that race in-person, in Vancouver in 2022. In the months ahead, I will keep you posted on my progress (as it will be another way to keep me accountable). Even though I should eat healthy carbohydrates prior to and/or after a long run, I am all about giving myself rewards when I meet a goal. Which means you might be seeing more than a few recipes for baked goods from now until September. And these Cookies and Cream Cookies may be the perfect way to get things started.

While hiking in the mountains in Colorado I received a photoless text from two friends living in Texas telling me about a cookie they couldn't stop eating. It wasn't until I was in wi-fi range that I could text them back to ask 'what was that cookie?'. Within minutes I not only learned it was a chocolate chip and chopped Oreos cookie, but I also received a copy of the recipe. The idea of combining chocolate chips and chopped Oreos in a cookie was definitely right up my cookie loving alley. So about a week after I got home I looked more closely at the recipe. I loved the concept of the cookie but decided to make some changes to the recipe they had used. Which I am pretty certain they knew I would.

Only when I went to make my version of these Cookies and Cream Cookies I almost created one I am pretty certain would have been a disaster. As luck would have it, I relooked at my recipe notes and remeasured all of the ingredients before making the dough. Thank goodness! My Cookies and Cream Cookie recipe significantly increased the amount of chocolate chips (it went from 1 cup to 2 1/2 cups) using an equal combination of both white and semi-sweet chocolate chips. In addition to shifting the ratios on the brown sugar and granulated sugar (I like a higher brown to white sugar ratio in chocolate chip cookies), I increased the amounts of Kosher salt and vanilla, along with adding some baking powder. Instead of baking the cookies immediately after the batter was made, I went with my scoop into substantially sized balls, tightly cover in plastic wrap, and chill overnight cookie baking method.

After making a variety of Levain style cookies in the past year, I have become a big fan of the 'big, ginormous' cookie. From their appearance, to their texture, to their taste, there is just something even more satisfying about eating a 'big' bakery style cookie. It's important to note that if you alter the cookie size of any given recipe (i.e., making a big cookie small or a small cookie big), you increase the possibility of altering everything about the cookie.

In spite of their size, these cookies bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for only 14-16 minutes (my baking time was closer to 16 minutes). Allowing them to rest on the baking sheet for an additional five minutes, further crisps up the bottom and edges without affecting the perfectly baked interior. 

The combination of chopped Oreos, semisweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips in a cookie is pure bliss. 

My friends were right. This is my definitely my kind of cookie! So glad I have people looking out for my best interests!

And at the moment these Cookies and Cream Cookies are now my favorites! 

It's been awhile since I dunked a cookie in milk (the concept borders on being a bit sacrilegious), but these cookies are dunkworthy. However, if the concept of dunking a cookie milk isn't one that appeals to you, not to worry. They are satisfyingly scrumptious all on their own!

If you are looking for a cookie to bring to or serve at a gathering, to cheer up a friend, to impress your family/friends, to reward someone training for a half-marathon or marathon, or for absolutely no other other reason than to satisfy a cookie sweet tooth, make these Cookies and Cream Cookies!!! What I am trying to say is you really, really need to make these cookies! 

Recipe

Cookies and Cream Cookies

Makes 16 very large cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (200g) light brown sugar

3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs, straight from the refrigerator

3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour

18 regular sized (183g) Oreos, coarsely chopped (cut each cookie into 7-8 pieces)

1 1/4 cups (218g) semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups (218g) white chocolate chips

Flaky Sea Salt

Directions

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, Kosher salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

2. Mix on low to moisten the ingredients, then increase speed to medium. Continue to beat until light, fluffy, and pale (approximately 8 minutes). Scrape the bowl down midway through.

3. With the mixer running, add in the eggs one at a time, letting each fully incorporate before adding the next one.

4. Reduce the mixer to low and add in the flour all at once. When flour is just incorporated, add in the chopped Oreos and chocolate chips. Mix until the dough is homogenous. 

5. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions using a large (2 1/4") cookie scoop. Place each scoop on a baking tray. Tightly wrap the tray with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. 

7. Place 6 dough balls on the first cookie sheet. Lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake for 14-16 minutes (rotating the tray midway through the baking process) until lightly golden on the edges. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

8. Continue baking the rest of the cookies.

9. Enjoy the cookies warm or room temperature. Store cookies in a tightly sealed container or wrap individually in cellophane bags.

Notes: (1) These cookies can be made with all semisweet, all white, or milk chocolate chips. Or use a combination of any two or three of those chocolate chips. But the combination of the semisweet and white chocolate was insanely delicious. (2) The cookie dough balls weighed between 3 1/2 and 3 5/8 ounces or 100g-104g). (3) In spite of the fact that there are two teaspoons of Kosher salt in the cookie dough, these cookies are not overly salty.