Day 29: Jingle Bell Blossoms

Before I get to today's cookie...a disclaimer, a fraud report if you will.
In yesterday's blog I claimed to create a cookie I called "Pee Wee's". However a quick Google search of the elements in my cookies revealed at least 3 others almost exactly like them. Despite my false claim, I have decided to continue calling them Pee Wee's...so there!

Today's cookie I guess could be considered my own invention, I am just a little gun shy to use the "I-word" now. The inspiration came from those silly little Peanut Butter Blossoms. Why so silly you ask? Because they are such a simple cookie yet ridiculously good. Name one person that doesn't love them, I dare you. And yes, Ashleigh, I will make them.
Ever since the whole ketchup cookie debacle (Day 15), I have laid off the peanut butter cookie and am apparently opting for chocolate lately. For this recipe I used the chocolate dough from Rachael Ray's Double Chocolate Cookies with a Peppermint Surprise (Day 10). -Don't worry, no peppermint, (or ketchup), is used in making the chocolate dough.
Just roll the chilled dough into tablespoon sized balls, bake 8 minutes at 350. Remove them from the oven and press one Reese's Peanut Butter Jingle Bell candy into each cookie. Cool. Marvel.

****One last note: Please if you will, click on my advertisers below. You do not have to buy anything and they promise me the links are safe. Everytime someone clicks on the advertisement, I earn a few cents for Relay for Life.

Day 23: Hot Cocoa Cookies

There are a few things you must have before making these Hot Cocoa Cookies.
1. A chilly evening in the forecast.
2. A quiet evening in that same forecast
3. A roaring fire
4. Some Peppermint Mocha Coffee
or and it also doesn't hurt if you have a fine chocolatier sponsoring you.

This is another one of Rachael Ray's Holiday Cookie Recipes, but beware, they are a little costly to make. the recipe calls for 7 bars of semi sweet chocolate. 7 bars!!! I have been putting off making these just for that reason. But this morning at the grocery store, Ghiradelli 4 oz. semi sweet bars were on sale for 2 for $5.00. I bought two, convincing myself I read the recipe wrong and maybe it actually was only calling for 7 oz. No such luck. But then I read the recipe a little more carefully and I noticed that the first 12oz. of chocolate used is chopped and melted with butter. Hmmm....12 oz of chopped chocolate. Have you ever noticed the weight on a bag of chocolate chips? Yep, 12oz. Rachael was trying to tell me something! The chocolate chips (Safeway brand even) worked great, but I did use the good chocolate in the rest of the recipe.
The dough for this cookie looks more like a brownie batter. I thought for sure I would be ending my relationship with Rachael after this and I just could not handle another failure after yesterday's Butterscotch Blondie Blowup. However, after chilling the dough/batter for at least 30 minutes as directed it magical firms into a dough that can be rolled into a ball. From there is was smooth sailing and cookies are absolutley delicious!

Day 20: A Great Cookie Day Thanks to Rachael Ray

Yes! Rachael comes through again-oh, didn't you know, we are on a first name basis now. The foundation of trust between has been built, a mutual respect if you will. Okay so it's not mutual, she has no idea who I am after all.
I have been dying to make this Coconut Snowflakes since I bought the magazine last month. Not only do the cookies feature two things I love, coconut and lemon, but I also just happen to have this particular snowflake cookie cutter. Warning: Rachael does say offer a substitute cookie cutter, use your imagination. Another warning: she says to bake these for 20 minutes. Do yourself a favor and check them after 12 minutes. At 18 minutes I burned a pan, and nearly destroyed my relationship with Rach.

When spreading the filling on the cookie I say go for it! One measly teaspoon just doesn't seem to be enough. I also got a little creative and opted to not line the two cookies up exactly when sandwiching them. I know, I am a wild woman.
My husband thought that the two cookies sandwiched together were a little dry. Since I still have half the dough to bake I may try not sandwiching them and sprinkling the coconut right on top of the filling. Once again...crazy, wild, I know.

Day 10: Rachael Ray for the Win!!

I went into this recipe very skeptical considering yesterday's shortcoming with the Apricot Cheesecake Pockets. I didn't even unwrap all of the 24 peppermint patty's the recipe calls for...just in case. But this recipe for Double Chocolate Cookies with a Peppermint Patty Surprise does not dissapoint! This is another from the December 2011 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray and it has restored my faith. Which is a really good thing since there are at least 2 more recipes I want to try from that issue.
Not only do these cookies taste delicious (think Thin Mints on steroids), but they just scream Christmas! Oh and as a bonus, pretty easy and fun to make, a great recipe to let the kids help with. The process reminded of one of my favorite activities as a kid...making mud pies.

Some pointers: freeze the peppermint patties, measure out each tablespoon of dough before pressing mints into dough, roll the dough in a ball then flatten in your hand before you wrap the dough around the mint, chill each pan of cookies about 20 minutes before putting in the oven. Enjoy!

Day 9: Apricot Cheesecake Pockets...Sabotage??

   After yesterday's Martha Stewart rant, I decided to give Rachael Ray a shot today. This recipe is from the December 2011 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. I do not have a link for the recipe and just didn't feel like typing the whole thing up, besides it's...you guessed it....wrong. I will give Rachael the benefit of the doubt and assume it was a typo. The recipe is supposed to yeild 2 dozen cookies. The dough is rolled to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with a 4" round cookie cutter. I carefully measure everything, I got 12 cookies. Also 1/4 inch is way to thick for a cookie that is folded in half. If I make these again I will roll them out to 1/8 inch thickness.

I think I am more proud of this picture

   I want to believe Rachael Ray is not out to sabotage all of us the way Martha is. I have 4 more cookies recipes from the magazine I want to try. And really other than the thickness issue, this recipe did work out really well and the cookies are delicious.
UPDATE: Here is the recipe. Again, I would not roll the dough as thick as the recipe states.