Tag Archive | walnuts

Cranberry Tangerine Cookies

Nov26

Plated cookiesA very fond memory I have of growing up in Germany is of baking cookies during the holidays. A popular German tradition is holiday cookie baking, where families will spend several days or even weeks preparing for the holidays by baking dozens and dozens of cookies and lining them in prepared holiday tins. When visiting friends and family you bring a box of cookies as a present and often receive one back. German cookies tend to be less sweet than a typical American cookie and often filled with fruit and nuts. This recipe for Cranberry Tangerine Cookies is inspired by the German cookies you could expect in your tin. Filled with cranberries, almonds, and tangerine, they’re the perfect bit of sweet treat you want.

Cranberry Tangerine Cookies
Yields 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon grated tangerine zest
  • 2 tablespoons tangerine juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped (you can also use walnuts or pecans if you prefer)

Icing

  • 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
  • 3 tablespoons tangerine juice
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

 Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, cream together butter and the brown and white sugar for several minutes.

sugar and butter creamed together

Add the egg, tangerine zest and juice, almond extract, and mix well. Gradually add the flour, baking soda, and salt until well incorporated.

dough with flour

Stir in the cranberries and almonds.

dough with pecans and cranberries

2. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes. Since every oven varies slightly, I always recommend you bake one cookie all by itself to see exactly how long you need. Better to accidentally ruin one cookie than an entire tray!

dough on cookie sheet

 

baked cookies

3. Transfer from cookie sheet to a cooling rack.

4. While cookies are cooling, mix together the ingredients for the icing.

ingredients for glaze

Using a fork or a whisk, drizzle icing over the cookies.

Iced cookies

Allow icing to set before transferring to cookie tins or eating. Enjoy!

Plated cookies

5-Minute Rocky Road Fudge

Jul7

fudge pieceI’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of fudge. I find that it’s often either way too rich or way too sweet. All that changed when a friend introduced me to this amazing fudge a few years ago. She was whipping up several batches to mail off to friends and family at Christmas and I happened to stop by at just the right moment. I lent a hand with the fudge factory and was rewarded with a plate to take home. I remember taking that first tentative, teeniest of bites and then proceeded to shove the whole piece into my gob as fast I could get it in there. This isn’t fudge. It’s crack. Holiday crack. It’s smooth rich chocolate is studded with nuts and marshmallows which go together so well that even the pickiest of fudge-eaters are happily brought over to its dark side. Now I’m the one who includes this delicious fudge in my Christmas cookie tins. Just be sure to always set aside a few squares for yourself or pop in the freezer for a rainy day. Did I mention how easy this fudge recipe is? All done in the microwave and prep time is 5 minutes or less!

This recipe was adapted from a NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE recipe.

Rocky Road Fudge

Ingredients: 

  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts or peanuts

Directions: 

1. Line a 9″ square baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

image_2

2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk.

Chips and sweetened condensed milk

3. Microwave for 1 minute and stir. Since microwaves vary, it might be necessary to microwave for 10-15 seconds then stir and repeat as necessary until it’s nice and smooth.

Creamy chocolate

4. Stir in vanilla then fold in marshmallows and nuts.

Marshmallows and nuts stirred in

 

5. Spread mixture into greased pan and press flat with spatula.

Smoothed mixture into pan

 

6. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the mixture has hardened. QUICK NOTE: If you’re in a hurry you can also pop the pan in the freezer to help speed it up.

Hardened fudge

7. Lift foil from pan and use a pizza cutter to cut into small squares. Enjoy!

squares

 

Dark Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Jun21

If you like chewy oatmeal cookies then you’ll love this recipe which incorporates dark chocolate chips, dried cherries, and walnuts. The flavors work really well together and make for a very tasty cookie!

Plated Cookies

Dark Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 & 2/3 cups quick-cooking oats
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and butter.

Sugar and butter

Add egg and vanilla and beat. Whisk in flour, baking soda, and salt and beat until well blended.

Blended Dough

Stir in the oats, walnuts, chocolate chips and cherries.

Finished Dough

Using a cookie scoop or a large spoon, scoop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet.

Cookies on cookie sheet

Bake for 13 minutes or until cookies are chewy in the center and crispy on the edges.

Note: With any cookie recipe, I strongly recommend you bake one cookie all by itself to test out the exact baking time for your oven. It’s a lot better to pitch one burnt cookie than an entire pan. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way!

Plated Cookies