Margarita Cookies

Continuing with the theme of desserts inspired by the flavors of Mexico (begun with Mexican chocolate brownies) - I also wanted to make a cookie that incorporated the lime and tequila flavors of a margarita. I thought about adapting a recipe for lemon bars, but ultimately decided that I wanted something that would pack more easily. And so I hit upon this concoction, which blends a classic sugar cookie with a margarita. These cookies were a huge hit at the office. (Note: There isn't much tequila in them to begin with, and it bakes off anyway.)

Margarita Cookies (~ 3 dozen cookies)
1 c. butter (two sticks)
3/4 c. sugar
zest of 1 lime, 1 lemon, and 1 orange*
1 egg yolk
1 T. tequila
1 tsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/4 c. flour

For dusting: 1/4 c. sugar + 1 tsp. salt

1. Cream butter and sugar together. Stir in egg yolk and citrus zests, then tequila, lime juice, and salt.

2. Mix in flour a little at a time until fully incorporated.

3. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 350F.

5. Scoop dough out with cookie scoop or teaspoon, form into balls, and roll in sugar + salt mixture. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or silicone and flatten each ball slightly with the tines of a fork.

6. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on pan for a couple of minutes, then move to wire rack.

* I only had key limes, so I zested two. Instead of the orange zest, I used 1 tsp. of dried Valencia orange peel.

What I Did During the DC Snowpocalypse: Molasses Cookies and Oatmeal-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies

The East Coast is getting pounded by a massive snowstorm today - near my house in Arlington, VA the snow measured 17 inches deep at 3:45 pm and it is still going strong now that night has fallen. Most of the region is shut down (even the malls!), the Metro is running only underground, my car has morphed into a snowdrift (see picture at right), but I spent the day indoors in my PJs, watching Anne of Green Gables and baking cookies. Although I doubt anyone will show up for the party I'm hosting this evening, I'm sure that the cookies will still go to good use at the office and for Christmas celebrations in the coming days. In the meantime, I have a great DVD collection, hot cocoa, eggnog, and 9 or 10 dozen cookies to sustain me through the remainder of the storm.

Molasses Cookies (~4-5 dozen)
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
granulated sugar or colored sugar [since it is Christmas-time, I used a mixture of red and green decorating sugar]

1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar together. Continue to mix at low speed, adding egg then molasses.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Add to wet ingredients in several stages, mixing after each.

3. Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator for an hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. Shape dough into balls about 1 or 1 1/2 inch in diameter, roll in granulated sugar, and place on a greased cookie sheet or cookie sheet with a silicone liner. If desired, press lightly with a fork to flatten slightly and form a grid pattern on each cookie.

5. Bake at 350F for 9-10 minutes, until edges of cookies begin to set. Remove from oven, allow to cool on pan for a few minutes, then move cookies to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Oatmeal-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies (~ 4-5 dozen)
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

1. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and peanut butter until blended, about 30 seconds.

2. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda and beat until combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add flour in a few batches, mixing well after each. You may need to switch to mixing by hand as the dough thickens.

3. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet or cookie sheet with a silicone liner.

5. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven, allow to cool on pan for a few minutes, then move cookies to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

With all of the news about peanut butter recalls, I've been reluctant to post this recipe - but the truth is, I love peanut butter and find it hard to go without. So in spite of the recalls (which I am hoping will all be sorted out soon), I'm sharing this great bar cookie! I brought these into the office a while back and they disappeared pretty quickly.

Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars (enough for a crowd)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.

2. Stir butter and peanut butter together in a large bowl. Add sugar and brown sugar and stir until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

3. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until well blended. Stir in peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

4. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Slice into bars (about 36) and serve.

Cranberry-Orange-White Chocolate Chip Cookies

A couple of years ago I found a recipe for pumpkin raisin ginger cookies on the side of my Pillsbury Quick Bread mix and quickly added them to the rotation of my fall and winter cookies. Using pumpkin quick bread mix means that these cookies can be whipped up in a jiffy for parties, snacks, and gifts. Inspired by my success with the pumpkin raisin ginger cookies, I branched out to the cranberry quick bread mix and came up with...

Cranberry - Orange - White Chocolate Chip Cookies (approx. 18-24 cookies)
1 box cranberry quick bread mix
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Mix all ingredients together (may be slightly crumbly). Form into balls (about 1.5 inch diameter) and place on an ungreased or foil-lined cookie sheet. Use a fork to lightly flatten balls.

3. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove cookies to wire racks to finish cooling.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Earlier this week, the New York Times went on a hunt for the best chocolate chip cookie and offered a recipe that they say is great. I'm sure it is, but my favorite chocolate chip cookies are made using a recipe that I adapted from the top of the Quaker Oats canister. The recipe was originally for oatmeal raisin cookies, but I've used the base to make everything from raisin to chocolate chip to white chocolate cranberry to chocolate butterscotch.

p.s. If you need a quick fix and don't want to make up a whole batch of cookies, I suggest picking up one of the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies at Potbelly.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (4-5 dozen cookies)
1 cup (two sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats (quick or old-fashioned)
1 cup chocolate chips*

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulate sugar until creamy.

3. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.

4. Combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon, then add to liquid mixute and mix well.

5. Stir in oats and chocolate chips until fully mixed.

6. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

8. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet, then remove to wire rack.

*or raisins, or 1/2 cup white chocolate chips + 1/2 cup dried cranberries, or 1/2 cup cinnamon chips + 1/2 cup raisins, or 1/2 cup chocolate chips + 1/2 cup butterscotch chips, etc.