Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Cookies and cream is a flavor combination that I've loved since I was a little kid. Other preferences have come and gone, but there's still something about cookies and cream that I just find very, very appealing. Naturally, applying that to a cupcake seems like the greatest idea in the world.



Although I loved the look of the lightly speckled frosting, if I had to do it again I'd definitely add even more Oreo to flavor the frosting. I wasn't particularly enthused with using shortening in the frosting, either. A local cupcake bakery, New York Cupcakes (the cupcakes are New York themed, not from New York), makes the most amazing Oreo buttercream frosting -- far superior to the one used in this recipe, taste wise. If you're more concerned with aesthetics, use the recipe -- it makes beautiful snow-white frosting with specks of Oreo cookie. Otherwise, making your favorite buttercream recipe and use lots of crushed-up Oreos.

The original recipe calls for either breaking the Oreo cookies up into pieces or placing them whole into the cupcake wrappers. Surprisingly (because I didn't expect to), I preferred the latter method. It created an unexpected crunch in the middle of the cupcake, but rather than detracting from the overall experience, it added to it. Then again, I am the sort of person who likes a bit of crunch in everything I eat (I love lining my sandwiches with potato chips, for instance), so your mileage may vary. :-)

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes (adapted from Bakerella)

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 24 Oreos, plus more for crumbs

For the frosting:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3-6 tbsp milk
• 2 or more tsp Oreo cookie crumbs

Method

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers.
2. Place a whole cookie into each cup or break them apart and place the broken pieces into each cup.
3. Mix the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl using a wire whisk.
4. Add the eggs, oil, vanilla and milk and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the hot water and mix until combined.
5. Transfer the very liquid batter to a large measuring cup and pour batter into each baking cup so that it's about 3/4 full.
6. Bake cupcakes for 16-18 minutes.

For the frosting:

1. Beat the shortening in a mixer until smooth.
2. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
3. Add the powdered sugar in three additions, scraping down the sides after each addition.
4. Add a tbsp of milk at a time and mix together until you achieve the consistency you like.
5. Add the cookie crumbs and mix until completely combined.
6. Place the frosting in a decorator bag and pipe onto each cupcake as desired. Another option is to mound the frosting just over the cupcake, then dip the top into a bowl of Oreo crumbs to coat.
7. Insert a cookie (or part of one) on top of each cupcake for decoration.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

These cookies are called cookies, but texture wise they're more like little cakes, soft and pillowy, not crumbly. Whatever you want to call them, they are delicious. They have a nice, tender crumb that's like a more cakey version of a sugar cookie -- only they're infused with lemon flavor.


This isn't the first time I've made these cookies, but the last time I made them was a year ago. Because I had a bunch of Meyer lemons (from making preserved lemons) on hand, I wanted to make them again. I had a small panic attack when I realized that I'd never posted about these -- I use this blog to store recipes I've tried and loved -- and who the hell knew where I'd gotten the recipe in the first place?!?! I beat myself up for about 10 minutes for being so careless as to not keep some sort of record for a recipe I'd loved, then calmed down and thought about it, and remembered. WHEW. Never doing that to myself again!


It was remembering the ricotta part that was key. If you search for "lemon cookies" on the Internet, a whole ton of stuff comes up. But if you search for "lemon ricotta cookies," the one I was looking for, by Giada De Laurentiis, pops right up. She even has an enticing little video to go with these.


They really are that simple to make. Most of the ingredients are ones you probably already have in your pantry and fridge, with the exception of the ricotta. Heck, maybe you have that lying around all the time too. I didn't, so I had to run out and get a tub.


I adapted the cookies slightly by using Meyer lemons, because that's what I had on hand, but I used regular lemons the first time and it was just as fabulous. In fact, if anything, regular lemons made the end result more lemony, maybe because they're not as sweet and subtle as Meyer lemons. I also accidentally made them healthier, because the recipe calls for whole-milk ricotta, and I thought I picked up a tub of that, but it turned out to be part skim. The good news? I didn't notice a difference at all. So yay, fewer calories and you don't have to pay the price in terms of flavor. (Don't worry, there's still plenty of "good stuff" in them to make them delicious!)


Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze (recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 15oz container whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (using a stand or electric mixer), about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated.
4. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine.
5. Stir in the dry ingredients.
6. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and back to front about halfway through, until slightly golden at the edges.
7. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
8. While the cookies are cooling, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Add more lemon juice, a few drops at a time, to thin if necessary.
9. When the cookies have cooled, spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours before packing them into an airtight container.

Rugelach

I was introduced to this Jewish cookie this summer by my best friend. It hasn't been an easy summer for me, as my mom was going through some serious health issues (though she's thankfully a lot better now). One of the things my friend did to help keep me sane, other than just be there for me, was bring me treats. One of these treats was rugelach from a bakery near where she lives.


I fell in love with them, especially the raspberry ones, and was determined to make my own. First, they were rather pricey. Second, they seemed pretty simple. And third, I needed to find a sure-fire way to be able to have them any time I wanted, once I left southern California.


I found plenty of recipes for rugelach online, but none of them seemed to fit the bill. Then, I was browsing a bookstore one day after returning to Seattle, and found The World of Jewish Cooking, by Gil Marks. In it was a recipe that I felt sounded very similar to the rugelach that I'd fallen in love with. And the pastry crust used cream cheese, which I already knew I was a fan of, from previous pie-making experiences.


I am pleased -- and amazed -- to tell you that these homemade versions are even better than the ones from the bakery. I wish that happened more often! The only difference is in appearance -- rugelach are traditionally crescent shaped, while the bakery version sold them in squares. I followed the instructions to shape them into crescents, though it would be very easy to roll them into squares, instead. In fact, it would be a lot less time consuming.


You can also shape the rugelach into small, medium, and large sizes -- I chose to make small, bite-sized ones; the recipe makes 64 bite-sized cookies, 48 medium-sized cookies, and 32 large cookies. Because you're working with four balls of dough, it's also easy to play around with fillings. I decided to make half raspberry and half chocolate (though to be honest, I still love the raspberry ones best). Also, for the filling, I used walnuts and granulated sugar, and omitted the optional raisins.

Rugelach (recipe from The World of Jewish Cooking by Gil Marks)

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling

• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup dried currants or raisins (optional)
• 1/2 granulated sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• About 1 cup apricot jam, raspberry jam, strawberry jam, orange marmalade, or 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted

Method

1. To make the dough: Beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the salt. Gradually beat in the flour.
2. Divide into 4 equal portions, form into balls, wrap, and refrigerate overnight. (For quicker use, place in the freezer for about 1 hour. The dough can be frozen for up to 4 months.) Let the dough stand at room temperature until workable.
3. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
4. On a lightly floured surface or piece of waxed paper, roll out each piece of the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick round about 15 inches in diameter.
5. To make the filling: Combine the nuts, currants or raisins, if desired, sugar, and cinnamon. Brush the dough rounds lightly with the jam, marmalade, butter, or margarine, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle evenly with the nut mixture.
6. For large rugelach, cut each round into 8 wedges; for medium, cut into 12 wedges; for small, cut into 16 wedges. Roll up the wedges from the wide end toward the point, pinching the point to seal. Gently bend to form crescents. (The rugelach can be prepared ahead to this point and frozen for several months. Defrost before baking.)
7. Place the rugelach on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let the cookies stand until firm, about 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.

Variation: Chocolate rugelach: Substitute 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for the cinnamon and brush the dough rounds with the 1/4 cup butter or margarine (not the jam).

Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

These. cookies. are. AWESOME.



This is a bit embarrassing to admit, considering I write a food blog, but I'm out of granulated sugar at the moment.  I haven't needed to go to the store recently, and I try to avoid going for just one item.  Yet I've been craving cookies.  When I saw the recipe for these sables (shortbread in French), which called for confectioner's sugar, I saw it as a sign that I had to make them.

And boy am I glad I did.  I halved the recipe, both because I wasn't sure I'd like the cookies and because I don't need to be eating that many cookies, period.  They were fantastic, though -- flaky, crisp, not too sweet, and full of coffee flavor and chunks of dark chocolate.  If you want to make the full batch, simply double the recipe below.

The recipe calls for instant espresso powder, but I don't usually keep that around and I don't use it enough to warrant buying it.  Instead, I ground up some espresso beans really fine and used that instead.  Once incorporated into the dough, the grounds disappear texture wise, but flavor wise they're unmistakeable.



Dorie Greenspan has some tips for making successful shortbread.  First, use softened butter, but not too soft and definitely not melted.  You want to avoid oily greasiness.  Second, you don't want fluffy batter.  Thus, do not overbeat the butter and sugar.  Third, once you add in the flour, do not overmix the dough.  Mix until just incorporated, and don't handle the dough too much.  Fourth, chill the dough for a good long time, preferably overnight.  And finally, no matter how good they might smell (and they will smell really, really good), do NOT eat the cookies until they have cooled completely.

When I was a little girl, my favorite cookies were Girl Scout shortbread cookies -- but these cookies are decidedly for adults.

Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies (recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 tbsp finely ground espresso beans (or instant espresso powder)
• 1/2 tbsp boiling water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 2oz dark or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Method

1. Combine the boiling water and ground espresso beans and let sit.
2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until very smooth, 2-3 minutes.
3. Beat in the vanilla extract and espresso mixture, scraping down as necessary.
4. Add the flour and mix just until it disappears into the dough.
5. Gently fold in the chocolate pieces.  Don't overwork the dough.
6. Scrape the soft and sticky dough into a gallon-sized plastic bag.  Do not seal, and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle 1/4-inch thick.  Seal and chill in rthe efrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight; longer is better.
7. When ready to bake,  preheat the oven to 325°F.
8. Cut the plastic bag away from the chilled and hardened dough.  Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares.
9. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper about an inch apart (they shouldn't spread while baking).  Use a fork and pierce each cookie twice all the way through the dough.
10. Bake for 18-20 minutes, turning the baking sheet about halfway through.  The shortbread will stay fairly pale and will not change color much if at all.
11. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and serve when completely cooled.

Meyer Lemon Sablés

When life gives you Meyer lemons, you make? Lemonade is too boring. You can make lemonade with regular lemons and it tastes pretty much the same. So what, then? What is worthy of beauties such as these?



The color of these lemons is not a trick of the camera. They're practically orange. Which is appropriate, because Meyer lemons are sweeter than the average lemon. In fact, if you're making a recipe that requires Meyer lemons and you only have regular ones, the substitution is to add a bit of orange juice.



I found a basket of these lovelies at Whole Foods, and bought two. I've been wracking my brain with what to do with them. Naturally, one of the first places I checked for a Meyer lemon recipe was Orangette, since her recipes are usually quite pleasing to me. That's how I came to make these cookies, which are basically like lemon shortbread cookies. They're light and buttery, and though I wish they were a little crispier, or maybe a little chewier, they're addictive to eat. The problem is that the recipe makes 80 cookies, and well, there's just me!



Now I have two zested Meyer lemons and haven't decided yet what I'll be doing with the juice/pulp. But I'll come up with something soon, and when I do, you'll be the second to know about it.



Meyer Lemon Sablés

Recipe originally found at Orangette

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp finely grated Meyer lemon zest (from about 2 good-size fruits)
• ¾ tsp coarse sea salt or Kosher salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• ¼ cup coarse Turbinado sugar, for rolling logs of dough

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, and whisk to mix thoroughly. Set aside.
2. Put the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl). Beat (with the paddle attachment, if you’re using a stand mixer) on medium-low speed until the butter is creamy; then add the confectioner’s sugar and beat for a minute. Add the granulated sugar, and beat for a minute more. Sprinkle the lemon zest and salt into the bowl, and mix briefly to just combine. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing briefly to incorporate after each addition. With the mixer on low, add the flour in three doses, mixing just until the flour is absorbed. Use a rubber spatula to do any last scraping and stirring; do not overmix. The dough will be quite thick and dense and sticky.
3. Divide the dough between two large sheets of wax paper. Using the paper as an aid, smoosh and roll and shape one blob of dough into a rough log about 1½ inches in diameter. Roll up the log in the paper, and twist the ends to seal it closed. Repeat with the remaining blob of dough. Chill the two logs until the dough is cold and firm, at least two hours and up to a couple of days.
4. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F, and set a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Put a large sheet of parchment paper on the counter, and pour the Turbinado sugar onto it, making a ridge of sugar approximately the length of the dough logs. Remove a log from the fridge, unwrap it, and roll it lightly in the sugar to press the crystals into its sides. Coat the log as thoroughly as you can; then slice it into ¼-inch-thick slices. Lay the slices on the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Refrigerate the remaining dough.
5. Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes or until just golden around the edges, rotating the sheet 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. Cool them on the silicone mat or parchment paper on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

Note: Store the cookies in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to three days, or freeze them in a Tupperware, with a sheet of wax paper between each layer.

Yield: about 80 silver-dollar-size cookies