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Almond Butter and Jam Cookie Sandwiches

26 Saturday Oct 2013

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Almond Butter and Jam Cookie Sandwiches

I wasn’t one of those kids who wanted a PBJ sandwich in my lunchbox every day — I was more of a bologna and Kraft cheese kind of gal. (Don’t judge, people change.) And yet, there is still something innately comforting to me about the combination of peanut butter and jelly. These cookies are my attempt to combine that sense of comfort and familiarity with a set of ingredients that better match my grown-up palate.

It doesn’t take long to figure out I’m a little bit of an almond fanatic, so it was an easy leap for me to substitute almond butter in my cookie sandwiches. With apologies to George Washington Carver and the state of Georgia, I much prefer the sweet, cherry-like nuttiness of almonds to their legume counterparts.

For the filling, I chose two options: triple berry conserve, and chocolate ganache. (For traditional ganache, try this recipe, or go a little more high-falutin’ with a creme fraiche ganache here.) Both were great partners for the slightly savory notes of these tender shortbread rounds.

I love these because they are special without being complicated, small without feeling too precious. And let’s face it: no one can resist a tiny little cookie sandwich. There will always be a place on my table for the kind of food that brings out the kid in all of us.

Almond Butter Sammies In Progress

Almond Butter and Jam Cookie Sandwiches
makes 24 cookie sandwiches

1 c. unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/2 c. all-natural almond butter (I love Justin’s Nut Butters)
1/2 c. demerara or light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. fine salt
2 c. all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)
granulated sugar for dipping
1/2 c. filling of your choice — jam, chocolate ganache, Nutella, or frosting
(It’s probably rather telling that I always have at least three of the four above on hand.)

Oven 325F. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment and set aside.

Cream together butter, almond butter, demerara sugar, and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high until well-combined. Gradually beat in half the flour, then stir in the remaining flour by hand.

On a piece of waxed paper, pat the dough out into a 6″x8″ rectangle and cut into 48 equal pieces, about 1″-square each. Roll pieces into balls, and place two inches apart on the cookie sheet. Dip the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup in granulated sugar, then press the balls to flatten them to about 1/4″ in thickness.

Bake 12-14 minutes, until they are lightly brown and the centers are set. You will know they are done because they lose their shine. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for five minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Once cool, scoop about a teaspoon of filling on to a cookie, then sandwich with another. Do this like a good parent — gentle, but firm.

Store in an airtight container up to three days. Or freeze, well-wrapped, up to a month, then defrost at room temperature before serving. This is the perfect recipe to get a leg up on your holiday baking…

Cookies Waiting for Filling

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Double Chip Molasses Oatmeal Cookies

23 Thursday Aug 2012

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I’ll warn you up front: if you think it’s possible to have too many chocolate chips in a cookie, this isn’t the recipe for you. Ditto if you like your oatmeal cookies crunchy, or only vaguely spice-scented. Subtle flavor and smooth texture? Not so much.

However, if you want a dense, chewy, chocolate chip festival, full of rubbly mounds of oats and chips, keep reading. If you crave a cookie with plenty of cinnamon, allspice, and ginger, combined with the smoky sweetness of molasses: this is the one. And if you’d like to mollify your conscience just a wee bit by using whole wheat flour, well then, have I got a treat for you! :)

Double Chip Molasses Oatmeal Cookies
makes about 30 cookies

1/2 c. unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. turbinado or light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. unsulphured molasses
3/4 c. whole wheat or all-purpose flour (I like King Arthur White Whole Wheat here)
1 1/2 c. rolled oats (not quick cook)
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips (I use 3/4 c. semisweet and 3/4 c. white)

Beat together butter, sugars, spices, salt, baking soda, and vanilla with electric mixer until smooth and evenly incorporated. Beat in egg, then molasses, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the flour until completely combined, then stir in oats. Add chips and stir again. Cover dough and refrigerate for an hour or two, until chilled and firm.

Oven 375F. Drop dough by tablespoonful on to parchment-lined or lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake ten minutes per batch, until cookies begin to brown and centers are completely set. Allow to cool on pans for a few minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Enjoy warm and gooey, or cool completely and store in airtight container.

(Quick tip: if cookies begin to dry out, place a small slice of apple into the container with them until they are tender again.)

Recipe Notes:
If you’re doubling this recipe, you may find double the molasses a bit overpowering. Consider using three tablespoons of molasses and three tablespoons honey or golden syrup instead. If you like nuts, switch out 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips for a 1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts.

Chocolate Chip Meringues

26 Tuesday Jun 2012

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It’s a happy thing when practicality and yumminess overlap in the kitchen. That’s the case with this recipe, born of the need to make a gluten-free dessert for dear friends, and helped along by the glut of egg whites in my freezer as a result of making pastry cream the week before. These homemade meringues are sweet, chewy little clouds, flavored with vanilla bean and mini-chocolate chips. They are simple, low-fat, and delicious, and that’s always a winning combo in my book.

I shaped mine with the help of an ice-cream scoop because I love the look of rows of brilliant white puffs, dotted with chocolate chips and sprinkles. However, if you’re feeling fancy, these can also be piped out of a large decorating tip into star shapes or little peaked mounds. They go beautifully with the tartness of summer berries, or served alongside coffee. They’re so easy to make, they almost qualify as an Easy-Peasy Friday recipe, and they are certainly a wonderful friend to have along for the weekend.

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Chocolate Chip Meringues
makes twenty-four 2″-wide meringues

4 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
2 c. semisweet mini-chocolate chips
chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Oven 200F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat until soft peaks begin to form, then gradually add the sugar. Beat several minutes more, until mixture is thick and glossy, adding the vanilla at the end. Stir in the mini-chocolate chips with a silicone spatula.

Using a an ice cream/cookie dough scoop that holds 2-1/2 tablespoons, scoop out mounds of meringue about two inches apart on to parchment-lined baking sheet. Add sprinkles to the tops as desired. Bake for two hours at 200F, until outside of cookies is firm and centers are chewy marshmallow-like consistency. Alternately, pipe meringues into 1-1/2″-wide stars or mounds and bake at 200F for 1-1/2 hours.

Cool completely on baking sheets, then transfer to airtight container and store at room temperature.

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Lemon Sugar Icebox Cookies

04 Saturday Feb 2012

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Procrastination and baking do not generally compliment each other, but with this recipe, forgetting your cookie dough for a few weeks before you get around to baking it actually improves the final product. The extra time in the freezer allows the lemon flavor to really infuse and develop, producing buttery, fragrant cookies. The crisp coating of lemon sugar on the outside adds just a hint of crunch, and lemony tart icing drizzled on top completes the citrus trifecta.

Of course, these are wonderful even if you only freeze the dough the minimum one hour. Though these resemble shortbread in appearance, the addition of egg yolk makes for a more tender, less crumbly cookie than traditional shortbread. The dough comes together in a matter of minutes, just the time it takes to zest and juice a few lemons and blitz the ingredients in the food processor. I often double the recipe and keep a log in the freezer, ready to cut and bake for guests.

Not in the mood for lemon? See the Recipe Notes for several more flavor variations, including Orange-Ginger and Mocha-Vanilla. All of them also freeze well after baking — just wait to glaze until right before serving. It’s not often that procrastination is so beautifully rewarded. :)

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Lemon Sugar Icebox Cookies
makes 18 cookies

For cookies:
1 c. all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher or coarse sea salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 large egg yolk
1/4 c. granulated sugar (for rolling)

For icing:
1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1-2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

In food processor, pulse flour, powdered sugar, salt, and one tablespoon lemon zest until thoroughly combined. Add butter and pulse again until it forms sandy crumbs. Add egg yolks and lemon juice and process until mixture forms a ball of dough. Place dough on a sheet of parchment paper and shape into a log 1-1/2″ in diameter. (Don’t stress if it’s not perfectly round — you’re not looking for something that appears factory-produced, just a uniform shape that will cook evenly.) Fold over ends of parchment and freeze dough for one hour or up to one month. If freezing more than a few hours, place parchment-wrapped dough in a layer of plastic wrap or a zip-seal plastic bag to protect it against freezer burn.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Blitz granulated sugar and remaining two teaspoons lemon zest in food processor until well-combined. Roll frozen dough log in lemon sugar, pressing to achieve a solid, sugary coat. Using a sharp, non-serrated knife, slice into eighteen 1/4″-thick rounds. Place 1″ apart on parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until edges of cookies have just a hint of golden brown and centers are set. Be careful not to over-bake.

Allow to cool on sheet for a few minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely. While cookies cool, mix icing ingredients. Drizzle glaze from the back of a spoon on tops of cooled cookies and serve. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy! :)

Recipe Notes + Tips:
There are endless variations to this recipe using the same quick, basic dough. Try substituting fresh orange zest and juice for the lemon in the cookies and icing, plus add a 1/2 tsp. of ground ginger to the dough. Roll in finely chopped candied ginger before baking, and you have citrusy, spicy Orange-Ginger Icebox Cookies.

For a chocolate treat, trade out a tablespoon or two of the flour for the same amount of unsweetened cocoa and substitute a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract for the lemon juice in the cookie dough. Roll in chocolate jimmmies before baking and glaze with melted chocolate. For Mocha-Vanilla Icebox Cookies, follow the same directions for the chocolate cookies, but add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the dough and substitute brewed coffee for the lemon juice in the glaze.

The list of possible flavors is limited only by your imagination: Caribbean Coconut-Lime, toasty Butter Pecan, Mexican Hot Chocolate with a kick of cayenne and cinnamon…. There’s really no end to the combinations, just keep the proportions of dry and liquid ingredients the same as the original recipe. I’d love to hear what you come up with! :)

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I linked up this recipe to Fellowship Fridays on

Chewy Almond Macaroons

22 Thursday Dec 2011

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Fair warning: only those with a sizable sweet tooth need apply. But somehow these cookies manage to be both decadently sweet and pleasantly light. They look like your average sugar cookie, but then the scent of almond gives away their secret identity. The first bite tells the rest of the story: crispy, crackly edges give way to rich, chewy centers… soon all that’s left is a dusting of powdered sugar on your fingertips and a satisfied smile on your face. And to me, that’s what baking is all about. :)

(I could have easily titled this post Almond Obsession Part 2, since I already indulged myself last week with the Cherry Jam and Almond Cookie Bars. If you’ve seen the light and bought your own case of almond paste, you’re going to love these…)

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Chewy Almond Macaroons
makes 36 cookies

21 oz. almond paste (see cookie bar Recipe Notes for more info)
2 c. granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
sifted confectioner’s sugar for topping

Oven 325F. Blend the almond paste, sugar, and salt with electric mixer until well-mixed and crumbly. Add egg whites and almond extract and mix again until the dough is a smooth, sticky paste. Using two spoons, scoop the dough by heaped tablespoons on to lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Leave two inches between each, as cookies will spread quite a bit.

Generously sift powdered sugar over the tops of each little mound of cookie dough. (I love this part — it looks like a little snow-topped mountain range.) Use three fingers to press each cookie a little flatter. Bake for about 20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and crispy. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pans, then eat one and transfer the rest to an airtight container. :)

Recipe Notes + Tips:
Many Americans associate macaroons with coconut, but the term macaroon (from the French macaron) refers to any cookie which uses ground nuts and egg white as binding agents instead of flour and whole eggs. Although macaroons include ground nuts or sweetened nut pastes for the body of the cookie, flavors can range from berry to citrus, chocolate to coffee.

Macaroons are super simple to make and are a great gluten-free alternative. This recipe easily halves or doubles, and the cookies can be frozen, well-wrapped, for up to three months. My thanks for recipe inspiration go to King Arthur Flour yet again, this time for their bakery’s Almond Bianchi cookies.

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Vanilla Bean Butterballs with Chocolate Ganache

12 Monday Dec 2011

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It takes a lot to trump the perfect chocolate chip cookie, but these just might do it. Little nuggets of soft, buttery shortbread sandwiched around creamy chocolate, covered in the warm, sweet crunch of vanilla sugar… forget sugarplums, I’ve got visions of butterballs dancing in my head. ;)

A pile of these make a delicious gift, whether birthday, holiday, or hostess. And although they are sugar-coated show-stoppers, the recipe is actually quite simple — only seven ingredients and a bit of planning involved. My fourteen-year-old just made his first solo batch for a local cookie contest (he won), and he seconds my infatuation. Can cookies sparkle? I think these might…

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Vanilla Bean Butterballs with Chocolate Ganache
makes 18 sandwich cookies

For shortbread:
1 c. unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
about 2 c. vanilla sugar for rolling (see Recipe Notes below)

For chocolate ganache filling:
4 oz. quality semi-sweet chocolate (I like Ghiradelli or Scharffen Berger)
1/3 c. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)

With the whisk of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft and fluffy, about three minutes. Add granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla, and mix again until well-blended. Stir in the flour by hand until it forms a soft dough. Shape dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 3 hours, up to a week.

Working with well-chilled dough, break off teaspoon-size piece and roll into 36 balls about 3/4″ across. (Making them uniform in size is more important than their exact diameter.) Place balls on wax/parchment-paper lined plate and freeze for 30 minutes. While they are in the freezer, make the chocolate ganache for the filling.

Place chocolate, cream, and salt in small pan over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat as soon as chocolate melts and combines with cream into a glossy mixture. Transfer ganache to a bowl and refrigerate until the consistency of thick pudding. (It needs to be stiff enough to hold your cookie sandwiches together.)

Preheat oven to 375F. Place balls of chilled dough about two inches apart on cookie sheets and bake 10-12 minutes. Cook just until set but not browned. While cookies cool on baking sheets, place vanilla sugar in a shallow bowl for rolling. To assemble, put a smear of ganache on the flat bottom of one cookie, then place another on top. Roll in vanilla sugar until well-coated. I refrigerate mine for at least a half hour afterwards to be sure they are well-stuck, but they can be stored at room temperature after that. (You can also sandwich these with raspberry jam, but the exclusion of chocolate from a recipe is frowned upon by my household…)

Recipe Notes + Tips:
Although you can certainly roll these in plain sugar, I love the added flavor and scent that comes from using vanilla sugar. To make your own, just slice a vanilla bean length-wise and add it to four cups of granulated sugar in an airtight container; wait two or three weeks before using, and whenever you think about it, shake the container to evenly distribute the vanilla. As you use it, add more plain sugar to the container to maintain your supply.

Vanilla sugar is a fantastic addition to your pantry, and there’s no end to its uses: add a teaspoon to your morning tea or coffee; sprinkle it over oatmeal or cream of wheat; give plain yogurt a flavor-boost or blend it into your favorite smoothie; add depth to baked goods from blueberry muffins to lemon bars to apple pie; make a jar of vanilla-cinnamon sugar to use on snickerdoodles, as a topping on grilled peaches, or to caramelize figs… did I mention there’s no end to its uses? :)

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This recipe is adapted from one in Gale Gand’s 2006 cookbook Chocolate and Vanilla. As you might guess from the title, half the recipes are chocolate-focused and the other half vanilla, and all of them I’ve tried are delicious. (Clarkson Potter: 2006, ISBN 978-0307238528)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

16 Wednesday Nov 2011

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Remember this?
Hey, you got peanut butter in my chocolate!
Hey, you got chocolate in my peanut butter!
Well, hey, I got peanut butter cups and chocolate in my peanut butter cookies, and I’ve never been happier. :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. turbinado or demerara sugar (can substitute light brown sugar)
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
1/4 c. peanut butter (I use creamy Skippy Natural)
1 tsp. real vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 c. chopped peanut butter cups (about 14 regular-size cups; I love Justin’s Organic Peanut Butter Cups, see Recipe Notes below)
coarse sugar for dusting cookie tops, optional

Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Beat in vanilla, egg, and water until thoroughly mixed, then stir in dry ingredients. Once well-combined, stir in chopped peanut butter cups.

Scoop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Lightly press down tops of cookies with the back of a fork until flattened to about 1/2″ thick, and then sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Bake 7-9 minutes, until dough is set and your kitchen smells like chocolate. Cool on wire rack, but not completely — you have to try these while the peanut butter cups are still melted.

Recipe Notes + Tips:
I discovered Justin’s Nut Butters a few years ago. They are all-natural and scrumptious — Maple Almond Butter is my absolute favorite. Earlier this year, Justin’s debuted their Organic Peanut Butter Cups in milk and dark chocolate. They have half the sugar of Reese’s and much more flavor. They also have about double the chocolate, which automatically earns them brownie points with me. (I mean my “brownie points” very literally. :)

This recipe is my version of one from the King Arthur Flour web site. The original called for mini peanut butter cups, available here. They’re super cute but not all-natural, so not an option for me. If you try them out, let me know how it goes.

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