Tag Archives: cookies that freeze well

Caramel Stuffed Ginger Crinkle Cookies

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I first learned about Ginger Crinkle Cookies from my friend Lanie. She baked me a big batch and brought them to my cottage many years ago. I was instantly smitten. Crispy at the edges and chewy in the center, intensely flavoured with ginger and cinnamon. Typically, I have always though of ginger cookies as a winter Christmas type of cookie, but surprisingly, she found the recipe in the “Kosher Palette” cookbook. They make an excellent summer cookie too, especially when you sandwich some salted caramel ice cream between two of them!

Over the years I have tinkered with the recipe and had the idea to stuff the center of them with some chewy caramel. It took a while to get the right caramel for the stuffing. I first tried Kraft caramels but they hardened after baking and cooking and didn’t give me the chewy center. I made my own caramel, which was outstanding, but way too much work. Then I tried Werther’s Original Chewy Caramels. They stay chewy even after the cookies cool. I also put them through the freezer test and once thawed, the caramel stays chewy.

Check out this video to see how they come together.

Here are a few tips to ensure success:

  • Use a cookie scoop to ensure consistent size and even baking. I use this one. It has a one ounce (2 Tablespoon) capacity.
  • Spray your measuring cup with a bit of non-stick cooking spray before measuring and pouring the molasses. It will glide right out. You can do this for measuring anything sticky, like peanut butter or honey.
  • Roll the scoped cookies in coarse sanding sugar. The texture of the coarse sugar is what gives the cookies their characteristic crinkle top. If you’re in Canada, Bulk Barn carries it.
  • The Werther’s caramels are rectangular shaped. Before stuffing the cookies, twist them so they are more circular in shape. This will prevent oozing.
  • I like to top each cookie with additional caramel to give a visual cue as to what type of cookie you will be eating. After a bit of experimenting, I found that about 1/3 of a caramel, placed on top, halfway through the baking time, yielded the best results. A sharp scissors was best for cutting the caramels.
  • As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a round cookie cutter, larger than the cookies, to give a little “scoot” to even out the shape and have picture perfect round cookies. I learned this trick from Erin over at cloudykitchen.

Click here to print recipe for Caramel Stuffed Ginger Crinkle Cookies.

Smoked Almond and Toffee Shortbread

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Sometimes when we’re travelling, my husband and I play this game, where we say what we would decree if we were king of the world. His proclamations usually involve cleaning up garbage at the side of the road, fixing derelict homes, zapping slow drivers off the road and shortening the length of red lights in Florida.

My wishes are a bit less lofty. I would create an ordinance that required all dentist offices to provide a pedicure while you are having your teeth cleaned. Multi-tasking at its finest. I would also command that all meals end with a cookie. I always crave a little something sweet at the end of dinner. Just a little bite, nothing too big. Cookies really are the perfect dessert. I think more restaurants should offer a cookie plate for dessert.

It’s December, so I have happily jumped onto the cookie train, and I intend to keep on rolling until you beg me to stop, or, I gain my annual holiday 5 pounds, whichever comes first.

These are a simple slice and bake cookie, studded with Skor bits and smoked almonds. For fun, I shaped them into a square log, but round cookies are good too. A tip for when you are slicing the logs; give the log a 90 degree turn after each slice, so that one side of the log does not get too squished.

I treated my cookies to a little dip in melted milk chocolate. The mellow flavour of milk chocolate is perfect with the caramel notes of the toffee and the salty smoky almonds.

While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle on some extra crushed smoked almonds for extra crunch.

Click here to print recipe for Smoked Almond and Toffee Shortbread CookiesDownload



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Chewy Brown Sugar and Toffee Cookies

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I won’t post a recipe with an obscure ingredient just for the sake of novelty. I try not to ask you to special order something unless it truly adds to the recipe and significantly improves the dish.

So it was with some trepidation that I ordered a $15 bag of smoked brown sugar to experiment with. In my defence, I was curious. I had never seen smoked brown sugar before and I was intrigued. I’m not a huge fan of smoked fish, but I adore smoked almonds and smoked turkey. Plus, I love nothing more than kitchen experiments. My inquisitive brain wanted to see what would happen if I snuck some into a batch of cookie dough.

I was envisioning a cookie with a hint of that campfire smoke you associate with making s’mores. Sometimes there is a huge gap between what you wish for and what actually transpires. I ended up with a batch of cigarette flavoured cookies. Too smoky!! I tried them again with just a scant 1/4 cup of smoked brown sugar and while the smoke flavour was mild, they had an odd smell. reminiscent of sweaty gym socks. Not what you are looking for in a cookie.

But it was not a total failure. As my sister Jody is fond of saying, “mistakes are how we learn”. The texture of these cookies was stellar. They were slightly crispy at the edges with a pronounced chewiness in the center.  I decided to make them with all regular brown sugar and I added a bag of chopped Skor/Heath bits to really enhance the toffee notes of brown sugar. I finished them off with a light sprinkling of flaked sea salt before baking.

As I munched my way through the new batch, I knew I had a winner on my hands. And I saved you $15. You’re welcome!

 

Click here to print recipe for Chewy Brown Sugar and Toffee CookiesDownload