Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies

Boo! It’s time for pumpkin patches

and spooky deviled eggs.

And, of course, treats! In the past I’ve made pumpkin cookies, but this year I decided to try making cookies with sweet potatoes.  I simply love sweet potatoes and appreciate all the healthy goodness they bring.

First I roasted the potatoes to bring out their caramelized sweetness. After mashing, I added a combination of oat and almond flours and sweetened the dough with maple syrup and brown sugar. A big handful of chocolate chips was absolutely necessary, too! This dough is soft, so I chilled it for an hour to firm it up a bit and make for easier scooping.

Fresh out of the oven, the cookies are ultra-soft with gooey chocolate. With their hint of orange hue and touch of cinnamon, they are perfect for an autumn celebration. Or, cozy up with a plate of these wholesome cookies after a day of raking leaves. And if you’re looking for something to nibble on the next morning, they make a fine breakfast with a piping hot cup of coffee.

Wishing you all some ghostly fun! Happy Halloween!

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 17 cookies

1 1/4 cups roasted, cooled, mashed sweet potatoes (from 1 large or 2 small)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups oat flour
1 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sweet potatoes and butter together until smooth. Add the eggs and beat again. Stir in the brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla.

In another bowl, stir together the oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt. Add this dry mix to the wet mix and gently stir together. Add the chocolate chips and stir just until mixed.

Pop the bowl into the fridge and chill for at least an hour. This makes scooping easier.

Preheat the oven 375 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop large rounded scoops of dough (I use a small ice cream scoop) onto the pan. I fit 9 on the first batch, and 8 on the second. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed and lightly brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before gently removing and baking your second batch. These are very moist, soft cookies and keep well at room temperature for a day or two.

Tahini Cookies

I love the feeling of setting out measuring cups, butter to soften, jars of flour and wooden spoons. Seeing baking ingredients spread across my counter is a happy sight, and since baking is May’s theme for Tasting Jerusalem I was delighted to jump in and try something new and different.

I’ve been playing with different flours lately, and when I spotted the tahini cookies in Jerusalem I thought the flavors might work well with almond and coconut flour in place of the all-purpose flour. I’m also using coconut sugar quite a bit now, as I like its caramelized, earthy flavor so I pulled out that jar, too.

Tahini is a paste made of ground sesame seeds and is very popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. It can be made into a dip on its own, or it features prominently in halvah, hummus and baba ghanoush. In addition to the different flours and sugar, I added a generous amount of Maldon salt and mixed cinnamon into the dough. I scooped and rolled the dough, topped each with a slivered almond and popped the baking pan into the oven.

The cookies emerged fragrant and toasty brown. Rich from the tahini and butter, they almost taste like peanut butter cookies, with a texture rather like a shortbread biscuit. Perfumed with cinnamon, slightly sweet, and with a little hint of salt in each bite, these tiny gems made a terrific after-school snack with a glass of milk. And this morning, I nibbled a couple with my coffee for a satisfying breakfast treat.

Tahini Cookies
Makes about 42 small cookies
Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

2/3 cup coconut sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup tahini paste
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
5 teaspoons cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup blanced, slivered almonds (to top)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Beat the sugar and butter together in a stand mixer or with an electric hand beater until combined. Add the tahini, vanilla, salt, cream and cinnamon and mix, then add the flours and mix further until a dough forms. It will be soft.

Using a small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop little balls of dough onto the cookie sheet (use half the dough to make about 20). Gently roll each into a smooth ball and place an almond sliver on top. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until they are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Repeat with the remaining dough.

The cookies will keep in a covered container for a few days.

Molasses Spice Cookies

Cookie swaps are a happy thing.  It’s fun to bake your favorite cookies to share with others, and in return indulge in a variety of other bakers’ family treats.

A holiday cookie swap tends to take place at school, in the office or within families or groups of friends.  But today’s cookie exchange, The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, is between hundreds of food bloggers around the country! What a delicious way to discover terrific food blogs, new friends and to benefit Cookies for Kids Cancer.

Deciding on which cookie to bake was simple ... molasses. Every time I bite into a molasses cookie, I’m reminded that this is indeed my favorite cookie (as well as Bob’s).  The combination of molasses and ginger never ceases to please me. I bake them often during this season, but rarely during the rest of the year, which really is a shame. I should make that one of my New Year’s resolutions – bake more molasses cookies!

Not only do these cookies evoke the flavors of this season, they travel well and stay fresh and delicious. I discovered this recipe in Cook’s Illustrated years ago.  They bake into soft, thick cookies, with a strong molasses flavor and the warm spices of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice. The secret ingredient, freshly ground pepper, is brilliant and adds a perfect little kick in each bite.

I usually make a big batch of dough, scoop it into balls, roll them in sugar and freeze on a baking sheet.  Then it’s easy to pop them in a plastic bag and stash in the freezer to bake at a moment’s notice. They never last long, though!

We’ve already had scrumptious cookies arrive from Janet and Joanie, with more on the way from Catherine. Thank you! My family immediately pounced and began eating. We all appreciate the love and time that go into creating these luscious treats. It’s wonderful to share and connect in this way! I appreciate Lindsay and Julie hosting this lovely cookie exchange and am delighted to participate. If you’d like to join in next year’s swap, you can sign up here for more info. Happy cookie baking to you!

Molasses Spice Cookies
Adapted slightly from Cook’s Illustrated
Makes about 20 cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup molasses (you can use either light or dark depending on your  taste – I like a dark, full flavored one)
1/2 cup turbinado sugar or more (for rolling)

Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, pepper and salt together in a mixing bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer using the paddle attachment (you can also use an electric hand mixer and bowl), cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix well. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the molasses. Beat to mix in, scraping down the sides as necessary. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix just until blended. Scrape down the sides. The cookie dough will be very soft.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the turbinado sugar into a small bowl. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop individual scoops of dough on the baking sheet. Using your hands, quickly roll each scoop into a ball and then gently roll the ball in the bowl of sugar to coat. Replace the cookie balls on the baking sheet. When finished, cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for an hour (if you’re baking that day) or in the freezer (if planning ahead).

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge or freezer and place half the dough balls on another baking sheet lined with parchment. Space them evenly. Bake for about 11 minutes (12 minutes if baking frozen ones), until the cookies are puffy and the edges just set, but with a soft center. There will be some cracks and the inside may look a bit raw. Do not overbake – the cookies will firm up a bit as they cool. These are meant to be soft cookies. Let cool on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing. Repeat baking with the remaining cookies. The cookies will keep well at room temperature for a week if well wrapped, or they freeze beautifully.

Back to School with Jam Thumbprint Cookies

We filled the Labor Day holiday weekend, summer’s last hurrah, sipping wine with friends, a hike, blackberry cobbler, Bananagrams (thanks for the addiction, Carrie and Kev!), dipping our toes in the river, an amazing farm-to-table dinner in an orchard, a barbecue, ice cream cones and watching the moon rise.

While I am refreshed from the delightful weekend, I must say it’s been a reflective morning for me.  My sons went back to school this morning – a senior and a sophomore! – and I’m feeling a bit misty and nostalgic.  Each year, I have mixed feelings as summer fades and autumn peeks around the corner.  Starting the school schedule takes a bit of adjustment after summer’s luxurious pace, but I am also excited for the fresh start and all that fall promises.  As I’ve grown, I’ve learned that transitions can be hard for me.

Along with nurturing and cherishing our children, we are also letting go as they become more independent. My dear friend, Christine, wisely observed how this process has a kind of “happy pain” all its own.

Last fall I read The Gift of an Ordinary Day and at times I was in a puddle of tears. The author’s son is a senior in high school as she writes, “This time next year I’ll be setting the table for three, rather than four.”  Oy. While I don’t plan to torment myself all year (although I did take Sam’s last first-day of-school photo ever this morning), I do intend to continue savoring and appreciating each moment we still have the four of us under one roof.  Especially the simple, ordinary moments.

Well, back to school. Making school lunches certainly qualifies as ordinary (if not always simple!).  I’m always searching for healthy, delicious options to send along with my boys, and Jam Thumbprint cookies make a terrific lunch bag treat. Sweetened with maple syrup and loaded with oats and whole grain goodness, they could even serve as a quick breakfast. If you’ve filled your pantry with jam this summer, this is a lovely way to bake with some. The cookies freeze well, too, so it’s easy to grab a couple to toss in lunch boxes to add a little sweetness to the day.

There is much to look forward to and I am grateful to be where I am.  Life is simple and good.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Makes 20 cookies

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil (or a  mix)
3/4 cup oat flour (or whiz 1 cup oats in the food processor until finely ground)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
A dash of cinnamon
About 3/4 cup of your favorite jam

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or baking mat.

Stir the maple syrup and canola or olive oil together.  In a large mixing bowl, stir the oat flour, whole wheat flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together.  Slowly pour in the syrup-oil mixture and stir until mixed.

Form the dough into round balls the size of ping-pong balls.  Arrange the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet, flatten slightly and then use your thumb to create an imprint in each.  Spoon a little jam into the center of each.  Don’t overfill or the jam will spill out.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies begin to brown. Remove and let cool. These cookies freeze well, so seal a few well to pop in the freezer for last minute snacks.

Hamantaschen: Purim Is Just Around the Corner!

Get out the masks and groggers (noise makers)! Purim is a merry holiday celebrating Queen Esther and Mordecai’s victory of saving the Jews of Persia from the wicked Haman. In synagogue, we gather to hear a lively telling of the story of Esther during which we sound groggers every time Haman’s name is mentioned. It is a noisy, joyous time filled with costumes, carnivals and exuberance.

Purim also means it’s time for hamantaschen baking. Hamantaschen are scrumptious pastries stuffed with various fillings such as fruity jam, chocolate, prunes or poppy seeds (our favorite is apricot jam). Apparently Haman wore a tri-cornered hat which is why hamantaschen are shaped like triangles.

There is a lovely tradition of sharing gifts of shalach manot with others – little baskets or bags filled with fruit, nuts, candy and, of course, hamantaschen. Baking dozens of hamantaschen also gives us the chance to use up our flour before Passover begins next month.

The classic recipe for hamantaschen is much like sugar cookie dough. For the past fifteen years, though, I’ve been baking flaky, light hamantaschen using a simple dough recipe I found in our local Jewish newspaper. It contains only three ingredients - cream cheese, flour and butter - and yields a rich, flaky pastry similar to rugelach, a favorite cookie of mine.

Since the dough does not have any sugar, it balances nicely with the sweet fillings. This tender dough tends to pop open easily when baking, so be sure to pinch the corners tightly when you seal them. In fact, I may go sneak a couple of popped ones myself right now ...

Chag Purim Sameach (Happy Purim)!

Hamantaschen
From Naomi Arbit via the Jewish Transcript (now the JT News)
Makes 40 cookies

1/2 pound cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
Your favorite fruit jams and/or chocolate discs for filling

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. On low speed, slowly beat in the flour a little at a time until a dough is formed. Shape the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour a surface to roll the dough. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut off 1/4 portion of it.

Have a small bowl of water ready. With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to roughly 1/8 inch thickness. Using a drinking glass or round cookie cutter, cut the dough into 2 1/2 inch circles. Place a few chocolate discs or a teaspoon of jam in the center of each circle. Dip your finger in the water and run it around the perimeter. Bring the edges of dough together to form a triangle around the filling and pinch the 3 corners together tightly to seal.

Place 10 or so cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-13 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and just starting to look a little golden. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool before indulging in them. Repeat baking until all the cookies are done.

Homemade Oreos: Will Bake for Food

This will come as no surprise – I love to bake. The act of baking is meditative and relaxing for me, it centers me, and if I haven’t baked in a while then I tend to feel a bit unbalanced. All is well in my world when flour is flying and butter is softening!

Even more special than baking, though, is sharing the goodies with my family, friends and anyone who appreciates a homemade treat.

So when I learned about the Will Bake for Food bake sale I was excited to join in. I get to bake and share for a good cause. On Saturday, November 12th, a group of Seattle food bloggers will be baking up sweet delights for the community – you! – so come by and indulge.

Please bring either non-perishable food items or money to exchange for baked goods. I promise you will not be disappointed! All the proceeds and food donations will benefit Seattle’s Emergency Feeding Program.

I’ll even tell you what I’m baking ... homemade Oreos! Buttery, chocolate cookie sandwiches with a creamy filling – this childhood favorite never looked so good. When I discovered Joanne Chang’s recipe for these nostalgic cookies, they sounded fun and decadent.

Sam and Isaac were happy to assist with quality control and packaging. I can’t wait to share them on Saturday! (I just hope we don’t sneak too many before then.)

This event was a hit last year and sold out within the first 90 minutes. Please come early and bring your sweet tooth. I hope to see you there!

Pumpkin Oat Jumbles with Brown Butter Glaze

Did you know that in the mid-1800s, cookies were referred to as jumbles? I learned this in The Essential New York Times Cook Book and I think this early name is delightful. I have an image of a creation that is jumbled together using simple, homey ingredients. I’ve named one of my favorite cookies a jumble because, well – I just think “jumble” when I look at them! And with pumpkins in season and Halloween approaching, I want to share them with you.

You may have noticed that I adore pumpkin in any form, savory or sweet! Today I’m going with a sweet option. These cookies are thick and soft, almost cake-like. I’ve added chocolate chips to them in the past, and you can certainly do this if you’d like, but I find I prefer their pure pumpkin flavor (and these do pack a lot of pumpkin flavor). The cookies are made more wholesome with the addition of oats and some whole wheat flour – so you can feel a little bit virtuous indulging in them!

But did I mention the brown butter glaze? Oh my ... brown butter makes everything insanely delicious. I remember the first time I made brown butter, watching the brown flecks appear and swirl in the pan, while inhaling the heavenly scent. Anytime you need melted butter for a recipe, it’s worth taking the extra time to brown it. It especially enhances fall produce like apples and squash beautifully. This nutty, buttery glaze elevates these pumpkin cookies to new heights, making them a delectable Halloween (or anytime) treat.

Pumpkin Oat Jumbles
Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion
By King Arthur Flour
Makes 20-22 cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg, room temperature
1 1/2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (King Arthur, of course!)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
15 ounces (1 can) plain pumpkin puree

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy and smooth. Add in the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Beat in the egg, then slowly beat in the oats. Add the flours in alternately with the pumpkin puree. Chill the dough for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a large cookie scoop (mine is about 1/4 cup) or large spoon, drop balls of dough onto the cookie sheet (9-10 at a time). Bake for 14 minutes, until they’re set. Let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan. The cookies will be soft. Drizzle with Brown Butter Glaze (recipe follows) or serve plain.

Brown Butter Glaze
Makes enough to glaze about 20 cookies

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat and cook until it is golden brown and has little flecks in it, about 3-4 minutes (watch closely). Immediately pour the butter over the powdered sugar and scrape the pan to get the brown bits. Stir together and add in the milk, one tablespoon at a time until a smooth glaze is formed. Use the glaze right away, since it will harden.

My Chocolate Chip Cookies

Do you love chocolate chip cookies? At the UW Hillel Café, chocolate chip cookies became my specialty. A few years ago, they were even referred to as “crack cookies” ... you have no idea how that warms my heart and makes me smile!

Chocolate chip cookies emerged as the most popular baked good in the café. In an effort to mix it up a bit over the years I’ve baked other treats, too, including brownies, oatmeal cookies, raspberry streusel bars, lemon bars, peanut butter cookies and cheesecake bars. While the UW students happily indulged in these goodies, nothing flew out of the pastry case faster than the chocolate chip cookies. I’ve baked tens of thousands of them at this point and I am incredibly happy while baking them. They are my signature cookie. I joke about going in to withdrawal if I haven’t baked for a while, and it’s quite true. I love to bake just about everything, but chocolate chip cookies top my list.

These cookies are quite thick, soft and gooey with chocolate chips. They are based on the classic Nestle Toll House recipe. In order to create the extra thick cookie, I experimented with different baking methods and times until I had the exact process down. Definitely a lot of fun experimenting!

In the Hillel kitchen, there is a professional convection oven and this is where the cookie originated. At home, though, I do not have a convection oven, and I want to be able to make the cookies in a home kitchen. In order to achieve this, I needed to (notice the need part!) bake individual cookies, varying the temperatures and times to recreate the convection experience. I’m happy to report success! I found that by freezing the scoops of cookie dough for at least an hour and baking at a higher temperature, the cookies stayed dense and soft, a chocolaty joy to sink your teeth into. An added benefit is that you can keep a stash of raw cookie balls wrapped in your freezer and pull them out to bake as desired (perfect when Sam and Isaac needed cookies for their high school orchestra potluck last night!).

This is the recipe that is most requested by the students and Hillel program staff and I’m happy to share it here with you.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted slightly from the Nestle Toll House recipe
Makes 21 cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and shortening and beat together with a mixer until smooth (you can use a hand mixer or stand mixer). Add the sugar and brown sugar and continue mixing until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips until combined.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop 1/4 cup rounded scoops of the dough (I use a small ice cream scoop) on the baking sheet. If baking the same day, pop the tray uncovered in to your freezer for at least an hour until frozen. If baking at a later time, seal the tray well with plastic wrap (air is the enemy when freezing) and store in the freezer until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 8-9 scoops of frozen dough on the sheet (if you bake more at a time they tend to spread into flat cookies). Bake for 13 minutes, until golden. They will be very soft. Let cookies sit for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Continue baking the remainder of the cookie dough.

**If you have a convection oven, bake the frozen cookies at 350 degrees for 9 minutes.