All Cakes Considered - Melissa Gray [52]
7. Bake one sheet of cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown. Remove from the oven, and put in the sheet of unbaked cookies.
8. Use a spatula to transfer the baked cookies to a cooling rack. Let the baking sheet cool for 5 minutes, then measure out the next batch of cookies. When the parchment paper comes out browning around the edges, replace with a new sheet of paper.
These cookies became a family Christmas tradition in 1988. Mom found the recipe in the newspaper. With all the baking we did (and still do) around the holidays, we always seemed to have extra chips, nuts, and raisins left over. It was kind of a pain, having to tie up all these little bags, with no immediate option for using them up.
Hah! Not anymore. The beauty of these cookies is that the dough is easily adaptable to all those bits and pieces. You can create whatever flavor combination you desire: Want chocolate chips and nuts? Go for it. Or how about dried cherries instead of nuts? Have at it. Want white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts? Hey, it’s your dime. Just make sure to share.
The main thing to remember is not to overdo the additions, or the batter will get quite crumbly. Depending on how big you make them, this recipe should produce about 2 dozen cookies.
Peanut Butter Fingers
This was my comfort sweet in college, and practically the only thing I baked on my own until I got into graduate school. The recipe comes from my mom’s old 1953 edition of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. My 1971 edition and the 2007 edition don’t include it, and the piece of scratch paper with the recipe on it, which I’ve been carrying around for twenty years, has browned with all the butter stains of my Peanut Butter Fingers past. At least I can honestly say my handwriting’s gotten a lot better since freshman year.
This will serve about 16, or 1 if you’re feeling selfish. I frequently am.
* * *
YOU’ll NEED
A 9-inch square baking pan
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
⅓ cup peanut butter (crunchy!)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1. Center a rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the pan with baking spray.
2. With the mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the egg and beat well. Add the peanut butter and then the vanilla extract and beat well.
3. In a separate bowl, dry whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Shift the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating well.
4. Add the oats and mix well.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Test like you would a cake, inserting a thin knife or toothpick in the center.
6. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes before attempting to unmold onto a wire rack, or before cutting into bars in the pan. These are good warm, by the way.
Oatmeal Cherry Cookies
* * *
YOU’ll NEED
Parchment paper
2 baking sheets
A metal spatula
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1⅓ cups light brown sugar
⅓ cup sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup butterscotch morsels
1. Center a rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Trim the parchment paper to fit the baking sheets.
2. Dry whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
3. With the mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the milk and vanilla extract, beating well.
4. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, beating well after each addition.
5. Slow the mixer down to low speed, add the oats, and beat until just mixed. Add the cherries and butterscotch