The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book - Camilla V. Saulsbury [48]
Prepare Vanilla Icing. Drizzle cooled cookies with icing.
MAKES 48 COOKIES.
ROCKY ROAD DROPS
If you like marshmallows, chocolate chips, and peanuts, you’ll love this cookie version of rocky road.
2 cups sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter
½ cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/3 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups miniature marshmallows
Line cookie sheets with wax paper.
Combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue boiling for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in the oats, peanuts, chocolate chips, and marshmallows; mix well.
Working quickly, drop by tablespoonfuls onto wax-paper-lined sheets. Let stand until set. Store tightly covered at room temperature.
MAKES ABOUT 42 COOKIES.
RUM RAISIN COOKIES
Enhanced with the flavors of rum and nutmeg, these easy raisin cookies are fit for both company and comfort on a cold, chilly night.
1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1½ teaspoons rum extract
1½ cups raisins
1 recipe Rum Icing (see page 374)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Position oven rack in middle of oven. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
Place half of the cake mix in a large mixing bowl along with the nutmeg, oil, eggs, and rum extract. Blend with an electric mixer set on medium-high speed for 1–2 minutes, until smooth. Stir in the remaining cake mix and raisins with a wooden spoon until all dry ingredients are moistened.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, on prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 9–12 minutes or until set at edges and just barely set at center when lightly touched. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheets. Transfer to wire racks with metal spatula and cool completely.
Prepare Rum Icing. Drizzle icing over cooled cookies.
MAKES ABOUT 54 COOKIES.
Variation:
BRANDIED APRICOT COOKIES: Prepare as directed above but substitute snipped dried apricots for the raisins, brandy extract for the rum extract, and Brandy Icing (see page 360).
SALTY-SWEET CHOCOLATE CRISPY CHEWS
If you have a penchant for the combination of salty and sweet, this is your cookie.
2 cups semisweet, milk, or white chocolate chips or butterscotch baking chips
½ cup chunky peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup lightly salted mixed nuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup crisp rice cereal
Line cookie sheets with wax paper.
Melt the chips on high for 2 minutes in a microwave-safe medium mixing bowl, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until blended. Stir in the marshmallows, nuts, and cereal.
Working quickly, drop by small spoonfuls onto prepared wax-paper-lined sheets. Store in a covered container in a cool place.
MAKES ABOUT 22 COOKIES.
SEAN’S VERY CHOCOLATE COOKIES
When it comes to birthdays, my brother Sean is easy to satisfy. All he really wants is his favorite birthday cake, known by my family as “Very Chocolate Cake.” It’s a simple yet intensely chocolate pound cake that starts with a chocolate cake mix. These cookies follow the same basic formula as the cake but start with brownie mix. One bite and you’ll understand why the name is so very fitting.
1 (19.5- to 19.8-ounce) package brownie mix
1 (5½-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
¼ cup dark rum
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 large eggs
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chunks or chips
Preheat oven to 350°F. Position racks in lower and upper thirds of oven. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the brownie mix, pudding mix, rum, melted butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until just blended and all dry ingredients are moistened; mix in chocolate chunks.
Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 10–13 minutes, until cracked in appearance and just barely set at center when lightly touched. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheets. Transfer