Almond White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am so in love with these cookies.  In fact, I may need to reproduce them in cake form.  Like today.  So that I can cover that cake with cherry frosting.  Because whoa, almond, white chocolate, and cherry together?  Perfect.  Or, just skip the cake and spread some cherry frosting on top of these cookies!  These cookies are crispy chewy with a wonderful almond flavor, white chocolate chips and sliced almonds.  Perfection.

Almond White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup ( 2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) white chocolate chips
1 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well blended.  Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and beat until just combined.  Stir in the white chocolate chips and sliced almonds.

Use a cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoon size) to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are just set and the edges are lightly browned.  Remove cookies from the oven.  Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Cherry Chip Layer Cake

I recently found myself with a jar of maraschino cherries and no thoughts on how to use them.  After staring at them in the refrigerator for several weeks, I decided to make a cherry chip cake from scratch.  The cake is a super easy yellow cake using self rising flour that I adapted from King Arthur Flour.  The layers are filled with a cherry marshmallow cream filling, and the entire confection is covered with a glorious layer of vanilla frosting.  

Cherry Chip Layer Cake

Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cherry extract
4 eggs
3 1/4 cups self rising flour
1 cup milk
1 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries

Cherry Cream Filling:
1 container (7 ounces) marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 - 3 Tablespoons maraschino cherry juice

Vanilla Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
4 cups powdered sugar
2 - 4 Tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans.  Set aside.

For the cake, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and cherry extract until smooth.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Beat in 1/3 of the flour, followed by 1/2 of the milk.  Beat in another 1/3 of the flour, then the remaining milk, then the last 1/3 of the flour.  Mix just until smooth.  Stir in the maraschino cherries.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops, then tap the pans firmly on the counter several times to knock any air bubbles to the surface.  Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cake and turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the filling, beat together the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and maraschino cherry juice until smooth and fluffy.

For the vanilla frosting, cream together the butter, shortening, and vanilla bean paste.  Beat in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time (mixture will be dry).  Add enough milk to reach the desired consistency, and beat until the frosting is  light and fluffy.

To assemble the cake, cut each cake layer in half horizontally to equal 4 cake layers.  Place one layer on a serving plate, then spread 1/3 of the cherry cream filling on top.  Place another layer on top, then spread with another 1/3 of filling.  Set the 3rd cake layer on top of the filling, and spread with the remaining filling.  Place the last cake layer on top, then frost the top and sides of the cake with the vanilla frosting.  Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Enjoy! -Cardamommy

Malted Maple Toffee Cookies

Love.  These.  Cookies.  Enough said?  I always keep cookies in the house to stash in little lunchboxes, so I am constantly trying out new cookie recipes that I find.  I like to change things up for my Hungry Puppies.  These cookies were total winners, as both Hungry Puppies ate two still warm from the oven.  These cookies are delightfully chewy, yet crispy on the edges.  They have a warm maple flavor, and reminded me a bit of malt, so I added some.  I chopped up my favorite Symphony bar with toffee and almonds and threw that in with some toffee bits, and we have arrived at delicious.  Original recipe found here.

Malted Maple Toffee Cookies

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup malted milk powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon maple extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 Giant (6.8 ounces) Symphony Bar with Toffee and Almonds, chopped
1/4 cup toffee bits
1/4 cup chocolate toffee bits

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, bornw sugar, malted milk powder, and salt until light and creamy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Beat in the maple extract.  Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder, and beat until just combined.  Stir in the chopped Symphony bar, toffee bits, and chocolate toffee bits.

Using a cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoon), scoop and drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 10 to 11 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes.  Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Coconut Lime White Chocolate Meringue Pie

Today's recipe is comes straight to you from the inner workings of my psyche.  I wanted to make a coconut cream pie.  With lime!  Because coconut and lime are so yummy together.  But then, I can't leave out the white chocolate either.  Hmmm.  And the leftover egg whites?  What should I do with those?  Put them all together and get a totally fabulously delicious creamish meringueish pie.  Amazing.  

Coconut Lime White Chocolate Cream Pie

Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter

¾ cup shredded coconut

1 teaspoon lime zest

Coconut Filling:

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 ½ cups milk

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

1 cup shredded coconut

1 teaspoon lime zest

White Chocolate Layer:

6 ounces white chocolate

1 Tablespoon butter

Vanilla Coconut Meringue Layer:

4 egg whites, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350F.

For the crust, combine the flour, sugar, salt, coconut, and lime zest. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

While the crust bakes, make the filling. For filling, in a medium saucepan stir together granulated sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce the heat and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter, vanilla, coconut extract, coconut, and lime zest. Cover surface with plastic wrap; cool about 30 minutes.

While the filling is cooling, place the white chocolate and butter in a double boiler, saucepan, or microwavable bowl. Heat white chocolate mixture carefully, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth.  Spread onto bottom of crust. Pour coconut filling over white chocolate layer, spreading evenly.

For the vanilla coconut meringue, in a mixing bowl combine the egg whites, vanilla, coconut extract, and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks and sugar dissolves.

Spread meringue over warm filling, sealing to edge of crust. Sprinkle with the 1/4 cup coconut. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 60 minutes. Chill for 3 to 6 hours for before serving; cover for longer storage. Makes 8 Servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cookies

I am giving you a gift today.  The gift of chocolate cookies and cream.  That is exactly what came to my mind when I tasted these cookies.  They taste exactly like cookies and cream, but with a chocolate instead of vanilla base.  Incredible.  I am so in love.  I may have to hide these cookies from myself (which would probably be counterproductive since I would know where they are...).  So, when I made these cookies, I had a flashback to a totally different batch of Triple Chocolate Oreo Chunk Cookies that I made about a year ago.  These cookies reminded me so much of the others, that I named them the same thing without even realizing it.  So I changed the name.

These cookies use shortening instead of butter, which makes them deliciously crisp and chewy at the same time.  They have delightfully huge chunks of Oreo in them and are loaded with chocolate.  The cookie dough is very dry and crumbly, so don't be alarmed when it tries hard to fall apart when you scoop it. Original recipe found here.

Triple Chocolate Oreo Chunk Cookies

1 cup butter-flavored shortening

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cups semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used a little of each)

12-15 Oreos, roughly cut into quarters

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, place the shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Beat together until completely combined and smooth.  Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Beat until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and Oreos.  The dough will be dry and a bit crumbly.  

Scoop dough with a cookie scoop (2 Tablespoon size) and place on the prepared baking sheet.  With the palm of your hand, press down on the top of each dough ball until flattened slightly.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove cookies from the oven, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool.  Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Tapioca Pudding

Tapioca is a well loved but rarely enjoyed treat at my house.  I have made it a grand total of one time, using quick cooking tapioca.  It was less than impressive.  I was browsing around chow.com a while ago and came across this recipe.  It looked amazing, so I tried it out.  Holy cow was it ever incredible.  This pudding was devoured.  Seconds were requested.  I actually had to make a second batch so I could take a picture of it to post here.  This pudding can be eaten warm, but I recommend eating it cold.  But I am a cold dessert person.  Warm pie, warm pudding...just doesn't do it for me.  Whichever way you like to eat it, this tapioca pudding will not disappoint.

Tapioca Pudding

3 cups whole milk

1/3 cup small-pearl tapioca (not instant)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved (I used 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste)

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

Place 1 cup of the milk and the tapioca pearls in a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Let the pearls soak uncovered at room temperature for 1 hour.

Add the remaining 2 cups of milk, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla seeds, and salt and stir to combine. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture just comes to a simmer, about 10 minutes (do not let the mixture boil). Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture thickens and the tapioca pearls are softened and translucent, about 15 minutes. 

The pudding will thicken as it cools.  Serve warm if desired.  If serving cold, pour the pudding in a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.  Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Triple Berry Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe may be my newest very favorite oatmeal cookie recipe.  I don't have very many tried and true oatmeal cookie recipes.  I've just never had very much luck in that department.  We have quite a few recipes here with oatmeal in them, but not so many truly oatmeal cookies.  This one is totally a winner though.  I may even repeat this one.  The triple berry blend is a slightly different twist instead of using raisins.  The white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts keep this cookie tasting a bit lighter, and let my secret ingredient really shine through.  Chinese Five Spice.  Yep, I am all over that spice right now.  I am using it in everything.  Can't get enough.  And it tastes amazing in these fabulous cookies!

Triple Berry Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
1 1/4 cup (5 ounces) dried mixed berries (cranberries, blueberries, cherries)
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, honey, and vanilla until well blended.  Add the quick oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and Chinese five spice, and beat until just combined.  Stir in the mixed berries, white chocolate chips, and macadamia nuts until evenly distributed.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough and drop about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the cookies are browned on the edges and just set in the center.  Let cookies cool on the pan for 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Caramel Chocolate Pie

I was flipping through my sister's cookbook the other day while we were making our Five Spice Almond Raspberry Nests, and found this recipe.  I had to do some adjusting to the recipe but I think that we have a winner here.  This pie starts with a pecan pastry crust, followed by layers of caramel, sweetened cream cheese, chocolate whipped cream and is topped with sweetened whipped cream.  While this pie is extremely delicious, I didn't really understand the cream cheese layer.  I didn't think that the flavor quite fit in  with the rest of the pie.  Next time I make this pie, I will have to revise that somehow.

Caramel Chocolate Pie

Pastry Crust:

1 cup flour

½ cup chopped pecans

2 Tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 stick (½ cup) cold butter

50 caramels (14 ounce bag), unwrapped

3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons water

½ cup chopped pecans

1 Package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup powdered sugar

4 ounces (½ cup) sweet baking chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)

3 Tablespoons hot water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups whipping cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. In a bowl, combine flour, pecans, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

In a saucepan or microwave, heat the caramels, butter, and 2 tbsp water until melted, stirring frequently. Pour into the hot pastry crust, sprinkle with pecans. Chill 1 hour.

Beat together the cream cheese and 1/3 cup powdered sugar, spread over caramel layer. Chill

In a saucepan or microwave, heat the chocolate and water until melted, stirring frequently. Cool to room temperature, stir in vanilla.

Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Remove 1 ½ cups of whipped cream to use for topping.

Fold chocolate mixture into the remaining whipped cream. Spread over cream cheese layer. Spread reserved 1 ½ cups whipped cream on top. Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired. Cover and chill 1 to 4 hours until firm. Makes 12 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Sprinkled Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I stumbled upon this recipe several weeks ago and was shocked!  Shocked that I have not seen this before.  Sure, I have seen cookies made with a cake mix, but nothing like this.  The cookies actually have a cake batter flavor.  Whoa.  I had no idea this was possible.  The clincher here though?  Definitely the sprinkles.  My Hungry Little Puppies could scarce believe their eyes when they found LOADS of sprinkles in their chocolate chip cookies.  I can almost guarantee that they will request this recipe again.

Sprinkled Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups yellow cake mix
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 bottle (2.1 ounces) nonpareil sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended.  Add the flour, cake mix, and baking soda, and beat until just combined.  Stir in the semi sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough (about 2 tablespoons) into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake the cookies for about 11 minutes or until they are just set in the center.  Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the pan for 2 to 3 minutes.  Carefully remove cookies from the pan and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy