Cookie Sleuth

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-02-20T16:58:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been to one of the Ghirardelli stores? They are divine! My grocery store recently started selling Ghirardelli chocolate chips, and I hoped the recipe on the back of the bag for chocolate chip cookies would be as good as the cookies in their bakery. They weren't but they were still really tasty. I brought these to work for a Friday treat, and they were all eaten by 9:30 in the morning! Normally most treats last through the afternoon, but not these. The cookies themselves were cakey and had plenty of chocolate. I used half milk chocolate chips and have semi-sweet chocolate chips for added flair.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3/8 cup granulated sugar

3/8 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter well until it is fluffy. Add the sugars and mix well. Mix in the egg. Gradually stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes until lightly golden brown.

Yields 18 cookies.

Chewy Chocolate-Oat Bars

2012-02-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

I saw this recipe on Eat Better America, and it was the perfect use for 1/2 a remaining can of sweetened condensed milk. The recipe from the website is below. I used all purpose flour instead of whole wheat, used rolled oats instead of quick oats, and did not add the margarine or additional oats on the topping. As the name implies, these bars are very chewy, and there is plenty of chocolate. The recipe recommends waiting 1 1/2 hours before eating. They are definitely better when they have cooled for at least an hour, but they are still good when warm.

Ingredients

Filling
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
Bars
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats
2 teaspoons butter or margarine softened

Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8- or 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.
In 1-quart heavy saucepan, heat filling ingredients over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
In large bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup oats, the baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In medium bowl, stir egg, brown sugar, oil and vanilla with fork until smooth; stir into flour mixture until blended. Reserve 1/2 cup dough in small bowl for topping.
Pat remaining dough in pan (if dough is sticky, spray fingers with cooking spray or dust with flour). Spread filling over dough. Add 2 tablespoons oats and the butter to reserved dough. Mix with pastry blender or fork until well mixed. Place small pieces of mixture evenly over filling.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until top is golden and firm. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.
Yields 16 bars.

Chocolate Frosting Cookies

2012-02-13T16:56:00.000-08:00

Are you in need of a chocolate treat for Valentine's Day that's also really easy? I had some leftovers from a tub of Betty Crocker chocolate frosting and decided to experiment with frosting in a cookie. The resulting cookie is chewy and chocolatey. I put chocolate frosting on a few of the cookies, but it really wasn't needed. It did make for a great chocolate cookie sandwich, though. As a bonus, this cookie is so easy to make since there is no butter or sugar to measure.

Ingredients

1 cup chocolate frosting

1 egg white

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With an electric mixer, beat the frosting for one minute. Next add the egg white and mix. Gradually add in the dry ingredients.

Drop tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a wire rack.

Yields 12 cookies

Paradise Bakery

2012-02-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

Delicious sandwiches, muffins, and cookies!?!? What could be better? The Paradise Bakery I visited was in a mall, too! It's a good thing I ate after I went shopping, or I would have needed a bigger size.

So I could try as many cookies as possible, I selected several "chippers", which are two-three bite cookies. Here's what I tried:
Black and White- not the traditional New York City black and white cookie but rather a chocolate cookie with lots of white chocolate chunks- chewy and chocolatey
Oatmeal Chocolate- not a lot of oatmeal but just enough to make the cookie slighty chewy- buttery and soft- my favorite of the four I tried
White Chocolate Cranberry- just OK- the base and white chocolate were good, but the cranberries overpowered (were in too big pieces for the chipper)
Paradise Surprise- just a regular cookie with Oreo crumbs mixed in- nothing surprising or special

I will be back for another meal and more cookies (probably just black and white and oatmeal chocolate) soon! Cookies were $1.39 each (buy 3 get 1 free), and chippers were six for $1.45. For more details and to find your closest location, visit www.paradisebakery.com.

Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies

2012-02-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

I had half a bag of Andes baking chips left over from the holidays, and going through mint withdrawal, I whipped these ups. They turned out thick and chewy and had a strong mint flavor to satisfy my craving.

I'm trying to decide if I like the chocolate/mint combination better than chocolate/peanut butter combinations. After today, I'm thinking chocolate and mint. What's your favorite?

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 large eggs
1 cup mint baking chips

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add peppermint extract and egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and edges look crispy. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yields 18 cookies.

The Cravory- Part 2

2012-02-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

I loved the first set of cookies I tried from The Cravory, so of course I had to try some more! I sampled four more flavors in a 2 Dozen Mix box ($48 plus shipping).

PB Overload- I have never seen Mr. Sleuth enjoy a peanut butter cookie more than this one. I also loved it since it was very gooey and chewy with chocolate pieces. This cookie did not have any of the graininess that some peanut butter cookies do.

The Cannibal- I was not expecting these cookies to have a coffee flavor. It was subtle, but it is definitely in every bite. It was a great take on a chocolate chip cookie with pieces of chocolate candy instead of standard chocolate chips.

Oreo Milkshake- This chunky, chewy cookie had malted milk bits and large pieces of Oreo cookies. I didn't really taste the "milkshake" part, but these cookies are great nonetheless.

Oatmeal Pear Fig- This was a super chewy cookie with tons of oatmeal and pieces of dried fig and pear. If pear wasn't in the name, I wouldn't even know it was in the cookie, though. I would still add this to my next box.

For more flavors and to create your own cookie, visit www.thecravory.com.

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

2012-01-30T16:12:00.000-08:00

I saw Ina Garten make this on her Food Network TV Show Barefoot Contessa and knew it would be perfect for an upcoming bake sale. I made this in a 13 x 9 pan and dusted the final product with powdered sugar after it cooled. I used about 2 cups of chocolate chips and skipped the walnuts. They were very popular at the bake sale!

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate chunks

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 x 12 x 2 inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well, scraping down the bowl. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and with the mixer still on low, slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture. Fold the walnuts and chocolate chunks in with a rubber spatula.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes exactly. Don't overbake! A toothpick may not come out clean. Cool completely in the pan and cut into bars.

Yields 16 big bars.

Aurelie: The Cookie Guru

2012-01-26T16:52:00.000-08:00

Anyone who says they're "the cookie guru" and has a display case full of delicious looking cookies is worth a try. The cookies did look scrumptious! At a hefty price tag of $3.00 each, I tried only one- caramel chocolate chip. The cookie was served warm, and I made fast work of it! Soft and gooey, it was under-baked, but in a good way. This has got to be one of my top cookie finds! Now if only the price was a little better...

The Cookie Guru has a boutique in Santa Monica at Santa Monica Place. They specialize in chocolate chip, so only three flavors are prepared each day (chocolate chip, caramel chocolate chip, and a monthly flavor). Currently shipping is not offered, but they plan to start that soon. They do deliver (fresh or frozen) within the LA area, though. For more details visit their website at http://thecookieguru.com/.

S'mores Cookie Sandwiches

2012-01-23T16:53:00.000-08:00

A craving for s'mores hit today, and instead of going with the traditional form, I made a cookie form. Unfortunately my marshmallow fluff had expired (do you ever have that trouble of finding expired things in your pantry?), so I just microwaved a few mini marshmallows between two cookies. The cookies themselves are crispy and have a sweet graham flavor.

Ingredients

1 stick cold, unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Marshmallow fluff

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream together butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add egg and beat until well incorporated.
Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix until just combined. Stir in graham cracker crumbs. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon dough onto baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove baking sheets from the oven and immediately lightly press four miniature marshmallows in the center of each cookie.
Yields 12 sandwiches.

Juliette's Bakery

2012-01-19T17:06:00.000-08:00

Coming for a long weekend in Palm Springs, I knew this was the bakery to try. For about $20 I was able to try five average-sized cookies, two large brownies, one cupcake, one coconut macaroon, and two cake pops.

Here's a rundown of the cookies:

Peanut Butter- slight peanut butter flavor, just OK

Double Chocolate- delicious- sure to satisfy any chocolate craving

Chocolate Chip- a little too sweet, but lots of chocolate flavor

Snickerdoodle- super soft, great cinnamon flavor

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut- best cookie of the group, lots of white chocolate and small bits of nuts

Also I tried their brownies (chocolate fudge and caramel pecan) and red velvet cake pops. Both of these were great! Next time in Palm Springs, I'll be sure to get some of these, too.

For more, details visit the Juliette's Bakery website: http://www.juliettesbakery.com/.

On a different note, with Valentine's Day coming up, be sure to take special care of yourself (or the cookie fan in your life). Bath & Body Works has a scent called Homemade Cookies, so not only can you eat homemade cookies, but your house can always smell like them, too! I purchased the room fragrance and the chocolate chunk hand sanitizer. The chocolate chunk is a seasonal flavor, but it is still available on their website. Caution- you may want to eat your hand after applying!

Banana Graham Peanut Butter Chip Bars

2012-01-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

These turned out to be more like banana bread than bar cookies, so I called them breakfast bars and ate them for breakfast instead! With only 3 tablespoons of margarine and one egg white, they are not heavy or an overly sweet way to start the day. They bake up quickly and make the whole house smell yummy!

Ingredients

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

3 tablespoons tub margarine

1/4 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown sugar

1 Egg white

1/2 cup Banana, mashed

1 cup peanut butter chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.

Put butter and sugars into a bowl and mix with an electric mixer; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in peanut butter chips.

Pour into an 8x8 baking pan. Bake until golden brown (about 18 minutes).

Allow pan to cool completely before cutting.

Yields 16 Bars.

Rice Krispies Cookies

2012-01-12T16:47:00.000-08:00

I am still trying to create an at-home version of Heaven's Cookies, and I got a little bit closer with this recipe. While I am still looking for a bit airier of a cookie, this recipe yields a buttery cookie with a nice crunch from the cereal.

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
3/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup Rice Krispies

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Stir flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until combined.
Cut butter into cubes and combine with the flour mixture in the food processor.
Pulse the mixture (scraping down the sides between pulses) until pea-sized clumps of dough begin to form.
Remove dough from food processor and put into a large bowl. By hand, stir in Rice Krispies until just combined.
Press mixture into a 13 x 9 baking pan.
Bake for 15-18 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into pieces. Cool completely before serving.
Yields 32 servings.

Cake Bakeshop

2012-01-09T16:40:00.000-08:00

I happened upon a cute little bakery in Manhattan Beach on Saturday. With all sorts of delicious treats it was hard to decide was to pick.

I tried the salted chocolate chip cookie, snickerdoodle, oreo, pb & jelly cookie and a seven layer bar. The chocolate chip cookies had a lot of chocolate chunks for such small cookies, but there was a bit too much salt in some bites (other bites had no salt at all). The snickerdoodles were perfectly chewy and cinnamony. The oreo filling was excellent, but the cookies were dry. The pb & jelly cookie was amazing- chewy, great flavor combination. The seven layer bar was hard to eat (really messy and crumbly) but was rich and delicious.
On a side note, I tried the cupcakes and coffee cake. The cupcakes and the coffee cake were dry, but the frosting was superb.

Cookies and bars range in price from 75 cents to $3.00. For more information, visit their website at www.cakebakeshop.com.

Paris Vacation

2012-01-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

Paris was a quick train ride from London but was a completely different and magical place.

Before I tried Laduree, I did not think I liked French-style macaroons. I was so wrong! The macaroons were light and airy with rich flavor. The caramel was my absolute favorite. Vanilla was a close second. I also tried chocolate, apple, and raspberry. Amazing!

A fun shop I visited was La Cure Gourmande. Cookies are sold by weight. Part of the fun is going through their buffet of cookies and selecting the ones to try. It was easy to go overboard! The specialty was a cross between a shortbread and sugar cookie with various fillings (chocolate cream, strawberry, hazelnut). The chocolate cream filled was excellent. Next time I will skip the chocolate cookie with chocolate filling- too grainy.

What should I try on my next trip to Paris?

London Vacation

2012-01-02T16:54:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! With many of you probably wanting to take a break from baking after a busy holiday (and perhaps eat a little less), I won't temp you with new recipes and instead share some cookie finds from my vacation to London and Paris in November. Thank you to Heavenly Housewife and The More Than Occasional Baker for all of their helpful tips!

Below is what I tried in London. My next post will include my Paris finds.

Ottolenghi- Walking into this bakery was heavenly- so hard to decide what to try. The fudge cookie and chocolate chip pecan cookie I tried were amazing- soft, chewy, and indulgent.

Le Pain Quotidien- The nougat and fudge nut cookies were surprisingly delicious. The nougat cookie was gooey and sweet. The fudge nut cookie had a rich chocolate flavor.

Pret A Manger- Even more prevalent than Starbucks, Pret A Manger was everywhere. I had a chocolate croissant from there nearly every morning for breakfast. The chocolate chip cookie was very good, too, but not as tasty as some of the others I tried. It certainly satisfied my need for an afternoon snack!

Ben's Cookies- Everyone said that Ben's Cookies were the best in London, and they were right! The triple chocolate was my favorite. The milk chocolate praline and dark chocolate chunk tasted great, but they lacked chocolate and praline.

Outsider Tart- Near our hotel was a farmer's market, and the giant saucer-sized sugar cookies caught my eye. Soft and sweet, this was the perfect afternoon treat.

Hummingbird Bakery- This bakery doesn't sell cookies (they actually recommended Ben's Cookies when I asked if they had cookies), but their whoopie pies are worth mentioning. Delicious!

What's your New Year's resolution?

Top 11 Cookie Recipes 2011

2011-12-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

What better way to end the year than a recap of my favorite recipes of the year. Vote for your favorite! I hope you all have had as wonderful of a year as I have. Best wishes for 2012!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Bars

Banana Whoopie Pies

Uncle Biff's Copy Cat

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk

S'mores Cookies

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Dark Chocolate Chip

Dark Chocolate Mint

Double Chip Walnut Cookies

M&M Cookies- Take 2

Inside Out Cookies

Sugar Cookies

2011-12-25T12:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! In need of a dependable sugar cookie recipe? Give this a try. I made the dough two weeks ago and kept it in the fridge. The dough freezes well, too. For the frosting, I just used a tub of Duncan Hines vanilla frosting to save some time. If you would like to make your own, whisk together one 16 ounce box of powdered sugar with 2 teaspoons of light corn syrup and 1/8 teaspoon vanilla (may need w a couple of teaspoons of water to thin it out).

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter for three minutes until well softened and creamy. Add in sugar and mix well. Stir in egg, milk, and vanilla.
Gradually mix in the flour mixture.
Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough and cut into shapes and place on a ungreased baking sheet. Or drop flattened tablespoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes until slightly browned on the edges. Cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
Yields 2 dozen

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-22T16:19:00.000-08:00

I recently found Nestle dark chocolate chips at the grocery store, and the recipe on the back of the bag for Jumbo Dark Chocolate Cookies sounded great. I refrigerated the dough for a couple of days before baking, perfect for the busy holiday season. I also made the cookies half the size recommended (yielded 24 instead of the 12 listed on the recipe).

Ingredients

1 10 ounce package (about 1 2/3 cups) of dark chocolate chips, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup margarine, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Melt 2/3 cup of the dark chocolate morsels in a microwave safe bowl, stirring frequently. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mixed together the flour, baking cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream together margarine and sugars until well-blended. Mix in vanilla and egg. Stir in melted chocolate.

Gradually stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the 1 cup of remaining dark chocolate chips.

Drop 1/4 cup balls of dough onto baking sheets. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yields 12 jumbo cookies.

Andes Mint Cookies

2011-12-19T16:56:00.000-08:00

I promise this is my last mint cookie recipe for a while! I saw Andes Baking Chips at the grocery store last week and just had to try them. I just followed the recipe on the back of the bag, and it worked great.

For more mint flavor, you can add a 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract. I halved the recipe, used unsalted butter, and only chilled the dough for 15 minutes.

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter - softened

3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 package (10 oz.) Andes® Crème de Menthe Baking Chips
2-2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed.

Stir in Andes Baking Chips and then flour. Chill approximately one hour in the refrigerator.

Measure out approximately 1 oz. of dough. Form a ball and slightly flatten.

Bake at 350° F for approximately 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on pans for two minutes before removing.

Yields 4 dozen.

Holiday Gift Guide

2011-12-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

The holidays are on their way! Can you believe that 2011 is coming to a close? This has been quite a year, and we are not even done yet. To make your holiday shopping a little easier, below is a list of the top places to order cookies for your family and friends (or perhaps even yourself!).

Aunt Joy's Cakes- great cookies, friendly staff, phone orders during limited hours only, basic packaging

David's Cookies- easy ordering, delicious cookies, cookies arrive in a tin

Fairytale Brownies- easiest ordering, wide variety of flavors, cookies wrapped in pairs inside decorative boxes

The Cravory- best cookies on the list, cookies wrapped in pairs in festive boxes, able to create customized cookies

Gecko Cookies- wide variety of treats, extremely friendly and helpful staff, limited ordering hours

Cooperstown Cookies- great for baseball fans, cute cookies and packaging, stick with shortbread

Double Chocolate Chunk Mint Cookies

2011-12-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

To me chocolate and mint are synonymous with the holidays, so I was excited to try this recipe from McCormick using their peppermint extract. I used only 1/2 of the amount they recommended (definitely should have used all of the amount recommended), and it was easier to use 1 cup of chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate. The resulting cookie was chewy, minty, and delicious. It makes me excited for Christmas!

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

3 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Stir in chocolate and walnuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto baking sheets sprayed with no stick cooking spray.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until cookies are set. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Yields 2 Dozen.

Geoff and Drews

2011-12-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

Let me save you some trouble this holiday season. Skip ordering cookies from Geoff and Drews. I ordered the $20 celebration box containing 8 assorted cookies. The average sized cookies (individually wrapped) were nothing special. My box contained two chocolate chunk, two double fudge, two sugar, and two oatmeal cranberry.

The sugar cookies were just average. The oatmeal cranberry we hearty and full of cranberries. While the chocolate chunk and double fudge were very good with lots of chocolate, they are not worth getting again. It was obvious Geoff and Drews uses fresh and high-quality ingredients, but even so, their cookies did not impress.

On a separate note, the order process online was simple, but while their website claims you can call to make an order, you can only leave a message and hope someone will call you back. Same goes for customer service assistance. They only ship Monday-Wednesday, so keep that in mind if you decide to order. Visit www.geoffanddrews.com for more details.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies

2011-12-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

I ate waaay too many of these cookies, but they were too delicious to stop eating! These chewy cookies paired well with the chocolatey, salty crunch of the pretzels. I liked bigger chunks of pretzels. I also added in a 1/2 cup of chocolate shavings to boost chocolate flavor and add more color to the cookie.

I have heard of a potato chip cookie. Have you ever tried it? This pretzel cookie combo makes me think it would be worth a try...

Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate covered pretzels, chopped

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat sugars, peanut butter, butter, shortening, vanilla and eggs until creamy. Stir in flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in pretzels.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
Bake 10 minutes or until light brown.
Yields 2 dozen.

Dark Chocolate Mint Cookies

2011-12-01T16:06:00.000-08:00

This indulgent treat is actually very easy to make. I melted dark chocolate in the microwave and added it before stirring in the mint chocolate chips. It produced a rich chocolate cookie that was very hard to stop eating!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup melted dark chocolate
1 cup mint chocolate chips

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
In the microwave, melt dark chocolate. Stir into the cookie dough.
Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set.
Yields 18 cookies.

North End- Mike's Pastry & Bova's Bakery

2011-11-28T16:17:00.000-08:00

This Italian food mecca in Boston is THE place for Italian restaurants and groceries. I find it a lot easier to navigate and more friendly than New York's Little Italy, and the food is just as delicious. I can't stop eating even when I'm full! Desserts from Mike's Pastry and Bova's Bakery were no exception.

Everyone who lives in or who has visited Boston knows Mike's Pastry and their canolis. Any why wouldn't they? They're delicious and well known as the best in the city. Behind the canolis are their cookies! Of the butter cookies and giant bakery cookies, I selected the M&M cookie ($1.50). Soft and saucer-sized, it was full with M&Ms AND chocolate chips. I planned to share half of it, but ended up eating 3/4. They cookie was scrumptious (eaten the next day after the canoli- still remained very fresh), and I will be sure to get one next time I stop in for a canoli. Visit www.mikespastry.com for more details.

Bova's Bakery is off the beaten path. The cashier was chatting with a customer about the Red Sox game when we came in. It's definitely a true family run business. Cookies (mostly butter cookies) are by the pound. I tried four different kinds, and my total was $1.72. The chocolate walnut cookie (about 1 tablespoon in size) is a great after dinner treat and was my favorite. The chocolate chip lacked flavor. If you're not in the mood for chocolate, the crumbly butter cookies with sprinkles melt in your mouth. Visit http://bovabakeryboston.com for more details.