Chicago's CookBook

Easy Orzo with Mushrooms and onions

2026-10-18T19:47:16.767-05:00

1/2 lb. Mushrooms, sliced

2 medium onions, sliced thin

Salt and pepper

2 T. Olive oil or butter

2 C. Orzo

3-4 T. Butter or olive oil

4 C. Chicken stock

2-3 T. Pesto (optional)

2 T. Italian seasoning

1-2 tsp. each garlic powder and basil

2 C. Shredded chicken, pork, or beef (optional)

1/2 C. Heavy cream

1/4 C. Parmesan

Directions:

Saute mushrooms and onions in 2 T. olive oil or butter. Set aside. Saute orzo in 3-4 T. butter or oil until just golden brown. Add chicken stock, pesto (optional), mushrooms, onions, seasoning, and meat (optional).

Bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Simmer uncovered for 12-14 minutes, stirring frequently. When pasta is al dente, add cream and Parmesan. Turn off heat and place a lid on and let it steam for 2-3 minutes.

Serve with additional parmesan or Italian cheese shreds if desired.

Honey Ginger Chicken Egg Rolls

2026-02-15T19:28:00.001-06:00

1 C. Finely chopped rotisserie chicken

1-2 T. Toasted sesame oil (or half oil and half butter)

2 medium yellow onions, thin sliced

2 T. each minced garlic and minced ginger

1/4 lb. white button mushrooms, thin sliced

1 C. cabbage, finely shredded

1/2 C.shredded carrots, optional

2-3 T. Honey

1-2 tsp. each soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Thai peanut sauce

6-8 wonton wrappers

Add mushrooms to a preheated, dry skillet and saute on medium high, stirring every 2 minutes. When mushrooms are golden, remove from skillet and set aside. Add oil and onions and saute until golden.

Deglaze pan with a splash of rice wine vinegar. Stir in remaining ingredients and saute on medium high for 10 minutes or until cabbage is just wilted Cool before filling wonton wrappers with 2-4 T of mixture.

Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies

2025-12-20T14:45:00.003-06:00

1 3/4 C. flour

3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking powder

1 stick butter, slightly softened

1 C. sugar

2 eggs

1/4 tsp. Peppermint extract

1 tsp. Vanilla bean paste or extract

3/4 C. Mini chocolate chips

1/2 C. andes mints, chopped

3/4 C. powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350.

Combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder,.in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in a separate bowl. Add eggs and extracts and mix thoroughly. Reduce mixer speed to medium low, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, and mix until a soft dough forms. Add chocolate chips and chopped chocolate mint candies and mix to incorporate. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper and set aside. Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl and set aside. Keeping dough well chilled, shape 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball. Roll the ball in the confectioners' sugar to coat generously -- do not shake off excess sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies have puffed and cracked and are slightly firm to the touch -- 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

French Chocolate Almond Bars

2025-12-09T16:23:00.003-06:00

Chocolate filling:

14 oz. Can sweetened condensed milk

4 oz. Bittersweet chocolate melted

1 tbsp heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp. Hazelnut extract

1/2 tsp salt

Crust:

1 cup flour

3/4 cup almond flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/8 of a cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick of butter, chopped into small pieces

1/4 C. Sliced almonds if desired

Heat oven to 350. Grease and 8x8 baking dish in line with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, melted chocolate, heavy cream, vanilla, hazelnut extract, and salt until smooth. Set aside.

Mix flour, almond flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt together on low speed to combine. Add butter and mix on medium speed until mixture is crumbly.

Press half the crust mixture into the bottom of a pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven carefully spread chocolate filling over the crust. Sprinkle with remaining flour mixture evenly on the top. Sprinkle with almonds if desired. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the chocolate has puffed up and doesn't jiggle and the crumbly top is light golden brown. Cool completely before cutting.

Honey Dijon Pork Chops

2025-10-04T16:18:00.000-05:00

1/4 C. each honey, Dijon salad dressing

2 T. each marsala wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic minced

2 tsp. each Dijon mustard, garlic onion seasoning, basil

1 tsp. Oregano

4-5 boneless pork chops

Whisk together every except pork chops. Add pork chops and coat evenly in marinade.

Pan sear or grill pork chops for 6-7 minutes over medium heat (longer if they're thicker, less time for thinner cuts), flip and sea/grill and additional 3-4 minutes.

S'Mores Cookies

2025-09-30T19:31:00.000-05:00

1 C. butter

2 C. brown sugar

2 large or extra large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

4 T. molasses

1/8 C. milk or coffee creamer

1 tsp. each baking soda and baking powder

3 C. flour

1 sleeve of graham crackers, crushed

4 graham crackers, roughly chopped

1 C. mini chocolate chips (optional)

1 1/3 C. chopped mini marshmallows

Heat oven to 350.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone mat.

Cream together sugar and butter, beat in eggs and extract. Beat in molasses and milk/creamer. Fold in flour, crushed graham crackers, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in chips, marshmallows, and chopped graham.

Maple Pecan Cookies

2025-09-18T12:17:00.001-05:00

1 C. butter

2 C. brown sugar

2 large or extra large eggs

2 tsp. maple extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 T. maple syrup

1/8 C. milk or coffee creamer
1 tsp. each baking soda and baking powder

3 1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. mini chocolate chips (optional)

1 1/3 C. chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone mat.

Cream together sugar and butter, beat in eggs and extracts. Beat in maple syrup and milk/creamer. Fold in flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in chips and pecans.

For bakery style cookies, portion dough with a 1/4 C. sized scoop. Bake at 350 F for 13-15 minutes.

Herbed Pork Roulade with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

2025-09-17T13:02:00.000-05:00

2-3 pounds boneless pork loin, butterflied open

1/2 C. olive oil

2 T. Caesar dressing

1/4 C. parmesan

2 T. minced garlic

1 T. basil

3 T. garlic and onion seasoning blend, divided (reserve 1 T. for the outside of the pork)

1 1/2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. thyme

1 T. Worchestershire sauce

2 oz. goat cheese

1/3 C. sun dried tomatoes

Whisk together everything except pork, goat cheese, and tomatoes.

Spread herbed mixture evenly over pork, sprinkle on goat cheese and julienned sundried tomatoes.

Roll tightly and secure with bakers twine.

Sprinkle the remaining garlic and onion seasoning on the outside of the pork roll.

Bake at 400F for 1 hour 45 minutes, turn oven to 325F and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes.

Cool before slicing.

Starbucks Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

2025-08-23T19:25:00.006-05:00

While I tried to follow the original recipe Starbucks at Home released, there were some glaringly obvious flaws, from baking time, what this was naked in, and the streusel recipe so I'm listing here what I did when I created this.

1 1/2 sticks of salted butter, room temperature

1 3/4 C. Granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 T. Vanilla extract

2 C. Greek yogurt (I used 1 vanilla, 1 plain)

2 1/2 C. Cake flour

2 tsp. Baking powder

1/2 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Cinnamon

Streusel Recipe:

1/2 C. Each all purpose flour and light brown sugar

3 T. Granulated sugar

2 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 stick salted butter, cold

Directions:

Heat oven to 325.

Mic butter and sugar until fluffy and pale in hue. Add eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly. Add in vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon, set aside.

Add 3/4 C. Of flour mix, mix until just incorporated . Add 1/2 C. of yogurt, mix until just incorporated. Continue this pattern until all ingredients are combined.

Combine all streusel ingredients in a separate bowl and cut butter in until the mix resembles coarse sand.

In a greased and floured Bundt pan, add batter and streusel in alternating layers, starting and ending with batter. Bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool and remove from pan.

Notes:

* I use fresh ground Mexican cinnamon

* Sour cream can be a great sub for Greek yogurt

* Nuts can be added to your streusel for extra texture

Summer Butterflied Pork Loin

2025-08-08T18:01:00.001-05:00

2 lbs. Boneless pork loin

1/3 c. Olive oil

2 T. Dark soy sauce

1 T. Dijon mustard

1-2 tsp. Minced garlic

1 tsp dried thyme

1 each T. Apple thyme vinaigrette and Caesar dressing

2 tsp. Greek seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together all but pork loin, add pork loin to the marinade. Marinate 2 hours to overnight. Grill pork loin over medium low heat about 7-10 per side or until juices run clear.

Roasted Mushrooms

2025-08-03T15:34:00.001-05:00

1/2 lb. white button mushrooms or criminis

1/2 C. Sweet baby Ray's garlic Parmesan sauce

3 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. each oregano, garlic and onion seasoning

1 tsp. each thyme and basil

2-3 T. grated parmesan

Heat oven to 425.

Line a baking tray or ceramic dish with foil for easy cleanup.

Quarter mushrooms, set aside.

Mix well all remaining ingredients.

Stir mushrooms to coat well. Let marinate for 15-30 minutes.

Pour mushrooms with marinade onto prepared pan. Spread into a single layer.

Roast uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Mushrooms are done when just fork tender.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies

2025-07-04T20:34:00.005-05:00

1 C. butter

2 C. granulated sugar

2 large or extra large eggs
2 tsp. Almond extract

1/2 tsp. Coconut extract and vanilla extract
2 T. Honey
1/8 C. milk or coffee creamer
1 tsp. each baking soda and baking powder

3 1/2 C. flour

2/3 C. each: dark chocolate chunks, mini chocolate chips, and chopped dried cherries

Heat oven to 350.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone mat.

Cream together sugar and butter, beat in eggs and extracts. Beat in honey and milk/creamer. Fold in flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in chips and cherries.

For bakery style cookies, portion dough with a 1/4 C. sized scoop. Bake at 375F for 13-15 minutes.

Parisian Double Chocolate Cookies

2025-05-30T21:24:00.001-05:00

1 stick of softened butter

1 1/3 C. light brown sugar

1 egg, room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. hazelnut extract (or rum extract, if you cannot find hazelnut)

2 T. each molasses (or maple syrup) and heavy cream

1 3/4 C. flour

1/2 C. dark cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. each baking soda and powder

1/2 C. chopped hazelnuts

1 1/4 C. dark chocolate chunks or chips

Cream together butter and sugars, add in egg, vanilla, extract, molasses, and cream. Mix well for 2-3 minutes on low speed. Add in dry ingredients, mix for 20-30 seconds. Add in nuts and chunks, fold in until evenly disbursed. Chill overnight.

Scoop into 2-3 T. sized portions, roll into balls, and place on silicone lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350F. for 13-15 minutes.

Orange Cranberry Slices

2024-11-09T13:08:00.001-06:00

1/4 C. Softened butter

1 C. Granulated sugar

2-4 tsp orange zest

1 egg

1 tsp each vanilla and orange extract

1/2 tsp rum extract

3/4 C. Orange juice

2 C. Flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 C. fresh cranberries

2 tsp cinnamon sugar

Heat oven to 350f. Grease and sugar a 9x5 loaf pan. In large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, zest, and butter. Beat in extracts, egg. Stir in orange juice. Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Fold in cranberries when the flour is still lightly streaked in the batter. Top with cinnamon sugar. Be careful not to over mix. Pour into prepared pan, bake for 1 hour. Cool slightly, then remove from pan.

Triple Chocolate Meltaway Cookies

2024-11-08T08:01:00.005-06:00

1 stick of butter

1/2 C. white sugar

2/3 C. light brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. chocolate extract (or almond, if you cannot find chocolate)

2 T. each molasses (or maple syrup) and heavy cream

1 3/4 C. flour

1/2 C. dark cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. each baking soda and powder

1/2 C. mini semisweet chocolate chips

1 C. pecans

3/4 C. dark chocolate chunks

Cream together butter and sugars, add in egg, vanilla, butter extract, molasses, and cream. Mix well for 2-3 minutes on low speed. Add in dry ingredients, mix for 20-30 seconds. Add in chips, nuts, and chunks, fold in until evenly disbursed. Chill overnight.

Scoop into 2-3 T. sized portions, roll into balls, and place on silicone lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350F. for 13-15 minutes.

Easy Roasted Red Peppers

2024-11-07T10:26:00.001-06:00

4-6 medium to large bell peppers

3-4 T. olive oil

2-3 T., garlic, minced

2-3 T. dried basil

Heat oven to 425F. Line a baking dish with a silicone baking mat.

Cut peppers into quarters, remove seeds and membrane.

Place peppers, skin side up on baking sheet - do not drizzle with olive oil. Roasted for 35-45 minutes, peppers are done when the skin starts to blacken. Place in a bowl and cover with a plate to steam for 15-20 minutes. Then using the back of a spoon, loosen and peel off skin. Pack peppers tightly into a jar, layering in basil and garlic with peppers. Top with olive oil to cover peppers in jar. (The olive oil helps keep the peppers from spoiling, and you can use the olive oil after you've finished the jar of peppers).

Chicken Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

2024-11-07T10:18:00.001-06:00

1 pound white button mushrooms

1 1/4 C. finely chopped chicken

1/4 C. premade pesto (classic or red pepper pesto)

2 T. minced garlic

1 1/4 C. shredded cheese, divided (reserve 1/4 C. cheese for topping)

1/4 C. parmesan

2 T. dried basil

3-4 oz. cream cheese, softened

Blend together all ingredients except for the mushrooms. Stuff cleaned mushroom caps with filling or freeze filling for future use (can be frozen for up to 3 months). Top with extra cheese if desired.

Heat oven to 400F. Bake in a glass or ceramic dish for 30-40 minutes.

Turtle-Inspired Cookies

2024-11-07T10:06:00.001-06:00

1 stick of butter

1/2 C. white sugar

2/3 C. light brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. butter extract or emulsion

2 T. each molasses and heavy cream

1 3/4 C. flour

1/2 C. dark cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. each baking soda and powder

1/2 C. caramel chips

3/4 C. pecans

3/4 C. dark chocolate chunks

Cream together butter and sugars, add in egg, vanilla, butter extract, molasses, and cream. Mix well for 2-3 minutes on low speed. Add in dry ingredients, mix for 20-30 seconds. Add in chips, nuts, and chocolate, fold in until evenly disbursed. Chill overnight.

Scoop into 2-3 T. sized portions, roll into balls, and place on silicone lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350F. for 13-15 minutes.

Southern Style Pecan Cookies

2024-05-09T13:10:00.007-05:00

1/2 C. butter

1/2 C. light brown sugar

1/2 C. granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 T. cream

2 T. honey

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. butter pecan extract or butter extract or emulsion (I find those at Amazon)

2 1/4 C. flour

1/2 tsp. each baking soda and baking powder

2/3 C. oats

1 1/2 C. chopped toasted pecans

Cream together butter and sugars until lighter in color - 3-5 minutes. Add in extracts, egg, honey, and cream. Mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate all ingredients (about 2-4 minutes). Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder, mix 30-45 seconds. Add in oats and mix 30-45 seconds. Add in nuts and mix until no flour streaks remain. Dough should be thick and start to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Chill 1 hour to overnight. This allows flour to absorb fully and butter to chill - preventing the over-spread of the cookies in the oven.

Heat oven to 350. Scoop out dough in 2 T. sized portions, line an ungreased baking sheet with silpat. Arrange cookies 2 inches (5cm) apart and bake 12-14 minutes until lightly set and centers still look slightly underdone. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, the remove cookies to finish cooling.

Yields: 12-18 cookies

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Red Pepper

2024-05-09T12:06:00.004-05:00

Spending some time with friends in Arkansas, I only had a handful of ingredients to work with in my AirBnB. But sometimes simplicity is the mother of invention and in this case, that is certainly true. I loaded up on some of my favorite foods and snacks before I headed south, so I had most of the basics on hand.

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

3/4 C. Greek salad dressing

2-4 T. basil

2-3 T. minced garlic

4 T. olive oil

2 roasted red bell peppers, chopped

2 shallots, sliced thin

1 medium onion (red or yellow), sliced thin

1 1/2 C. salsa

2-3 T. cornstarch (optional)

16-20 corn tortillas

8 oz. shredded cheese (I chose a cheddar jack blend and some leftover provolone and mozzarella)

1 carton of Dona Maria mole sauce (premade)

Marinate the chicken thighs in Greek salad dressing, basil, and minced garlic for 2 hours to overnight.

Pan fry the chicken thighs in 2 T. olive oil over medium heat to sear the chicken, flip after 5-7 minutes. Cook another 3-4 minutes and remove from the pan to cool. Chop chicken into 1" pieces.

Saute onion, shallots, and roasted bell pepper until veggies are tender. Add chicken and salsa. Mix cornstarch with equal parts water and add to tighten the sauce that he chicken is in. Cool chicken filling for 10 minutes before assembling.

Add 3-4 T. of chicken filling to one side of a warmed, soft tortilla and roll, repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour mole over the top the enchiladas and top with cheese.

Yields: 16-20 enchiladas

Serve with rice and beans.

French Pastry: Torsade

2024-05-07T16:47:00.006-05:00

Torsade is, in my humblest opinion, one of the best pastries to ever come out of a French kitchen. While I don't have a French kitchen, I got absolutely hooked on these pre-pandemic. I had just taken my first trip to Paris and as I often imagined, I had absolutely fallen in love with the city of love. The plethora of charming sidewalk cafes, the charming boulangeries, the Metro, the Seine - it was love at first sight. And first taste. Definitely love at first bite. No, this isn't a tale of a vampire love story, unless vampires enjoy pastries. If they do, I can hardly blame them.

I don't know the origins of the delectable treat, but I do know how to put it together - and with a few basic ingredients, some puff pastry, and some creme patisserie - you'll have a pastry worthy of top billing.

1 pkg. puff pastry, thawed but chilled

1 C. creme patisserie

3/4 C. mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped chocolate)

one egg white, well beaten

1 T. cinnamon sugar

On a lined baking sheet, unfold your puff pastry. Brush the entire sheet with creme patisserie (it should be a thin layer). Sprinkle with chocolate chips and fold in half (long sides together). Cut into 8 equal sized strips. Starting with the first strip, gently twist and lightly press down the top and bottom edges onto baking sheet (so the twists will hold). Repeat with remaining strips. Brush each strip with egg wash and dust liberally with cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 410F for 18-21 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and cool 5-7 minutes and enjoy. These are best fresh, so don't be shy. And since most of the components are best when made ahead, this is a great treat for overnight guests as part of a lavish continental breakfast or high tea.

Yields: 8 pastries.

Want to experiment? Here are some ideas:

Instead of creme patisserie, spread Nutella or a favorite jam or marmalade.

Not a huge fan of chocolate? Sprinkle in sliced almonds, chopped pecans or hazelnuts, butterscotch chips, or crushed candied espresso beans. The possibilities are endless!

Classic Creme Patisserie

2024-03-25T01:15:00.002-05:00

1 1/3 C. Milk

2/3 C. Heavy cream

1 1/2 T. Vanilla paste

6 egg yolks

2/3 C. granulated sugar

1/4 C. Cornstarch

1 T. Butter

Bring milk, cream, and vanilla bean paste to a gentle simmer in low heat in a medium sauce pot (3 qt or similar). Whisk together egg yolks and sugar, then whisk in cornstarch. Do these separately to make it easier to combine. When milk is steamed, temper eggs mixture with the steamed milk. Return all of this to the pot and increase heat to medium. Whisk nonstop until mixture just starts to thicken.

Remove from heat, add butter (and additional vanilla or any extract/emulsion you desire) and keep whisking until butter is incorporated fully and mixture is very smooth. Immediately remove the custard from the pot and put in a glass bowl, topping the custard with cling wrap pressed firmly against the top of the custard (so a film doesn't appear on top). Refrigerate immediately.

Hazelnut Espresso Cookies

2024-03-03T01:00:00.001-06:00

I was thinking about my bestie the other day and her favorite coffee has a kick of hazelnut in it. And I thought what better way to say I'm thinking of her than baking these sweet treats and bringing them to her door? I'm a cookie lover through and through and I just had to make these as a thank you for her house sitting for me a few weeks ago. I'm so fortunate to have the amazing friends that I do!

1 C. butter

1 C. dark brown sugar

1/2 C. granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

3 T. cream

2 T. honey or molasses

1 C. nutella

2 tsp. coffee emulsion

1 tsp. each vanilla and hazelnut extract

2 C. flour

1 tsp. each baking soda and baking powder

1 1/2 C. oats

1 C. chopped toasted hazelnuts

3/4 C. espresso chips

3/4 C. dark chocolate chips (optional)

Cream together butter and sugars until lighter in color - 3-5 minutes. Add in extracts, eggs, nutella, honey, and cream. Mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate all ingredients (about 2-4 minutes). Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder, mix 30-45 seconds. Add in oats and mix 30-45 seconds. Add in remaining ingredients and mix until no flour streaks remain. Dough should be thick and start to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Chill 1 hour to overnight. This allows flour to absorb fully and butter to chill - preventing the over-spread of the cookies in the oven.

Yields: 24-30 cookies

Buttery Sweet Pecan Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

2024-02-26T17:07:00.003-06:00

1 C. butter

1 C. dark brown sugar

1/2 C. granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

3 T. cream

2 T. maple syrup (or honey)

1 C. nut butter (I used nutella)

2 tsp. butter extract or emulsion

1 tsp. each vanilla and hazelnut extract

2 C. flour

1 tsp. each baking soda and baking powder

1 1/2 C. oats

1 C. pecans

1 C. butterscotch chips

1/2 C. dark chocolate chips (optional)

Cream together butter and sugars until lighter in color - 3-5 minutes. Add in extracts, eggs, nut butter, syrup, and cream. Mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate all ingredients (about 2-4 minutes). Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder, mix 30-45 seconds. Add in oats and mix 30-45 seconds. Add in remaining ingredients and mix until no flour streaks remain. Dough should be thick and start to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Chill 1 hour to overnight. This allows flour to absorb fully and butter to chill - preventing the over-spread of the cookies in the oven.

Heat oven to 350. Scoop out dough in 2 T. sized portions, line ungreased baking sheet with silpat. Arrange cookies 2 inches (5cm) apart and bake 12-14 minutes until lightly set and centers still look slightly underdone. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, the remove cookies to finish cooling.

Yields: 24-30 cookies

Honey Sweet Cranberry Cookies

2024-02-25T12:03:00.003-06:00

What do you do when you're entertaining and need a quick sweet treat? Cookies to the rescue!

I was in a bit of a rush and wanted something I could set up and chill until I was ready to bake and like I've done many times with the basic recipe this is based on, I just started pulling out ingredients. I needed to use up some walnuts that I (over bought) on sale around the holidays. And I had a little bit of honey left in the jar, a partial bag of white chocolate chips, and the dried cranberries needed to be used up soon before they got too dry to be easily useable.

Like my mom would do when I was little, she would start with a base recipe and would call them "If an' Cookies". If and she had all the right ingredients, they would've been something else. I still love me a good if an' cookie and these really hit the spot. And honey and cranberry - this is a seriously good combination. I think next time I'll try this in a biscotti with almonds and a little honey extract or emulsion (which I found on Amazon).

1 stick of butter

1 C. dark brown sugar

1 egg

3 T. honey

1-2 T. cream (or milk)

1/2 tsp. butter extract

1 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 3/4 C. flour

1/2 C. oats

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 C. dried cranberries

1 C. white chocolate chips

3/4 C. chopped walnuts or pecans

Cream together butter and sugar until light in color. Thoroughly combine with egg, molasses, cream, and extracts. Mix for 3-5 minutes. Add in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and oats. Mix for 20-30 seconds, then add cranberries, chips, and nuts. (Mix until the flour just starts to incorporate before adding chips - you don't want to overmix at this stage).

Chill cookie dough overnight for best results.

Bake on a silpat or parchment paper at 350 for 13 minutes. Tops should be slightly firm when they're done. Yields 20 cookies.