Cookies & Bars

 

Before we get on to this week’s recipe, I’d just like check in with you for a minute.  How are you doing? This has been a wild couple of weeks, and when we think we’ve seen and experienced everything the world can throw at us, we get another punch right to the side of the head.  These last weeks have brought the most devastating forest fires in our country’s history, tremendous political unrest, and the continuation of the virus that keeps on coming.  How are you handling it all?  I hope you can hold on to some hope and a glimmer of optimism in these dark times.  Let’s show them whose boss – when we get knocked down let’s dust ourselves off and get back up (it is not beyond me to also make an obscene gesture to make my point in all this).  Do what you need to do to keep your head above water.  And if you’re struggling, a very wise person recently told me “Don’t think you are in this alone. You can always ask for help”.  Wise words, and very important to remember when we’re scraping the bottom of whatever barrel we find ourselves in.  During challenging times, it helps to go to my happy place and that is, of course, the kitchen.  Seems like a good time for coconut cookies…

Every few months, I make several varieties of cookies and stash them in the freezer for snacks, mood elevation, and for sharing with friends.  I also make lunch for my mom, Neeners, every day, and she insists on a cookie for dessert or I will have hell to pay.  Over the years, many cookie varieties have come and gone from the selections, but the other day I had a yearning for coconut cookies.  These Chewy Toasted Coconut Cookies were the result. No bells and whistles – no nuts, no chocolate, no dried fruit, no oatmeal…just coconut.  Then the dilemma arose as to whether it should be a chewy or crispy cookie.  Since we are heading into fall, the desire for something a little more substantial was at the top of the list, so chewy won the toss.  Coconut had to be the star, so to get as much flavor out of it as possible, I toasted the coconut in the oven to develop even more flavor.  And we are not being skimpy here – there are a good two cups of coconut in these guys.  How about baking yourself a batch, sitting back, taking a deep breath, and remembering all that is good in this world of ours.

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Hello everyone!  I’m hoping your days have been happy ones, and that you are finding joy in the beauty of summer.  Dick and I are busy with our garden, and it’s been a nice break from the daily influx of disquieting information that seems to be coming from everywhere.  We share my mom’s (otherwise known as Neeners) large garden with her.  This means the garden is at her house, we do all the work and she does all the bossing around.  Neeners is nearly 90, has severely limited eyesight as well as recovering from a stroke she suffered last winter, but she is making the best of a challenging situation.  Today Neeners announced that she was going to try and find the last remaining sugar snap peas on the vines.  The next thing I heard was “Where are my clippers?  There are some dead vines here that need to be addressed”.  And so it began.  If Neeners has a pair of clippers in her hands, it’s best just to stand back.  “I love destruction!!!”  What??  I look up from my watering a few rows over, only to discover that she has cut down an entire 20-foot row of peas in less than 15 minutes, including the plastic mesh that was supporting the vines. “This was so much fun! Now I’ll go see if I can find some weeds to pull!”  Neeners never seems to have trouble finding joy, and she’s an inspiration to all she knows.  And if you happen to be searching for some lemon refrigerator cookie inspiration….

Here we have a summer cookie – with subtle lemon flavor and a crackly lemon sugar topping.  Mix it up one day, toss it in the refrigerator or freezer, and bake them when the mood strikes.  This lemon refrigerator cookie is not a crispy or dainty version but is chewy enough to let you know you’ve got a real cookie on your hands.  And here’s a thought – fill two cookies with your favorite ice cream for an ice cream sandwich treat.  A nice reward for a summer day well spent.

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I have been known to experience writer’s block when it comes to developing recipes, and last week was no exception.  I knew I wanted to come up with something sweet, but for the life of me could not summon one ounce of inspiration.  The next day I was making a batch of Coconut Macaroons for my mom, Neeners, for Mother’s Day.  It’s one of her favorites, especially when I cover half the cookie with melted chocolate or butterscotch. (Neeners would probably even eat beets, which she despises, if they were coated in chocolate or butterscotch).

All of a sudden, as if mentally struck by lightning, I thought “Hey, wait a second – this whole chocolate and butterscotch thing really seems more like a winter dessert.  Is there a way to make this more like spring or summer?”  My eyes guiltily drifted to the 8 egg yolks sitting on the counter that are always left over after making macaroons, and that typically find their way to the garbage.  Eureka!!  How about using up those yolks to make a thick and rich Lemon Curd, then make little nests in the unbaked cookies and fill the whole works with lemon??  No more wasted yolks, and what have I got to lose?  If all else fails, I can just dunk the cookies in chocolate, and Neeners will never know.  So that’s what I did, and I think we’ve got a winner.  The bright and creamy lemon curd is a match made in heaven for the chewy coconut cookie.  On top of all that an added bonus is that you’ll have leftover lemon curd, and it freezes beautifully.  Haul it out of the freezer to use on muffins, scones, or ice cream.  The cookies freeze like a charm also, and I usually make a double batch to make sure I’ve got a stash on hand at any given moment.

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Do you ever have the fortunate problem of leftover Halloween candy due to a lower than expected trick-or-treater turnout?  Since we live up in the woods with no neighbors in sight, we have not had that particular dilemma in over 25 years.  However, it does not stop me from buying Halloween candy just in case we are suddenly overtaken by a large band of rouge candy hunters.  So, there I was, looking at my stash of candy, which happened to include a big bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and decided that they might make a good cookie as well as a snack.  Here is the result, and you will see the whole pantry is pretty much thrown in to this one.  These big cookies that are chewy and moist on the inside, brimming with peanut butter, oatmeal, coconut, salted & roasted peanuts, and of course, big pieces of peanut butter cups.  Use any favorite leftover candy and you’ll be a happy camper.  The result is a little new, a little familiar, and a whole lot addictive.  Trick or treat!! …

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If you happen to be one of those people who need a break from chocolate once in a while or know someone who does, here’s the answer to a non-chocolate prayer.  These bars are rich, with crispy edges and a soft center.  They are literally bursting with tons of sweet, dried cherries and a generous amount of roasted almonds that are added to the dough and sprinkled on top, just to make sure you get a big old crunch out of every bite.  On top of all that, both vanilla and almond extracts have been added to pump up the flavor, and almost give them that homey, Christmas cookie taste I love.  Crispy, chewy, crunchy, and sweet, and I can eat them by the handful.

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With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I’m baking a batch or two of Double Chocolate & Pistachio Blondies for delivery to some special people in my life.  Here we have a dough that is very much chocolate chip cookie like, but instead of forming cookies, the whole works is scooped into a 13×9 inch baking pan. This special treat contains a full package of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the batter, along with a hefty amount of chopped pistachio nuts.  And then –  just to make the point of it all – a big handful of dark chocolate chips and additional nuts are patted into the top of the dough. The result is heavenly – crisp edges for those edge loving people on your list, and an almost gooey center for those of that persuasion.  My mother, Neeners, proclaimed “Do not waste your time making cookies anymore – just focus on these.  My gawwwd, they put cookies to shame.”  I’ll let you judge for yourself, but I tend to agree.

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Need a Holiday ‘Knock Your Socks Off’ Cookie?   Coconut Macaroons, busting at the seams with tender, sweet coconut, then drizzled on top with chocolate might do the trick.  The chocolate drizzle on top was my favorite way of putting these together…that was, until, during a fit of laziness, I discovered dipping the cookie rumps into a big vat of chocolate = new favorite.  …And then while cleaning out the kitchen cupboards one day, I found some half-used packages of butterscotch chips.  Being a huge fan of anything butterscotch, then figured, “Put it on a cookie why don’t you?”  So I did, and now can’t decide which I like best, so am eating them all without preference.  Rustic or fancy, these guys go anywhere, and come together in minutes.  Let me show you!

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Love Fall.  Love pumpkin. Not that crazy about pumpkin pie. No matter how hard I try, my pumpkin pie is usually a disappointment.  In fact, after nearly 35 years of fruitless attempts I have only received one compliment from Neeners.  It was several years ago on Thanksgiving Day, and time for dessert.  Neeners very reluctantly took a piece, tasted it, and said “Good pie this year…..Finally”.  Since I didn’t bother to write down the recipe I made up that day, replicating it is an impossibility.  So we will punt – how about some Pumpkin Streusel Bars?  Gingersnap cookie crust, rich and creamy pumpkin pie filling, and a buttery streusel topping with just a touch of cinnamon.  This recipe makes nearly the equivalent of two pumpkin pies, so feeding a crowd is a cinch. Perfect for a tailgate, potluck, or Thanksgiving dinner.

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It all started because I needed to come up with something fast for our first football tailgate gathering of the year.  Hmmm…thoughts circled around a bar cookie of sorts, but it had to be something I could tuck into a Ziplock bag for munching on during the game (you know, if it went on FOREVER).  I saw a recipe for Pecan Bars…close, but not exactly hitting the spot. Hey, wait a second!  Let’s capitalize on what’s right in our own back yard.  Did you know that Oregon is the largest producer of hazelnuts in the world?  All the more reason to give them a spin.  And so, the Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Bar was born.

A thin and rich crust that will remind you a little of shortbread.  But the star of this show is the hazelnuts, and there are a ton of them.  First lightly oiled, salted, and roasted, and then roughly chopped and stirred into a magical combination of, among other things, brown sugar and milk chocolate.  This will blow your mind and I’m not kidding.  To make it even easier, all of this can be made in one bowl.  No mixer.  No food processor.  Just you, a bowl and a spoon.  Have at it.

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