Bready or Not Original: Chocolate Chai Snickerdoodles
I reinvent Snickerdoodles on a regular basis, and here’s a fun new take: Chocolate Chai Snickerdoodles.
The flavor of these is chocolate-forward, followed by the warm combination of spices. The combo is fantastic, and the texture of the cookies is soft and chewy.
I highly recommend mixing up the sugar and spices a day or so in advance. There is such a variety involved that the measuring and washing of the measuring spoon ends up being the most tedious aspect of the entire recipe.
Bready or Not Original: Chocolate Chai Snickerdoodles
Equipment
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- teaspoon scoop
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup baking cocoa sifted
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Combine the first six ingredients; reserve a 1/2 cup in a separate bowl.
- Beat the butter until soft. Add the bulk of the spice mix, continuing to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt. Slowly work this into the butter mix.
- Use a teaspoon scoop or spoon to form small balls. Roll them in the reserved sugar-spice mix. Set them spaced out on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Due to the cocoa, it is hard to gauge doneness by color, so look for them to be set with some light crackling. These don’t crackle as much as standard snickerdoodles, though. Let them rest on the sheet for about 10 minutes, then transition them to a rack to completely cool.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: No-Bake Cookie Bars
When you have no time to bake and you need sweets fast–or you don’t have an oven or can’t heat the house–no-bake treats are the way to go. These No-Bake Cookie Bars involve little fuss and are sweet and tasty.
Also, these are pretty cheap to make. I used a generic kind of vanilla wafers that were a dollar-something.
Since I live in Arizona, I had to store these in the fridge, but in most places, you’d probably be fine keeping them at room temperature.
Bready or Not: No-Bake Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 9×9 pan
- nonstick spray
- aluminum foil
- waxed paper
- heavy glass
Ingredients
- 11 ounces vanilla wafer cookies generic is fine
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup chocolate chips semisweet or milk
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
- Use a food processor or a gallon bag, rolling pin, and muscle to crush all of the vanilla wafers.
- In a big bowl, stir together the cookies crumbs, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, nuts, vanilla, and salt. Completely mix and coat.
- Dump the mixture into the prepared pan. Level it out, then use waxed paper and a heavy object such as a glass to evenly compress the crumbs. Chill in fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board. Slice up and store in a sealed container either at room temperature or in the fridge.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Marcona Almond Bars
I’ve used almonds in many cookie and bar recipes, but these Marcona Almond Bars are especially decadent and good.
First of all, the base recipe starts with browned butter. Almond butter is also mixed in, which adds to the taste and texture. There’s just a touch of spice involved. These bars are really about the almonds.
What makes Marcona almonds different? They are from Spain, for one, and have the skin removed. They have a high standard of quality, a buttery, clean, crispness to them that is especially nice in contrast to chocolate. (They are also great on a Spanish-themed cheeseboard with things like Manchego cheese and membrillo paste.)
These bars are delicious for a snack or dessert, and they look especially pretty in their simplicity.
Modified from February 2014 issue of Food & Wine Magazine.
Bready or Not: Marcona Almond Bars
Equipment
- large saucepan
- 9×13 pan
- offset spatula
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
- 3 1/2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 5 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup roasted almond butter
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups Marcona almonds 9 ounces
- 1 3/4 cups chocolate chips 11 ounces (1 bag)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set off-heat to cool for about 30 minutes.
- Start oven preheating at 325-degrees. Place a large strip of aluminum foil in a 9×13 pan and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- Add the sugar, eggs, almond butter, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon to the cooled browned butter. Mix until smooth. Add the flour. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the almonds and 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to even out dough. Scatter the remaining almonds and chocolate chips over the top and lightly press in.
- Bake for 60 minutes. The middle should pass the toothpick test. Cool at room temperature, speeding process in the fridge, if desired. Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board to slice into bars. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Soft Batch-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate
How do you make Chocolate Chip Cookies better? More chocolate, of course–in this case, a chocolate disc inside these Soft Batch-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate makes them extra delicious.
Fun fact up front: this is a modification of my most reliable, most-baked cookie recipe. The differences: add another cup of chocolate chips, and remove the chocolate discs. These Soft Batch-esque cookies are the ones I make whenever I go home to California. I usually have a round or two frozen in case of urgent cookie needs at home, too.
This new take on my old favorite adds a luscious chocolate layer right in the middle. If you can’t find the Ghirardelli version of these discs, seek out another one, or even use a pinch of chocolate chips! A Hershey’s Kiss or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup would work, too, though you might need to add some extra dough to seal them inside.
Even better, these cookies will keep for weeks, if you have the fortitude to make them last. That makes these great for gift-giving, cookie exchanges, and mailing (if you’re not someplace hellishly hot).
Bready or Not: Soft Batch-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate
Equipment
- tablespoon scoop
- cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 10- ounces Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers
- flaked salt or coarse sugar to sprinkle on top, optional
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, which takes several minutes in a mixer. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- The cookies can be made right away, but texture is thicker if the dough is chilled for several hours or overnight. Cover with plastic wrap if it will be in for a while.
- When it’s time to bake, preheat oven at 350-degrees. Use a tablespoon scoop to form a ball of dough. Make a deep imprint and shove a chocolate wafer inside. Fold and press the dough to completely encase. Repeat, spacing them out to allow for spread on the pan. If desired, sprinkle some flaked salt or coarse sugar atop each to provide extra texture and flavor.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the cookies look golden and set. Let them continue to rest on pan for 5 to 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature. These cookies can keep for weeks.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Quick Maple Cookie Fudge Redux
Let’s finish off the year 2022 by reviving a recipe first on Bready or Not in 2016: Maple Cookie Fudge!
This is a shortcut fudge without any need of a candy thermometer or stress. I like to use the microwave, but you can use the stovetop if you want. You can keep the maple cookies chunky, if you desire, or grind everything to crumbs–your choice! I actually like some small chunks mixed in for texture.
The maple flavor is nice and consistent here, not cloying, while the marshmallow fluff grants the texture some extra oomph. The nuts add an extra flavor and crunch, but you can omit them if you want.
This maple cookie fudge is just about perfect if you ignore the pesky nutritional side of things.
Bready or Not Original: Quick Maple Cookie Fudge
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray or butter
Ingredients
- 3 cups white chocolate chips
- 12.3 ounces maple crème cookies crushed/chopped/maimed, about 20 cookies
- 7 ounces marshmallow fluff
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon maple flavor
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts walnuts, pecans, macadamias, etc
Instructions
- Prepare a 9×13 pan by lining it with foil and applying nonstick spray.
- Either in microwave or on stovetop, carefully melt chocolate with sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow cream. If microwaving, do it in short bursts because it can burn fast! Stir often.
- When the mix is smooth, add the maple flavor and vanilla. Fold in the maple cookies and nuts. Pour fudge into the prepared pan. Use an uneven spatula to smooth out the top.
- Refrigerate at least 3 hours, until the fudge is firm. Cut into bite size pieces. Keep stored in fridge between layers of wax paper. Unlike some other quick fudges, this will keep well for hours at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
These Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies are a fantastic holiday treat. They truly do taste like gingerbread and chocolate together, a great combo if ever there was one.
These are made even better by the crunchy outer coating of Swedish pearl sugar, too. If you haven’t baked with it before, you’re in for a treat, This stuff is great on cookies and also pastries. You can find it on Amazon. [affiliate link]
The end result is a cookie that is firm to hold, but soft and chewy to bite into, with the sugar crunching pleasantly between the teeth.
Need other recipes with Swedish pearl sugar? I can help!
Swedish Cinnamon Rolls in the Bread Machine
Bready or Not: Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- teaspoon scoop
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon baking cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa, sifted
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 cube) room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 7 Tablespoons Swedish pearl sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Stir together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until they are light and creamy. Add molasses. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Measure the pearl sugar into a bowl. Use a scoop or spoon to create balls of dough. Roll them in the pearl sugar and then set spaced out on pan.
- Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Let sit on pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
