cookies

• In a mixing bowl, beat together brown sugar and butter until creamy. Add sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold in the cashews, cranberries, and white chocolate.
• The dough will be very sticky, and chilling it will make it slightly easier to work with; chill for at least 2 hours, or freeze until a later point.
• Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a small scoop or teaspoon to dole out balls of dough spaced out on the sheet. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, until set with tops just turning golden.
• Cool completely then store in sealed container at room temperature. Cookies will keep for at least 2 days.

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• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with a long strip of foil. Coat with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
• Next add the flour, baking soda, and salt, scraping the bottom of the bowl to be sure to incorporate everything. Fold in 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips.
• The dough may be quite sticky. Dollop it onto the prepared pan. Spray a piece of waxed paper with nonstick spray, then use the coated side to press down on the dough to roughly even it out. Then use a heavy drinking glass to press down more, creating an even, cohesive layer. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and gently tap in.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are brown and the top is golden. Cool completely.
• Use foil to lift out bars. Cut into thick finger-like pieces. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

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Make the dough

• In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest until smooth and creamy.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually combine with the wet mixture, scraping the bottom to incorporate everything. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• At this point, the dough can be divided, if desired, to freeze half or all. If baking soon, wrap and chill the dough for about two hours or overnight.
• To begin baking, preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Use a large or small scoop or spoon to dole out dough balls spaced out on cookie sheet. Large cookies will bake in about 15 to 18 minutes; small cookies will need 11 to 13 minutes. The edges should be golden brown. Let cookies sit for about 3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Make the glaze

• Mix confectioners’ sugar and orange juice until thick and smooth. Use the back of a spoon to spread atop a cookie. Continue with the rest of the batch.
• Let cookies rest until glaze is set, about an hour or so, then transfer to a sealed container. Place waxed paper between layers if stacking the cookies. Store at room temperature.

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• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg followed by vanilla and molasses.
• In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
• Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the wet, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate everything. Fold in the candied ginger pieces.
• Place the topping sugar in a bowl. Use a small scoop to shape the dough, then roll in sugar. Set spaced out on baking sheet.
• Bake for 11-12 minutes. Let set on sheet a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in a room temperature sealed container up to 2 days.

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• Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and both sugars. Add the egg, vanilla, and maple flavor. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet. Fold in white chocolate chips and pecan pieces.
• Cover dough and chill for at least two hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Use a large cookie scoop or tablespoon to shape dough into rounds. Place spaced out on cookie sheet.
• Bake for 13 to 16 minutes, until the top is just starting to gain a golden tint. Let set for a few minutes before moving to a rack to cool. Once the cookies are completely cool, make the glaze.
• Combine glaze ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to a piping bag with small tip or a freezer bag with a corner snipped. Pipe lines over the cookies. Let set at least an hour before packing cookies into a sealed container. If stacking cookies, use strips of waxed paper between layers.

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• Place butter in a pot on stove. Gently warm to melt, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the butter is browned. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
• In a large bowl, combine both sugars, salt, vanilla extract, and baking soda. Beat in the egg until everything becomes smooth and creamy.
• Add the browned butter, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate everything. Mix in rye flour. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Dollop the dough into the pan. Use hands to press out as evenly as possible. Place a small piece of waxed paper on top, then use a heavy glass on top of that to fully compress dough, making sure to get all of the edges. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top.
• Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until dough is set. Remove from oven. Cool completely before slicing into bars.
• These bars will keep well at room temperature, in a sealed container, for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen soon after baking, and will thaw fast for a treat at a future date.

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