cookies Archives - Just J.Faye

My Christmas Cookie List

December 13, 2019 by Jenna

Christmas is less than two weeks away! Let’s make and eat and share all the best Christmas cookies!

Last weekend I was home in Minnesota for an early Christmas celebration with my family. It was absolutely perfect with all of my favorite people and a lot of delicious cookies.

After our little celebration my mom and I were reminiscing over all of our favorite cookies over the years. It’s amazing how cookies can bring back such good memories, like baking dozens and dozens and dozens of cookies every year with close family friends or entering the Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest. Our conversation inspired me to make a bunch and share them with co-workers and friends over the next few weeks.

Here is what I am thinking so far.

Molasses Creams with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting. These are hands-down my all-time favorite Christmas cookies.
Oreo Truffles. Also lovingly know as “snowman poop”. These are so easy and so dangerously good. I typically used almond bark instead of the white chocolate chips listed on the recipe in the link.
Sugar Cookies. Sugar cookies are classic and you need them for Christmas. If you have a sugar cookie recipe that you love, please send it to me! I’d love to do some roll-out frosted ones, but if I’m running low on time and creativity I may just make these sprinkle sugar cookies with some red and green sprinkles.
Popularity Cookies, AKA Saltine Toffee Bark. I haven’t had these in a while, but it’s time to bring them back. Can you really go wrong with chocolatey, nutty toffee? Nope. My mom always used Club crackers instead of Saltines.
Mint Chocolate Meltaway Cookies. I used to be obsessed with these cookies! Unfortunately, the ones in my head are not the ones I linked to. The cookies I’m imagining have a similar base to that recipe, but with chocolate ganache and an Andes Mint on top. I did a lot of Googling and this is the best I could find. Mom, if you are reading this can you please try to find and send me this recipe?! Thanks in advance 🙂
Snickerdoodles. Similar to sugar cookies: 1) you have to have them and 2) if you have a recipe you love, please send it my way!

Those are my musts, but if I have time, which I won’t, I’d love to also make any of these: linzer cookies, Mexican wedding cookies/Russian tea cakes, coconut macaroons, rugelach, shortbread, raspberry thumbprint cookies, chocolate cranberry ginger bites, etc.

Looking at this list I probably should have start baking weeks ago. Oh well.

What are your favorite, must-have cookies?

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

November 14, 2017 by Jenna

The days are dark and cold. Let’s make brown butter pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Actually, it’s not that cold. It was 70 degrees yesterday. Boo. I’ll take cool temps and a light dusting of snow, please.

Warm or cold, it is that time of year. That time to eat everything pumpkin. You know, just before we switch to peppermint and molasses. I’ve been taking full advantage the season – beer, bread, lattes, soup, smoothies, pasta, pancakes, yogurt, bars, and cookies. Obviously, cookies.

These brown butter pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are super easy to make. Let me sum it up – brown the butter. Whisk in the sugars and wet ingredients. Fold in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Chill. Bake. Eat.

It’s truly that simple.

You could make it easier on yourself and just use melted butter instead of brown butter, but don’t. Brown butter is just too good and it’s not that difficult to make. If I can do it, you surely can.

In other news, yesterday marked eight weeks since my heart surgery. EIGHT WEEKS. Honestly, I still haven’t completely wrapped my head around the fact that it happened. But it did. I have the scars to prove it.

My recovery has been going extremely well (except for that time my incision got infected and I had to take antibiotics for four weeks). I have been lucky to have a strong, supportive network and can’t thank people enough for reaching out with kind words and positive vibes.

I have been going to a cardiac rehab class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning for the last 4 weeks. Here I am connected to a heart monitor and do 40 minutes of cardio and a few minutes of strength training and stretching. I have been working my way up to running during the cardio portion and got up to 25 minutes of running yesterday (intervals of 5-minutes jogging with 2-minutes walking). I hate (and am terrible at) running on treadmills, but it feels great to work up a sweat.

Since the cardiac rehab has helped build up my cardiac endurance and confidence Michael and I decided it was finally time to head out on a hike last weekend. I woke up so excited on Saturday you would have thought I was an 8-year-old on Christmas morning! We did Mount Galbraith on Saturday and White Ranch on Sunday for a total of about 9.5 miles for the weekend. I think we were both a little bit nervous, but we took things slow and steady and didn’t run into any issues. I didn’t even feel any waves of lightheadedness like I always had this summer. It was so wonderful to be outside and hiking through the foothills with Michael again! I kind of tear up just thinking about it. Haha.

It’s been quite the journey and now it’s time to focus on increasing my cardio endurance, gaining back muscle tone, and eating brown butter pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep time

80 mins

Cook time

13 mins

Total time

1 hour 33 mins

The hardest part about making these brown butter pumpkin chocolate chip cookies is to not eat them all before sharing with friends.

Serves: 2½ dozen

Ingredients

½ cup butter
1 ice cube
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon all spice
½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Brown the butter. To do this melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the melted butter until it becomes golden brown in color and has a nutty smell.
Pour browned butter into a large bowl and whisk in an ice cube. It will froth a little.
Once the brown butter has cooled for a minute or two whisk in the sugars, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree until smooth.
Fold in the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for an hour (up to 24 hours).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Roll dough into balls and place them on the cookie sheet. Bake for 9-13 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then move them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Make sure to check out these other pumpkin recipes: pumpkin oreo bars, chocolate pumpkin snack cake, brown butter pumpkin bars & hearty, healthy pumpkin soup.

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Flourless Peanut Butter Carrot Raisin Cookies

April 20, 2016 by Jenna

I have a sweet and healthy treat for all the peanut butter fans out there: Flourless Peanut Butter Carrot Raisin Cookies!

They are delicious.

These cookies are packed full of peanut butter along with a bunch of shredded carrots and raisins. Guess what isn’t in them…

(Did you guess?)

…flour and processed sugar. We just don’t need them here. The peanut butter makes the cookies dense and soft and the carrots, raisins, and honey naturally sweetens them.

We’ll call them a healthy treat.

And another plus (as if you needed another one), these Flourless Peanut Butter Carrot Raisin Cookies are so super simple to make – just stir everything together with a bowl and spoon.

Head on over to Minneapolis Running to get the recipe and start baking!

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Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies (Vegan)

December 15, 2015 by Jenna

These Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies would be a great addition to your holiday cookie tray.

Why?

Because…

They are easy to make.

They are actually not too bad for you (as far as cookies go).

They are DELICIOUS.

I don’t see any reason to continue this list.

Last year I mentioned that my mom and I enter the Star Tribune Cookie Contest each year. Since I live in Denver now, we weren’t able to have our little baking day this year to create a new cookie recipe. (Maybe next year we’ll have to do it via Skype. Mom – thoughts??)

Two years ago we submitted the recipe for these Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies. Although it didn’t make it as a finalist, the recipe did receive an Honorable Mention, which was a huge win in our book. HUGE.

These Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies even made it into The Duesterhoeft Café cookbook. So you know they’re good.

So yeah.

They are easy to make – All you need is a bowl, some measuring equipment, and a wooden spoon. The wet ingredients are added into the dry ingredients to form some thick dough, which is then rolled into balls and baked into cookies.

They are healthy-ish – These cookies are vegan and filled with great things like coconut oil, applesauce, and white whole wheat flour. Not to mention the added health benefits from chocolate, cranberry, and ginger. Feel free to grab more than one.

They are delicious – Chocolate cookies are always amazing, but the ginger and cranberry give them an extra dose of delicious and a nice holiday flavor.

Gobble up two and then savor one. You don’t even need to feel guilty about it.

Don’t forget to add these cookies to your tray too: Molasses Cremes with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting and Christmas Treasure Drop Cookies.

Happy baking!!

Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies (Vegan)

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

14 mins

Total time

24 mins

These Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday cookies tray. They are easy, healthy, vegan, and very delicious!

Serves: 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 ½ cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup crystallized ginger
⅓ cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour -> ground ginger).
In a medium bowl, stir together the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Stir in the crystallized ginger and dried cranberries. The dough will be thick.
Roll dough into small balls and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, being careful not to over-bake. Let cool for 10 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

You can find crystallized ginger in a couple of different places. The first few times I made these I used crystallized candied ginger chunks from Trader Joes and chopped them into small pieces. This year I used Archer Farms crystallized ginger from the spice aisle in Target.
The corn starch can be omitted, but it gives the cookies a softer and chewier texture.
Drizzling (vegan) chocolate on top of these cookies is also a good idea and dresses them up a bit.
You can make the dough ahead of time, shape them into balls, and place in a Ziploc bag in the freezer until you’re ready to bake them. Just let them thaw a little bit before placing them in the oven.
Baked cookies last up to 5 days in an airtight container.

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mango almond oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

October 27, 2015 by Jenna

Let’s talk cookies, specifically mango almond oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

I know this flavor combination may seem a bit odd, but I’m kind of in love with it.

Last week at Trader Joe’s I bought some dried mango slices as an impulse purchase. I was daydreaming about them my entire 10-minute drive home and then decided that they needed to be in some cookies. I don’t recall what thoughts led me down that path, but I’m glad they happened.

Because now I have these in my life.

From the dried mangos to the chocolate chips to the roasted almonds to the oats, these cookies have a lot going on in the texture and flavor departments.

The dried mangos for their chewiness and touch of fruitiness.

The chocolate chips for their sweetness and the fact that chocolate chips just belong in cookies.

The toasted almonds for their crunch and delicious toasted nutty flavor.

And the oats for, well, their oatinesss.

Dreamy, right?

But wait, there’s more! These cookies are spiced with some ground ginger. Typically oatmeal cookies call for cinnamon, but I love the way that ginger pairs with mangos, so I made a little swap.

I didn’t call the ginger out in the title, because it seemed long enough already, so instead it’s just a little surprise.

You’re welcome.

I hope you bake these up and fall in love with them like I did!

mango almond oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

23 mins

These cookies are full of delicious flavor and texture. From the dried mangos to the toasted almonds to the oatmeal to the chocolate chips, you won't be disappointed!

Serves: 30 cookies

Ingredients

¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
2 cups quick rolled oats
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
⅓ cup dried mangos, cut into small pieces
⅓ cup toasted almonds, chopped
⅓ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
Melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave (stirring at 20-30 second intervals until it is melted).
In a medium bowl combine the oats, baking soda, ginger, and salt then stir in the melted butter. Let this sit for a few minutes, allowing the oats to soak up the moisture of the butter.
Stir in the brown sugar until no clumps remain, then add the egg and vanilla. Stir vigorously until thoroughly combined.
Mix in the flour, then add the mangos, almonds, and chocolate chips and stir until combined.
Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

You can use regular all purpose flour instead of white whole wheat.
To toast the almonds, put them on a pan in the oven while it’s preheating for about 10 minutes.

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chocolate pistachio meringues

October 20, 2015 by Jenna

So I made meringues for the first time.

I never really had the urge to make them before. I like meringue when it comes on top of pie (because, pie), but otherwise it is just kind of meh for me. I’ve never been super impressed, you know?

These chocolate pistachio meringues, though. I’m converted. I’d make them again and again and again.

I’ve been following along with The Kitchn’s Baking School series. The first week was all about eggs and after reading a little more about meringues I decided to give them a shot. I had the afternoon free and decided to take advantage of the opportunity to experiment in the kitchen. Because that’s what I do when I have free afternoons.

Bake and drink a lot of coffee.

At first glance meringues seem a little intimidating. I think it’s all the whipping and the watching for the peaks to progress.

Is it to the ‘stiff peak stage’ yet?!

However, they are actually quite simple. Don’t be scared. Remain calm. Be patient.

You probably already have all the ingredients on hand, which is essentially just egg whites and sugar. We do add some cream of tartar for structure and some vanilla and salt for taste. If you don’t already have cream of tartar in your pantry, get some so that you can make dozens upon dozens of snickerdoodles to go with your meringues. I added chopped pistachios and chocolate to these, because I had both in my cupboard and this flavor combination makes my heart glad.

To make meringues you basically just combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them until the mixture gets super smooth and glossy with stiff peaks.

That’s the very simplified way to put it. I would recommend reading this first.

I wasn’t really expecting much from these and made them just for the sake of trying something new. However, I was totally blown away by how much I liked them!

And by how cute they looked.

They aren’t like the dry store-bought meringues that I’ve tasted before. These are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with just the right amount of sweetness.

I brought them into work and received high praise. I even got an “I don’t normally like meringues, but someone told me I had to try one. I did and then I ended up eating 4.”

This was a feeling of which I was well aware.

This recipe was inspired by The Kitchn. Try them out and let me know what you think!

chocolate pistachio meringues

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

90 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

These chocolate pistachio meringues are less intimidating to bake than you would think, making for a very simple, impressive, and delicious dessert!

Author: Recipe inspired by The Kitchn

Serves: 20 cookies

Ingredients

3 large eggs whites, room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup unsalted pistachios, chopped
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 215 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
Add the eggs whites to a medium bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer). Using the whisk attachment, whisk eggs on low speed. They should start to foam.
Add the cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla.
Increase speed to medium. Begin to add the sugar, a little bit at a time whisking well between each addition. The mixture will start to form soft peaks. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and continue to slowly add the sugar. Be patient. The mixture will continue to stiffen.
Once the mixture has formed stiff peaks (where you dip a spoon in an the peak is able to stay sticking straight up), gently fold in the chopped pistachios and chocolate, saving a little bit of each to sprinkle on the top.
Dollop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared pan. The larger they are, the longer they will need to bake. Sprinkle the remaining pistachios and chocolate on top of the meringues.
Bake for 60-90 minutes depending on the size of the meringues. I was able to get about 20 meringues out of the batter and baked them for 85 minutes. When fully baked, you should be able to lift the meringue off of the baking pan without it breaking.
Turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let the meringues cool in the oven completely.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

And if you love baking (as I do) you should follow along with The Kitchn’s Baking School. Last week was all about butter and this week is about yeast. Yay learning!

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