Bourbon Chocolate Chip Mini Skillet Cookie for Two

Posted on April 16, 2017 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Warm and gooey, straight from the oven. Watch out – this cookie has been found to be highly addictive.

Several years ago, we were introduced to the cast iron skillet cookie. This giant chocolate chip cookie is best served nearly straight from the oven. No need for fancy serving dishes, we were handed spoons and in mere moments the 10-inch cast iron pan was emptied.

This terribly addictive cookie came back into my thoughts during our last trip to Anchorage. Jack and I went to a restaurant where we were served a delicious skillet breakfast of country fried potatoes, a fried egg, and an Alaskan reindeer sausage all presented in a cute, single-serving cast iron pan. That presentation was as clever as it was practical. The mini-skillet was the perfect serving size for one and kept the breakfast piping hot. We could imagine all kinds of tasty creations that would work perfectly in these clever pans. When we got home, I ordered two, and was pleasantly surprised to find that they are relatively inexpensive.

When the pans arrived, the first order of the day was a skillet cookie… but not just any skillet cookie. We love the flavor of bourbon. It happens to perfectly complement the buttery, carmely, flavors of a chocolate chip cookie. (See our post about melty chocolate chip cookies.) So I decided to punch up the skillet cookie with a bit of bourbon. After a couple of different successful experiments, I came up with just the right balance of ingredients for my recipe.

The bad things about this cookie? It is ridiculously delicious. We found it impossible to eat part of it and save the other part for later. It is easy to make, which only contributes to the addiction problem. And if you happen to have some rich vanilla ice cream to scoop on the top? You may as well call your boss and tell him/her that you won’t be coming in this week.

With fair warning, I give you the –

Bourbon Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
8 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp egg, whisked
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp bourbon
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C)
Have a 6 1/2” cast iron skillet available
Whisk melted butter with sugars
Whisk in egg
Whisk in vanilla and bourbon
Stir in flour, baking solda and salt
Fold in chocolate chips
Pour batter into cast iron skillet
Bake for 20 minutes. Cookie will be puffed up and will have pulled away from edge when finished.
Let cool slightly. Serve while still warm plain or topped with creamy vanilla ice cream.

The Yin and Yang of Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Which side is more delicious? The chocolate with white chocolate chips? Or the traditional chocolate chip side?

Life is too short for just one kind of cookie. Combine two cookie doughs that take about the same amount of time to bake and you have a recipe for a cookie which will disappear in the blink of an eye! These cookies were as fun to make as they were to eat… play dough for a baker!

Yin Yang Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Dough

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Dough

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
10 tbsp dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

Make the chocolate chip dough.
In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugars, egg and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
Thoroughly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
Fold chocolate chips into dough.
Turn dough out onto piece of plastic wrap. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Make the white chocolate chip chocolate dough.
In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugars, egg and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
Thoroughly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
Fold white chocolate chips into dough.
Turn dough out onto piece of plastic wrap. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take a tablespoon of the light dough and roll into a ball.
Take a tablespoon of the chocolate dough and roll into a ball.
Cut each ball in half and press the opposite doughs together, so you have a ball of half chocolate chip dough and half white chocolate chip dough.
Press the balls slightly and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat process until the baking sheet is filled. I fit 20 cookies on a sheet.
Bake cookies for about 10 minutes. I like mine soft, so they will appear slightly underdone at 10 minutes. Bake a couple of minutes longer for a crunchier cookie.
Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 60 cookies.

White Chocolate Matcha-Green Cookies: Feed Your Inner Leprechaun

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

The look of these delicious green cookies may remind you it is Saint Patrick’s Day, but the flavor will inspire thoughts of Japan.

Green Tea Cookies with White Chocolate

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp Japanese green matcha powder
generous pinch salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large egg
1 tbsp whole milk
8 ounces white chocolate (chopped)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, matcha powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix together butter, sugars, eggs and milk.
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
Fold in white chocolate.
Roll dough into two 2-inch (5 cm) logs. Wrap logs in plastic wrap. Refrigerate wrapped dough for at least 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Cut dough into 1/4 inch slices. Place slices of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place cookies about an inch apart.
Bake cookies for 8 – 10 minutes. Edges will just begin to brown.
Cool slightly. Then finish cooling on wire rack.

White Chocolate Orange Bites

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Soft bite-sized cookies spiked with orange essence and loaded with white chocolate chunks… irresistible!

No matter the weather outside or the latitude where we reside, as soon as the calendar rolls over to March, I think Spring! The thermometer right now is a wicked reminder that it is not time to get the day pack out for hiking just yet. While I patiently wait for the mercury to rise, I decided to bring some spring flavors into the house. The sunny smiles in the room after eating all of these cookies warmed up our day.

Orange White Chocolate Bites: Makes about 40 cookies

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
generous pinch salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp orange extract
1 large egg
2 tbsp whole milk
2 tbsp Penzeys dried orange peel
1/2 cup good quality white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl mix together sugar, orange extract, egg, milk, and dried orange peel.
Stir half of flour into sugar mixture. Mix well.
Mix in other half of flour into cookie dough.
Mix in chocolate chips.
Drop tablespoons of dough about an inch apart onto prepared baking sheet. Flatten cookies slightly.
Bake cookies for 10 minutes. They should be beginning to brown. Let baked cookies cool completely on wire rack before serving.

Double Cinnamon Biscotti

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Cinnamon is magical. It should be included in your diet because of all its health benefits, right? Some say cinnamon may cut your risk of heart disease. Other research will tempt you with cinnamon’s high quantity of antioxidants. I say just enjoy the flavor of this spice and the way it adds a layer of sweetness without adding sugar. For me, cinnamon conjures sweet and savory memories, from warm Indian dishes created in our cozy kitchens around the world to sweet baked creations with hot cups of tea on cold days.

The latter memory inspired today’s cookie creation – double cinnamon biscotti. I generally lean toward soft cookies. Biscotti are the crunchy exception. Paired with a hot beverage, the speckles of cinnamon in the cookie and the sweet stripes of cinnamon icing atop the biscotti make for a winning combination.

Double Cinnamon Biscotti

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Drizzle

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp whole milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.
In a large bowl, stir together butter and sugar.
Stir in eggs, one at a time.
Mix in vanilla extract.
Thoroughly mix in flour mixture into egg mixture, half at a time.
Divide dough in half.
Shape 1/2 of dough into a long log on baking sheet, about 1 1/2 inches wide and about 9 inches long.
Repeat with other 1/2 of dough. Give logs space in between because dough will spread during baking.
Bake biscotti for about 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool for about 15 minutes.
Cut logs into 1/2 slices with a serrated knife.
Place sliced cookies back on baking sheet and bake for 15 additional minutes.
Flip cookies to opposite side and bake for 15 additional minutes.
Cool on wire racks.
Make drizzle by mixing confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon and milk.
Place drizzle in a zip top bag and snip off a tiny piece of bottom corner.
Squeeze drizzle over cooled biscotti. Let drizzle set before serving.
Store leftover cookies in airtight container.

Gluten Free? Low Carb? Whatever! Just Eat These Fudgy Chocolate Meringues!

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Fudgy meringues with a crispy, melt in your mouth shell will have you attending “Meringues Anonymous” if you’re not careful!

How can four little ingredients be so good together? The combination of the crispy exterior and the moist chocolate middle sans flour resulted in an entire batch of fifteen cookies disappearing in just over 24 hours. I wish I could tell you we had guests…

Although airy and relatively low on calories compared to most confections, these meringues did not come about due to New Year’s self-promises centered around slimmer waistlines. The ignoble truth is that after creating crème brûlée, another custard dish and any number of ice creams, we had on hand countless extra egg whites and, according to Jack, “egg whites, fish and beer are three items that can be consumed without fear of weight gain.”

These meringues are quick and easy to make but do require an overnight stay in the oven to finish drying in order to create that crispy exterior.

Fudgy Chocolate Meringues

Ingredients

3 egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp dutch processed cocoa
1/2 cup smashed chocolate chips (Place chips in a Ziploc bag and smash with a meat tenderizer)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Place bowl on top of pot of simmering water, for a double boiler effect.
Whisk eggs and sugar for a couple of minutes until sugar is just dissolved.
Place bowl back on stand mixer. Mix on high speed until eggs are thick and glossy and hold soft peaks.
Sift cocoa onto egg mixture.
Mix on high speed until cocoa is just incorporated.
Fold smashed chocolate chips into egg whites.
Use a cookie scoop to drop batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Cookies should puff up and may crack.
Remove cookies and leave oven door open to cool down.
Place cookies back in oven, close oven door and let cookies sit overnight.
The next day, cookies will be cooled completely and can be easily removed from parchment paper. Store in airtight container.

Roasted Salted Pistachio and Cherry Biscotti

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

This crisp cookie bursts with the flavors of salty, roasted pistachios and tart, sweet cherries. Its attractive green and red colors would make it a welcome addition to this season’s offerings.

We picked up a bag of roasted and salted shelled pistachios last summer at Costco. The large bag of nuts was quickly opened, but we know that a rapidly expanding waistline can be the price for eating too many pistachios in too short a time. So, we put the bag in a mailing tub to be shipped north only partly consumed and forgot about it till recently. To our surprise, the nuts have remained amazingly tasty. Before they fall from grace, we wanted to make good use of them. Enter a biscotti recipe that celebrates their unique flavor. The roasted and salted aspect adds a delicious juxtaposition to the sweet tanginess of the dried cherries. We think these biscotti should be eaten all year ’round, in spite of their seasonal colors.

Roasted Salted Pistachio and Dried Cherry Biscotti

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3 tbsp light olive oil
1 tbsp dried orange zest
2 tsp dried lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1 cup roasted and salted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine first 6 ingredients in bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle.
Mix on low speed until ingredients are well combined.
In a separate bowl whisk eggs with next 5 ingredients.
Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Beat on low until combined.
Fold in cherries and pistachios.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface.
Divide dough in half.
Using floured hands, shape each dough half into a 16″ long log.
Place logs on parchment covered baking sheet, about 5″ apart.
Flatten logs to a strip about 2″ wide, so you have two logs that are 16″ x 2″.
Bake cookies until browned and set, about 30 minutes.
Let cookies cool in pan placed on wire rack for about 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F.
On a cutting board, using a serrated knife, cut logs into slices, about 2/3″ thick.
Place slices back on the parchment-lined baking sheets, cut side down and close together.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Flip the cookies to the opposite side and bake again for 20 minutes.
Let cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from BON APPÉTIT

Coconut Modest Lace Cookies

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Chocolate drizzle sets up on a fresh batch of ultra thin, chewy, crispy, modest lace cookies.

Traditionally, lace cookie dough spreads thin and bubbles while it bakes resulting in a delicate confection marked with lacy holes. I was intrigued with a coconut lace cookie recipe I found posted by Giada De Laurentiis. The cookies in the photo on her post looked simultaneously chewy and crispy and I could easily imagine the coconut flavor layered with the semi-sweet chocolate drizzle. Unfortunately, the reviews on her recipe were terrible (too greasy, too sugary, gloppy, lacking distinct flavor), so I contemplated how I could create a similar cookie while avoiding the pitfalls.

After making adjustments to amp up the flavor and improve the texture, the cookies came out of the oven a tasty winner. Although these very thin cookies crisped up around the edges nicely while remaining chewy, they aren’t very “lacy,” so I’ve dubbed them “modest lace.” The coconut shines through deliciously.

Modest Coconut Lace Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp unrefined coconut oil, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
1/2 semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together sugar, coconut and flour.
Mix in butter, coconut oil, egg and vanilla to coconut flake mixture.
Drop batter by teaspoonful on baking sheets. These cookies spread, so give them a couple of inches to do so.
Bake cookies for 8 minutes. They should be golden brown in the center and darker brown on the edges.
Slide parchment paper with cookies on it onto wire racks to fully cool.
When cookies are cool, melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Use a fork to drizzle chocolate onto cooled cookies.
Let chocolate set before serving. Pop the cookies in the freezer to set the chocolate faster.

Makes two dozen cookies.

The Year-End Pantry: Applesauce Caramel Cookies

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Wrapping up another year in the Arctic before we go to our summer home in Seward, these caramel-topped applesauce cookies were a terrific way to work through the last of our supply of applesauce.

A few lonely jars, bottles and boxes remain atop the cabinetry that lines the walls off our kitchen. Over five meters (sixteen-and-a-half feet) of uninterrupted shelf space that in August was packed tight to the ceiling with everything from chocolate to olives to nuts to jarred jalapenos is now mostly space. The remaining jars of salsa, soy sauce, sun dried tomatoes, Cholula and assorted other items stand like lonely sentinels overlooking our kitchen. It is the same throughout our house as freezers and pantries that had once been packed and piled with nine months worth of food are now nearly empty. And while our spice racks look full, it’s a deception. Many of the bottles are empty or nearly so. Our bulk order for next year went in to Penzeys Spices last week.

Applesauce is a healthful moistening agent in a number of baking recipes. It’s also terrific in oatmeal, as a blintz topping and in pancake batter, and makes for a light snack on its own. When we lived within driving distance of Northern California’s Apple Hill and the numerous orchards there, we made our own applesauce. Up here, we annually purchase a couple of cases of Tree Top Organic from Costco. The cookies in this recipe feature the fall flavor of applesauce in a light, soft cookie. The crunchy carmel-flavored topping adds another layer of sweetness and texture.

Applesauce Caramel Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground mace
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
caramel topping (see below)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and mace. Set aside.
Cream sugar and butter together.
Add eggs and applesauce and mix well.
Add in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
Drop tablespoons of batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 1 – 2 inches apart.
Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, until edges of cookies begin to become golden brown.
While cookies are cooling, prepare topping.

Caramel Topping

Ingredients

3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, heavy cream, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
Cook, stirring occasionally until mixture just begins to boil and the sugars are melted.
Remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla.
Scoop caramel mixture from pan with a teaspoon and drip onto cookies.
Let caramel topped cookies fully cool before enjoying them.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Recipe adapted from Chef In Training

The Tropics Meet The Arctic

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Sometimes a small batch of cookies is all you need. These thumbprint cookies combine the creamy sweetness of Arctic cloudberries with the tropical essence of coconut in an airy confection.

Sorry to temp you with a berry that rarely sees a latitude much south the Arctic Circle. Our favorite berry has yet to be cultivated on any large scale as far as we know, but almost any jam could serve as a substitute in these cookies. Perhaps there is an equivalent rare berry from another interesting part of the world you could taunt us back with?

Coconut Aqpik Thumbprints

Ingredients

1/4 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water (egg wash)
1/3 cup coconut flakes
cloudberry jam (or jam of your choice)

Directions

In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar.
Mix in vanilla.
With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour and salt to butter mixture. Mix until dough comes together.
Roll dough into about 1-inch balls.
Get a bowl ready with egg wash and a plate ready with coconut flakes.
Dip each ball into egg wash.
Roll each ball in coconut.
Place each cookie on parchment-lined baking sheet.
Press an indentation into each cookie. I used the handle end of a silverware knife.
Fill each indentation with jam.
Bake cookies for 20 – 25 minutes, until coconut is golden brown.
Cool and serve.