Chocolate Whoopie Pies!

I've gotten behind in my cookie swap recipes due to having spent time with my little sister who is home on break from college. However, I am really excited to share my cream-filled cookie recipe with you guys, as these whoopie pies are a real treat! On a side note, you can make whoopie pies of different flavors: chocolate, pumpkin and oatmeal being the most common.  But it's very versatile, so you could really do a lot of experimenting with them if you felt like being creative. I, for instance, would love to make some maple or butter pecan whoopie pies someday! The recipe I am sharing is that of a Mennonite bakery which is well-known in my little corner of the world for their breads and sweet treats.  Whoopie pies are just one of the many baked goodies that line their store shelves, and the recipe itself is for a rather large quantity of pies, so it may be that you will want to scale-down the ingredient proportions to fit your own baking needs.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

1 1/2 c. margarine
3 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. cocoa
2 1/4 c. buttermilk
5 1/2 c. flour

Cream margarine and sugar. Blend in eggs, vanilla, salt, soda and cocoa.  Add flour and buttermilk separately, mixing after each addition.  Chill dough at least 1 hr. Drop onto greased cookie sheet by rounded tablespoonfulls.  Make cookies equal in size.  Bake for 8-10 minutes in moderate oven (about 350 degrees). Cookies should be nice and rounded. After cookies have cooled, place a scoop of filling between two cookies, and wrap individually in plastic wrap for storing. Makes 42 whoopie pies.

Filling:
1 c. margarine
8 oz. softened cream cheese
2 tsp. vanilla
4 T. flour
3-4 c. powdered sugar
2 T. milk

Beat margarine and cream cheese together.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until light and fluffy.

Whoopie pies make for a special treat

For more great cookie recipes, visit here and here!

Jelly Surprise Cookies

In case anyone was beginning to wonder why I am posting so many cookie recipes this week, it is because I'm participating in a cookie swap via my Australian blogger friend at CALM Homemaking 1950's Style. Each day we are posting a different cookie recipe with a different theme:

Monday: Chocolate
Tuesday: Spice
Wednesday: Jam/jelly
Thursday: Cream-filled
Friday: Dried fruit

For my "cookie of the day," I made apple jelly "surprise" cookies. The surprise, of course, is a dollop of jelly in the center of a folded-over shortbread cookie. If you don't like working with super-sticky dough, or having to roll dough, you might want to skip this recipe as it can definitely try one's patience. However, if you're like me, and find that patience can be a learned virtue, you might want to give it a shot.  Just remember a couple things when working with dough that is super-sticky and super-soft: 1) flour is your best friend; 2) the colder, the better; 3) try covering your rolling pin with a clean stocking (knee-highs are great for this!); and 4) try using a large, wooden cutting/bread board to work on if you don't have a granite counter top.

If rolling pin is sticking, try covering it with
a stocking coated in flour.

Jelly Surprise Cookies  

1/2 c. soft shortening, butter or cream cheese
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 T. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
jelly of your choice

In a mixing bowl, cream together shortening (or other fat), sugar and eggs. Stir in cream and vanilla.  Combine flour, soda and salt in separate bowl, then add gradually to creamed mixture.  Chill thoroughly.  After dough has chilled, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pour dough onto generously-floured counter top, and sprinkle top of dough with flour to cover. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out until very thin, about 1/16" thick, and cut with floured biscuit or cookie cutter.  Transfer onto lightly greased cookie sheet, and drop a teaspoonful of jelly onto center of each cookie.  Pull dough from one side of cookie over jelly and onto other side, pressing edges together to seal. (Fold cookie in half as you would for fried apple pies.) Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until just starting to brown. 



I used homemade apple jelly because it's the only kind I had on hand, but you
can use whatever you like.

*It will be nearly impossible to transfer the cut dough onto the cookie sheet by using fingers alone; the dough is so delicate, it will most likely tear.  Use a metal spatula, dipping in flour before each use to "scoop" up the dough for transfer.  Using the spatula in the same way to fold the cookies over for sealing will also be easier than trying to use your fingers.

If you're interested in the other great recipes from our cookie swap week, you can check them out here.  Chantal is collecting our recipes and re-posting them on one page for convenience.

Snickerdoodles

I've always loved snickerdoodles because they're crunchy on the outside, yet chewy on the inside--you get the best of both crunch and chewy cookies, all in one!  They go great with coffee, and make a perfect afternoon treat.  They are also a great spice cookie, as they have good flavor that is not overpowering.

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 all purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. soft shortening
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 T. granulated sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

In large mixing bowl, cream shortening, 1 1/2 c. sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.  In separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.  Gradually add to shortening mixture and blend until batter is dough-like.  Chill until easy to handle.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees, then shape dough into walnut-sized balls.  Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl, and coat each ball of dough with this mixture.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2" apart and bake for 8-10 minutes until done, being careful not to over-bake. 

Aunt Danola's Baby Ruth Cookies

My Aunt Danola was an older sister to my grandmother, Hattie. She was truly a great lady whom I always admired; she really enjoyed a good laugh and always had a good story to tell. She had a chuckle that just made you feel good and would often begin a remark with, "Now, children..." They sure don't make 'em like Aunt Danola anymore.

  



Chewy and rich, salty and sweet,you'll want a tall,
cold glass of milk to go with these!



Like my grandmother, she was an excellent cook, and completely won me over about 15 years ago with her baked beans.  This cookie recipe was given to me by her son, Joel, and I promise you won't regret making them. (I would recommend, however, making sure there is milk in the fridge before you do.)

Aunt Danola's Baby Ruth Cookies

1 c. margarine

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs
2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
3 large Baby Ruth bars, cut-up

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs, and beat until creamy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda and salt; add to sugar mixture.  Add vanilla and Baby Ruth candy; stir until well-combined.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until tops are delicately browned. Remove from oven, and as soon as cookies have cooled enough to hold together, transfer them onto cooling racks. (This can be somewhat tricky, as any melted caramel from the candy will harden onto the cookie sheet as they cool.) Makes about 52 cookies.

I like to use a small ice cream scoop to drop cookies; this insures that they will be a uniform size,
and it allows you to skip the step of chilling the dough, since you don't have to handle it.  

Perfect Brownies

If you like your brownies chewy, moist, and dense, this is the recipe for you!  I  know a lot of people like buying brownie mixes (which I could never bring myself to do), but if you aren't very comfortable in the kitchen, I think you will be surprised at how easy homemade brownies are.  This recipe makes enough for an 8"x8"x2" pan, if you plan on feeding a crowd, you will want to double this recipe.



Perfect glossy crust with a rich and chewy center



Perfect Brownies



2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate 

1/2 c. butter
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. chopped Walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray an 8"x8"x2" glass baking dish with nonstick spray. In a cooker, melt butter and chocolate. Be careful not to heat too quickly, or chocolate will scorch.  While this is melting, combine flour, salt and baking powder in separate bowl, and set aside. Remove melted butter and chocolate from heat. Add sugar to this mixture and blend thoroughly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.  Add flour mixture and stir until combined, but do not over-beat. If you are adding Walnuts, you may add them to the batter now, or sprinkle them over batter after it is poured into the pan. Pour into baking dish, and bake in slow oven (325 degrees) for about 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into middle of brownies comes out clean.  Cool before cutting.  Serve with sweetened whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream if desired.



Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or with sweetened whipped cream.