cookies Archives - Page 7 of 11 - Willow Bird Baking

cookies

The Big Reveal: Willow Bird Baking Challenge #3 Stuffed Cookies and a New Challenge!

Willow Bird Baking Challenge is a 5-week series wherein I introduce a new challenge each week. The challenges require you to get creative and innovative in the kitchen. You create your dish, bake it, and send me a photo before the following weekend, when I show off the masterpieces on Willow Bird Baking!

Challenge #3 was to innovate stuffed cookies. Picky Palate first turned me on to stuffin’ cookies with her insane Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies — always the most popular among the middle school students in my cookie baking camp! My challenge to you was to take this awesome idea and run with it, stuffing cookies with candy, truffles, or even other cookies! The results take cookies to a whole new level of creativity and deliciousness. See for yourself!

Paula

Paula Made: Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Bites (see more at her blog, Vintage Kitchen Notes)

Comments:“This is my first time baking and tasting snickerdoodles. Whoever came up with that name? It’s funny yet the dough of these cookies is interesting since it has oil and it creates a beyond-tender cookie.

Last week I joined Julie of Willow Bird for a weekly baking challenge that has me innovating on a recipe. I made the most amazing chorizo and mozzarella braid which was very, very well received by everyone stopping by. Today I made snickerdoodle bites filled with peanut butter and drizzled with chocolate.”

Nance

Nance Made: Tiramisu Sandbakelser

Comments: “We equate chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies and Oatmeal cookies as being All-American. To a Swede when we think of cookies what comes to mind are Peparkakor, Spritz and Sandbakelser’s. I am not a sweets eater. Things like chocolate chips will not pass my lips. But I do love a good tiramisu. I bet you are saying to yourself, ‘But there is chocolate involved in a tiramisu,’ and you would be correct, but that is what I have my husband for. Even before I take one bite his job is to scrape that EVIL chocolate off the top for me. But it did get me thinkin’ what if you you STUFFED a Swedish cookie with your favorite dessert? Only I think to stay in the Swedish tradition, I will stuff my cookie with a couple of lingonberries from my Christmas jar of Lingonberry sauce.”

Shanna

Shanna Made: Filled Sachertorte cookies (see more at her blog, Pineapple and Coconut)

Comments: “These filled cookies were a challenge to make, but I really liked the end result. Something fun about biting into a big, rich chocolaty cookie to find a surprise filling of more chocolate and cherries. A fun twist on a traditional cookie that’s made at Christmastime in my family.”

Nathan

Nathan Made: Lemon Cayenne Maple Cookies

Comments: “After you said you couldn’t do a savory cookies, I set out to find something different. I got the lemon cayenne cookie recipe from grownupcookies.com and stuffed them with maple cream cookies. My friends and co-workers all enjoyed the cookies, and one person specifically mentioned the stuffed cookie as his favorite part. Warning: These cookies were very spicy, so if you make them you might want to cut back on the cayenne a bit.”

Evangeline

Evangeline Made: Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Cowgirl Cookie

Comments:“I’m a big fan that has been following your blog for a while. I have always loved to cook, but having a full-time day corporate job and being mom to a busy toddler often limits how much time I get to ‘play’ in the kitchen! The Baking Challenge has been the push I needed! I innovated the chocolate chip cookie dough recipe you suggested and made a ‘Cowgirl’ cookie (oats, toffee chips, mini choc chips & crushed salted pretzels) then I stuffed it with a peanut butter cup.”

Ala

Ala Made: Pina Colookies (with a Cheesecake Surprise!) (see her blog Wallflour Girl)

Comments: “There may have been a tad more guilt involved in the making of this amazing amalgamation, which was entirely in keeping with the theme of Stitch’s rather mutant, unknown history. And really, what better way to celebrate a fictional account of an alien apocalypse in Hawaii than to make a fun, tropics-themed dessert?”

Heather

Heather Made: Samoa Stuffed Sugar Cookies (see more at her blog Bake Run Live)

Comments: “I love Samoa’s (Girl Scout cookies) for their delicious combination of caramel, coconut, and chocolate. So, I decided that was going to be the “stuff” in my stuffed cookies! A simple, but delicious sugar cookie allows the filling to really shine!”

Robyn

Robyn Made: Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Cookies (see more at her blog, Almacucina)

Comments: “With Halloween less than two weeks away I wanted to take my cue from all the candy I’m seeing everywhere. Chocolate, caramel and peanut butter first came to mind. But do I do a vanilla cookie and fill it with chocolate and peanut butter? Or a peanut butter cookie filled with caramel and chocolate. Or, maybe, a chocolate cookie filled with peanut butter and caramel!? I could only try.”

Trudy

Trudy Made: Red Velvet Stuffed Snickerdoodles

Comments: “Stuffed cookies are definitely a personal favorite. I too think snicker doodles are perfect for stuffing. I made red velvet stuffed cookies, and they’re delicious.”

LeAndra

LeAndra Made: Dulce de Coco Stuffed Snickerdoodles (see more at her blog, Love & Flour)

Comments: “For this challenge I used the provided Snickerdoodle recipe and stuffed them with Dulce de Coco. Simmering coconut milk with brown sugar and a pinch of salt gives you this thick syrupy concoction that is fine for stuffing cookies. It also mixes in nicely with cream cheese. I will say the Dulce de Coco alone lent an overall new taste to the cookies as opposed to giving the sensation of biting into an obvious filling. The filling aspect was a little more noticeable with the thicker cream cheese mixture. ”

Kelly

Kelly Made: Chocolate cookies stuffed with either: peanut butter and guava jelly, a rum-soaked cherry, strawberry cheesecake, or funfetti cheesecake!

Comments: “First, let me just say that it’s Trudy’s fault why I have more than one filling. Also, I’m very indecisive.I don’t have to make a decision if I use all my options. Here you have chocolate cookies stuffed with peanut butter & guava jelly, a rum soaked cherry, strawberry cheesecake and funfetti cheesecake. Thanks for the cookie challenge! I’ve convinced myself that I am not good at cookies so they are the last things I ever bake. I can probably count the number of times that I’ve made cookies.”

Shelley C.

Shelley Made: Caramelized Banana Stuffed Oatmeal Cookies (see more at her blog, C Mom Cook)

Comments: “I figured I’d go a little different from the candy-bar and truffle inspired ideas that first came to mind, and I chose oatmeal. I tried to base my idea on some breakfast cookies that I’ve tried before, but I went with the challenge dessert version with these sweet caramelized banana stuffed oatmeal cookies.”

Loretta

Loretta Made: Cranberry Braid with Chocolate Drizzle (see more at her blog, A Finn in the Kitchen)

Comments: “I was so excited to hear you were doing a stuffed cookie challenge because I had a perfect cookie in mind to start up the Christmas baking. And for something so easy, it’s incredible delicious! I went with a classic chocolate crinkle cookie because the chocolate goes so perfectly with mint and it looks so gorgeous. Who can honestly resist that crinkly top? It’s a great choice to bake now, maybe even a double batch and throw in the freezer for when those inevitable parties start up!”

Dianna

Dianna Made: Black Widow Bite Cookies (see more on her blog, The Kitchen Prep)

Comments: “Since I’ve yet to make anything ‘Halloween-y’ for my blog this month, I used your challenge as an opportunity to squeeze in some themed baking. I also discovered that I have absolutely no patience for such a thing! Give me a rustic dessert anyday… individually adhering ‘eyeballs’ to chocolate spiders is not my idea of a fun time! These dark chocolate cookies are ‘stuffed’ with raspberry jam for the perfect Halloween special effect and, if you get lazy like me, they make perfect raspberry-filled thumbprints.”

Natalie

Natalie Made: Biscoff Stuffed Snickerdoodles (see more at her blog Life Made Simple)

Comments: “As some of you have probably noticed, my latest obsession is Biscoff spread. I absolutely love baking with it! So when Julie announced that the next Willow Bird Baking challenge was all about stuffed cookies, I knew exactly what to make (thanks to my mom who had just recently made snickerdoodles, both Stephen and I were craving them).”

And here are some innovated “cinnamon” rolls and braids left over from Challenges 1 and 2!

Amanda

Amanda Made: Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Rolls and a beautiful Peach, Ginger, & Cardamom Braid (see more on her blog, Treasures of the Phoenix, here and here)

Roll Comments: “Nom! These were delicious. I omitted the extra butter in the filling, and these could have used a little more something. I think that if I were to do these again – I mean when I make these again, I would drizzle them with a cheese sauce instead of a glaze. I loved the wheat blend in the flour. They came out like an breakfast sandwich in roll/bun form.”

Braid Comments: “Yum! This is great breakfast food. I don’t think I overworked the dough at all, and it still didn’t come out airy and flaky, more like a pie crust consistency, which really works for this recipe. The addition of almond extract and the cream cheese also makes it a very full-tasting dough.”

Ready for Challenge #4?

Last night, Erin and Kelly jumped on Google Hangout with me to introduce Challenge #4, and here it is!

You can find some cupcake recipes here to get you started! Remember that your cupcake (or cupfake) must have a “cake” (or cake-like) base, a filling, and a frosting. Send a photo and some comments to me at julie ‘at’ willowbirdbaking ‘dot’ com by next weekend. Let’s get baking!

Congratulations to all of the participants of Challenge #3 for their fantastic work!

If you liked this post, please:
–Subscribe to Willow Bird Baking
–Follow Willow Bird Baking on Twitter
–Follow Willow Bird Baking on Facebook

October 21, 2012 by Julie Ruble | 15 Comments

Thyme Orange Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

“But I also wondered if he wasn’t right, that we were designed to live through something rather than to attain something, and the thing we were meant to live through was designed to change us.”
—A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller

I don’t know about you, but I generally feel like I’m right about things. I don’t mean that I’m always right, and I’m not a know-it-all; I’ve just spent a lot of time forming my beliefs and I’m a thoughtful person, so I usually don’t feel like my worldview is too far off base.

I think most people probably feel this way. There aren’t very many of us, I’ll wager, who walk through life feeling totally insecure in our ideas and worldview. We believe what we believe for reasons — sometimes good reasons, sometimes misguided ones — and we walk through life feeling pretty certain. Open to change, we hope, and open to learning, but pretty settled.

Every now and then, though, you hit a wall that sends your worldview reeling. Firm ideas you had about your life’s purpose, how to weather different circumstances, and how the world works suddenly seem a lot more fluid. In my own life, I feel like I’ve recently run into the Great Wall of China, not to be melodramatic or anything, and I’m scrambling to find confirmation or revision of my worldview. I won’t bore you with the gory details, but I’d like to share some of my revelations with you over the coming weeks.

The first one is that life is not about checking off boxes. Donald Miller, a writer who had to “edit” his life into a screenplay and discusses the process in his book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, realized that inasmuch as life is a story, there are certain elements that are necessary to make it a meaningful one. One of those elements is character transformation.

We sometimes imagine that attaining our goals in life is what makes us successful: finding a husband, having kids, finding a house, finding a job. Have you ever wondered why we never seem to arrive? If we never seem to be finished with achieving, maybe it’s because the achievement itself isn’t the goal, but how we change during the pursuit.

Everyone always says, “the journey is the destination,” but then when we’re faced with health crises, relationship problems, job frustrations, and uncertainty about our future, that ideology falters. We want solutions. We want to be on the other side. It’s hard to rest in the storm, knowing God is using every strong wind and bolt of lightning to transform us in the exact way we need to be transformed. That idea can even evoke hostility in people in the midst of their greatest trials — the idea that God would, even while holding us and loving us in the ultimate sacrificial way, allow us to endure seemingly insurmountable trials is difficult to swallow.

Moreso even than others, I can have trouble resting in a trial. I don’t fault God for letting me go through the hard times, but I do inadvertently try to make myself my own savior, scrambling to fix it fix it fix it! My anxiety gets the better of me, and I flail through all different “solutions,” some of which do more harm than good. Lately I’ve been practicing, instead, letting the trouble wash through me like waves. Maybe they’re strong waves, and maybe they’ll move me. Maybe they’ll even knock me off my feet for a bit. But ultimately they’ll flow past and disappear against the shore.

If you’re in the middle of a trial, practice thinking of each new difficulty like a wave and let it come. Then let it go. And in the meantime, maybe make some cookies. Cookies never hurt.

One year ago: Straw-Raspberry Basil Fruit Leather
Two years ago: Homemade Buttery Croissants and Pains-au-Chocolats

Thyme Orange Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: two logs of about 15 cookies each

These are some amazing cookies. Buttery, delicate shortbread is already delicious, but the addition of orange zest, cranberries, and thyme make these shortbreads particularly special. They’re not too sweet, but a drizzle of white chocolate sweetens them up. They’d be perfect for tea, snacking, or a dessert. It’s also easy to bake a log of them and keep the second log in the freezer for unexpected company!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons crushed dried thyme
3/8 cup powdered sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest (about the zest from one orange)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
about 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and dried thyme. In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter, orange zest, and powdered sugar 2-3 minutes or until pale, light, and fluffy. Mix in the orange juice. Beat in the flour mixture and then stir in the cranberries by hand to be sure everything is combined.

Use a sheet of wax paper to roll the dough into a 1 1/2-inch wide log (if you’re having trouble, chill the dough for a bit in the fridge before rolling it). Wrap plastic wrap or foil around the logs and freeze them for 20 minutes until firm (you can also double-wrap them and leave them frozen for up to 3 weeks at this point. When you’re ready to bake, just use a serrated knife to cut the cookies and bake as usual. It make take a few minutes longer since they’ll be baking from frozen, but just keep an eye on them.) While they cookies are freezing, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the rack in the center. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Use a serrated knife to slice each log into 1/4-inch slices and place these about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes, rotating once halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes on the pan before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. In the meantime, melt white chocolate according to package instructions (usually half-power, in small increments, stirring often) and spoon it into a plastic zip-top bag with a tiny corner cut off. Set cookies on wax or parchment paper and squeeze the melted chocolate from the zip-top bag over them in a zig zag design. Let them dry. Store them in an airtight container separated by leaves of parchment or wax paper for up to a week.

If you liked this post, please:
–Subscribe to Willow Bird Baking
–Follow Willow Bird Baking on Twitter
–Follow Willow Bird Baking on Facebook

July 3, 2012 by Julie Ruble | 17 Comments

Sweet Orange Florentines

“Don’t worry! It’s not scary. Here, I’ll go first.”

Her curly blonde ponytail bobbed as she picked her way through the freezing mountain river towards the sluice. She waved me over and I waded, fully clothed and reluctant, over to her side. The water was rushing past us, slamming into the rocks downstream in a mess of white spray. I must have looked nervous, because she reiterated: “It’s not scary. Watch me.”

She sat down in the freezing, frothing water of the sluice and was whisked away, laughing and splashing, to a pool downstream. Our 7th grade students, who had hiked to this stream with us as part of their overnight field trip and were now watching from the shore, cheered. It seemed easy enough.

You need to know a few things about me to guess how I was feeling at that moment:

1. I have older siblings, which made for some traumatic pool experiences as a child.

2. In college, my roommate frantically demonstrated (on the floor of our dorm room) how to swim minutes before our freshman year swim test, where I was positive I was going to be the first student in Davidson College history to drown.

3. It was a year later before I really learned to swim semi-confidently. I still opted out of taking a SCUBA class when I spent my semester doing marine biology because I was afraid I’d panic underwater and drown.

4. I did panic in about 15 feet of water at one point in the Gulf of Mexico, at which point I promptly requested that my friend drag me to the nearby boat. I think the undercurrent of hysteria in my voice got her attention. “Undercurrent” might be the worst word choice ever given the subject matter. Ugh.

Basically, I love water, but I am not fond of drowning.

sweet flowers for this post provided by one of my lovely vacation bible school students!

Ashley had just run the sluice right in front of me, though, and was safe and sound. If my mom were there, she would’ve begun, “If all your friends were jumping off a bridge…,” but thankfully she wasn’t there at that particular moment. I sat down in the froth of water, which was much colder than it had seemed when it was only up to my knees.

Gasping from the cold, I felt the water begin to propel me down the stream. I picked up speed and bounced through bubbles and foam before being deposited, laughing and flailing, into the pool of calmer water. Our students cheered. Ashley and I promptly posed for a soaked photo taken by one of them.

That wasn’t the first time Ashley had supported or encouraged me. As coworkers, we talked all the time about how to model certain behaviors for our 6th and 7th graders, but she probably didn’t realize how often she modeled fun, joy, and above all, bravery for me. I left every conversation with her feeling calmer, more joyful, and inspired — whether by her fantastic hand-crafted earrings, her creative outfits, her sweet relationship with her family, her bright outlook. How many people can you say that about?

Just recently, Ashley modeled bravery for me one more time. After teaching middle school Spanish for years, she made the decision to move her entire life to Spain, where she’ll be teaching middle school English! She told me that the decision — leaving family and friends and country indefinitely! — was one of the hardest she’s ever made, but after crying for a bit and taking a nap (we both agreed that naps are great for decision making), she knew it was the right choice.

Since she’s famous for packing light, I didn’t want to get her a physical going away present, but I did want to give her something she could “take with her” to know how special she is to me. She’s a cookie baking superstar, so I cobbled together this recipe for her. These florentines are based on some cookies her mom bought once that we all loved. They happen to be the best cookies I’ve ever had, so I hope she can bake them sometime in Spain and enjoy a “taste of home.”

Love you, Ashley!

One year ago: Itsy Bitsy Berry Cream Pies
Two years ago: Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches with Creamy Coleslaw and Summer Bean Salad

Sweet Orange Florentines

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: about 15 sandwich cookies

These are the best cookies I’ve ever tasted, seriously! Don’t be afraid of the anise extract — I hate licorice flavor, but the anise extract here is just enough to give an amazing depth to the orange flavor, not enough to make the cookies licoricey. These cookies are so different than drop cookies — make sure you only use a teaspoon of mixture for each cookie even if it looks tiny, because they spread out into the beautiful lace you see above. They’re easy and a lot of fun to bake!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3/8 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
About 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from about 1/2 orange)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/8 cup sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon honey
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon anise extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the almonds and macadamia nuts together until finely chopped without letting them form a paste. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, orange zest, salt, and finely chopped nuts.

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, cream, honey, and butter to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar is dissolved, continue cooking the mixture for about a minute before removing it from the heat and adding the vanilla extract and anise extract. Stir this mixture into the flour mixture until it’s combined and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Once the mixture is cool enough to touch, use a teaspoon measure to scoop up 1 teaspoon of batter at a time and roll them into balls. Place these balls on your prepared baking sheets at least 4 inches apart — don’t skimp on this distance, because the cookies will spread a lot as they form their “lace.” Flatten the balls into discs. Bake one pan of cookies at a time, rotating once halfway through the baking time, until they are thin, lacy, and golden brown, about 6-7 minutes (this is one of those cookies where you inevitably burn the first pan and then get the hang of it, so don’t fret. Just keep a close eye on them). Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing them with a thin spatula to a cooling rack. Repeat until all cookies are baked.

In the meantime, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave according to package instructions (usually half-power, in small increments, stirring often.) Carefully spread a very thin layer of white chocolate (just a whisp or they’ll be too sweet) on the bottom of one cooled cookie and top it with another to form a thin sandwich. Place these on wax or parchment paper to dry (you can stick them in the refrigerator to speed up the drying process). Serve immediately or store for up to 3 days in an air-tight container with layers separated by wax paper.

If you liked this post, please:
–Subscribe to Willow Bird Baking
–Follow Willow Bird Baking on Twitter
–Follow Willow Bird Baking on Facebook

June 24, 2012 by Julie Ruble | 29 Comments

Gingersnap Cheesecake Stuffed Snickerdoodles

Things you should know:

1. A guy doesn’t make you a sweater with working Christmas lights unless he kinda likes you. He just doesn’t.

2.You don’t have to sing well as long as you sing loudly and enthusiastically. The people you live with may pretend to disagree with this statement, but they’re just trying to hoard the fun. Disregard them.

3. A dog will never win an Ugly Christmas Sweater competition because any sweater becomes 100% adorable when placed on a dog.

4. Serving hot chocolate to 75 middle school students is a manageable task until the bottom falls out of one of the cups. Then things get dicey.

5. Trader Joe’s cocoa truffles are pure insanity. I just ate approximately 8 billion of them and I can’t even muster up some shame.

6. Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You is the best Christmas song ever. Except for the ones about Jesus obviously, because even Mariah cannot compete.

7. Despite vivid memories of walking through Washington D.C. in the freezing rain with holey (not to be confused with holy, which would be kind of cool) shoes a few years ago, I cannot convince myself to purchase shoes more regularly. However, when my shoes basically disintegrated recently, I did finally visit the shoe store. I have a new pair of flats and some fluffy bootlike thingies. And warmer feet.

8. Peppermint is gross. I’m sorry that I’m not baking you crazies all sorts of peppermint things, but . . . I just can’t get into that mess. It’s like straight up eating toothpaste. Ew.

9. There is nothing sweeter than a freshly bathed, blow-dried pup (after they’ve done the whole run-around-the-house-like-a-banshee thing and calmed down, of course). They’re almost sweet enough to make you forget about the ginormous mess they created that made the bath necessary. Almost.

10. Christmas is the perfect excuse to eat loads of cookies, as if you needed one.

11. Present wrapping tip: plain brown paper and some hemp string or lace makes for a pretty parcel.
You can even reuse some old paper grocery bags.

These Gingersnap Cheesecake Stuffed Snickerdoodles were modeled after my Pumpkin Cheesecake Stuffed Snickerdoodles. They were so delicious that I had to make a Christmas version! The dense gingersnap middles are sweet, spicy, and delicious inside the pillowy snickerdoodles.

These cookies are insane on their own, but I may have heated up a couple and eaten them over vanilla ice cream, and it may have been amazing. I think you should try it and see for yourself.

Gingersnap Cheesecake Stuffed Snickerdoodles

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, using cookies adapted from Sunset, 1998 via Bakergirl
Yield: 30-35 large cookies

Delicious gingersnap cheesecake truffles are enveloped in a pillowy snickerdoodle. These cookies are filled with holiday cheer and perfect for a cookie swap (or for hoarding and devouring beside the Christmas tree). Heat them before serving for maximum enjoyment, and I won’t judge you if you decide to serve them over a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

Snickerdoodle Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 large eggs
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon for rolling cookies

Gingersnap Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:
2 cups white chocolate chips (about 10 ounces)
3 cups finely ground gingersnaps
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Directions:
Make the gingersnap cheesecake filling: Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave on half power. Start with 1 minute and stir. Continue to heat the chocolate in 15 second intervals, stirring well after each to aid the melting, until it is smooth (be careful not to overheat). Transfer this to a shallow pan to cool until just warm (but not until hardened).

In the meantime, mix gingersnap crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and cream cheese together. Add the white chocolate and mix well until thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture to the fridge while you make the snickerdoodle dough.

Make snickerdoodle dough: Mix together the butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3-4 additions, mixing until just combined between each. Place the finished dough in the refrigerator to chill. While the cookie dough chills, roll gingersnap mixture into balls and place the balls on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Cover, and chill until firm (about 1 hour).

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Take a few gingersnap balls out of the fridge at a time to work in small batches (so they stay firm). Scoop out about a tablespoon of chilled cookie dough. Press a frozen gingersnap cheesecake ball into the center, then cover with another bit of dough, working the dough around the whole ball. Roll the ball in cinnamon-sugar (which will make the soft dough easier to handle, so you can firm up the shape here) and place it on a greased baking sheet. Repeat the process, placing cookies 2-3 inches apart. If cookie dough gets too soft, re-chill it for a bit and continue working. I made sure to stick it back in the fridge during any downtime (like when I had some cookies in the oven).

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, reheating for 30 seconds to a minute before eating. Serve a few hot cookies over vanilla ice cream for a special treat!

If you liked this post, please:
–Subscribe to Willow Bird Baking
–Follow Willow Bird Baking on Twitter
–Follow Willow Bird Baking on Facebook
–Give this post a thumbs up on StumbleUpon
–Pin It

other ways to share this post with friends

December 19, 2011 by Julie Ruble | 44 Comments

cakes, cookies

One-Skillet Gooey Pumpkin Cookie Cake

Pale strands of my hair tangled into the mess of dusky flowers in my lap. Mike’s car sliced quietly through the lukewarm air of the countryside until a gravel drive slid into view. We turned into it with a crunch, parked, and began the arduous process of shuttling picnic supplies down a rocky path.

Some time later we sat alone by a still pond, the flowers now perched on a stack of books beside us. We’d just finished eating an elaborate lunch on my childhood patchwork quilt. The ground was hard and uneven — it always seemed so soft in movies — but at one point I lay down, the silk of my slip dress cool in the autumn breeze, and watched the highest leaves fluttering against the sky. Then I looked back to Mike’s ruddy, bespectacled face and smiled.

Sometimes you only realize how special a moment is once it’s passed, but every now and then, you get the gift of realizing in the moment itself. This was one of those times.

I’d never been on a legitimate blanket-on-the-ground picnic before, and living in different cities, Mike and I rarely got to just sit and enjoy each other’s company. Now here we were, grinning at each other, stuffed like turkeys in the middle of the woods and post-lunch euphoria. The streamer of hearts I’d hung from the trees around us whispered in the wind. The whole afternoon spread out before us.

That was last fall. In the dark days that followed, I remembered that picnic as a bright bit of joy to hold onto.

I love those unexpected moments that settle into your heart as significant — the ones that nestle like bookmarks into the very best folds of time. I remember so many of them:

Sitting by a fire in Gatlinburg with Mike, drinking hot chocolate in mugs we’d just bought from a Walgreens around the corner.

Dancing with a stranger on the sidewalk one night in San Francisco.

Pausing with Mike on the stairwell of my apartment building to watch the sunset.

Looking down at the fluffy mop in my lap while driving home from Carolina Poodle Rescue and realizing that Byrd was truly mine.

Embracing my new friend, 7-year-old Zoe, when she ran up to hug me after we’d been baptized together one Sunday morning.

Walking alone across the Georgia Tech campus one summer night in the middle of my teacher training, the golden skyline glowing above me.

Getting the phone call where my dad revealed that after years of dangerous treatments, he was cancer-free.

Running barefoot through the grass in La Jolla one warm night with my sister, Sarah, for no reason at all.

Sitting in traffic on i-85 to Raleigh with the sun illuminating the gorgeous fall leaves and little Byrd poking her nose out the open window.

And, most recently, sitting with Mike and eating gooey pumpkin cookie cake straight out of my cast iron skillet. I’d just pulled the cake from the oven and taken dozens of photos, and with my camera still propped up beside me, we dug in. No plates needed — just forks and some ice cream. There’s just nothing like the casual, sweet act of devouring forkfuls of a shared dessert without even an ounce of fuss.

And this cake! I made it twice to fiddle with proportions a bit. The first version (pictured throughout this post) was great, but the second version (see pictures below) was insane: a moist, gooey, comforting cake boasting surprise bites of caramel and toasted pecans.

Not only that, but you can make this cake in about half an hour with one skillet! Even if you choose to toast up some pecans and make some streusel to go with it (which I recommend!), you’ll have minimal dishes to wash. Especially if you skip the plates.

A slice of the final cake.

You have to make this thing as soon as possible. Make it tonight! Throw it together and eat it on the couch with someone sweet. Or take it to your Halloween parties. Or eat the entire thing alone while watching old episodes of Hoarders. No judgments. It’ll be amazing no matter what.

And in the meantime, share a beautiful moment that stands out in your memory.

One-Skillet Gooey Pumpkin Cookie Cake

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, inspired by Sophistimom and Food Network
Yield: about 8 servings

This melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin spice cake is warm, moist, and delicious. Gooey caramel and toasted pecans amp up the “mmm” factor. And to say it’s easy is an understatement — you can make it in one skillet in about 35 minutes! This is the perfect recipe to whip up on a whim and eat in your PJs on the couch. Devour it straight from the skillet with a pile of ice cream. (P.S. If you don’t care about the number of pots and pans and want to go a little crazy, cut down the sugar a little and try the cake with this amazing caramel sauce.)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
some dulce de leche or 10-15 caramels
1/2 cup toasted pecans (optional, see note in directions)

Directions:
Note: The first time I made this cookie cake, I mixed in 1/2 cup of chopped pecans that I’d toasted (on a sheet pan at 350 degrees F for about 6 minutes or until fragrant, stirring a couple of times). The second time I made it, I mixed in this toasted pecan streusel — heavenly! These extra mix-ins will add a bowl and a sheet pan to your prep, but I highly recommend them.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the vegetable oil, sugars, and vanilla and remove from heat. Let this mixture cool until the pan is no longer hot (about 5 minutes) so you won’t scramble your eggs.

Add both eggs to the butter mixture, whisking them well to combine. Whisk in the pumpkin. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice (Note: it’s kind of lame to use another bowl for this, and according to Sophistimom, you should be able to just dump all your dry ingredients on top and whisk them in well, but I was too chicken to try. So I guess this is technically “One-Skillet, One-Bowl” cake if you do it my way. If you just dump them in, please let me know how it goes!) Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet and pour the batter into your skillet.

Stir in the toasted pecans or streusel if you’re using them. Place dollops of dulce de leche or caramel candies around the surface of the batter. Bake your skillet cookie for 15-25* minutes, or until the edges are getting golden and the center is still soft (a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with some moist crumbs, but no liquid batter). Eat immediately (preferably straight out of the skillet!) with heaps of vanilla ice cream (or a fun caramel flavor).

*Depending on your skillet, this cooking time can really vary. I’d start checking at 15 minutes and then check every couple of minutes after that with toothpicks. Make sure to look for moist crumbs, not a clean toothpick. If you overbake, it might be dry!