Cookie One: Raspberry Ribbons

Again, apologies for the terrible photo quality. Camera was nowhere to be found and iPhone had to suffice.

Raspberry Ribbons, the pretty little melt-in-your-mouth cookies. I think these could be one of my favorite treats that are served during the holidays, with their slight tangy flavor and small size. I am definitely a one-bite cookie kind of girl.

That being said, these cookies aren't the easiest to make on your first try. This isn't because they don't taste right; it's actually because it's rather difficult to get them to look right. As I was getting ready to place the cookies in the oven, I noticed that they looked nothing like ribbons. In fact, they looked more like snakes that had just eaten a small child, with a huge bulge in the middle and extremely thin ends. I tried to smash them into shape, but it wasn't as easy as I thought. So I baked them anyway and trusted in the art of creative slicing to try and get the cookies to look somewhat uniform. As you can see from the picture, I did a pretty good job with the cutting, but the glazing and jam placement was a completely separate challenge for me... a challenge that I apparently lost.

But they still tasted delicious! That's half the battle, right?

Raspberry Ribbon Cookies

• 1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
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• GLAZE:
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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• 1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
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• 2. Divide dough into four portions; shape each into a 10-in. x 2-1/2-in. log. Place 4 in. apart on greased or foil-lined baking sheets. Make a 1/2-in. depression down the center of each log. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
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• 3. Fill depressions with jam. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes. Remove to a cutting board; cut into 3/4-in. slices. Place on wire racks.
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• 4. In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over warm cookies. cool completely.

The Twelve Cookies of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas, we decided to bake cookies. Twelve to be exact. Inspired by the holiday spirit and the ridiculously tacky decorations we all have in our houses, we'll be posting 12 recipes now through Christmas. These recipes are some of our family favorites, and without them, Christmas would mean nothing- can you tell we're a family who likes to eat? When we think of these holiday treats, it invokes warm memories of our family and friends who continue to mean so much to us and whose traditions we intend to pass on. We invite you to bring our holiday classics into your home this season. Happy holidays from Cookie Confessions!

The Apple Pie Disaster and White Chocolate Cocoa Cookies

Yesterday was a bad baking day for me. I tried to make my first ever pie and not just any pie, my Grandma's Apple Pie. Attempt one, I followed the directions exactly and the crust would not come together. Attempt two, I used even more precise measuring and I was still unable to make a crust that rolled out. Pie crust is either the most challenging thing in the baking world or my Grandma was a God and pie genius.

In the end I smashed pieces of my failed pie dough into a pan forming the crust I was unable to achieve by rolling. I didn't have enough dough left over for the top, so I decided to make a crumble - nothing like my Grandma's recipe. Up until this point I've been doing really well with my baking endeavors. When I attempt something, most of the time it has worked. After this pie fiasco I am feeling very discouraged - I would appreciate any and all help from the pie makers in the family.

At least the apples tasted good...

The worst Apple Pie in Mack Family history.

On the upside, I know I can still make good cookies. Here is a recipe for cocoa cookies with white chocolate chips. They remind me of the Otis Spunkmeyer cookies I used to enjoy at lunch EVERYDAY in high school.


White Chocolate Cocoa Cookies

1/2 cup of butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 package of PC White Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Cream softened butter and brown sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla mixing until completely incorporated. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips. Drop cookies onto a silpat or parchment paper and flatten with hand before baking. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet before removing.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

October is my favorite month of the year. The leaves changing colors, the temperatures dropping, the leather boots coming out of the closet... it seriously doesn't get any better.

On a typical October day, I usually try to go out and enjoy the last few bearable days in the city, but today was a rainy, cold mess. Craving a warm meal and comfort food, my mind was drawn to the flavors of fall. Although apple was definitely the first thing that came to mind, I decided to make something with pumpkin instead. Pie was too big of an undertaking, so I decided to stick to my favorite thing in the world: cookies.

This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is easy, fast and delicious. The cookies are meant to be big in size and have a cake-like consistency... perfect for dunking in a cup of hot coffee in the morning. How I wish there was an Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters down the street... Krissy, get out here now- and bring some coffee!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (I didn't include this and they taste delicious)

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees.

Next, stir the flour, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together with a mixer until they become smooth and light in color. Next, on a low speed, mix in the butter, pumpkin and vanilla until blended. Lastly, mix in the dry ingredients. Once completed blended, stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Scoop the dough in large mounds onto the cookie sheet. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to do this. Bake for about 16 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center and comes out dry.

Personally, I think these cookies taste the best when they are still warm. Enjoy!

Original Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

What can I say? I always enjoy a classic. Especially one that I feel I'm close to mastering. Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies are my fallback, and as my coworkers can tell you, I bring them in to share on a pretty regular basis. This is one recipe that I don't ever put any new flair into because I think it is quite perfect just the way it is.

That being said, I've always wondered if it would taste just as delicious without the chocolate chips. Almost sugar cookie-ish, only better. I'm not a huge fan of the sugar cookie, and I absolutely love this batter. In fact, sometimes I don't even want to eat the finished product, just enjoying the leftover batter off of the beaters and bowl is enough for me. It is by far the best part.

Cheers to a glass of milk!

Original Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop a rounded tablespoon of batter onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.