Cookies, cookies and more cookies

Yes, more cookie post this time, 3 cookies to be exact. One of the cookies was made 2 days ago but did not get the chance to seat down to post it. It's name is quite outrageous, it's Outrageous Chocolate cookies, haha. How should I describe it....it's almost like eating a chocolate fudge cookie, dense on the inside, chewy to the bite :) A chocolate lover's treat...that's me, haha! . Got the recipe from Martha Stewart website. However I made a slight change to the recipe, I added about 2 tablespoon more of flour to the dough which made the cookie's look different from Martha's, not "crackly"...but still good!

With the holiday around the corner, some of my friends and I have decided to have a Cookie Exchange party. Basically everyone brings 3 dozen of cookies and swap with 5 other ladies, so at the end of the day everyone gets a variety to munch over the holiday, how great is that!! So now let me talk about the 2 cookies I made for the party.

The first cookie I made for the exchange is White chocolate Cranberry Chunky, a recipe from Paula Deen from Food network. However I replaced the candied cherries with dried cranberries since I like the slight tart taste verses the sweet cherries.

I have also reduce the amount of brown and caster sugars....to suit my taste. If you prefer, here is my recipe:

Ingredients (makes about 40 to 45 cookies):
115g unsalted butter, room temp
125g light brown sugar
75g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Method:

• In a big mixing bowl, cream butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add milk to the butter mixture and then add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
• Add the nuts, cranberries and white chocolate to the cookie dough.
  
• Drop by heaping teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 11 to 13 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

I like the chewy texture of this cookie, but will substitute the white chocolate chips with semisweet chocolate chips next time.

Second cookie I made for the party is Chocolate-Orange Pinwheels and Checkerboards, recipe compliments from the cook book "Essentials of Baking" from William-Sonoma. Simple dough, but lots of hand work to shape the cookies. After refrigerating the dough for at least 45 minutes, you are free to cut and mold it to the shapes you want.

And here are the nicely baked cookies. These cookies are pretty delicate, so do handle with care.I will not be posting this recipe, so any interested bakers out there, email me for it. :)

After the cookies are cooled completely, I packed them into clear cellophane bags and tied in polka dot ribbons, easy for my dear friends to carry home. ;)

Couldn't wait to see & taste my friends' creations too, will post their works of art in the following post.....so stay tune.

It is not how much you do,

but how much love you put in the doing.