Peanut Butter / Choc Chip Pudding Cookies

I got this recipe from The Sunday Baker.  I made them for a church activity and I have had 3 people call to get the recipe, so I figured it was a good recipe to hold on to.

FORMULA:

4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking soda

1-1/2 c butter (3 sticks) softened

1-1/2 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. white sugar

2 (3.4 oz.) pkgs. instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs, room temp

2 t. vanilla extract

3 c. of add-ins - I used Reese's peanut butter chips & semi-sweet chips but you could use anything you like (chocolate/butterscotch/peanut butter/white chocolate chips, candy bars, m&m's, nuts, etc.)

PROCESS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour and baking soda in seperate bowl and set aside; in a large bowl, cream butter, brown and white sugar. Beat in pudding mix until well blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. When smooth, slowly add in the flour mixture. This can take a little while, but make sure it's well incorporated into mix.

Finally, add the "fillers".

Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper, scoop in 1" balls and bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden.

Peanut-Chocolate Macaroons

I love french macaroons, but I don't love buying almond flour or lavendar sugar. This recipe combines the wonderful texture of french macaroons with simple ingredients that you can buy at your normal grocer. This recipe is from Sunset.

Notes: For best results, bake these French-style macaroons on cooking parchment. They're best eaten the day they're filled; however, you can make both cookies and filling up to 3 days ahead. Stack cookies carefully in an airtight container and store at room temperature; cover ganache airtight and refrigerate. Melt ganache over hot water and cool before filling cookies.

FORMULA:

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/3 cups unsalted roasted peanuts (about 7 oz.)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
Chocolate ganache (recipe follows)

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PROCESS:

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1. In a food processor, whirl powdered sugar and peanuts until nuts are very finely ground.

2. In a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium heat, bring 2 to 3 inches of water to a boil; adjust heat to maintain a very low simmer. In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk sugar into egg whites. Set bowl over simmering water in pan (bottom of bowl should not touch water) and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture feels warm to the touch. Remove bowl from water and, with an electric mixer on high speed (fitted with the whisk attachment if using standing mixer), whip egg white mixture until thick, stiff peaks form. Gently fold in powdered sugar mixture.

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3. Spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip and, with the tip almost touching the parchment, pipe into flat 2-inch circles about 1/8 inch thick, 1 inch apart, on two cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets (see notes).

4. Bake cookies in a 300° oven until tops are shiny and dry and edges are cracked, about 15 minutes; if baking two pans at one time, switch pan positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool completely on sheets (about 1 1/4 hours), then remove by gently lifting them up and peeling the parchment away from the bottoms.

5. Spread the flat side of each of half the cookies with about 1 teaspoon chocolate ganache. Top each with a second cookie, flat side toward filling.

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Chocolate Ganache:

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FORMULA:

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6 oz. chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

2 T whipping cream

1 T corn syrup

1 T butter

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PROCESS:

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In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), occasionally stir 6 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, 2 tablespoons whipping cream, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon butter until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool until thick but not firm, about 15 minutes. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Molten Chocolate Cookies

FORMULA:

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup for coating

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1 large egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened (70 degrees)
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (I think milk would be good too)

PROCESS:

Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper (I just greased mine and it worked fine). Place ½ cup granulated sugar in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk corn syrup, egg white, and vanilla together in small bowl.

In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, add corn syrup mixture, and beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bowl once with rubber spatula. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture and chopped chocolate; mix until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl once. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Chill dough 30 minutes to firm slightly (do not chill longer than 30 minutes).

Divide dough into 16 equal portions; roll between hands into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Working in batches, drop 8 dough balls into baking dish with sugar and toss to coat. Set dough balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart; repeat with second batch of 8. Bake reversing position of the baking sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until cookies are puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone) 10 to 11 minutes. Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then use wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature.