Chewy Graham Cookies

When I make chocolate chip cookies, there always seems to be a cookie or two made from the very last bits of dough at the bottom of the bowl that have no chocolate chips in them.  And those cookies are undoubtedly Daniel’s favorite ones of the whole batch.  If you are like Daniel and sometimes just want a plain ol’ cookie without the mix-ins then these are the cookies for you. 

These remind me of what a graham cracker would taste like if it were chewy instead of crunchy.  The recipe is adapted from one created by My Kitchen Addiction.  I’ve actually made this recipe before but they served as the base for my Smore Bites with Homemade Marshmallow.  The cookie base was so good, I needed to try them in straight up cookie form.  They did not disappoint.  I did make a few changes to both the original recipe and what I did last time in the smore bites, so I’m posting the adapted recipe below.  Enjoy alone, or sandwich some more deliciousness between two of them (nutella or vanilla ice cream cookie sandwiches anyone?)

Chewy Graham Cookies, adapted from My Kitchen Addiction

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp molasses

1/8 cup light corn syrup

1/8 cup maple syrup

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Approximately ¼ cup to ½ cup cinnamon sugar

Preheat to 375 F and line baking pans with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar, molasses, and syrups.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cream of tartar, and salt to combine.  Stir in the flour mixture and mix just until combined.

Using a 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out dough balls and roll them in cinnamon sugar.  Place cinnamon sugar coated cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 9 – 10 minutes, when cookie is just started to turn golden at the edges.  Be sure the cookie is set but do not overbake! Allow cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon Bun Bread

No matter how many new things I learn to conquer in baking, I simply cannot make yeast rise.  I don't know what it is!  I always buy it brand new before I use it so I know it's not old, and I always use a thermometer to make sure it is at the exact right temperature that is called for in the recipe.  I'm really not sure what the problem is.  But even if you're a yeast killer like me, this recipe will make a perfectly good (actually better than perfect good, they're perfectly amazingly warm ooey gooey delicious good) cinnamon bun-ish treat.  And it's quick!  These are so simple and QUICK to throw together.  And these are just as good, if not better, than traditional cinnamon buns.  If you're in the mood for cinnamon buns but not in the mood to play with temperamental yeast, wait until it rises, flatten the dough and then roll it up into a log, etc etc - then this is the right recipe for you.  

If you want to make this recipe even easier, if that is at all possible, use our new 8x8 inch square parchment with our unique lift tabs, then check out this video:

Cinnamon Bun Bread adapted from breadworld

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup  sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 envelopes Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
2/3 cup very warm milk (120° - 130°F)
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

3 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup  light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

Icing:

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Lightly spray an 8×8-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray and line with a pre-cut 8x8 inch square piece of parchment paper with lift tabs.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar and sea salt. 

Dissolve the yeast in a measuring cup filled with the warmed milk.

Stir milk mixture, vegetable oil, melted butter, and vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture. Mix until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and let batter rest for 15 minutes.
While the dough rests, mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon in a small bowl using a fork until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and swirl it in with a spatula.
Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until bread is lightly browned at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed.
Cool for at least 30 minutes before preparing the icing and drizzling it onto the bread.
Serve warm. Leftovers can be re-warmed in the microwave.

Recipe Card (click for full size):

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Pillsbury is accepting entries for their March 2012 Bake-off NOW!  Are you entering your favorite recipe?  The prizes are incredible, so you probably should!  How does 1st place - $1 million + $10,000 in GE Kitchen appliances sound?  And several $5,000 + $3,000 in GE appliances prizes?  Read more HERE.  100 finalists will go to Orlando to face off!  I know I'm devoting some of my spring break time to baking up and testing recipes!  


But for now I have another delicious recipe to share with you.  This one is not mine, it comes from one of my new fave blogs Bakergirl.  I've seen several Snickerdoodle Blondie recipes floating around the food blogger world for quite some time and have had many of them bookmarked for what seems like forever.  But some strange reason I've never made them.  It really is strange because we LOVE blondies and we LOVE all things cinnamon sugar here.  Just like the matcha shortbread cookies I kept pushing off and finally got around to baking, these Snickerdoodle Blondies were finally at the top of my To-Do list.  And thank goodness for that because these are absolutely perfect.  Soft and chewy on the inside, cinnamon-sugary crunch on top.  The most amazing combination of a snickerdoodle cookie and a vanilla blondie one could possibly imagine.  I'm saying all this and I haven't even tried one warm with vanilla ice cream on top yet!  These babies are a winner.  Don't forget to see our printable recipe card below!  Click the recipe card to open a larger printable version.  

Snickerdoodle Blondies adapted slightly from Bakergirl
Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups packed light brown sugar (approximately 430 grams)
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, room temp
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Directions:
Preheat to 350 F.  Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.  Lightly grease the parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and set aside.
Put butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and turn on.  When butter has been beaten a bit, add in the brown sugar and mix until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs in one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition, wiping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary.  Add in the vanilla and beat.
Slowly add the flour mixture with the mixer on low speed.  Beat just until combined, do not overbeat.
Transfer batter to the prepared pan.  Use offset spatula to smooth it.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping evenly over the surface.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until surface of blondies spring back when touched.
Allow to cool on a wire rack and enjoy!





Printable recipe card!