Is it pie or cookie?

Ingredients:
1 package frozen pie dough, thawed
4-5 apples, peeled and chopped
1 lemon
brown sugar
cinnamon
sugar
salt
1 jar caramel sauce

Directions:
Peel and slice apples. Put in a sauce pan with lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Let simmer until apples are slightly tender. Let cool.
Roll out pie dough. Put a thin layer of caramel sauce over one of the pie dough. Top with a layer of apple mixture. Cut the other dough into strips and place on top of the apple layer. Using a circle cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Surprise chocolate cookies

The best things come in surprise form. Small children are surprised when presents magically appear under the tree on Christmas morning, Easter baskets fill with chocolates overnight, and friends jump up from behind couches on your birthday. With this recipe cookies will be added to the list of all time great surprises. Who doesn't want to be surprised by cookies? 

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally

• Frosting

  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • (optional: replace half of milk and vanilla with coffee liquor)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begin to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in butter and cocoa powder. Add milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.
6. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Orange Spice Molasses Cookies

Ingredients

Rolling Sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

Cookie Dough

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup light or dark molasses
• 7 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
2. To prepare the rolling sugar: Pulse 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon orange zest in a food processor until well combined. Place in a shallow dish and set aside.
3. To prepare cookie dough: Grind oats in a blender until they look like a fine powder, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the sides as needed.
4. Beat butter and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons orange zest and beat another 2 minutes. Add molasses, applesauce, egg yolk, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, pepper and salt; beat on medium-high until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.
5. Turn the mixer to medium and slowly add the ground oats. Scrape down the bowl; with the mixer on medium, slowly add whole-wheat flour. (The dough will be moderately sticky.)
6. Using a slightly rounded tablespoon of dough, roll into balls, then roll in the rolling sugar to coat. (If necessary, wet your fingers to help roll without sticking.) The zest will make the mixture slightly wet and it will clump; lightly brush off the excess so that just a thin coat is on the cookie. Place cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake the cookies in batches until the edges are set and the tops are cracked, but the centers are still soft and puffy, about 10 minutes.
8. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 8 minutes. Serve warm or cool on a wire rack.

Double chocolate mocha cookies

Cookies, check. Chocolate, double check. Espresso, check. These cookies have passed the quality check of the Joe test kitchen and are yumm approved. 

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons bitter, softened and divided
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 ounces white chocolate

Preparation:

1. Melt bittersweet chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring often. Add espresso powder; stir until dissolved. Remove mixture from heat; stir in vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Beat remaining 1/2 cup butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in bittersweet chocolate mixture and egg. Gradually add flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat at low speed until well blended. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.
3. Preheat oven to 375. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten with fork dipped in sugar. Bake 9-10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove cookies to wire racks; cool completely.
4. Place white chocolate in a small resealable plastic food storage bag; seal bag. Microwave 30 seconds per side. Knead bag until chocolate is smooth. Cut tip off bag and drizzle decoratively over cookies.

Lemony lemon goodness

Since it isn't socially acceptable to drink margaritas at all hours of the day, I've been forced to find alternate uses for citrus fruits. In my latest lemon adventure I combine my sour friend with butter. Mmm... butter. These shortbread cookies smell delicious while baking and taste so great you won't be able to stop eating them. You can make them large (as seen here) or into smaller cookies (allowing you to justify eating 10-12 at a time).

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoon grated lemon peel, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 4-5 teaspoons lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, 1 tablespoon lemon peel and vanilla until well blended. Beat in flour, baking powder, and salt on low speen until blended.
3. Drop dough by level 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Flatten dough until 3 inches in diameter with bottom of glass that has been dipped in sugar.
4. Bake 12-14 minutes or until cookies are just set and edges are golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes; transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.
5. Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon peel in small bowl; drizzle mixture over cookies. Let stand until icing is set.