Ultimate Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies ~ Baking Partners #2

Today's recipe is Ultimate chocolate cream cheese cookies, our second assignment for Baking partners - baking group started by Swathi . We were given three recipes of cookies from which we could choose any one or bake all the three. I obviously chose Chocolate Cream Cheese cookies, as my kids love the chocolate chip cookies. This recipe was suggested by our baking partner and  friend Tina, from baked owners Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Thanks a lot Tina for this awesome recipe. It tasted delicious, rich, chewy and they literally melt in mouth.

As per the rule we are suppose to post the recipe on 15th of every month, but due to many reasons I was unable to bake or post them on the particular day. I apologize for being late dear Swathi and all my baking partners but I really missed baking along with you all and missed my dear space as well. Things have changed for me and family, as I started travelling for work, unlike before I'm cooking very less these days. But I'm glad that I could bake these cookies last weekend, which my kids absolutely loved. The shelf life of these cookies is said to be less, so I refrigerated the left overs in an air-tight container. I microwave them for few seconds say 30 secs just before I served them with a glass of milk for my little ones and it tasted just the same. So here is the recipe for Ultimate Chocolate Cream Cookies, bake them today and Enjoy!!!!

Ingredients:-

• 2 ¼ cups (255g) all purpose flour
•  ¼ cup (32g)  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. (8g) baking soda
• ½ tsp. (3g) salt
• 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened slightly
•  4 oz (113g) Cream Cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup (201g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (110g) dark brown sugar
•  2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. (30ml) heavy cream(I used milk)
• 1 tsp. (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• 3 oz. (85g) bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 8 oz. (225g) of semi-sweet chocolate chips

How I made It:-

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. In a microwave safe bowl melt the bittersweet chocolate for 30 secs. Take it out and stir well, check if everything is melted and let it cool(If the chocolate is not melted fully, microwave again for 10 secs) 
3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. 
4. In a bowl combine the butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer beat them until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
5. Beat in the eggs, heavy cream(or milk) and vanilla until blended. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients.  Add the melted chocolate and chocolate chips and beat just until incorporated.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.(I kept it for 2 hrs).
6. Scoop heaping tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them two inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes until the cookies are just set; shift the baking sheets for top to bottom and front to back half way through. 
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Serve with a cup of milk/tea/coffee.

Witches finger cookies baked for halloween-Spooky spooky

These witch finger cookies are simple cookies that I baked for this Halloween. We had a friends gathering and Halloween party over the Halloween weekend and I was suppose to make some snacks and any goodies of my choice. Since it was Halloween I wanted to give some creepy spooky effect for the dish I make and I found this recipe in Allrecipes website. After reading the recipe I knew it is a very basic simple cookie and thought of giving it a try. But must say I was a lot worried about the shape because I haven't done anything like this before and  it is just hand made and there is no cookie cutter way of making it. I decided to give it a try and planned moulding it into simple cookies if the finger cookie shape didn't work. Thankfully it came out good and I was really happy to take this for our Halloween party.

Blanched almonds act as the fingernails for this cookie and I used red food decorator writer to give the blood effect around the nails. Some almonds came off from the baked cookies, I just dipped them in jam and fixed it back on to the cookie. This helped me to keep them in-tact. So let me add this recipe for this cute scary witch finger cookies. Enjoy!!!

                                        


Ingredients:-

All purpose flour/Maida - 2 cups
Confectioner's Sugar - 3/4 cup(add or reduce according to ur taste)
Softened Butter - 1/2 cup(Not melted butter please)
Milk - 1/2 cup
Egg - 1
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt -1/2 tsp
Whole Almonds - 1/2 cup(Soak almond in water for 15 mins and peel off the skin)
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Red food decorator writer/color gel - 1

Preparation Method:-

• Sift together flour, baking powder, salt into a wide mixing bowl. Add sugar to this and mix with clean hands or spoon to remove lumps if any in the sugar. 
• To the above dry mix add butter, egg, vanilla extract and knead well with your hands to make a smooth dough.
• Add milk little by little to the mix if it is dry till you get a smooth dough. You might need to add/reduce the quantity of the milk I mentioned.(You can do this process in a food processor as well which will make your task easier)                                 
• Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30-45 mins.
• Pre-heat the oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit. Layer a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Take out the dough from the refrigerator and make small cherry size balls. Roll each balls lengthwise with your hands on clean kitchen counter top to look like fingers. 
• Now press one almond each at the end of the dough finger for the fingernail. Place them in the lined cookie sheet

                                           

• With a knife make three crosswise slits in the middle and two slits in the front of the dough finger.

                                 

                                 

• Press and work with your fingers on the middle and front part(place before the slits) to give a push up effect as of the real fingers(optional) 
• Bake for 20 mins or until slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let it cool down completely.
• Now with decorator writer, draw around the almond nails to give a blood effect(you can use color gel as well)
• If the almond comes out of the cookie dip them in any jam and press them back again. 
• Scary witch finger cookies are ready..

                                            
                           
Sending this to the event hosted by Sravani of Srav's Culinary Concepts "CC Festive Food"

                                       

Butter Almond Cookie

Cookies are kids all time favourite. My son often ask me 'Amma, what are you gonna make for me today??? Can you make me some cookies or may be some cupcakes Ammaaa '. And every time my answer is 'no dear'. As every mom I have been trying to build some healthy eating habits in my children. Trying to make them eat more veggies, fruits, dairy products, fish, eggs, less meat and carbohydrates so and so and so...

But then sometimes I think, even we grown ups make reasons while eating some of the unhealthy food may be like cookies, cakes or any extra calorie food at home, work or at any party. Then why don't kids have some fun in eating those freshly baked yummy cookies rather than the store bought snacks. So when my son insisted I thought of baking some Almond cookies and the result came out be nice soft, cream colored yummy cookies. Friends, try to bake them at home and I'm sure you will stop picking cookies from the stores.

Following is my version of Almond cookies which I have adapted from Pillsbury.

Ingredients:-

All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup

Butter - 1/2 cup

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Salt - a pinch

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Egg - 1

Almond extract -  1 tsp

Almonds - 15(or as required for the number of cookies you are gonna bake)

Preparation Method :-

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree F.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, salt. Set aside.
• Line a cookie sheet with a parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl beat togther sugar and butter till soft peaks form. Add the egg and beat again till creamy.
• Add almond extract and mix. Add the flour mixture and mix well till it becomes a smooth dough (either do it with your hand or use dough hooks once you add the flour mixture and beat in medium speed)
• Refridgerate for atleast 2 hours
• Take out from the fridge and make small balls by rolling them under your palm.
• Gently press one almond each on each dough balls and place it on the lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
• Bake till done for 12-15 mins or till they are crispy outside and soft inside. Let it cool
• Cookie stays fresh for a week in an air tight container kept outside.(If and only if you kids let it stay that long :-) )