Cookie #66 - Vermont Ben & Jerry's Everything But The... Cookies

When I looked at my recipe list for the state cookies, I had jotted down maple next to Vermont. 

Ugh.

I'm sorry Vermont, but I really don't like maple flavored anything. 
Don't get me wrong, I love maple syrup on pancakes, but that's where my maple love stops. 
I just couldn't bring myself to do a maple cookie.  I wrote a few recipes using maple, but I just wasn't feeling it.
So I consulted my good friends, Ben & Jerry. 
I immediately went to the Vermont based creamery's website to find a flavor that would translate well into a cookie.  One of my favorites is Everything But The.... 
This ice cream really has everything.  Chocolate and vanilla ice cream with toffee bits, white chocolate and chocolate covered almonds.  I've drowned many a sorrow in a pint (or two). 
This cookie starts with a simple chocolate base and then  then has white chocolate, semisweet chocolate, chopped almonds and toffee bits mixed in.  It really is a super delicious, chunky, chocolatey cookie.  If they had lasted, I think they would be even more fabulous with some vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two. 

Vermont Ben & Jerry's Everything But The... Cookies

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped almonds

1 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream shortening and sugars together.  Mix in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Mix in vanilla.

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add gradually to shortening/egg mixture until just combined.  Mix in white and semisweet chips, almonds and toffee bits.

Drop by rounded tablespoons full onto parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake for 12 minutes. 

Allow to cool for a few minutes onto the baking sheets and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Cookie #65 - Washington Chocolate Espresso Bean

After only four days of dreary, rainy weather her in northeastern Pennsylvania, I can't imagine living in the Pacific northwest. 

Every part of my body hurts. 

I've had a headache since Sunday. 

To quote Milli Vanilla, "blame it on the rain." 

Aside from grunge music and vampires, Washington State is also known for another pop

culture icon that has rocked the world: 

Starbucks. 

The largest coffeehouse company in the world with over 17,000 stores in close to 50 countries.

Knowing immediately that my Washington cookie would incorporate coffee,

I decided to try chocolate covered espresso beans.

Side note:  when I was in college, I took an evening biology class.  A classmate friend of mine discovered the cafeteria sold bags of chocolate covered espresso beans and would sometimes eat an entire bag during class.  One day, she complained to me that she was having trouble sleeping.  I asked her if she thought it had anything to do with the fact that she was eating handfuls of coffee beans during class.  She never put two and two together. 

Back to the cookies. 

Since I used actual chocolate covered coffee beans in this recipe, I didn't want to do a dark chocolate cookie.  I was afraid that the bitterness of the chocolate would compete with the bitterness of the coffee beans.  \I also didn't use any brown sugar in this cookie as I initially planned.  I wanted the cookie to be soft and chewy, so I planned on using half white sugar and half brown.  Instead, I used all white sugar and the cookie, once cooled, was crisp and almost melted in your mouth.  I was quite happy with the overall texture.  I think that if it was a softer cookie, the sudden crunch of the espresso beans would give the cookie and odd feel.

Washington Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp espresso powder

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chocolate covered espresso beans (I used Gertrude Hawk)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add in vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in espresso powder.  Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add slowly to butter and egg mixture, stirring until just combined.  Mix in chocolate chips and espresso beans.

Drop by rounded tablespoons full onto parchment lined baking sheets about 2" apart.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Let cool on sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Cookie #56 - Cleo's Oklahoma Buffalo Chip Cookies

I'm so excited about these cookies! 

Why you ask? 

Because they come with a story! 

I LOVE stories!!

This recipe was sent to me by a member of the NSBR message board at Two Peas in a Bucket.  I've been a member of this community for over 7 years.  It's an interesting mix to women (and some men) .  They've offered me some great, and not so great, advice over the years.  They were there with words of encouragement when I was first dealing with my daughters developmental delay.  They make me laugh, they make me cry.  It's a great place and I'm happy to be part of it. 

When I first started this blog, I asked my friends, the "Peas" as they're called, for help coming up with the recipes for the states.  I was so excited when one member sent me this lovely story about her grandmother, Cleo Holloman, who made these cookies for Oklahoma State 75th Anniversary Celebration.  She writes:

"This was my grandmother's recipe that she made for the Oklahoma state 75th anniversary celebration. From what I understand each county extension homemakers group did a special tribute at their county fair booth and she made these cookies. That's one reason the recipe makes so darn many cookies.  She sent these to church camp and 4-H camp with the kids from my hometown as snacks for years as well."

Cleo passed away last September at almost 93-years old. 

When I read this recipe and the story that accompanied it, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that THIS was my Oklahoma cookie.  I can tell you, Cleo's recipe doesn't disappoint. 

These are FANTASTIC cookies.  I made them tonight and the smell of them is still fresh in the air.  I'm fighting the urge to get up and get another one. 

They're sweet and soft in the middle with crunchy edges and, oh yeah, 

THEY ARE HUGE! 

They only advice I received when making these cookies was to make them BIG.  So I did. 

The cookies spread to a whopping 5 or 6"!! 

 

 

Cleo's Oklahoma Buffalo Chip Cookies

2 Sticks margarine (I used butter because I had it on hand)

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups oats

1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pecans

2 cup cornflakes

1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt together butter and shortening. Cream in brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, soda & baking powder. Mix in oats, cornflakes, coconut, chocolate chips and pecans. Mix all together until well combined.

Drop by 1/4 cups full onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  You will only be able to fit 6 cookies per sheet (I used full sized sheet pans).  Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are golden.