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Sugar Cookie Ornaments

Sugar Cookie Ornaments by Wood and Spoon. These are a fun way to spruce up ordinary cookies around the holidays. This tutorial with photos shows how to hang sugar cookies on a string or ribbon to use as a decorative ornament. A soft butter sugar cookie is topped with royal icing makes a cute and decorative way to eat dessert. Learn how just in time for Christmas on thewoodandspoon.com

‘Twas three nights before Christmas and the bakers were still, looking for tummies their mixers could fill. The menus were planned but one piece was still missing, maybe dip for a bread, or cocktails for mixing. When out on this blog there arose a new post, for sparkling treats that appeal well to most. With little trimmed shapes and sprinkled icing atop, those sweets had pizazz that just wouldn’t stop. So they sprang to their kitchens, mixing bowls at the ready, filling bags up with icing for their hands to steady. And then, in a twinkling, the cookies were done, and ribbons were tied on top of each one. Upon taking a nibble, friends cheered with delight, indeed, a merry treat made for all to enjoy Christmas night.

Sugar Cookie Ornaments by Wood and Spoon. These are a fun way to spruce up ordinary cookies around the holidays. This tutorial with photos shows how to hang sugar cookies on a string or ribbon to use as a decorative ornament. A soft butter sugar cookie is topped with royal icing makes a cute and decorative way to eat dessert. Learn how just in time for Christmas on thewoodandspoon.com

I don’t often write in prose, but when I do it’s almost always about dessert. These sugar cookie ornaments are worth each and every rhyming word. No other time of year can we dive head first into color, sprinkles, and sugar quite like at Christmastime, and these treats are a cheeky spin on a classic favorite. And even though we’re just two days out from the big day, I think this is the perfect recipe to enjoy making with friends, kids, or loved ones. Still interested? Let me tell you how to make them!

Sugar Cookie Ornaments by Wood and Spoon. These are a fun way to spruce up ordinary cookies around the holidays. This tutorial with photos shows how to hang sugar cookies on a string or ribbon to use as a decorative ornament. A soft butter sugar cookie is topped with royal icing makes a cute and decorative way to eat dessert. Learn how just in time for Christmas on thewoodandspoon.com

Making Sugar Cookie Ornaments

First, we start with a solid dough. I have two recipes I learn on regularly, and for these treats, I chose the most dense option. We want to ensure that the cookies are strong enough to hang, both literally and figuratively. Mix up the dough, roll it out, and cut out shapes using metal cookie cutters. Don’t forget the ribbon hole! I used a straw to insert a small hole in each unbaked cookie. After a brief bake, the cookies require about 20 minutes to come to room temperature. In the meantime, begin making the royal icing.

Sugar Cookie Ornaments by Wood and Spoon. These are a fun way to spruce up ordinary cookies around the holidays. This tutorial with photos shows how to hang sugar cookies on a string or ribbon to use as a decorative ornament. A soft butter sugar cookie is topped with royal icing makes a cute and decorative way to eat dessert. Learn how just in time for Christmas on thewoodandspoon.com

I prefer to use meringue powder when making royal icing, and you can read more about my favorite recipe here. Once prepared, use gel food coloring to dye the icing and ensure it is the right consistency. You want icing that can be piped without dripping off the sides. This royal icing dries quite quickly, but you still need to wait several hours for the cookies to dry. Once set, string a thin, 1/8″ ribbon or string through each hole, snip, and tie! Voila!

Sugar Cookie Ornaments by Wood and Spoon. These are a fun way to spruce up ordinary cookies around the holidays. This tutorial with photos shows how to hang sugar cookies on a string or ribbon to use as a decorative ornament. A soft butter sugar cookie is topped with royal icing makes a cute and decorative way to eat dessert. Learn how just in time for Christmas on thewoodandspoon.com

We still have plenty of time to make treats in time for Christmas. Give these sugar cookie ornaments a try and let me know what you think! I hope you all enjoy a Merry Christmas with your friends, family, or whoever. All my love and happy baking!

Sugar Cookie Ornaments by Wood and Spoon. These are a fun way to spruce up ordinary cookies around the holidays. This tutorial with photos shows how to hang sugar cookies on a string or ribbon to use as a decorative ornament. A soft butter sugar cookie is topped with royal icing makes a cute and decorative way to eat dessert. Learn how just in time for Christmas on thewoodandspoon.com
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Sugar Cookie Ornaments

These sugar cookie ornaments are strong enough to hang and delicious enough to eat!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 180
  • Yield: 28 Cookies
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract 

For the royal icing:

  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 1/2 cup room temperature water

Additional things:

  • Gel food coloring
  • Sprinkles
  • Thin ribbon or string
  • Plastic straw

Instructions

 To prepare the cookies:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and extract and cream until combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir on low just until combined. Dump the dough crumbles out on to a lightly floured surface and work together into one ball with your hands. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until about ¼” thick and use a medium sized cookie cutter to cut shapes. Use the end of a plastic straw to cut out holes in the dough for the ribbon- be sure the circle isn’t too close to the edge or the cookie may break. If the dough ever gets too soft, refrigerate briefly. Place shapes on a baking sheet and freeze briefly for about 5 minutes. Once chilled, bake in the preheated oven for 10-11 minutes. Use the other end of the straw to reinforce the hole if it closed up too much while baking. Cool on a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely prior to icing.

To prepare the royal icing:

  1. Combine all three ingredients in a large bowl and use a hand mixer to blend together on medium speed until glossy and slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Add additional water a teaspoon at a time to thin out or add additional powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time to thicken up. Stir until combined.

To decorate the cookies:

  1. Add water or powdered sugar to your icing to get the desired consistency. I typicaly prefer a thick icing to pipe the border of the cookies and then fill in with a slightly thinned version. Fill piping bag halfway with the icing. Pipe borders around cookies, being careful to not get too close to the edge. Using a paint brush, “paint” frosting into the center of the cookie, filling in to the outside border. (For a good tutorial on this method, check out the Ina Garten video here) I typically will border and fill 4-5 cookies at a time. Continue this process until all of the cookies are iced. Set aside for 6 hours, or until icing is set and dry. If you’re in a humid climate, you can use a small fan pointed at the cookies to help expedite this process. Allow the cookies to cool and set completely prior to tying the ribbon on. Hang, gift, or enjoy within 4 days!

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Homemade Thin Mints and 9 Minty Treats to Make this Christmas!

Homemade Thin Mints by Wood and Spoon blog. These are thing crunchy cookies coated in a chocolate shell inspired by the Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookies. These make terrific peppermint holiday cookies and are a great dessert for chocolate lovers. Learn how to make this homemade version of the cult favorite on thewoodandspoon.com.

Is there anything better than peppermint treats at Christmastime?! NO! To celebrate the season let’s start off today with a few of my favorite mint treats and homemade thin mints!

  1. No-Churn Peppermint Cookie Ice Cream Easy peasy and super delicious, this no-churn ice cream features candy cane bits and Oreo cookies!
  2. Peppermint Bark Brownies Fudge brownies and a thick layer of peppermint chocolate make these treats to die for!
  3. Mint Chocolate Souffle This recipe is a little more complicated, but the effort is worth it!
  4. Peppermint Bark Bread A wreath of chocolate and peppermint-filled bread makes up the most decadent breakfast treat!
  5. Peppermint Bark Icebox Cake Layers of cocoa cookies and creamy peppermint filling let the peppermint bark shine in this cake!
  6. Peppermint Mocha Macarons The class French cookies get cozy for these espresso and mint-flavored sandwich cookies.
  7. White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake White chocolate filling and a cookie crumb crust go hand-in-hand with candy cane bits!
  8. Mint Chocolate Sandwich Cookies These chewy chocolate cookies have a fudgy mint center that is awesome!
  9. Peppermint Brownie Cookies My favorite treat is a mash-up of brownies and cookies, featuring flaked salt and mint flavor!

Homemade Thin Mints

Today’s recipe is a good one- Scout’s Honor. December is definitely a month for cookies, and in our house, no other flavor stands above mint chocolate. Naturally, it was high time we put together a recipe for homemade thin mints inspired by the Girl Scouts favorite. If you have a hankering for mint and chocolate, let’s dive in.

Homemade Thin Mints by Wood and Spoon blog. These are thing crunchy cookies coated in a chocolate shell inspired by the Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookies. These make terrific peppermint holiday cookies and are a great dessert for chocolate lovers. Learn how to make this homemade version of the cult favorite on thewoodandspoon.com.

I’m guessing everyone has a favorite Girl Scouts cookie. Samoas are always a good vote, and I’m guessing a bunch of people like the shortbread too. But hands down, thin mints are the best, right? A thin, crunchy mint chocolate cookie coated with a semisweet chocolate shell? Heck yes! A few years back, I made a sandwich cookie inspired the classic cookie, but this year, I decided we needed homemade thin mints too. So here she is!

Homemade Thin Mints by Wood and Spoon blog. These are thing crunchy cookies coated in a chocolate shell inspired by the Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookies. These make terrific peppermint holiday cookies and are a great dessert for chocolate lovers. Learn how to make this homemade version of the cult favorite on thewoodandspoon.com.

Making Homemade Thin Mints

This recipe makes a few dozen cookies that are right at home on any holiday table. They keep for a few days too which means you can make this recipe in advance. To make them, start with the cookie dough. Butter, sugar, and extracts come together in a bowl before flour, cocoa powder and leavening stir in. The dough comes together into a log before being sliced into small rounds. After baking, the cookies should cool prior to dipping into melted chocolate. I like to finish each off with a sprinkle of salt as well, but sprinkles or even cookie crumbs would be a great addition as well.

Homemade Thin Mints by Wood and Spoon blog. These are thing crunchy cookies coated in a chocolate shell inspired by the Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookies. These make terrific peppermint holiday cookies and are a great dessert for chocolate lovers. Learn how to make this homemade version of the cult favorite on thewoodandspoon.com.

I’ll be sharing cookie recipes all month long here, but be sure to try out one of these minty one this week. Happy Wednesday and Happy Baking!

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Homemade Thin Mints and 9 Minty Treats to Make this Christmas!

These thin mint chocolate cookies are a copycat recipe of the Girl Scout’s Original Thin Mint Cookie!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 24 Small Cookies
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

 For the Cookies

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

For the chocolate shell:

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
  • Flaked salt

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, and extracts, beating on medium speed until smooth and combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda, stirring on low to combine. Bring the dough together into a ball and then roll on a clean surface out into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until barely firm. 
  2. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 1/8” slices and space them out about 2” apart on the prepared sheet pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the edges are set. Allow to cool completely.
  3. Once ready to dip, gently melt the chocolate chips down until smooth, stirring occasionally being careful not to burn the chocolate. Lay out a large piece of wax or parchment paper to work on. Stir in the extract and oil. Use a fork to dip the cookies into the chocolate and shake off an excess. Allow to set up briefly on the wax paper and then sprinkle (if desired) with flaked salt. Allow to set up completely prior to enjoying. 

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Holiday Sugar Cookie Blossoms

Holiday Sugar Cookie Blossoms by Wood and Spoon. These are Hershey Kisses cookies made with sugar cookie dough, sanding sugar, and sugar cookie candies KISSES. This is a simple recipes that even kids will love to help out with and they're perfect for Christmas and holidays. Learn more about the recipe on thewoodandspoon.com

I gotta tell you- nothing brings me more joy this time of year than nostalgic recipes that remind me of home. Growing up, there were a few cookies that felt synonymous with the holidays, and we never failed to make them. One example? Peanut butter blossoms. I absolutely LOVED those, and I bet you’ve tried them too. Today, I’m sharing a variation of that beloved cookie with these holiday sugar cookie blossoms. The are fabulously fun, and I can’t wait to tell you how to make them.

Holiday Sugar Cookie Blossoms by Wood and Spoon. These are Hershey Kisses cookies made with sugar cookie dough, sanding sugar, and sugar cookie candies KISSES. This is a simple recipes that even kids will love to help out with and they're perfect for Christmas and holidays. Learn more about the recipe on thewoodandspoon.com

The basic gist of a blossom is that it’s a soft and chewy thumbprint cookie topped with a HERSHEY’S KISSES candy. Here, instead of the classic peanut butter cookie, we have a simple sugar cookie coated in sanding sugar and dotted with a sugar cookie candy. It’s all the fun and festivity of the classic blossom but with a sweet change of flavor.

Holiday Sugar Cookie Blossoms by Wood and Spoon. These are Hershey Kisses cookies made with sugar cookie dough, sanding sugar, and sugar cookie candies KISSES. This is a simple recipes that even kids will love to help out with and they're perfect for Christmas and holidays. Learn more about the recipe on thewoodandspoon.com

To make these holiday sugar cookie blossoms, we start with the butter and sugar. Cream the two together in a large bowl until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, stirring until smooth. Next comes the dry ingredients. Toss in the flour, salt, and baking soda and stir to combine. Use a small cookie scoop to portion out rounds of dough. Gently roll each on in colored sanding sugar and imprint each with a thumb. After a quick bake in the oven, each cookie is topped with a single HERSHEY’S KISSES Sugar Cookie Candy!

Holiday Sugar Cookie Blossoms by Wood and Spoon. These are Hershey Kisses cookies made with sugar cookie dough, sanding sugar, and sugar cookie candies KISSES. This is a simple recipes that even kids will love to help out with and they're perfect for Christmas and holidays. Learn more about the recipe on thewoodandspoon.com

My kids and I prepared these cookies together, and they were a hit. These holiday sugar cookie blossoms are a great way to get kids involved with Christmas baking. They’re simple, colorful, and so delicious, too. If you get a chance to try the recipe this year, let me know what you think! In the meantime, Happy Holidays and Happy Baking!

Holiday Sugar Cookie Blossoms by Wood and Spoon. These are Hershey Kisses cookies made with sugar cookie dough, sanding sugar, and sugar cookie candies KISSES. This is a simple recipes that even kids will love to help out with and they're perfect for Christmas and holidays. Learn more about the recipe on thewoodandspoon.com

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Holiday Sugar Cookie Blossoms

These holiday sugar cookie blossoms are sugar thumbprint cookies topped with HERSHEY’S KISSES Sugar Cookie Candies.

  • Author: Kate Wood, Inspired by Hershey’s
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 32 Cookies

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup colored sanding sugar
  • 32 HERSHEY’S KISSES Sugar Cookie Candies, unwrapped

Instructions

  1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to the butter mixture and stir on medium-low until the dough starts to come together in clumps. It will be slightly crumbly.
  3. Use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to portion out 2-teaspoon sized rounds of dough. Roll the dough in your hands briefly to smooth out and toss each cookie dough piece in the sanding sugar. Space the cookies out 2” apart on the prepared pans and bake in the preheated oven for 9 minutes or until the cookies are puffed edges are barely set.
  4. Remove the cookies from the oven to cool briefly, about 2 minutes. This will prevent the KISSES chocolate from melting. Gently press an unwrapped HERYSHEY’S KISSES candy into the center of each cookie. Feel free to pop the pan into the fridge or freezer briefly to further prevent the candy from melting. Cool completely before enjoying. Cookies are best eaten the day of,but can be stored in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

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DIY Cookie Cake

DIY Cookie Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a homemade cookie cake, similar in flavor to the cult favorites from Great American Cookie Company! This giant chewy chocolate chip cookie is frosted with a simple one-bowl American buttercream, and the entire dessert comes together in less than 30 minutes. Find the simple recipe on thewoodandspoon.com

Let’s celebrate, shall we? Apparently I missed the memo that fall is birthday season. We have been honoring some serious milestone birthdays with friends and family these past few weeks. You guys know me- I absolutely love it. My kitchen hasn’t been as busy as of late, but I have enjoyed the regular opportunity to make birthday treats. Whether it’s a yummy cocktail, a bourbon chocolate chip cookie, or even today’s DIY cookie cake, I’m all about the celebration. If that’s you too, you’re in luck! Today’s recipe is a birthday winner.

DIY Cookie Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a homemade cookie cake, similar in flavor to the cult favorites from Great American Cookie Company! This giant chewy chocolate chip cookie is frosted with a simple one-bowl American buttercream, and the entire dessert comes together in less than 30 minutes. Find the simple recipe on thewoodandspoon.com

I’ve already spoken at length about my love for cookies from the mall, and this DIY cookie cake is evidence to that fact. Even now, as a 30-something year old woman, I LOVE a cookie cake; they just never get old. I figured it was time to master the at-home method so we could DIY America’s favorite cookie cake. This recipe that I landed on is truly a winner- chewy, sweet, and balanced in flavor. There’s chocolate chips throughout and just enough frosting to wash it down with. Let me tell you how to make them.

DIY Cookie Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a homemade cookie cake, similar in flavor to the cult favorites from Great American Cookie Company! This giant chewy chocolate chip cookie is frosted with a simple one-bowl American buttercream, and the entire dessert comes together in less than 30 minutes. Find the simple recipe on thewoodandspoon.com

DIY Cookie Cake

We start with melted butter. Stir it together with brown and granulated sugar. Next, add a single egg and a splash of vanilla extracts. The dry ingredients are modest- flour, leavening, and salt- with loads of chocolate chips. We chop up the chips so we don’t land a giant bite of chocolate- remember, balance is everything. Press the dough into a round rimmed baking sheet and bake until the outside is barely beginning to set.

DIY Cookie Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a homemade cookie cake, similar in flavor to the cult favorites from Great American Cookie Company! This giant chewy chocolate chip cookie is frosted with a simple one-bowl American buttercream, and the entire dessert comes together in less than 30 minutes. Find the simple recipe on thewoodandspoon.com

The frosting here is simple- butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Just a little goes a long way, and I love that the cookie retains it’s original charm without the toothache. This DIY cookie cake goes a long way, serves a crowd, and can even be made in advance! Just wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil before freezing for up to 2 weeks in advance.

If you have any upcoming celebrations, I hope you’ll give this cookie cake a chance. Happy Sunday and happy baking!

DIY Cookie Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a homemade cookie cake, similar in flavor to the cult favorites from Great American Cookie Company! This giant chewy chocolate chip cookie is frosted with a simple one-bowl American buttercream, and the entire dessert comes together in less than 30 minutes. Find the simple recipe on thewoodandspoon.com

If you like this DIY cookie cake you should try:

Sugar Cookie Double Doozies
Half Birthday Cake Tutorial
Alphabet Cream Pie Tutorial
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

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DIY Cookie Cake

This DIY Cookie Cake features a chewy chocolate chip cookie topped with a simple homemade buttercream!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 10 Servings
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the cookie:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 11/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 11/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon milk 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease an 11” round rimmed baking pan. 
  2. In a small pan over medium heat, gently melt the butter just until melted. Pour the butter into a large mixing bowl with the brown sugar and sugar. Stir until smooth. Add the egg and extract, stirring just until smooth. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder, stirring with a spatula until smooth. Fold in the chopped chocolate chips and dump the batter into the prepared pan, pressing gently with your fingers until the dough is spread out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven about 11-12 minutes or until the edges are barely set. The insides will look underdone- do not overbake! Allow to cool completely prior to frosting. 
  3. To frost the cookie cake, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, stir on low until combined and then increase the speed to medium to beat to smooth for 2 minutes. Use a 1M piping tip fitted bag to pipe the frosting on the cooled cake prior to enjoying. 

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Monster Cookie Bars

Full disclosure: I’m not into monsters, scary stuff, or anything that sounds even remotely spooky, but I am 110% into these monster cookie bars: a soft and chewy peanut butter oatmeal bar studded with chocolate chips and candy-coated morsels. If you’ve been looking for a simple and satisfying treat to make as a hump day treat, look no further than today’s recipe!

Monster Cookie Bars by Wood and Spoon blog. These chewy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip bars are studded with chocolate candies. These make the perfect treats for leftover candy and can be made with almond or peanut butter! Learn how simple these dessert bars are on thewoodandspoon.com.

With the kids back in school, we’re attempting to settle into our new normal: wake up, breakfast, school, homework, dinner, baths, repeat. Weekends, at least so far, have offered a reprieve from the scheduled nature of Monday-Friday, but I’m still always looking for ways to make the mundane feel special. As a result, treats like these monster cookie bars have stolen my heart. With simple ingredients, quick prep, and super yummy results, these cookies-turned-bars are a great go-to for grown-ups and kids alike.

Monster Cookie Bars by Wood and Spoon blog. These chewy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip bars are studded with chocolate candies. These make the perfect treats for leftover candy and can be made with almond or peanut butter! Learn how simple these dessert bars are on thewoodandspoon.com.

To make these monster cookie bars, we start with a bowl-full of butter and peanut butter. We cream the two together on medium speed until smooth and then add in the sugars. Next come the eggs and vanilla extract followed by the dry ingredients: flour, oats, and loads of chocolate. I chose to use semi-sweet chocolate chips and candy-coated chocolates, but you could certainly opt for other mix-ins; peanut butter chips, nuts, toffee, or even crushed chocolate sandwich cookies would certainly be at home here.

Monster Cookie Bars by Wood and Spoon blog. These chewy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip bars are studded with chocolate candies. These make the perfect treats for leftover candy and can be made with almond or peanut butter! Learn how simple these dessert bars are on thewoodandspoon.com.

If you’re looking for ways to make these back-to-school days a little more special, look no further than these monster cookie bars. Happy Wednesday to you all and Happy Baking!

If you like these monster cookie bars you should check out:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Brookies (Brownie Cookie Bars)
Crispy Millionaire Bars
Brownie Shortbread Bars

Monster Cookie Bars by Wood and Spoon blog. These chewy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip bars are studded with chocolate candies. These make the perfect treats for leftover candy and can be made with almond or peanut butter! Learn how simple these dessert bars are on thewoodandspoon.com.
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Monster Cookie Bars

These monster cookie bars are soft and chewy, loaded with chocolate chips, candy morsels, and peanut butter flavor!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 16
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (140 gm) creamy peanut butter (not natural)
  • ½ cup (100 gm) light brown sugar, packed 
  • ¼ cup (50 gm) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (140 gm) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (90 gm) rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup M&Ms or candy-coated chocolates

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8” pan with aluminum foil, allowing the ends to extend beyond the sides of the pan. Lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside. 
  2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and peanut butter until combined. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla extracts, stirring until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and add in the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Stir on low until barely combined. Add in the chocolate chips and chocolate candies and stir until combined. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the edges and center of your bars are golden and no longer jiggly. Allow to cool completely prior to removing from pan and cutting. Enjoy!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars by Wood and spoon. These are simple chocolate chip blondies with espresso powder and sea salt! These make rich, chewy blondie bars with crackly edges and comforting flavors. This recipe serves a crowd, freezes well, and can be made in advance! Learn how to make them on thewoodandspoon.com

Do we have time for one more recipe before the new year? How about something comforting and familiar to wind out the period-of-exhaustion-and-calamity-formally-known-as-2020? These chocolate chip cookie bars are nothing fancy, not too tricky to make or sophisticated in flavor profile, but what they lack in bells and whistles they make up for in flavor, chewy texture, and crispy, caramelized edges. Let’s talk about them.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars by Wood and spoon. These are simple chocolate chip blondies with espresso powder and sea salt! These make rich, chewy blondie bars with crackly edges and comforting flavors. This recipe serves a crowd, freezes well, and can be made in advance! Learn how to make them on thewoodandspoon.com

I’ll be honest: I’m not really sure what makes a blondie a blondie. I think these chocolate chip cookie bars are close. I almost chose “blondie” as a name but decided they would need a glossy top and gooey insides to qualify. Instead, I landed on cookie bars, because that’s exactly what they are: cookie flavored, cookie texture, and even a cookie technique involved to make them. All that’s missing is the cookie shape!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars by Wood and spoon. These are simple chocolate chip blondies with espresso powder and sea salt! These make rich, chewy blondie bars with crackly edges and comforting flavors. This recipe serves a crowd, freezes well, and can be made in advance! Learn how to make them on thewoodandspoon.com

So why make make these chocolate chip cookie bars over a regular chocolate chip cookie? One word: EASE. Here, we have no scooping, no rolling of dough, no spacing dough balls out on a sheet pan and praying they don’t roll around, spread out, or burn in the oven. Instead, we have a single dough that is smoothed into a small pan and baked in one batch in the oven until the edges are crisp and the insides are barely done. This recipe makes over 20 bars, closer to 40 if you cut them in manageable portions, and they’re crazy simple to make. So, all in all, that’s why these bars might suit you over a classic cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars by Wood and spoon. These are simple chocolate chip blondies with espresso powder and sea salt! These make rich, chewy blondie bars with crackly edges and comforting flavors. This recipe serves a crowd, freezes well, and can be made in advance! Learn how to make them on thewoodandspoon.com

Even though we’re saying goodbye to 2020, I’m hoping to see more of you in the coming year. I’m currently wrapping up some heavy duty projects that will hopefully allow for more time spent on this site- more chatting, more recipes, more stories, etc. In the meantime, know that it’s been my pleasure to write and bake with you all this year, and I can’t wait to do it more in the future. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

If you like these chocolate chip cookie bars you should try:

Butterscotch Blondies
Brown Butter Blondies
Pecan Toffee Blondies
Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Brookies

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These chewy chocolate chip cookie bars feature warm brown sugar flavors, a hint of espresso powder, and loads of sweet and salty goodness throughout.

  • Author: Kate
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 20
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 11/2 cups brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 21/2 teaspoons of espresso powder or instant coffee
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 21/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 11/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 11/2 teaspoons salt
  • 21/2 cups semisweet/dark chocolate chunks (depending on your preference)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13” pan (or line it with foil and then grease for easy removal). Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar  with the paddle attachment until fluffy, about 2 minutes.. Scrape the sides of the bowl, add the espresso powder followed by the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until each are incorporated. Add the vanilla, flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks and press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the center is set and no longer jiggling. Bake time may differ depending on the type of pan used. Allow to cool and then slice and enjoy!

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Sugar Cookie Gift Tags

Sugar Cookie Gift Tags by Wood and Spoon blog. Use this tutorial to create, mini frosted iced heart sugar cookies to use as garland, napkin ring holders, gift tags, name tags, necklaces, and more. This simple tutorial gives you the DIY recipe for hard set cookies with homemade icing and ideas for how to use them for Valentine's Day parties, kid crafts, and more. Read about the recipe and how to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

We need more crafts. I’m not always one for a DIY, but when it’s edible, super cute, and multi-purpose, COUNT ME IN. I came up with these sugar cookie gift tags this year because I found myself kinda in charge of not one, not two, but three different Valentine’s parties, and I wanted a tiny sweet bite that would add a cute and personal touch to each gathering. I got rave reviews when I sneak-peeked them on my IG stories, so I decided to make up a little tutorial for you guys here. They’re really simple, and with the right recipe (see below!) you’ll be sure to have success with them in your own kitchen too! Let’s get started.

What is a Sugar Cookie Gift Tag?

These sugar cookie gift tags are basically small, buttery sugar cookies topped with a piped, semi-hard set icing. The teeny tiny hole in the corner allows for a simple ribbon or piece of kitchen twine to be laced through it to make whatever it is you’re going after. I’ve provided a few ideas below (Necklaces! Gift Tags! Place Card Settings! Garland!), but you could certainly modify this tutorial to use a different shape cookie cutter or to apply the twined hearts in another manner. This is a choose your own adventure kind of craft, so feel free to think outside the box.

Sugar Cookie Gift Tags by Wood and Spoon blog. Use this tutorial to create, mini frosted iced heart sugar cookies to use as garland, napkin ring holders, gift tags, name tags, necklaces, and more. This simple tutorial gives you the DIY recipe for hard set cookies with homemade icing and ideas for how to use them for Valentine's Day parties, kid crafts, and more. Read about the recipe and how to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

How to Make Them

To make these sugar cookie gift tags, we start with the perfect cookie dough. This is a simple dough made of butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, salt, and baking powder. It’s fairly simple to work with and will cooperate with the craft by not puffing or expanding too much in the oven. Once you’ve prepared your dough, roll it out on a floured surface and use a cookie cutter to trim out shapes. I used this cutter for my hearts, but you can pick whatever you prefer. It’s important to keep your cookies thick enough to withstand a hole being poked in them. 1/4″ thickness is a a great sturdy size to start with.

Once the shapes have been trimmed out, move them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and poke small holes in the corners, centers, or wherever. I used a small wooden skewer, but you could also grab a chopstick or anything else that is small with a blunt end. Poke the hole and gently work the skewer in a small circle to ensure that the hole has been poked all the way through. Once your cookie sheet is full with cookies spaced out about 2″ apart, place the pan in the freezer to set up about 5 minutes. If your dough happens to have gotten really warm, pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes or an hour to make sure it has set through.

Sugar Cookie Gift Tags by Wood and Spoon blog. Use this tutorial to create, mini frosted iced heart sugar cookies to use as garland, napkin ring holders, gift tags, name tags, necklaces, and more. This simple tutorial gives you the DIY recipe for hard set cookies with homemade icing and ideas for how to use them for Valentine's Day parties, kid crafts, and more. Read about the recipe and how to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

Prepping the Icing

Once you have removed your baked sugar cookie gift tags from the oven, grab that same skewer and gently ensure your hole is still there. You want to do this right when the cookies come out of the oven so that they don’t set up before your hole is completely poked through. Allow the cookies to cool and, in the meantime, make your icing.

Powdered sugar and milk come together for this simple frosting. The trick is achieving the right viscosity so that the icing doesn’t spill off the sides. To test it, run your whisk or a knife through the bowl of frosting. Your frosting should slowly move back together until you can’t see any trace of the whisk any longer; this process should take about 10 seconds. If the frosting is too thick, it will not pool back together, and if it is too thin, it will pool back together too quickly. The ten second test doesn’t lie. Add more milk for a thinner icing and more powdered sugar if your icing becomes too thin. Keep in mind that if you add food coloring, this will change the viscosity of the icing; be sure to check thickness after coloring has been added.

Sugar Cookie Gift Tags by Wood and Spoon blog. Use this tutorial to create, mini frosted iced heart sugar cookies to use as garland, napkin ring holders, gift tags, name tags, necklaces, and more. This simple tutorial gives you the DIY recipe for hard set cookies with homemade icing and ideas for how to use them for Valentine's Day parties, kid crafts, and more. Read about the recipe and how to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

Icing the Cookies

Prepare a piping bag with a small round tip. I prefer a #3 tip. Fill the bag with icing and pipe, pipe away! Start with a single cookie to test it all out and then finish with the remaining. I like to begin by piping a border and then filling in with additional icing. You can spread in the filler icing with a food safe paint brush (used strictly on food); otherwise use or a small offset spatula. Whatever works for you works for me! Do 2 cookies at a time to get in a flow and then allow them all to dry completely. Keep in mind that some food colorings can keep icing from setting well. I like to use Americolor food gels.

Sugar Cookie Gift Tags by Wood and Spoon blog. Use this tutorial to create, mini frosted iced heart sugar cookies to use as garland, napkin ring holders, gift tags, name tags, necklaces, and more. This simple tutorial gives you the DIY recipe for hard set cookies with homemade icing and ideas for how to use them for Valentine's Day parties, kid crafts, and more. Read about the recipe and how to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

Storing the Cookies

Once your sugar cookie gift tags are made you can use them in any manner you prefer! Freeze them ahead of time and gently thaw them for a make-ahead option, or just make them up to 3 days in advance kept at room temperature. If you can’t wait that long, feel free to just dive right in and eat them immediately. I gave one to Aimee on a necklace, and she thought she was the coolest kid on the block. These sugar cookie gift tags are a cutie treat for Valentine’s or whatever other holiday you might be pushing for. Give them a try and be sure to send me photos! I can’t wait to see. Happy baking to you and happy (almost!) Valentine’s!

Sugar Cookie Gift Tags by Wood and Spoon blog. Use this tutorial to create, mini frosted iced heart sugar cookies to use as garland, napkin ring holders, gift tags, name tags, necklaces, and more. This simple tutorial gives you the DIY recipe for hard set cookies with homemade icing and ideas for how to use them for Valentine's Day parties, kid crafts, and more. Read about the recipe and how to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

If you like these sugar cookie gift tags you should try:

Painted Sugar Cookies
Marbled Sugar Cookies
Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
Gold-Splattered Sugar Cookies

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Sugar Cookie Gift Tags

These sugar cookie gift tags are cute little crafty edibles to make with kids for parties!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 60
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 50, depending on size of cookie cutter
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
  • 1 egg
  • 11/2 teaspoon princess cake and cookie emulsion (or 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond extract)

For the icing

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 36 tablespoons of whole milk or heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract, vanilla extract, or bakery emulsion

Instructions

For the cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and extract and cream until combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir on low just until combined.
  4. Dump the dough crumbles out on to a lightly floured surface and work together into one ball with your hands. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to just over 1/4″ thicken and use a medium sized cookie cutter to cut shapes. If the dough ever gets too soft, refrigerate briefly.
  5. Place shapes on a baking sheet and freeze briefly for about 5 minutes.
  6. Once chilled, bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes and then cool on a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely prior to icing.

For the icing

  1. Sift or whisk powdered sugar to remove lumps.
  2. Add 3 tablespoons of the milk and the extract, whisking until combined. Continue to add milk until it is the right viscosity. You will want thicker frosting for piping. To test viscosity, run your whisk or a knife through the bowl of frosting- your frosting should slowly move back together until you can’t see any trace of the whisk any longer. This process should take about 10 seconds. If the frosting is too thick, it will not pool back together, and if it is too thin, it will pool back together too quickly. The ten second test doesn’t lie. Add more milk for a thinner icing and more powdered sugar if your icing becomes too thin.
  3. Cover tightly in a tupperware or with a wet paper towel if you are not using it immediately, as frosting will dry out and become clumpy. Whisk occasionally and add more milk if it becomes too thick.

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Mocha Macarons

Mocha Macarons by Wood and spoon. Theres are coffee espresso flavored French macaron shells filled with a rich semisweet chocolate ganache scented with coffee! Learn how to make these elegant delicate fancy cookies on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

I’ve always thought there was something magical about macarons. The dainty French cookies that line bakery cases like colorful little soldiers have always felt fancy, like a special treat reserved for posh ladies with tiny dogs and big sunglasses. Maybe I’m right, maybe I’m delusional, or maybe my inner Francophile is getting away from itself, but either way, I absolutely adore macarons. These mocha macarons are no exception.

I went to France as a junior in college. With stars in my eyes and a mini French dictionary in my pocket, I roamed the streets in terribly uncomfortable shoes (because fashion, duh) doing my best to look like I belonged. Although I’ve heard many people say that they didn’t enjoy their time in France, I found the place to be entirely alluring: the scent of warm butter and pastry wafting out of patisserie doorways; music and the twinkling of wine glasses on cozy bistro street fronts; the elegant faces of countless humans that dripped in an air of effortless cool. The France I discovered that January won my affection immediately, and I have yet to experience a country that has met me with half as much mystery and intrigue.

Mocha Macarons by Wood and spoon. Theres are coffee espresso flavored French macaron shells filled with a rich semisweet chocolate ganache scented with coffee! Learn how to make these elegant delicate fancy cookies on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

“I didn’t meet a pastry in France that I didn’t love, but none charmed me quite like the macaron.”

Of course I was completely captivated by the cuisine. With my mother and Nana, I visited a number of cafes and restaurants. There wasn’t a creperie, boulangerie, or patisserie that I didn’t attempt to nibble my way through. I inhaled clouds of powdered sugar from shatteringly crispy croissants and licked the warm puddles of Nutella that dripped out of folded crepes and onto my fingers. We taste-tested brioche and palmiers and eclairs and caneles, each bite more sumptuous than the last.

I didn’t meet a pastry in France that I didn’t love, but none charmed me quite like the macaron. At that time, in 2008, mini food was all the rage. Tiny cupcakes, bite-sized burgers, and shot glasses of bisque were everywhere; macarons fit right into that profile. The colorful cookies with surprising flavors and creamy insides seemed to go hand in hand with the meticulous French cuisine that I was discovering, and I couldn’t wait to gobble them up.

Mocha Macarons by Wood and spoon. Theres are coffee espresso flavored French macaron shells filled with a rich semisweet chocolate ganache scented with coffee! Learn how to make these elegant delicate fancy cookies on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

Once home, I eventually garnered the bravery to attempt macarons on my own, and over the years there have been many batches of macarons, some successful and some not. More recently, after extensive help from Tessa, I was able to nail down a practice that worked best for me, and since then I’ve let my imagination go wild. Nutella raspberry macarons? Cake batter flavored? Toffee peanut? Mint truffle? The possibilities are endless.

Mocha Macarons by Wood and spoon. Theres are coffee espresso flavored French macaron shells filled with a rich semisweet chocolate ganache scented with coffee! Learn how to make these elegant delicate fancy cookies on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

Mocha Macarons

These mocha macarons capture my first time in Paris. Each cookie is petite and precise, and the flavors of espresso and rich chocolate feel like ones best enjoyed in the city of light. I’m sharing today’s recipe with help from my friends at Nestlé Toll House who are debuting the Artisan Collection- luxurious premium baking chips made with single-origin chocolate from Ghana. Deluxe treats like macarons deserve equally special ingredients, and Nestlé ‘s new chocolate fits the bill. Here’s the lowdown on these mocha macarons:

Mocha Macarons by Wood and spoon. Theres are coffee espresso flavored French macaron shells filled with a rich semisweet chocolate ganache scented with coffee! Learn how to make these elegant delicate fancy cookies on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

The macaron shells are airy cookies made with whipped egg whites, sifted almond flour, and confectioner’s sugar. I’ve added a touch of espresso powder to the dry ingredients to create a cookie shell that is lightly flavored and speckled with the granules. To double down on the coffee flavor, I added a bit of that same espresso powder to the ganache filling that was prepared using Artisan Collection Extra Semi-Sweet chocolate baking chips by Nestlé Toll House. The sweet chocolate offsets the bitterness in the espresso, and, when combined with warm cream, makes a thick ganache that is fudgy at room temperature. The cookies are simultaneously light and rich, and I found myself eating more than my fair share the first time around because they were just that tempting.

Mocha Macarons by Wood and spoon. Theres are coffee espresso flavored French macaron shells filled with a rich semisweet chocolate ganache scented with coffee! Learn how to make these elegant delicate fancy cookies on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

I highly recommend you give these mocha macarons and Artisan Collection a try for your next baking adventure. They also offer an Extra Dark variety that has 61% cacao. I tested this chocolate in shortbread cookies, and they were phenomenal. Both options can be used for these mocha macarons, and you won’t be disappointed. I’ll be sharing an additional recipe later this week, so stay tuned. In the meantime, happy baking!

Mocha Macarons by Wood and spoon. Theres are coffee espresso flavored French macaron shells filled with a rich semisweet chocolate ganache scented with coffee! Learn how to make these elegant delicate fancy cookies on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood

If you like these mocha macarons you should check out:

Strawberry Shortcake Macarons

Mocha Cookies 

Hazelnut Mocha Cream Pie

Mocha Brownie Fudge Ice Cream

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Mocha Macarons

These mocha macarons feature an espresso-scented shell and an espresso ganache filling!

  • Author: Kate Wood, Adapted from Tessa Huff
  • Prep Time: 45
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 26
  • Category: cookies

Ingredients

For the macaron shells:

  • 11/2 cups (144 gm) almond flour
  • 11/3 cups (145 gm) powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons espresso granules
  • 120 gm room temperature egg whites (from about 34 large eggs)
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (120 gm) sugar

For the espresso ganache:

  • 5 ounces extra semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped or in morsels (I recommend the Artisan Collection by NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE® Extra Semi-Sweet variety)
  • 1 teaspoon espresso granules
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • Additional chocolate, if desired

Instructions

To prepare the macarons:

  1. Line two of three baking sheets with parchment paper templates or silicone baking mats set over the templates and fit a large piping bag with a plain round tip.
  2. In a food processor, combine the almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, and espresso granules and process the mixture for 1-2 minutes, stopping once to scrape down the bowl, until the almond flour is finely ground. Sift the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Discard any large chunks left in the sieve or grind again until fine.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with a whisk attachment (make sure both are clean and grease-free!), whisk the room temperature egg whites on low speed until they begin to foam, form small tight bubbles, and turn opaque. Over the course of a couple of minutes, very gradually increase the speed to medium while slowly adding the granulated sugar. Mix on medium-high until stiff peaks form.
  4. Using a flexible rubber spatula, scrape the meringue off the whisk attachment into the bowl with the almond mixture. Begin folding the meringue and almond mixture together, five to ten folds. Scrape in the meringue from the mixer bowl and continue to fold the mixture until incorporated, rotating the bowl as your go. Every so often, gently deflate the meringue by smearing the batter around the side of the bowl. Stop folding once the correct consistency is achieved: the batter should flow very slowly like lava.
  5. Fill the prepared piping bag with the macaron batter. Holding the bag straight down, pipe the macarons. I prefer to use a stencil to ensure the macarons are the same size. Once one baking sheet is full, tap the bottom of the sheet a few times in each corner with the palm of your hang. Set aside and repeat with the remaining prepared baking sheet(s). Set the piped macaron shells aside to rest for 20 to 40 minutes, until a skin forms over the shells and the tops feel dry to the touch.
  6. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the center position.
  7. Bake the macaron shells once sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, until the tops feel secured to the feet but wiggle very slightly when nudged.
  8. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the macaron shells cool on the baking sheets for at least 5 minutes. Repeat to bake and cool the remaining shells.

To prepare and use the filling:

  1. Place the chocolate in a medium heat-safe bowl. Warm the cream on the stove or in the microwave until just barely steaming or about to bubble.
  2. Pour the cream into the chocolate and add the espresso granules. Whisk until the chocolate is smooth and feel free to microwave in 15 second increments until the chocolate has melted.
  3. Allow the mixture to set up slightly, either on the counter or in the fridge while stirring often, until it is a slightly thickened fudgy consistency that will move through a piping bag.
  4. Fit a piping bag with a round tip and squeeze 1-2 teaspoon sized dollops into the center of half of the macaron shells.
  5. Top with an additional macaron shell and allow to set up. In the meantime, feel free to gently warm and melt a small about (about 1/3 cup) of chocolate and drizzle or piping decorative stripes on top of the sandwich cookies. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Using a macaron stencil is helpful in making sure your macaron shells are uniform in size.
  • Instant coffee granules can be used in a pinch.

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Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Pecans

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Pecans. These are buttery French cookies filled with booze, butter, and topped with decadent rich bourbon ganache. Each little treat is fluffy, like a cake meets cookie and it topped with yummy toppings. These make terrific fall treats for cocktail parties or gifts. These traditional bakes are sweet and elegant and a fun treat to learn how to make! Learn more on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood!

It’s no surprise that I like desserts.

I like cakes with buttery icing and cookies that leave your fingers gooey with chocolate. I’m partial to golden-crusted pies with sweet, bubbling insides. I like drippy ice cream cones, eating dough off the beaters, and pastries that leave flakes all over the kitchen, but there’s still one thing that’s sweeter than all of the treats in the world.

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Pecans. These are buttery French cookies filled with booze, butter, and topped with decadent rich bourbon ganache. Each little treat is fluffy, like a cake meets cookie and it topped with yummy toppings. These make terrific fall treats for cocktail parties or gifts. These traditional bakes are sweet and elegant and a fun treat to learn how to make! Learn more on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood!

In my world, it’s seeing little eyes peer over the edge of the counter. It’s the little hands that paw at the back of my apron, begging for a handful of marshmallows or chocolate chips. It’s kissing pairs of  cinnamon sugar coated lips and the look of joyful surprise on those faces when they come home to the smell of fresh baked cookies or loaves of bread.

Just like with anything else we might partake in, the food we make in our kitchens is only as special as the people we’re sharing it with. So if you needed a reminder today to bake something on behalf of your neighbor or your boyfriend or your Nana who lives 300 miles away, this is it. Bake for other people- it tastes better that way.

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines

These little brown butter bourbon madeleines are the cutest. They’re rich and satisfying despite being only a bite or two, and every single morsel is loaded with flavor- first butter and then bourbon, followed by rich chocolate and pecans. These treats are entirely decadent to enjoy, plus just look at them. They’re adorable. Who wouldn’t want to dive into these?

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Pecans. These are buttery French cookies filled with booze, butter, and topped with decadent rich bourbon ganache. Each little treat is fluffy, like a cake meets cookie and it topped with yummy toppings. These make terrific fall treats for cocktail parties or gifts. These traditional bakes are sweet and elegant and a fun treat to learn how to make! Learn more on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood!

Truthfully, I’ve not made a ton of madeleines before these brown butter bourbon madeleines. I only invested in a pan (this one!) about a year ago and have since dabbled with recipes and how-to’s that I’ve found on the internet. My first few attempts were good, but what made me settle on these brown butter bourbon madeleines is that every single flavor here is elevated in a really special way. Madeleines are already known for their buttery flavor, and here, the brown butter is the star. We add bourbon for a subtle warmth and caramel flavor, and then we dip the whole thing in a bourbon ganache that is ultra boozy and screams “CHOCOLATE!” Pecans seemed like a natural fit here too, so I thought, “Why not?”

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Pecans. These are buttery French cookies filled with booze, butter, and topped with decadent rich bourbon ganache. Each little treat is fluffy, like a cake meets cookie and it topped with yummy toppings. These make terrific fall treats for cocktail parties or gifts. These traditional bakes are sweet and elegant and a fun treat to learn how to make! Learn more on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood!

Making the Madeleines

If you’ve never made madeleines before, here’s a few ins and outs you’ll want to take note of:

First, a madeleine pan is kinda essential, but not a deal breaker. Yes, I hear you, you don’t want another random pan that only suits one purpose. I get it. Feel free to try this exact recipe in a mini muffin tin. You’ll miss out on the pretty shell shape, but I’ve tried it and they still make for a yummy treat.

Second, resting your batter here serves a purpose but we can work around it. Allowing the batter to chill in the fridge for a few hours helps to ensure your madeleines puff and rise to create that signature hump in the middle (click here for more on that), but you can totally skip that too if you’d prefer. They’ll still puff up some. Third: madeleines are loaded with butter and are best eaten the day they’re prepared. They’ll still taste delicious on day two, but they’re really meant to be enjoyed nearly fresh from the oven. Not that they’d stick around that long anyways.

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Pecans. These are buttery French cookies filled with booze, butter, and topped with decadent rich bourbon ganache. Each little treat is fluffy, like a cake meets cookie and it topped with yummy toppings. These make terrific fall treats for cocktail parties or gifts. These traditional bakes are sweet and elegant and a fun treat to learn how to make! Learn more on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood!

If you’re a little unsure on browning butter, don’t worry- I’ve got you covered with a tutorial here. Not sure about ganache? Got you covered on that too. The ganache on these brown butter bourbon madeleines isn’t 100% necessary, but I think that added element contributes loads of flavor and makes these little guys over the top. If you’d rather keep them plain Jane, a simple sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar would do nicely too. Your choice.

Give these brown butter bourbon madeleines a try and let me know what you think! Have a great Tuesday and cheers to you!

If you like these brown butter bourbon madeleines you should try:

Derby Pie Cookies

Pecan Toffee Blondies

Derby Pie Bars

Candied Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Butter Blondies: Two Ways

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Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Pecans

These brown butter bourbon madeleines are rich and buttery with a dark chocolate bourbon ganache and a sprinkle of toasted pecans.

  • Author: Kate
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 18
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the madeleines:

  • 7 tablespoons (100 gm) unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the pan
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup (70 gm) sugar
  • 11/2 tablespoons bourbon
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (70 gm) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the topping:

  • ½ cup (120 gm) heavy whipping cream
  • 4 ounces chopped dark chocolate (I use 60-70% cocoa baking bars)
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • ½ cup (55 gm) finely chopped toasted pecans

Instructions

To make the madeleines:

  1. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and brown it. Allow the butter to melt completely and the continue cooking, stirring the whole time, until golden flecks appear at the bottom of the pan and the mixture begins to smell warm and nutty. Do not burn the butter. Remove the mixture from heat and pour immediately into a small bowl.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the bourbon and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Add the flour and salt and fold to combine. Add the browned butter and fold the mixture just until combined. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to chill for 2 hours or overnight.
  3. When ready to make, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and melt 2 tablespoons of butter to liberally grease a madeleine pan. Spoon 1 tablespoons of batter into each madeleine pan and then bake in the preheated oven for about 13 minutes, or until the tops are puffed and the edges and bottom of each madeleine is golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you make your ganache.

To finish your madeleines:

  1. Warm the heavy whipping cream over the stove or in the microwave just until it’s about to boil. Remove from heat and then pour over the dark chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. Allow it to rest for 3-4 minutes. Whisk the warm cream and chocolate together until smooth. If small chunks of chocolate remain, place back in the microwave for 20 second increments until it is smooth. Stir in the bourbon.
  2. Dip each madeleine in the ganache and then sprinkle with/dip in pecans. Set the madeleines aside on a sheet of parchment or wax paper to set. Madeleines are best eaten the day they are prepared but can be saved overnight if needed.

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Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars Recipe by wood and Spoon blog. This is a recipe from displaced housewife new book. Chewy, sweet and salty blondies made with rich caramel tasting sugar and dark chocolate. Sea salt finishes these bars that make great dessert, tailgate and party snacks, or late night treats. Find the simple how-to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate wood.

Happy Tuesday from my little corner of the world to you!

Here in Selma, life is busy and full with back to school activities and the onset of football season. Of course we’re still in full-on house building mode, and although I’m sure we are still getting a little closer everyday, this truly feels like the never-ending project. In an effort to not get stir-crazy in the process, I’ve been baking up a storm.

Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars Recipe by wood and Spoon blog. This is a recipe from displaced housewife new book. Chewy, sweet and salty blondies made with rich caramel tasting sugar and dark chocolate. Sea salt finishes these bars that make great dessert, tailgate and party snacks, or late night treats. Find the simple how-to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate wood.

Lucky for me, we are knee-deep in cookbook season! Autumn months are prime time for new cookbook releases, so keep your eyes peeled over the coming months for recipes that I’ll be sharing from some of my new favorite reads. Up first is this recipe for brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars, fresh from my sweet friend Rebecca’s first release, “The Cookie Book“!

Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars Recipe by wood and Spoon blog. This is a recipe from displaced housewife new book. Chewy, sweet and salty blondies made with rich caramel tasting sugar and dark chocolate. Sea salt finishes these bars that make great dessert, tailgate and party snacks, or late night treats. Find the simple how-to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate wood.

I first met Rebecca at last year’s Saveur Blog Awards, but I became familiar with her long before that. Rebecca writes a hilarious, sugar-coated blog that I frequent for recipes and inspiration, and it was a dream to meet an online friend in real life. She thrives on creating accessible recipes that home bakers actually want to make, and her book is no exception. “The Cookie Book” is filled with tons of recipes that I can’t wait to dive right into.

Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars Recipe by wood and Spoon blog. This is a recipe from displaced housewife new book. Chewy, sweet and salty blondies made with rich caramel tasting sugar and dark chocolate. Sea salt finishes these bars that make great dessert, tailgate and party snacks, or late night treats. Find the simple how-to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate wood.

Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These cookie bars are as simple as they are decadent. Rich and caramel-y muscovado sugar (like the sexy cousin of plain, old-fashioned brown sugar) combines with my all-time favorite ingredient, brown butter, to create a sweet and salty chocolate chip cookie bar that is to die for. I only wish I had thought of it myself.

Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars Recipe by wood and Spoon blog. This is a recipe from displaced housewife new book. Chewy, sweet and salty blondies made with rich caramel tasting sugar and dark chocolate. Sea salt finishes these bars that make great dessert, tailgate and party snacks, or late night treats. Find the simple how-to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate wood.

Making the Bars

To make these brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars, we start with browning butter. For a how-to on that, be sure to check out my tutorial here. Brown butter is stirred into the blend of sugars before eggs, milk, and vanilla are added to the mix. Next come the dry ingredients, followed by a boat-load of chopped dark chocolate. Spread the dough into a prepared baking dish and bake away until the bars are golden and set. Rebecca recommends finishing off these brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars with a heavy hand of salt, and I couldn’t agree more.

Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars Recipe by wood and Spoon blog. This is a recipe from displaced housewife new book. Chewy, sweet and salty blondies made with rich caramel tasting sugar and dark chocolate. Sea salt finishes these bars that make great dessert, tailgate and party snacks, or late night treats. Find the simple how-to on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate wood.

These little treats would make a wonderful addition to your fall tailgates, dinner parties, and afternoon snacks. We have been munching on them since I discovered the recipe a week ago, and I am not mad about it. Give Rebecca’s book a looksie here and try on these cookie bars for size. I have a feeling they’re all the push you’ll need to spring for the book. Happy Tuesday and Happy Baking, y’all!

If you like this recipe you should try:

Brown Butter Blondies: Two Ways

Brookies (Brownie Cookie Bars)

Butterscotch Blondies

Pecan Toffee Blondies

Derby Pie Cookies

Print

Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

The brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars are sweet and salty, rich dessert bars that will take your average after-dinner treats and snacks to the next level. Try this recipe from Rebecca Firth today!

  • Author: Rebecca Firth
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 35
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 16
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (115 gm) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (210 gm) dark muscovado sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup (96 gm) sugar
  • 1/3 cup (80 mL) sunflower seed oil or other neutral oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons milk, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 11/2 cups (205 gm) bread flour
  • 11/2 cups (205 gm) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 11/2 cups (180 gm) dark chocolate, chopped
  • Sea salt flakes for dusting on top, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8×11″ casserole dish and line with parchment paper, letting the excess fall over the sides.
  2. Put the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crack up the heat to medium high. Continue stirring and look for small golden bits that will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. It will smell deliciously nutty and caramel-y. This should take around 3-5 minutes. Once this happens, take it of the heat and pour into a medium, heat-safe bowl to cool a bit.
  3. When cooled slightly, whisk in the muscovado, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla until thoroughly blended.
  4. In another medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Add this to the butter mixture and stir until barely blended. Add in the chocolate chunks and continue to blend until just combined and the chocolate is evenly distributed.
  5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Dampen your hands and gently press down so that is covers the bottom of the dish. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes. (Note: bake time is dependent on pan type and oven temp. If they look significantly gooey at 25 minutes, feel free to leave in an additional 5-10. Bars will continue to cook and firm up some once removed from the oven.) Sprinkle with sea salt flakes, if desired. Let cool completely before cutting. These are great the same day as they’re made and equally dazzling the next.

Notes

  • If you use a larger or smaller pan be sure to adjust your bake time accordingly. Additionally, these were tested in ceramic pans. Note, if you use a metal pan check earlier for doneness as it could affect the bake time.
  • Check out the link in my post for help on browning butter!

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