When I was home for winter break, I ate the most delicious cookies of all time. OK, maybe that’s an exaggeration. But they were delicious. The delicious cookies came from a local restaurant/gift shop in Oshkosh called Caramel Crisp. Cherry shortbread — soft and covered in white chocolate and sprinkles. I may be biased, as I love all things cherry, but the cookies really were phenomenal. I immediately went on a Pinterest and Google hunt for a recipe that could maybe, possibly come close to replicating the cookies from Caramel Crisp.
I found one recipe that just didn’t work. The cookies were ugly, un-even, and had no taste. Baking fails are frustrating – all that time, effort, and ingredients that end up in the garbage. Then I found a much better recipe. This one is perfect. Not quite the same as the magical (in my mind) cookies from Caramel Crisp, but they come pretty damn close. One thing to note — be sure you decorate the cookies in some way. Dip them in white chocolate, use sprinkles, do whatever floats your boat — otherwise they will look like slices of salami. Which isn’t really what we’re going for.
White Chocolate and Cherry Shortbread Cookies
Recipe source: Love and Olive Oil
Print Recipe
2/3 cup maraschino cherries, drained
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
12 ounces good quality white chocolate, finely chopped and divided
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 drops red food coloring (optional)
2 teaspoons shortening
Sprinkles for decorating (optional)
1. Pulse cherries briefly in a food processor until finely chopped (if you don’t have a food processor, use a knife – no big deal). You should have 1/2 cup of chopped cherries; spread on a double layer of paper towels to remove any excess liquid. (This step is important — try to remove as much moisture as you can from the cherries.)
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and sugar. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add drained cherries and 4 ounces of the chopped chocolate. Pulse briefly to combine. Finally, add almond extract and, if desired, food coloring. Knead mixture until it comes together in a smooth ball.
3. Divide dough in half, and roll each half into a cylinder approximately 1 1/2-inches in diameter by 10-inches long. Roll up in parchment paper or plastic wrap, twisting ends to seal. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
4. Preheat oven to 325F. Using a sharp knife, slice chilled dough into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Arrange on a non-stick or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set and bottoms are lightly golden. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. In a small saucepan or a microwave safe bowl, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat or microwave on low power, stirring often, until melted. Dip the cookies into the white chocolate to coat half, then dip into sprinkles of your choosing. Place cookies on waxed paper until set.
Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.
One of my all-time favorite foods comes from a bakery in Appleton, Wisconsin called Vande Walle’s. They make the most perfect and out-of-this-world delicious cheese coffee cake. I usually only eat it at holidays — and I eat it without abandon. My brain cannot say “stop eating! calorie overload!” when it comes to a Vande Walle’s cheese coffee cake. One day while browsing Pinterest, I found a recipe for a cheese coffee cake. The recipe promised to be easy and full of cheese filling. Sold! The end result wasn’t a replica of the Vande Walle’s version, but the flavors were similar and it’s a great substitute for me to make when I’m in Milwaukee and far away from Appleton. Or when I’m aiming to consume 4,397 calories in one sitting.
I love simple cookies. There is nothing better than a good chocolate chip cookie, especially if it’s warm and right out of the oven. I saw this recipe and noticed that it called for five different kinds of chips, peanut butter, AND oats. I thought it might be too much — especially the oats part, as I’ve never been a huge fan of oatmeal cookies. But these cookies were amazing. Such a rich combination of flavors — with a touch of salt. The oats added more texture than taste and the peanut butter wasn’t overpowering. A lot of fancy talk about cookies, right? But trust me. Make these. They are SO SIMPLE and have been added to my all-time favorites list.
Happy 2013, everyone! Most blogs are starting to post recipes with lighter, healthier foods. Nah. Not this blog. French toast cupcakes are up next! French toast is my all-time favorite breakfast food. What’s not to like? It’s a carbohydrate overload that can keep you full the entire day. Perfection. I’ve wanted to make this recipe for a while and decided to try it when I was home over winter break — so my Dad could cook the bacon for me. He’s got a knack for producing perfect, crispy bacon. And the crispier the bacon the better for these cupcakes.
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