Cookie Monster

When Scott and I got married, we served cookies and lemonade to our guests after the ceremony (my mom and I had a crazy bake-a-thon in the days leading up to the event). When Scott and I recently celebrated 5 married years, we baked cookies from the same recipes for an anniversary bash. Both times the cookies got rave reviews from the crowd. For those of you who might like to try them out yourself, the recipes are below.

Chocolate and Lemon Cookies

You’ll see the chocolate and lemon cookies are actually variations on a butter cookie, a great idea from the Dec '03 issue of Gourmet (sigh, I still miss that magazine). The chocolate version has A LOT of chocolate included, which makes them delicious but the dough a bit stiff and slightly tricky to work with - but worth the effort. Enjoy the cookies in all their possible forms!

Basic Butter Cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at meduim high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 minutes with a handheld.

Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixure and mix until just combined. 

Form dough into a 12-inch log (2 inch diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up dough in plastic wrap. Chill dough until firm (Gourmet says 4 hours. Or do the freezer trick). 

Cut log into 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick slices and arrage slices about 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake cookies 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets for 3 minutes and then transfer to racks to cool completely. 

Lemon cookies

• Ingredients for basic butter cookies
• 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
  

Follow recipe for basic butter cookies, mixing in lemon juice and zest after adding flour.

Chocolate cookies

• Ingredients for basic butter cookies
• 1/2 cup dutch-process unsweeted cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 10 1/2 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
  

Follow recipe for basic butter cookies, mixing in cocoa, baking soda and melted chocolate after adding flour (dough will be stiff). 

Form into 14 inch log (2 inches diameter). Slice at room temperature rather than chilled ( dough will be hard to slice and may crumble, especially if too cool). 

Edges of cookies can be rolled in ground pistachios prior to baking (but can be messy)

Other variations

• Almond Spice – add 1 cup slivered almonds and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp each of nutmeg, ginger & clove when mixing in flour
• Coconut – add 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut and 1/4 tsp almond extract after adding flour. Instead of forming log, roll tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.