Day 14 Almond Biscotti and Raspberry Rugelach

These are by far the cookies that require the most time, (besides of course pizzelles), but they are both faves of my grandmom, so I will be making them for her!


Almond Biscotti

• 1 Cup Blanched almonds, toasted and chopped coarsely
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. In a bowl, beat together all the dry ingredients until mixed.
3. Add in the wet ingredients.
4. mix until a dough forms.
5. On a lightly floured surface form a log 14 inches long and 2-3 inches wide.
6. Bake for 40 minutes or until firm to the touch.
7. Take out and cool for 10 minutes and then slice into 1/2 inch slices/.
8. Lay cut side down on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, turn over and bake for another 10 minutes.
9. makes about 28

Raspberry Rugelach
for the dough

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup flour

1. Cream the butter and cream cheese together.
2. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and mix until combined
3. Add the flour, mixing until a dough ball forms.
4. Shape into a flattened ball and wrap with plastic wrap, chill for at least 1 hour.

For the filling

• 1/2 cup black raspberry jam
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup chopped raisins
• 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. On a lightly floured board, roll dough to form a 13 inch round
3. Mix all the filling ingredents.
4. Spread filling evenly over the dough almost to the edge.  
5. Cut dough into 16ths using a pizza cutter
6. Starting at the wide end, roll each up into a triangle and place it point side down on the baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
7. Bake in the center of the oven 15-20 minutes or until golden.
8. makes 16

Day 13 Chocolate Chip

I am always amazed at how many requests I get for plain old chocolate chip.  I guess people don't bake that much any more.  I do have a special secret that makes mine extra good, I make my own vanilla.  I take a big bottle of inexpensive vodka, slice open about 10 vanilla beans and put them in it.  Leave it on my counter and shake it every day for a month or so.  This is a great way to make a large amount of really good quality vanilla!!


Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup bronw sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 bag of chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 
2. Beat butter and sugars until fluffy
3. Add baking soda, egg and vanilla and beat until combined
4. Add flour and continue mixing until you get a sticky dough.
5. Add in chocolate chips
6. Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheet and bake 9-11 min or until the edges are golden.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Day 12 Pecan Sandies

This cookie always reminds me of our family friend Carolyn ( pecan sandies were her favorite cookie).  She was the first woman advertising executive in Philly and just an all around neat person.  She lived next door to us in the house we lived in til I was six and I can still remember she and my Mom sitting in these round wicker chairs she had on her front porch and drinking Segram's smoking cigarettes and I guess solving the world's problems.   On my tenth birthday she gave me a bottle of champagne, starting me on my way to drunk baking.  She was one of a kind and I miss her still!


Pecan Sandies

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup pecans , finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. In mixer, beat butter, vanilla and 1/2 cup of the sugar until smooth
3. Mix in flour until just mixed and gradually add in pecans.
4. Take one tablespoon of dough and shape unto a crescent shape.They should be about 2 inches long.
5. Bake 45 minutes or until edges are slightly brown, rotating cookie sheets halfway through cooking.
6. Transfer to wire cooling racks, and sprinkle remaining sugar over them thru a seive.
7. Makes 3 dozen,

Day 11 Toffee Crinkles

Around this point in the baking process, my freezer starts to get really full of cookies, my family starts to complain I am not cooking dinner, and I am a little dizzy from all the flour everywhere.   But still I soldier on, I still have many cookies to make to make all my little friends dreams come true. 


Toffee Crinkles

• 1 cup Butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup Heath Bits of Brickle ( 1 bag )
• 1 tsp vanilla
• granulated sugar ( I use Sugar in the Raw)

1. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Beat butter at high for 30 seconds or until fluffy
3. Mix in brown sugar and baking powder until combined.
4. Beat in egg and vanilla, scraping sides as you go.
5. Mix in flour until a dough forms
6. Mix in Bits of Brickle.
7.  Shape into 1 1/4 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar, place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
8. Bake about 20 minutes or until tops are slightly cracked and sides are set (DO NOT LET EDGES BROWN)
9. Makes 48

Day 10- Mexican Hot Chocolate Balls

Oops forgot to post this one last night! These are sort of like those little white ball cookies they have a nutty flavor!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Balls

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp banilla
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Beat butter until fluffy.
3. Add 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar,1/4 cup of the cocoa powder and vanilla, mix until combined
4. Add cinnamon, pecans and flour
5. Mix until it forms a dough.
6. Shape into 1 inch balls and bake for 20 minutes or until bottoms are light brown
7. Cool completely
8. Combine remaining 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder and roll the cookies in the mixture
9. makes 48

Day 9 Mocha balls!

This one is for my neighbor and coiner of the Drunk Baking phrase, Lisa and her beautiful daughter Alex, if you are home, come on over to taste!!

Mocha Balls-makes 5 1/2 dozen

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup semisweed chocolate chips
• 3 teaspoons instant coffee
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter 1/2 cup chocolate chips, remove from heat and stir until smooth.  Stir in coffee.  Let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Mix sugars, eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder, baking soda in mixer.
4. Mix in cooled chocolate coffee mixture.
5. Mix in flour until it forms a dough.
6. Lastly stir in the remaining one cup of chocolate chips.
7. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart and bake for 9-11 minutes until tops slightly crack.

Day 8- Cinnamon Sugar Rugelach

This one is my next door neighbor Paula's fave! I may have to run a few over for her to taste test for me!


Cinnamon Sugar Rugelach

• 1/ cup butter softened
• 6 oz of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans ( toast pecans in a 350 degree oven for 10 min stirring once)
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Beat butter, cream cheese, 1/2 cup brown sugar, vanilla and salt until fluffy.  
2. Add in flour and mix until a dough has formed.
3. Divide dough into 3 equal portions, shape each into a disk and put into zip lock bags to chill
4. Chill dough 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350.  Roll each portion of dough into a 9 inch round on a lightly floured surface.  
6. Lightly brush each round with milk. 
7. Combine the cinnamon, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar with the chopped  nuts.
8. Sprinkle nut mixture evenly over each round , leaving a 1/2 inch border.  
9. Cut each round into 12 wedges with a pizza cutter, and roll into a crescent.
10. Bake one inch apart for 14 -16 minutes until lightly browned.

Makes 36.