Jenn’s Cook Book

It’s that time of year again, when it is so cold outside that you want to turn on your oven just to feel a little warmth. Well, why not make some of these deliciously rich and decadent cookies while you’re at it? This recipe comes from Everyday Food magazine’s special Holiday Baking 2007 issue and combines sweet hazelnuts with the complimentary flavor of rich espresso. Many brands of baking products sell pre-chopped hazelnuts, but you can also buy whole hazelnuts and chop them yourself. To remove the skins, preheat oven to 275F and spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake until the skins crack (about 25 minutes). Transfer hazelnuts to clean kitchen towel, roll up, and let steam 5 minutes, then rub between your hands in the towel until the skins come off, then chop coarsely.

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 tbsp instant espresso powder
2 cups (10 oz) hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375F

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each eggs. Add espresso powder and beat until just combined.

With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture in batches until incorporated. With a rubber spatula, stir in hazelnuts.

Drop by tablespoon-ful onto baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 9-11 minutes, until golden brown. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

These no-bake cookies are made with white chocolate pudding mix and instant espresso, giving it a sweet, subtle mocha-like flavor. Inspired by the Coffee Toffee Cookies.

2 cups sugar 
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 small package instant white chocolate pudding mix
2 tsp instant espresso (or 1 tbsp instant coffee)
2 1/2 cups quick oats

Line cookie sheets with waxed paper.

In a large heavy-duty saucepan, combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a full, rolling boil. Remove pan from heat.

Stir in pudding mix, instant espresso, and quick oats. Mix well until all the oats are coated.

Drop mixture by rounded tablespoons onto lined cookies sheets. Allow to cool and become firm, about 30 minutes.

Here’s a little concoction I created to make great mochas at home:

1 pkg (about 1 1/3 cups) dry instant non fat milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup instant espresso (or 2/3 cup instant coffee)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse to combine, or stir together in a large bowl.

To make mochas, combine 1/4 cup mix with 1 cup hot water (or to taste). Stir and enjoy!

This recipe combines cappuccino and vanilla flavored chips to create a fudge that is slightly sweet and rich with a hint of coffee flavor (think gas station “Cappuccino”). The World Market sells Guittard Baking Chocolate, which includes cappuccino, green mint, and butterscotch flavored chips.  

2 cups Guittard Cappuccino Baking (12 oz pkg)
1 2/3 vanilla baking chips (10-11 oz pkg), divided
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Line a 9×9 inch pan with wax paper.

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt cappuccino chips with 1 cup vanilla chips, sweetened condensed milk, and salt, stirring constantly until smooth.

Remove pan from heat and stir in cinnamon and remaining 2/3 cup vanilla chips (vanilla chips do not need to melt completely, this will create a streaking effect in the fudge).

Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board and peel off paper. Cut into squares (makes 40-50 squares of fudge).

A quick and easy dessert from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast using amaretti cookies, which are sweet, crispy Italian macaroons made with almond paste.

1 container (15 oz) part-skim ricotta
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp instant espresso
4 amaretti cookies

Combine ricotta, sugar, and espresso in a food processor and puree until very smooth, at least 1-2 minutes. Pour into 4 dessert cups or glasses and chill, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day (recommendation: 1 hour).

For serving, crumble an amaretti cookie over each dessert. 

This one was tough to puree in a blender, so the texture wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked. Also, make sure the dessert is well chilled.

This tasty morning treat is featured in Taste of Home’s 2006 Cookbook, which is full of reader-supplied recipes. Give your regular coffee a spicy kick with Ginger Recipe #2.

6 tbsp ground coffee (not instant)
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tbsp chopped crystallized or candied ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 cups cold water

Combine coffee grounds, orange zest, ginger and cinnamon in a coffee filter. Brew according to manufacturer’s directions using 6 cups cold water.

Serve coffee with cream and sugar as desired. Garnish with whipped cream, cinnamon sticks, or additional orange peel.

Kick up the spice by adding 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/8 tsp cloves.

This is a great recipe from the book “No-Bake Cookies” that combines dark brown sugar and real butter, which creates a praline-like taste (similar to the Brown Sugar Cookies from the post on August 11th, 2006). Add in some butterscotch pudding and instant espresso and you get what the author calls a “rich, comforting cookie, reminiscent of flavored espresso drinks from the local coffee shop.” With only 7 ingredients, these cookies are easy to make with little clean up.

2 cups packed dark brown sugar (equal to one 16 oz package)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 small package instant butterscotch pudding mix
2 tsp instant espresso (or 1 tbsp instant coffee)
2 1/2 cups quick oats

Line cookie sheets with waxed paper.

In a large heavy-duty saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a full, rolling boil. Remove pan from heat.

Stir in pudding mix, instant espresso, and quick oats. Mix well until all the oats are coated.

Drop mixture by rounded tablespoons onto lined cookies sheets. Allow to cool and become firm, about 30 minutes. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk!

Note about dark brown sugar:
Dark brown sugar is regular brown sugar mixed with molasses, which burns easily. To prevent burning, stir mixture constantly while heating. Mixture is at a full, rolling boil when it bubbles even while you are stirring.

Here’s a stronger variation on the original Mocha Spice Fudge from Nestle Tollhouse.

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup (5 fl oz) evaporated milk
2 tbsp of instant espresso granules (available at most specialty foods stores)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups (9 oz pkg) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Line a 9×9 inch pan with foil.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, instant espresso, butter and salt in a medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Mix well and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in morsels, marshmallows, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg. Pour into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan, remove foil and cut into pieces.

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup (5 fl oz) evaporated milk
3 tbsp instant coffee granules or 1 heaping tbsp of instant espresso granules
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups (9 oz pkg) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Line a 9×9 inch pan with foil.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, instant coffee or espresso, butter and salt in a medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Mix well and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in morsels, marshmallows, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan, remove foil and cut into pieces.