Tag Archives: best cut out cookie recipe

Rocky Road Cookies!

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Ruthanne

Rich fudge cookies covered in a pile of marshmallows, chocolate and almonds.

A perfect rocky road combination!

Confession: I’m not a fan of ice cream. I mean, it’s ok- but it isn’t like my favorite dessert. The rocky road combination of marshmallows, chocolate and almonds began in ice cream- back in the early 1900’s. It was actually the very 1st creative ice cream flavor- prior to its invention there was only vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Stop and imagine that for a minute. The world with no mint-chip ice cream…

So they invented this crazy new flavor, and then the Great Depression hit- and people didn’t have much money to buy ice cream. In a feat of marketing genius, it was given the name “Rocky Road” to relate to what people were going through and boost sales. It must have worked, because this flavor of ice cream has stood the test of time and is still filling the freezers of America.

Since ice cream isn’t my favorite dessert, I like to take these flavors and create other things with them instead! I made Rocky Road cupcakes a couple of years ago on Easybaked, and they are still one of my favorite recipes. Yum.

These are easy to make, and a perfectly rich, but not too sweet treat for any holiday or celebration. Or just for Mondays. Mondays always need good cookies.

Here is how we made them (printable recipe here)

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 24, 4-inch round cookies)

Cookie:

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Toppings:

1 bag of mini-marshmallows
1 bag of Wiltons candy melts in dark cocoa
1/4 bag of Wilton’s candy melts in white
1 cup of sliced almonds
1 cup of chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Add butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa together in large mixing bowl.
Blend on medium speed with a mixer until smooth.
Gradually add dry ingredients and mix until smooth (use clean hands at the end, to knead into a soft ball of dough)
Roll out cookie dough on floured counter.
Cut into large circles (you want to have room for all those toppings!) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 8 to 11 minutes until the edges are firm.
Slide parchment paper off cookie sheet with cookies on top. Allow them to cool on counter.
Melt dark cocoa candy melts in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until smooth.
Spoon about a tablespoon of chocolate on the top of a cookie and spread to edges.
Immediately (before chocolate hardens) add marshmallows, almonds and chocolate chips. They all don’t have to touch the melted chocolate, and some can be loose on top.
Finish all cookies in the same manner.
Melt white candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until smooth.
Place candy melts into a small zip-top bag, clip a corner and drizzle white chocolate over the top of each cookie as shown.
Allow everything to harden up.
Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days (the marshmallows get a little chewy past that point). Make sure to layer parchment paper between the layers of cookies when storing them.
Enjoy!

My thoughts: There is just something unbelievably good about marshmallows on a cookie. The chewy sweetness of those, the crunchy nuts, the soft chocolate cookie… I LOVE these! Sometimes the love of a dessert is as much about the textures as it is about the flavors- and this cookie wins in both categories!!!! I hope you get a chance to try these! Enjoy! ~r

Other favorites for the cookie jar: (click on a photo to see the recipe):

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Posted in Cookies and tagged almonds, Best chocolate cookie recipe, best cut out cookie recipe, chocolate cookies, chocolate covered cookies, chocolate cut-out cookies, chocolate marshmallow cookies, cookies, dark chocolate cookies, dessert, easy chocolate cookies, fun cookie recipe, marshmallow cookies, marshmallows, rocky road, Rocky Road cookies, sliced almonds, Valentines Day cookies. Bookmark the permalink.

Sparkling Glass Christmas Cookies!

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Ruthanne

Buttery cut-out tree cookies with sparkling candy-glass ornaments! Not only beautiful Christmas treats- but delicious ones!

These fun candy-filled cookies are not an original idea- just an idea I’ve seen around for years and always wanted to try. These turned out great. You need a cut-out recipe that holds it’s shape and size well- otherwise when the cookie bakes, those little holes will expand shut and you won’t have any room to put candy. You also need a cookie that tastes AWESOME without icing. I think these accomplished both goals!!! These were just delicious 🙂

Here is how we made them: (printable recipe here)

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 24 cookies- depending on the size cutter you use)

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of butter flavoring
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Green food coloring
1 large bag of Jolly Rancher candies
Star sprinkles (if desired- plus a tiny bit of melted chocolate to attach them)

DIRECTIONS:

Unwrap candy and divide into colors.
Use a hammer on a solid surface (one that can’t be damaged by a hammer) to crush the candy. Crush it very finely- mine was a little big still, and it made it harder to spoon into the openings. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
Add eggs, vanilla and butter flavoring and mix well.
Add all dry ingredients and mix until able to knead into a firm ball of dough (add additional flour if necessary).
Add green food coloring and knead with hands until dough reaches desired shade.
Roll out on a floured counter with a flour coated rolling pin to desired thickness (I made them fairly thick)
Cut into Christmas tree shapes
Place on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.
Use a straw to poke “ornament” holes. I used a small straw and a jumbo one to give different sizes.
Bake at 350F degrees for 4-5 minutes.
Remove from oven and use a small spoon (I used a tiny little appetizer spoon) to spoon candy colors into each hole.

Bake at 350F degrees for an additional 4-5 minutes until candy is entirely melted. Check after 2-3 minutes and add a little candy if needed, as the pieces melt and settle.
Remove cookies from oven and slide the parchment papers off the cookie sheet onto a counter to cool.
Use a bit of melted chocolate to attach a star on top (if desired).
Enjoy!

My thoughts: These were fun to make and they are just so cute and yummy! A few changes I will make the next time: I’d use bigger straws. The larger size was fine, but the mini size holes were hard to fill. I would also crush the candy to a sugar consistency. I had a few bigger pieces that made it harder to fill those tiny holes. I loved the flavor of those buttery cookies with the sweet fruity candy bits- I will definitely make these again! Enjoy! ~r

Other fun treats for Christmas: (click on a photo to see the recipe)

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Posted in Candy, Cookies, Seasonal dessert and tagged best cut out cookie recipe, Christmas cookies, christmas tree cookies, cookies filled with candy, fun christmas cookies, jolly rancher candy, jolly rancher cookies, sparkling cookies, stained glass christmas cookies, stained glass cookies. Bookmark the permalink.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Ruthanne

Dark chocolate cookies infused with espresso powder. Once you’ve had one you will be craving a plateful!!! They are really easy to make, and since they are a cut-out cookie they can be made in any shape you want. Aren’t the plain round ones so fun though???

Here’s how to make them: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS: (makes 36 medium cookies)

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 1/2cups sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 teaspoons instant Espresso Powder
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Mix in eggs and then cocoa.
Place vanilla and Espresso Powder together in a small cup until coffee dissolves. Add this mixture to the batter and mix until completely incorporated.
Gradually add dry ingredients and mix until smooth (use clean hands at the end, to knead into a soft ball of dough)
Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.
Allow cookie dough to soften a little at room temperature
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Roll out cookie dough on floured counter.
Cut into desired shapes and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 8 to 11 minutes until the edges are firm.
Gently slide parchment paper off of cookie sheet and onto a flat surface. Cool completely before removing cookies from paper.

You can serve these cookies plain, or with a little cocoa powder sprinkled on top, or you can ice them.

I iced these with royal icing that I added a little espresso powder to.

For my royal icing recipe and techniques, click here.

To get the tiny heart shape at the center I used a little melted chocolate. While the icing is still liquid, pipe a little circle just a bit above the center of the cookie. Use a tooth pick to pull down through the icing and the chocolate, making a heart. Allow the icing and chocolate to harden completely. Enjoy!!

My thoughts: These are SO GOOD!!!! I’m on a diet….and I wanted to eat them all….but I didn’t. I gave them away. sigh.

These are simple to make and probably the easiest cut-out cookie dough I’ve ever worked with. Not sticky or fussy at all! I adore anything with coffee in it, so I would add even more espresso powder next time. Make them to your taste by adjusting the amount you add. Paired with a cup of coffee, they are just…..perfect! Enjoy!!! ~r

A few other desserts that would go well with your coffee: