12/15/2011

By ALISON LADMAN

Associated Press

Grasshopper pie -- a cookie crumb pie crust filled with mint chocolate chip ice cream and topped with fudge -- is a diner classic. To transform this into a cookie, we flavored a chewy chocolate cookie with mint extract, studded it with chocolate mint candies and drizzled it with a mint icing.

Grasshopper Cookies

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate bits

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

4 eggs

2â/3 cup packed brown sugar

2â/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons peppermint extract, divided

4.67-ounce box Andes Creme de Menthe Thins candies, broken into chunks

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk or cream

2 tablespoon green sugar or sprinkles

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Heat on high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds, until smooth and completely melted. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then brown and granulated sugars. Add 1 teaspoon of the peppermint extract.

Stir in flour mixture, then chocolate mint candies. Refrigerate dough until completely chilled, about 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

Scoop cookie dough by tablespoonful onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between for spreading. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until set up. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before using a spatula to transfer to a rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk or cream, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Additional milk or cream can be added if mixture is too thick to drizzle. Drizzle icing over surface of cookies and immediately sprinkle with green sugar or sprinkles.

Allow icing to harden before storing in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Nutrition information per cookie: 150 calories; 60 calories from fat (40 percent of total calories); 7 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 30 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 55 mg sodium.

* * *

Fruitcake is a love-it-or-hate-it holiday tradition. But these cookies are everything a fruitcake should be. Studded with all manner of dried and candied fruit (you can easily substitute your favorites), these cookies are a chewy, spicy delight that'll be sure to make a fruitcake lover out of even the skeptics.

Fruitcake Cookies

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

Zest of 1 orange

1/4 cup orange juice

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup candied peel

3/4 cup chopped dates

3/4 cup candied cherries

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Colored sugars, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, salt and baking soda. Beat until light and fluffy.

Add egg and orange zest, then beat to combine. Add orange juice and half of flour, then mix, scraping down bowl as needed to ensure even mixing. Add remaining flour and mix to thoroughly incorporate. Stir in candied peel, dates, cherries, apricots and pecans.

Working in batches, drop dough by tablespoon onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with colored sugars, if desired. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes about 40 cookies.

Nutrition information per serving: 100 calories; 35 calories from fat (36 percent of total calories); 4 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 45 mg sodium.

* * *

The simplicity of strawberry shortcake is what makes it such a winning dessert. A biscuit (or cake), fresh strawberries and whipped cream are all it takes. We stuck to the basics to make a cake-like cookie bar, swirled with strawberry jam and drizzled with vanilla ice cream. Be sure not to over bake these bars to avoid drying them out.

Strawberry Shortcake Bars

For the bars:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup strawberry jam

For the icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk or cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with foil, allowing a couple inches of excess to extend past sides of pan. This will help for removing bars from pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and butter. Add eggs, one at a time. Add salt and vanilla and stir to combine.

Stir in flour and baking soda until well mixed. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Spoon strawberry jam over dough. Drag a knife through dough and jam, swirling jam into the dough. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and a wooden pick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan.

To make the icing, in a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and milk or cream. Drizzle icing over surface of cooled bars. Allow icing to set up. Using foil as handles, lift the bars out of the pan. Peel off the foil and cut the bar into 16 pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 16 bars.

Nutrition information per serving: 170 calories; 60 calories from fat (32 percent of total calories); 6 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 40 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 0 g fiber; 110 mg sodium.

---

Discuss This Story:

---