Fresh Peach Cookies

Summer time and the living is easy. Have I mentioned how much I love cookies? These are delicious cake cookies bursting with peach flavor. They're easy, and impressive. Take them to your latest barbeque, or family party.

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp salt
3-4 medium peaches peeled, pitted, and chopped

In a medium sized bowl sift all dry ingredients together. Set aside. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugars until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Gently add dry ingredients slowly to wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in peaches. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. I used parchment paper instead of greasing the cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until cookies are browned on top. Cool on wire rack. Store in air tight container, layered with wax paper or parchment paper to prevent sticking.


Cream together butter and sugars.

Add egg and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients.

Add in your delicious peaches.

Scoop onto your cookie sheet.


YUM!

Brookies - Chocolate Avocado Cookies

I have to start off by saying please do not be afraid of these cookies. You cannot taste the avocado, it morphs into this amazing creaminess that lends these cookies their awesome texture. 

This is an adaptation of a recipe that I tried at a cookie exchange a few years back, I cannot remember whose cookies these were... so I apologize for that. The cookies I had were chocolate banana cookies and I was reminded of them by a book that I read recently by Joanne Fluke. I used her recipe as a base, and added a bit of my own flair. There will be a recipe that are actually chocolate banana cookies, this is a bit different though.

These were named by a gentleman that I work with at my "real" job. His name is Bill. Bills description of this cookie is that it's like a cross between a brownie and a cookie. Hence Brookie.

These cookies are dense, moist, and very rich. I am not ashamed to say that I ate several of these in one sitting, but if you aren't me... you may only be able to handle a few.

Ingredients
1/2 c salted butter (or unsalted with a pinch of salt)
3 oz dark chocolate (or unsweetened)
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 c brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c mashed avocado, about 2 medium (mash VERY SMOOTH)
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa powder - next go around I'm going to try using Dark Chocolate cocoa powder
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 c dark chocolate chips
1 c chopped pistachios


Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a microwave safe bowl combine butter and 3 oz chocolate. Melt in microwave on high for 2 -3 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine sugars and stir together until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Whip eggs and sugar together until lightened and a bit fluffy. Add vanilla, salt, and  baking powder. Stir until well combined. Add your avocado and mix well.

Check your chocolate and butter mixture. It should be cooled down enough to add at this point, but if it is still very hot, wait a few minutes before continuing.

Add the chocolate and butter mix to your big bowl. Stir well. Add your flour and cocoa powder in increments until well combined. This is a stiff batter, be ready for that.

Add in your chips/chunks of chocolate. Use a cookie scoop or 1 Tbsp measure to measure out these babies. I suppose you could make them bigger, but you'd need to adjust your baking time. On top of each cookie I sprinkled some chopped pistachios for a little bit of crunch, and salt. You could forgo these and sprinkle with sea salt, or nothing. These cookies do not spread, so press them down gently, or you'll have little ball cookies.

Bake on parchment lined baking sheets for 13 to 15 minutes until they no longer feel moist on the outside. Try not to over cook them, they are not as good when they aren't moist inside. Let them cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes so they firm up enough to be moved to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before eating, the avocado mellows after cooled. If you do not have a sensitive pallet then go ahead and eat them warm.... they're still amazing.




Sugars

All mixed up.

Add your eggs

One at a time.

Avocado in.

Chocolate

Dry ingredients.

Chocolate Chips

All lined up.

Cool.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb Cookies

So back to the gigantic and amazing bag of rhubarb. Cookies, fresh rhubarb, and cream cheese frosting... yes please! I usually frost these cookies, I have a family that loves frosting. Who can blame them? This go-around I decided not to frost them, and see how they liked them. Well, they still got eaten... within a few days.... so I'd say they are just as good without frosting. I like the tart bite of the rhubarb enough that I find the frosting unnecessary, but try them that way they are awesome. :) I've made these the last few years, as soon as I have rhubarb to use, and I will continue to do so. These are spring cookies to me. They are the best this time of year, because the rhubarb is so young and tender. I have however made these in the fall with the more mature stalks, and they are just as awesome. You just end up with more chunks because they don't melt into the cookies as much. Onto the recipe!


Ingredients

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups finely diced fresh rhubarb (you can add more or less I like more!)
3/4 cup flaked coconut (don't be afraid of this, you don't really taste it. It's to help with the texture)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar



In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Beat in eggs. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Stir in rhubarb and coconut.



Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment paper covered or greased baking sheets.


Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.


In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies.

If you frost these I would store in the fridge since it's a cream cheese frosting. You could also purchase the premade frosting that is stable outside of the fridge and leave them out. If you do not frost these, just seal them in and airtight container and enjoy! :)