Drop Cookies: Chocolate Pixies

These delicious cookies are mostly melted chocolate and eggs. This makes them light and even a little custard-like. When melting the chocolate, use low heat and stir constantly. If you're not careful, the chocolate will scorch.


Ingredients


¼ cup butter (do not use margarine)
½ cup chocolate chips
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
½ cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
powdered sugar


Preparation


Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring almost constantly. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat. Place flour and sugar in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Add walnuts, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add the eggs and blend until all ingredients are incorporated.


Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is completely incorporated. You should have a slightly wet dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour for easier handling.


Heat oven to 300°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the powdered sugar, covering the dough completely. Place on prepared cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 18 minutes, until cookies are set. Remove from cookie sheet immediately and cool on wire racks.


This recipe will give you about 3 dozen cookies. They'll keep for up to a week if stored in an airtight container.

Yeast Bread: Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

Cinnamon raisin bagels are a classic, and with good reason. They're delicious and hearty and make a great breakfast. Throw one in your bag for a snack at work, or enjoy one as a late night snack.


If you really enjoy cinnamon, you can increase the cinnamon in this recipe to as much as 1 tbsp. But don't add more than that or the cinnamon will be overwhelming. You can also reduce to raisins to as little as ½ cup, if you desire.


Ingredients


1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup raisins
2 tbsp honey


Preparation


Place all ingredients except honey and raisins in a large bowl and mix until you have a loose dough. Turn the loose dough out onto a lightly floured surface and add raisins. Knead until dough becomes smooth and elastic. This should take about 5 minutes.


Lightly oil a nonmetal bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm location to rise until doubled in size. This will take about an hour, but may take a little longer depending on the heat and humidity.


Punch down the dough to remove all air bubbles. Shape into 12 bagels, either by hand or with a bagel cutter. Place shaped bagels on a prepared baking sheet. Cover and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.


Heat oven to 375°F. Fill a small pot with water. Add honey and bring to a boil. Boil bagels, one at a time, for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The longer you boil them, the chewier they'll be. Place boiled bagels back on the baking sheet.


Bake boiled bagels for 22 minutes, until bagels are browned. Remove immediately from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.


These bagels will keep for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container.

Drop Cookies: Snickerdoodles

The name "snickerdoodle" has been used to describe a few different types of cookie in recent years, but traditionally it refers to a cinnamon-coated cookie that originated in New England. These are simple and quick to make, so if you're having people over unexpectedly, serve these warm from the oven. They'll be a hit.


Ingredients


1½ cups sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon


Preparation


Heat oven to 400°F. Cream together 1½ cups sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add vanilla and eggs. Blend well. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Combine until you have a soft dough.


Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll these balls in the cinnamon sugar and place them 2-inches apart on a prepared cookie sheet.


Bake cookies for 10 minutes, until cookies are set. Remove immediately from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks.


This recipe makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Yeast Breads: Sun-Dried Tomato Bagels

Sun-dried tomatoes enhance almost any dish, and they can certainly enhance your bagels. These bagels are great for breakfast, but I really like them for dinner. Especially if we're making burgers. Sun-dried tomato bagels make excellent burger buns.


Ingredients


1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 cup water
2 tbsp honey
1 egg, lightly beaten


Preparation


These are as easy to make as any other bagels. Start by throwing all ingredients into a large bowl except the honey and the egg. Those you'll need later. Mix the ingredients you have in the bowl until a loose dough forms. Turn this dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until you have a dough that is soft and elastic, about 5 minutes.


Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Set aside in a warm location to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down dough to remove all air bubbles. Shape dough into bagels either using a bagel cutter or by hand. You should have 12 bagels when you're done. Place these on a prepared baking sheet and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.


Heat the oven to 375°F. Fill a small pot with water and add the honey. Bring to a boil. Boil bagels, one at a time, for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The longer you boil them, the chewier they'll be. Place boiled bagels back onto the prepared baking sheet and brush with beaten egg.


Bake bagels for 22 minutes, until they are golden brown. Remove immediately from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.


These bagels will keep for up to 5 days if you store them in an airtight container.

Yeast Breads: French Toast Bagels

There's nothing like French toast, but it's messy to make. If you're looking for a similar taste but with less mess, consider making your own French toast bagels. These are soft and sweet with a maple, cinnamon flavor that is just perfect for breakfast. Consider making multiple batches. They'll disappear quickly.


Ingredients


1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
3½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
 1 cup water
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup maple syrup
 2 tbsp honey
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon


Preparation


Place yeast, flour, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss is mix. Add water, 1 egg, vanilla, and maple syrup. Blend until a loose dough forms. Turn this dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until you have a dough that is soft and elastic, about 5 minutes. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Set aside to rise in a warm location until doubled in size, about 1 hour.


Punch down the dough to remove all air bubbles. Shape into bagels either using a bagel cutter or by dividing the dough into 12 equal pieces and shaping them one at a time. Place bagels on prepared baking sheet. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.


Heat oven to 375°F. Fill a bowl with water and add honey. Bring to a boil. One at a time, boil bagels for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The longer you boil them the chewier they'll become. Place boiled bagels back on prepared baking sheet. Brush bagels with beaten egg. Combine sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of bagels.


Bake bagels for 22 minutes, until bagels are browned. Remove from baking sheet immediately and cool on wire racks.


These bagels will keep for up to 5 days if you store them in an airtight container.

Yeast Breads: Asiago Bagels

Asiago is one of my favorite cheeses. It's tart like parmesan, but packs much more flavor. These bagels have asiago in the dough and sprinkled on top, so they pack double the punch. Serve them with chive-flavored cream cheese or a fried egg for a delicious breakfast.


Ingredients


1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup water
¾ asiago cheese, grated and divided
 2 tbsp honey
1 egg, lightly beaten


Preparation


Start by placing the yeast, flour, salt, brown sugar, and water into a large bowl. Mix until you have a loose dough, then turn that dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Add ½ cup asiago cheese and knead until a soft and elastic dough forms. This will take about 5 minutes.


Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Set aside in a warm location to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough to remove all air bubbles. Shape into bagels either using a bagel cutter or by dividing the dough into 12 equal pieces and shaping them into bagels. Place on a prepared baking sheet and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.


Heat oven to 375°F. Fill a small pot with water and add honey. Bring to a boil. One at a time, boil bagels for 30 seconds to 2 minutes each. The longer you boil them, the chewier they'll be. Place boiled bagels back on the prepared baking sheet.


Brush with egg, then sprinkle with remaining asiago cheese. Bake for 22 minutes, until bagels are golden brown. Remove from baking sheet immediately and cool on wire racks.


These bagels will keep for up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container.

Yeast Breads: Basic Pretzels

There's nothing simple or basic about a pretzel, except in how they're made. A soft pretzel is easier to make than you think, and they're delicious fresh from the oven. This basic recipe gives you a place to start, but don't be afraid to get creative. And don't skip the baking soda bath. It's what makes a pretzel a pretzel.


Ingredients


1¼ tsp quick rise or bread machine yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp butter or margarine, softened
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
3 tbsp baking soda
1 egg, slightly beaten
coarse salt (optional)


Preparation


Start by combining yeast and flour in a large bowl. Toss to blend. Add butter, sugar, salt, and water. Mix until a soft dough forms. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a soft and elastic dough forms. This will take about 5 minutes. Do not over knead the dough.


Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Set aside in a warm location to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Uncover and punch down dough to remove all air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Take one piece of dough and roll it out into a long rope. 12 inches will give you a pretzels much like the picture. Roll it longer if you want a large and thinner pretzel, shorter if you want something fatter. A fatter pretzel makes a good bun for burgers, by the way.


Form the rope into a pretzel shape and press ends together to seal. Place the pretzels on a prepared baking sheet and cover. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Heat oven to 375°F.


Fill a medium-sized pot with water and add the baking soda. Bring to a boil. One at a time, boil the bagels in the baking soda bath for 30 seconds per side. When flipping the pretzels, be gentle. I use silicone tongs, but  you can use a slotted spoon as well. Just be gentle. Place boiled pretzels back on the baking sheet.


Brush the tops of the pretzels with the beaten egg, then sprinkle pretzels with coarse salt, if desired. bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until pretzels are a deep brown. Remove from baking sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.


Pretzels will keep for 5 days if you store them in an airtight container.