Christmas Notebook

This fall, I have been making cookie treats for the high school band when they travel for competitions. Our youngest daughter is a member of the band and I have enjoyed helping them in this small way. If there is one thing I can do, it’s bake cookies!

Friday, I made these very delicious cookies for the band.

The band got first place and the cookies got rave reviews! The recipe came from the blog Smells Like Home. I changed the recipe a bit. By adding M&M baking bits to the recipe, I made it a triple chocolate cookie rather than the double chocolate in the original recipe.

Triple Chocolate Cookies
Makes 7 dozen small cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 T unsulphured molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup good quality dark cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup M&M semi-sweet baking bits

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and molasses together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

On low speed, stir in the cocoa powder and vanilla until well blended.

Measure the flour, salt, and baking powder into a separate bowl, stir together, then add the flour to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

Fold in the chocolate chips and the M&M baking bits with a wooden spoon.

Using a small cookie scoop, place dough on the prepared baking sheets. [I was able to place 24 on each baking sheet. They did not spread much.]

Bake for 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies freeze well and would travel well, if you are mailing gifts. College students would appreciate a box of them, I am sure! The cookies could be spruced up with some frosting or a dip or drizzle of chocolate.

If you don’t have molasses on hand, use 1/2 c. white sugar and 3/4 c. brown sugar instead of the white sugar and the molasses in the recipe.

I’ve said this before, but it’s worth mentioning again. I no longer buy any brown sugar. I make it myself. That allows me to control the richness of flavor of the sugar. A light brown sugar is made by adding one tablespoon of unsulphured molasses to one cup of granulated sugar. Dark brown sugar is made by adding two tablespoons of unsulphured molasses to one cup of granulated sugar.

When a recipe calls for brown sugar, I don’t mix the sugar and molasses before adding to the recipe. I just add the white sugar and the molasses to the mixing bowl at the same time.

Another molasses tip: Adding a couple of tablespoons of molasses to a bread recipe helps the bread stay soft and moist.

~~Rhonda