This one is a throwback to my childhood.  To the skinny tall yellow box that my parents may or may not have strategically placed on the very top shelf of the pantry, so that we kids would probably have a hard time reaching them.  Growing up with a diabetic dad, this was a secret “low-fat-ish” snack that he would have in lieu of double-stuffed Oreos (although those did make a very short appearance every once in a while as well….).  We’d crumble them up over ice cream, dip them in tall, cold glasses of milk, or just eat them plain out of the box.  Vanilla wafers.  Plain old fashioned goodness in cookie form.

Recently, in a discussion with someone I am very fond of, I came to learn that one of his favorite cookies was similar to the old school vanilla wafer..with fudge on top.  I stuck that in the corners of my mind and quickly did a search to see if I could find a recipe to make a homemade version.  I was pumped when Shawnda’s version came up first in my Google search, so I went off to try my own hand at it.

Now, a caveat.  They are not *exactly* like the cookies that come from the box.  They have more of a shortbread consistency to them, and they pack a little less of the vanilla flavor.  (I was tempted to try vanilla beans in lieu of vanilla extract, and next time I might add one or two beans in to add a little more vanilla punch to the cookie.)  And, as far as the fudge frosting, I found a nice smooth chocolate ganache with a little sour cream in it to add a little tanginess.  (I love piping with ganache, so that was a bonus.)  Top them off with some sprinkles?  Why, of course.

Homemade Vanilla Wafers with Fudge Frosting

Servings: approximately 24 cookies

Ingredients

For the wafers:

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the frosting:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup sour cream

Sprinkles, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. For the wafers:  In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed and mix until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

2.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

3. Add the vanilla.

4. Add the flour and mix until thoroughly combined.

5. Transfer the dough to a clean and lightly floured surface and divide it into three equal portions.

6. Roll each portion in to a 2-inch diameter cylinder.

7. Wrap each cylinder tightly with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.  *You can also do a quick freeze of about 20 minutes if you are short on time.

8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

9.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

10. Unwrap each cylinder, and very carefully, cut each cylinder into 1/4-inch thick slices.  Place each slice onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing each wafer about one inch apart from one another.

11. Bake until the wafers are lightly golden, about 12-15 minutes.  Let cool completely before frosting.

12. For the frosting: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the whipping cream and butter and stir until the butter is completely melted.

13. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Let sit for about 2 minutes before stirring.

14. After two minutes, whisk the chocolate into the melted butter mixture, mixing until completely smooth.

15. Add the sour cream and whisk until combined.

16. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

17. Pipe as desired onto the wafers.

Sources:  Vanilla wafers from Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally adapted from Williams-Sonoma.  Frosting from Bon Appétit, via Epicurious.

It’s cookie time.  Awwww, yeah.

I haven’t posted all that many coconut recipes on here yet, which is ironic considering that I do love coconut.  Usually when I make cookies, I go for something with chocolate and/or peanut butter.  But, in a recent effort to clean out my baking shelf in the pantry, the half bag of sweetened coconut caught my eye.  And the leftover jar of raspberry preserves (from these cupcakes) also caught my eye when I attempted to clean out the fridge.  Cleaning out the kitchen is a bonus. Making cookies with these ingredients equals a win-win situation.

These cookies are great for a couple of reasons.  They are simple to throw together-one bowl, a little mixing, and a relatively short baking time.  Another good reason?  Just the idea of toasted coconut makes me think of tropical, sunny weather (a much needed respite from the gray un-wintery winter here in New England).  And one more reason?  While I used raspberry jam (and baked the jam into the cookies), you could probably put anything chocolate or nutty in there (Nutella, what?) after you bake them if you wanted to avoid the jam thing.  Who doesn’t love thumbprint-style cookies?  The possibilities are endless.

So what lesson did I learn here?  Breaking out of the usual cookie shell can be a totally good thing.

Coconut Jam Cookies

Servings: 12 cookies

Ingredients

1 large egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 and 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

3. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg on medium-high speed until light yellow and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Switch to the paddle attachment, and, on medium speed, add the sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest.  Beat for 5 minutes.

5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the shredded coconut, mixing until thoroughly combined.

6. Drop the batter in 1-2 tablespoon mounds onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart from one another.

7. Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, gently make an indentation in the center of each cookie mound.

8.  Place about 1 teaspoon of the raspberry jam into the center of each cookie mound.

9. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, or until slightly golden brown.

10.  Immediately turn off the oven, crack the oven door open slightly, and let dry in the (still warm) oven for a few more minutes.  (The original recipe states another 15 minutes, but I had to rescue my cookies after about 7 minutes because they were still continuing to brown a lot.  Use your best judgement here-oven heats can vary significantly.)

Source: Slightly adapted from Williams-Sonoma.

I have one thing to say to you about this particular recipe.  You have to make these sugar cookie bars.

No, they aren’t a lot of work.  Yes, they are fantastic.

I had been meaning to make these for such a long time-they have been bookmarked for ages.  But I always went for something chocolate or in cupcake form for treats instead of making these.  The upcoming Valentines Day gave me a great excuse to try this one out-and gave me an excuse to whip out those cute little heart sprinkles I have also had in my cupboard for months.

I did not sway at all from the original recipe here.  Sugar cookie dough is one thing that I refuse to play around with too much.  And the frosting?  I didn’t change that, either, and, you know what?  I’m glad I didn’t change that, either.  It’s amazing.  A regular, smooth and sweet buttercream.  I brought these into work, and they were a big hit.

As far as the cookie dough goes, I made mine a little thicker (I baked mine in a 9 x 9-inch brownie pan instead of the jelly roll pan), and I really avoided over baking it, in order to keep it soft and pliable.  I made my cookie dough about 3/4-inch thick, and this seemed to work out well.

Will I be making these again?  Absolutely.  Maybe for the next holiday…Presidents’ Day, anyone?

Sugar Cookie Bars

Servings: about 18 bars

Ingredients

For the cookie bars:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch sea salt

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

5 tablespoons milk

Food coloring, as desired

Sprinkles, for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. For the cookie bars: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line a rimmed 10 x 15-inch (or 9×9-inch brownie pan) with parchment paper; set aside.

3. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

5. Add the vanilla.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda, mixing well.

7. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

8. Using a rubber spatula, evenly spread the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet (or brownie pan).

9. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  (They should be light golden brown).

10.  Let cool completely.

11. For the frosting:  In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

12. Add the vanilla and salt, mixing well.

13. Reduce the mixer speed to low and carefully add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time.

14. Add the milk and mix until smooth.

15. Add your desired amount of food color (if using) and mix until incorporated.

16. Frost and decorate as desired onto the cookie bars.

Source: Directly from Love and Olive Oil.