Cookie Monsters

Saturday night was deemed Cheese and Cookie Night by our neighbors and us. We recently discovered that my and Scott's favorite food is cheese, while Adam and Jen's (Scott's fiance) is cookies. Adam and I went to Berkeley's Cheeseboard to find some fantastic cheese, including a sheep's milk and stitlon-like cheese. All I can say about that experience is that I will be returning to the Cheeseboard as frequently as possible. In addition to getting some cheese, we, of course, had to bake some cookies. We chose to be a little different and bake cookies that we don't normally make. Both the Hello Dolly Bars and White Chocolate, Strawberry, and Oatmeal Cookies were huge successes!


Hello Dolly Bars (Cooking Light, December 2007)

These were definitely the hit of the night. And, even better, they take no time at all to make!

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9 cookie sheets)
2 Tbs. butter, melted
1 Tbs. water
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butterscotch morsels
2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 (15-oz.) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper; cut off excess paper around top edge of pan.
3. Place crumbs in a medium bowl. Drizzle with butter and 1 Tbs. water; toss with a fork until moist. Gently pat mixture into an even layer in pan (do not press firmly). Sprinkle chips and morsles over crumb mixture. Top evenly with coconut and pecans. Drizzle milk evenly over top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly around edges. Cool completely on wire rack.

White Chocolate, Strawberry, and Oatmeal Cookies (Cooking Light, May 2007)

We had a difficult time finding plain dried strawberries, so we ended up using a combination of dried cherries, blueberries, and strawberries in the cookies, which worked perfectly.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 1/2 oz.)
1 cup regular oats
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried strawberries
1/3 cup premium white chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli)
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer; beat at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended. Add strawberries and chips; beat at low speed just until blended.
3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; cool on pan 1 minute. Remove cookies from pan; cool completely on wire racks.