White Maizena cookies with coconut and mini chocolate chips.

Not an easy name for a cookie to remember right? But let me say the name we give our recipes are extremely important when it comes to traffic or how one searches for a recipe online. One of the recipes that brings me more visitors to my small yet humble blog is "Harcha" and the ingredient would be "Semolina" flour. The idea for this cookie started with one simple ingredients "Maizena" I came across many recipes, some which I have made in the past such as "Melting moments" and the famous brazilian cookie "Biscoitos de Maizena" I wanted a cookie that melts in your mouth like the ones mentioned above but not as buttery and with a twist that would make people go "Wow" at first bite. This for sure will make anyone go "Wow", my husband and I shared a cookie straight out of the oven and both just looked at each other. We both agreed this is so far one of the best cookies we've ever had. The recipe was created by me, the though begun with "Maizena" and the results were simply amazing.



Ingredients
1 1/4 cup pastry flour
1/2 cup ground unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup cornstarch (Maizena)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons powder sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick butter (113 grams)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 eggwhite
2 tablespoons coconut milk
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions
In a food processor, add appriximately 1 cup of unsweetened coconut and pulse until finely ground. Sift the coconut (it must go through a sifter) along with the flour, maizena, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In a seperate bowl beat the butter, eggwhite, oil, and vanilla until well blended and a bit fluffy. If the butter breaks, worry not it will come together with a couple tablespoons of the dry ingredients. Add the coconut milk and whisk to combine. Fold in the dry ingredients to combine, toss the chocolate chips in 1 teaspoon of flour and fold into your batter. Refrigerate the cookie dough for approximately 1 hour or until firm.

Preheat your oven to 350* F. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and flatten with a fork, dipping in powder sugar to prevent from sticking to the cookie. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for approximately 10 to 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies just start to brown. Remove from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack, dust with powder sugar and allow them to cool. Dust again with powder sugar before serving.

Everything cookies (aka garbage cookies)

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Sorry I have been MIA for a few weeks, I've been busy trying to prepare for our yearly vacation and part of that includes "Starving" myself. lol...Ok all jokes aside, I've just been really busy with my boys these past few weeks and lacking in baking and cooking creativity. Hope these wonderful, anything but diet food COOKIES can make up for lost time.

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour (you can use wheat)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup M&M's candies
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped Mounts or Bounty bars (can be replaced with a chocolate bar of your choice)
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts or almonds (toasted)

Directions
In a large bowl sift your flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a seperate bowl whisk your butter, sugar, and oil until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla and continue to whisk to combine. Mix the dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and fold to combine. Fold in your candies and nuts and refrigerate for 1 hour before baking. Preheat your oven to 350* F. Drop the dough by the tablespoon onto a non stick cookie sheet spacing them 2 inches apart and bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden around the edges but the centers still soft to the touch. Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the baking sheet then tranfer to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Martha's "Chewy Cherry-Oatmeal Cookies"

I bought a camera a couple days ago and couldn't wait to snap a picture, so last night I made these very delicious cookies and ran to my camera first thing this morning. My kids were yet to be fed, so I only snaped a couple of pictures. Let me just say I'm in love with my new toy and these lovely cookies were the perfect quick snack to make.


Ingredients
Makes about 4 dozen

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, or 1 cup apple butter (a healthier alternative)
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups Quaker Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 cup dried cherries


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt; set aside. Place butter, sugar, and honey in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat to combine. With the mixer on low, gradually add reserved flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in oats and cherries.

Drop 1 tablespoon of dough at a time about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until lightly golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.


From The Martha Stewart Show, January 2007

Spiced oatmeal cookies

There's nothing better in a cold winter day than a nice batch of warm cookies. I'm a huge cookie fan but don't make them very often since most recipes are loaded with butter. The other night I decided to try baking cookies the healthy way by using only 2 tablespoons of butter and cutting back on the amout of sugar used and replacing it with honey. The results were "Oh my Gooooodness" Yes they were that good and did I mentions they were healthy? I say were because "I" ate the entire batch in 2 days. Oops!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup wheat flour
2 cups oats (quick cooking)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons choped apricots (in jam) You can also use 2 tablespoons of dry apricots and 1 tablespoon apricot jam.


Directions
Preheat oven to 350*.
In a large bowl mix your (sifted) flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside. In a medium bowl mix your egg and sugar with a hand or electric mixer until light in color and creamy. Add your honey, melted butter, apricots, vanilla and oil. Mix to combine. Mix your wet and dry ingredients until well combined (make sure not to overmix). Fold in your raisins and walnuts. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies...

No matter where I live, I will always be an all American girl and what American doesn't love chocolate chip cookies? Give me a cup of milk and I'm good to go. 1 cup flour, 1 cup chocolate chips, it seriously doens't get any better than that.


Ingredients
1 1/8 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg (room teperature)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*. In a bowl sift your flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream your butter and both sugars in your electric mixer using the paddle attachment or in a medium bowl with an electric whisk. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed and add your egg and vanilla, beat until well combined. Add your dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in your chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoon size balls onto a non stick cookie sheet and bake for approximately 8 minutes or until the edges are golden (the center of the cookies should be soft and lighter in color than the edges). Cool or eat warm with a cup of cold milk.

Pretty (coconut macaroons) with cherry on top.

Pretty? Yes, I said pretty. These easy to make coconut macaroons are delicious, crunchy on the outside chewy in the inside and have a blast of dark chocolate, cherry, and almond taste all around. They kind of remind me of those chocolate covered cherry holiday candies. My favorite chocolate for these cookies is Valor 70% cocoa (Made in Spain!) but you can use any dark chocolate of your choice.

4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 cups coconut
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon (non alcohol) vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Topping
15 maraschino cherries
1 (dark) chocolate bar
1 tablespoon coconut (to sprinkle)



In a med size bouble boiler heat and beat your egg whites, sugar, and salt until creamy and warm to the touch. In a med bowl mix your coconut and flour with a fork to combine. Add your extracts to the coconut mix and the egg mix. Mix well by hand refrigerate the dough until firm approx 1-2 hours. drop by the tablespoon onto a non stick cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until light golden in color.
Melt your dark chocolate and drop 1/2 teaspoon onto each cookie, place 1/2 a cherry on top of the melted chocolate and sprinkle with coconut.

Wheat Ghoribas with coconut and sesame seeds

My sister in law Hafida taught me how to make these delicious and healthy cookies. Hafida is the nicest, most giving person I have ever met. If we could be made out of something other than flesh and blood, I would say she is made out of dates and honey. I love her so much, may she be rewarded for her kindness...


2 cups coconut (unsweetened)
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups wheat flour (not fine wheat)
1 1/2 cups sesame seeds
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping
1 egg (beated)
3/4 cup powder sugar

Preheat oven to 350*...
In a large bowl combine sugar and eggs, beat until well blended. Add oil, cinnamon, and baking powder and continue to mix. Add sesame seeds and coconut and mix well by hand. Now you can add you wheat flour, mix until well combined. Oil your hands before you begin to form your cookies. Squeeze a small amount of dough into your hands, and roll into walnut size balls, flatten slightly (just enough to make a fat disc, if you flatten too much the cookie will expand and you will not get the nice cracks that will form on the Ghoriba). Dip one side of the cookie into the egg mix and then dip the same side into your powder sugar. Make sure to have 2 flat plates, one with your beeted egg and the other with the powder sugar. These cookies are really light, so make sure to roll well enough to compact the dough. Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 12-15 minutes or until the cookies have slightly browned and cracks have formed on the cookie.

My sister in laws hand as she mixes the cookie dough in a tagine..

Melomakarona (Greek holiday cookies)

These cookies really amazed me, I could not believe I was able to bake wonderful cookies without any eggs or butter. They are dipped in syrup, but I still like to think they're healthier than your ordinary (butter & Eggs) cookies. After reading my *The complete book of Greek cooking* cookbook I learned they're served during the Easter holiday. Since Easter is not a holiday I celebrate, I will serve these during my holidays. So whatever holidays you may or may not celebrate these cookies will still make your cookie platter shine....


1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Zest and juice of 1 large orange

2/3 cup Olive oil

6 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons orange blossom water (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 1/2 cups self rising flour sifted with a pinch of salt

1 cup chopped walnuts



For the Syrup

1 cup clear honey

1/2 cup caster (superfine Sugar)



Mix together the baking soda with the orange juice and zest. Beat the oil and sugar with a hand or electric mixer until blended. Beat in the orange blossom (optional) and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, then add and beat in the orange juice and baking soda. Using your hand gradually work the flour and salt into the mixture. As soon as it becomes possible, knead the dough until it becomes pliable.



Preheat the oven to 350*. Flour your hands and pinch off small pieces of the dough, shape them into 2 1/2 inch ovals and place on non stick baking sheets.



Using a fork dipped in water, flatten each oval dough a little. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly then transfer to a wire rack to harden.



Meanwhile make the syrup. Place the honey, sugar and 2/3 cup of water in a small pan. Bring gently to the boil, stirring continuously. Then skim any surface foam, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.



Immerse the cold Melomakarona into the hot syrup (about six at a time) and leave them cooking for about 1 minute.



Lift them out with a slotted spoon and place on a platter in single layer. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and remaining cinnamon.

Coconut Ghoribas

Ghoribas are very popular cookies throughout Morocco, the traditional ghoriba is made with flour, anise seeds, and sesame seeds but you can find other versions of the traditional cookie, such as Almond, wallnut, and coconut. Ghoribas are similar to the Macaroon but much easier to make. There is no need to make your arm sore by beating egg whites to a peak, no need to search for cream of tartar in 10 different grocery stores. You just simply mix all your ingredients in a bowl, shape in to balls, roll in powder sugar and Taddda.


5 cups shredded (unsweetened) coconut
1 cup (all purpose) flour or 1 Cup (fine) semolina
4 eggs (you can use 3 eggs if using regular flour)
1 1/4 (or 8oz) cup powder sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon Almond extract or 1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup finely choped almonds (optional)
1/4 Cup Melted butter
1/4 cup oil


Melt butter, set aside. In large bowl sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add coconut and mix with a fork. Add your eggs, butter, and oil mix by hand. Now you can add your choped almonds and mix again until almonds are evenly incorporated. The batter will be a bit sticky, so make sure to wash your hands before forming your cookies. Roll dough into wallnut size balls, wet your hands with the orange blossom, to prevent dough from sticking to your hands and for that extra orange kick to your cookies. Press ball sightly and roll in powder sugar. Place cookies 1 inch apart in a well greased cookie sheet, bake in a preheated oven for approx 20 min or until cookies appear light golden and cracks have formed on top of cookie...


adapted from, moroccanfood.about.com

Tuiles

Tuiles are thin crunchy, sweet and nutty cookie/waffer thingies... :)
I was always afraid of making them, since I read they can stick to your cookie sheet's very easily. Well, I'm scared no more. I made these in a Moroccan oven and without using a cilicone sheet. My mother in laws cookie sheet has got to be at least 10yrs old, if not more. One thing I will say is make them on a dry day and eat them that same DAY. They tend to get soft the very next day you bake them (Not that they will last that long.

1/3 cup (80 ml) orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)

Zest of one large orange

1/4 cup (50 ml) Grand Marnier

1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar

7 tablespoons (100 grams) unsalted butter, melted

2 cups (200 grams) sliced almonds (finely chopped)

1 cup (125 grams) sifted all-purpose flour


Butter well a cookie sheet by using a pastry brush dipped in melted unsalted butter. (Make sure your cookie sheet is well greased or else the cookies will stick.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (l80 C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven.

In a large measuring cup mix all the ingredients together. Let the dough rest for 10 - 15 minutes. Drop about 1 teaspoon of dough onto cookie sheet. Using a wet fork press thinly into a round shape. (Have a bowl with water close by to keep wetting your fork.) It is very important to spread the batter very thinly. The dough should be the thickness of the almond. Only put four cookies per baking sheet as they spread and have to be rolled onto a rolling pin immediately upon removing from the oven (while still warm).

Bake until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheets front to back halfway through the baking period. While these are baking prepare your next sheet.

Remove from oven and have a rolling pin and spatula or pancake turner close by. Cool the cookies for about 30 seconds to one minute, until they can be lifted without tearing, but are still flexible. Place each cookie on top of the rolling pin and gently press to get the curved shape. Quickly do the other three cookies. If cookies become too rigid to roll, return them briefly to the oven to soften.

When cool transfer to cooling rack.

Repeat with remaining batter. These are best served the same day. They tend to lose their crispness after a day. I usually make what I need for that day and save the rest of the batter in the refrigerator until later.

Note: My cooking instructor told me a way to test to see if you have made the tuiles thin enough: After baking and cooling the tuiles, drop one to the floor. If the cookie shatters into small pieces it is thin enough. If not, then the batter needs to be spread thinner.


Adapted from Joyofbaking.com