cookies

• On the stove top or in a microwave, melt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, warming until smooth. Set aside to cool.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
• In a big bowl, beat together the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, scraping bowl to make sure everything is combined. Follow up with espresso powder and vanilla, then the melted chocolate. Stir in flour mixture. Fold in the remaining chocolate chips.
• Cover mixing bowl and let dough stand for about 30 minutes so that the chocolate can set.
• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Use a teaspoon scoop to place dough spaced out on parchment-covered cookie sheet or seasoned stoneware.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let set on stove about 10 minutes before moving cookies to a rack to completely cool.
• Store in sealed containers at room temperature. Cookies may crisp up more after 1 day, but keep quite well.
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• Toast the almonds prior to beginning cookies. Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Spread almonds in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast for about 10 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside to cool for a few minutes; turn off oven.
• Measure out flour in a small bowl.
• Use a food processor to grind almonds to a fine crumb; don't process for too long or it'll turn to almond butter. Mix almond crumbs with flour.
• In a big bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, and salt, until smooth again. Add vanilla bean (or equivalent) and egg yolk. Gradually work in flour mixture. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead 3 or 4 times to form a cohesive ball.
• Place dough between two large sheets of parchment paper and compress dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Enshroud in plastic wrap. Transfer to fridge to set, at least 2 hours but as long as 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Line large baking sheet with fresh parchment paper.
• Roll out dough to closer to 1/4-inch thickness, then set aside top parchment sheet. Use a small round cookie cutter to cut dough, placing rounds spaced-out on sheet pan. Re-roll dough scraps to use up the rest, adding a touch of water, if necessary, to bring dough together again.
• Bake until edges are just turning golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Measure out remaining 1/2 cup white sugar in a bowl. Use a spatula to dip warm cookies into sugar to coat top and sides. Place on rack to cool cookies completely.
• Cookies keep well in sealed container for up to 3 days.

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• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment.
• Combine fruit and nuts with 1 cup of flour, coating everything. This will prevent the fruit from sinking as the cookies bake.
• Cream together the butter, shortening, and sugars. Add the eggs with the vanilla and almond extract. Stir in the remaining flour with the baking soda and salt.
• Stir in the fruit/nut/flour mixture until just combined.
• Drop dough by tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

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• Preheat oven at 375-degrees.
• Zest then juice the orange. Place dried cranberries in bowl and pour orange juice over them, stir, then set aside to soak
• In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars. Add the egg. Stir in orange zest.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually blend with butter mixture. Measure 2 tablespoons of orange juice from the bowl, and add to the dough. Drain off the rest of the orange juice (discard it or save it to drink) and add the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips to the dough. Combine.
• Use a tablespoon scoop or spoon to space out dollops of dough on baking sheet; cookies will spread. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until cookies are golden and set. Let set on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to completely cool. Repeat with the next batch(es).
• Store in a sealed container.

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• Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, stir together oil, sugar, eggs, and molasses. In a separate bowl, sift together the two flours, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet until it is the same consistent brown.
• Divide the dough in half on the prepared baking sheet. Form each into a log about 4 inches wide and 10 inches long; make sure there is space between the two logs, as they'll grow in the oven.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until tops are set when tapped. Remove the baking sheet from oven, but leave the oven on.
• Let the biscotti cool for 10 minutes. Use a large knife, such as a bread knife, to diagonally slice the logs 1/2-inch apart. Use a straight-down motion to cut; don't saw.
• Arrange the biscotti spaced out on the baking sheet. Stand them up if possible, or lay them on their sides. Bake for another 15 minutes, flipping them over halfway if necessary, to equally crisp both sides.
• Cool completely on the baking sheet.
• Zap white chocolate chips with shortening in microwave for 20 seconds, stir, then continue to repeat until it stirs smooth; keep a close eye on it, as the chocolate can burn fast! Use a fork to drizzle white chocolate over biscotti, or dip an end of each biscotti into chocolate.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature as long as a few weeks. Can also be frozen.

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• In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Thoroughly combine. Beat in the flour, then fold in the golden raisins. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours; this is necessary, as the dough is very sticky, and it's even stickier when warm
• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. In a small bowl, combine the two topping ingredients. Use a tablespoon (a scoop doesn't work well with such sticky dough) to form 1-inch balls; roll them in the topping mix, and place spaced out in a cookie sheet,
• Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are set. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes before moving to a rack. Store in a sealed container.

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