Cornmeal Sage Thumbprints

ingredients
1 18-ounce refrigerated sugar cookie dough
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
fresh sage leaves
apricot preserves or orange marmalade
directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together one 18-ounce roll or package refrigerated sugar cookie dough; 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal; 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed; and 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel until combined. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each ball to make an indentation. If desired, place a very small fresh sage leaf into each indentation. Fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon apricot preserves or orange marmalade.

2. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly golden around edges. Cool for 1 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 40 cookies.

TO STORE: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

from here

4-ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

ingredients
1 16-1/2-ounce package refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
1 cup dried banana chips, coarsely crushed
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1/4 cup turbinado sugar, demerara sugar, or colored coarse sugar
directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine cookie dough, banana chips, and chocolate pieces. Seal bag; knead mixture with your hands until dough is well mixed. Remove dough from bag.

2. Place sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten balls slightly.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Makes about 40 cookies.

4. To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

from here

Lemon-Thyme Olive Oil Cookies

Ingredients

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 tablespoons milk
* 1 large lemon, zested and juiced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.

Put the flour, sugar, baking soda, pepper, and thyme into a bowl and whisk together to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, milk, lemon juice, and zest. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon until you form a nice smooth dough.

Roll heaping teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies about 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are browned around the edges. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.



Food Network

Chocolate Pillows

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup port or red zinfandel*
* 1 Tbsp. sugar
* 1/4 cup dried tart cherries
* 1 Tbsp. butter
* 2 cups canola oil or cooking oil
* 12 wonton wrappers
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 3-oz. bar bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into 6 pieces
* Sugar
* Vanilla ice cream
* Grated bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

Directions

1. For sauce, in a small saucepan heat port to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, 3 to 4 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup. Add 1 tablespoon sugar; cook and stir 1 minute. Add cherries; cook 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and whisk in butter; cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until temperature reaches 350 degrees F. While oil heats, lightly brush edges of one wonton wrapper with some of the beaten egg. Place 1 piece of chocolate in center atop wonton wrapper. Place another wonton wrapper atop. Press edges to seal.

3. Cook filled wontons, one at a time, in hot oil for 1 minute or until golden brown, turning frequently to brown evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Adjust heat as needed to maintain oil temperature. Cool wontons slightly. Sprinkle wontons evenly with sugar.

4. Serve wontons with sauce and ice cream. Sprinkle ice cream with grated chocolate and serve with two spoons. Makes 2 servings.

5. *Test kitchen tip: If using zinfandel, increase sugar in sauce to 2 tablespoons.

BHG.com

Deep Fried Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Ingredients
Dough:

* 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
* 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup pasteurized eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups (12-ounce package) chocolate chips

Batter:

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 large egg (or 1/4 cup pasteurized eggs)
* 1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda, plus more if needed
* Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

For the dough: Put the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and stir it with a whisk to combine. Set aside. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter until it is lighter in color. Slowly add in sugars and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat until they are incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture using the low speed, then stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

To form the cookies: Use 2 teaspoons of the dough and roll it into balls. Put the balls onto a cookie sheet. When they are all made, put them into the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm up.

For the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the egg and half the seltzer and whisk well to combine. Add more seltzer as needed until the batter is thick and the consistency of heavy cream.

To make the cookies: Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F.

Dip the chilled dough balls in the batter and carefully place them into the hot oil. Fry a few at a time, turning them over from time to time, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Drain on paper towels and serve while still warm.

Food Network