BCP: Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Major apologies for a lack of posts these past few weeks! I recently started a full-time teaching job, helping my best friend plan a wedding, trying to keep my family fed and making sure my house doesn't turn into a dumpster! Weekends have been primarily chore/errand oriented and I am just now getting into a better groove. The irony is that I have about 10 recipes just waiting for a write-up but we all know that's the hard part.

So I reward your patience with a deliciously divine cookie recipe from Miss Ina. Sink your teeth into these Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Ina describes these as "reverse chocolate chip cookies."

I've made these a few times because they are super simple and really unique. Part brownie, part cookie, all decadence. The recipe is your standard chocolate chip cookie recipe with cocoa powder mixed into the dough and white chocolate instead of semisweet chips. I used Nestle's but Ghiradelli also sells them (a little more expensive).

If you're having a bad day, these are sure to put a smile on your face! Gosh, I wish I had some white chocolate in the house--I'm really craving a bite!

BCP: Rugelach

When I told my Dad I was making Rugelach as part of my holiday cookie craze, he thought I was talking about lettuce. I'm a little nervous I'm mispronouncing the name--does it sound like Arugula??

Whatever it's called, it's good! I'm still mastering those pie crust skills which again comes into play with these little beauties. The cookie part of this cookie is made from a cream cheese dough (that you can mix in a food processor!). The dough was very easy to make. I'm still getting in the groove of rolling out the dough but as long as I use plastic wrap I seem to manage.

The filling is composed of nuts, brown sugar, apricot preserves and a few other goodies. Again, just a few pulses in the food processor and its ready.

I rolled the dough into a pizza basically. Using the preserves mixture, I spread a thin layer on the dough. Then I cut the dough into 16 wedges with a pizza cutter. Starting at the outer edge, I rolled each wedge and a cute little cookie emerged.

I brought these and a few other treats to a dinner with friends. I didn't think these cookies would be a huge hit but surprisingly they were the hands-down favorite. They were warm and soft (I thought they would be hard and dry). A little time intensive but they were appreciated.

BCP: Cookies for Santa

Since we were on a cruise for Christmas, we didn't actually leave these cookies for Santa but I'm pretty sure he woud have liked them--we did!

These are your traditional chocolate chip cookies ut they use chocolate chunks instead of chips. They are one part of a trio of cookies Ina includes in her "Snow Day" celebration. I've actually made all three cookies before (chocolate chunk, peanut butter chocolate chunk and chocolate white chocolate chunk) and they get rave reviews each adn every time.

Ina is of the "bigger is better" philosophy as well as the "soft, chewy center" cookie--two schools of thought I also subscribe to.

An extra cookie tip--chill the dough before you use it. That way your cookies won't become too flat. I wish I had done that as mine were quite thin (but still super tasty).