Please note that this contest is now closed and we have a winner. Thank you for entering!
It may only be October, but I believe I’ve found the perfect stocking stuffer for the upcoming holiday season. The pocket sized cookbook A Field Guide to Cookies by Anita Chu promises to assist you in learning how to identify and bake virtually every cookie imaginable. She isn’t kidding either. The author offers up recipes in all the major cookie categories including drop, bar, molded, and rolled.
Each recipe is neatly outlined with a general description of the treat, the historical background, serving suggestions, helpful baking notes, and even storage tips. Best of all, located in the center of the book are color images of every recipe. This is especially helpful due to the number of recipes inside that I’ve never heard of before. Have you ever made a Financier? How about a Speculass or a Congo Bar? Sometimes I find it hard to break out of my chocolate chip cookie comfort zone, but I sincerely believe this cookbook will nudge any home cook out of the baking rut you may be experiencing.
The Chocolate Chip Amish Puff Cookies I chose to create from A Field Guide to Cookies had a unique name and familiar ingredients. As the book states, these cookies are quite similar to the more well known snickerdoodle. There were two variations of this recipe, one with chocolate, and one without. You aren’t supposed to roll the chocolate chip version in cinnamon and sugar, but I decided to take a little liberty and they came out fabulously. As soon as I set the plate down in my office they were gobbled up in record time.
So who wants cookies?! You’ll have until Wednesday, October 8th to enter to win your very own copy of A Field Guide to Cookies. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post (one comment per person please). A winner will be selected via the nifty random number generator on Wednesday, October 8th at noon and than I’ll promptly ship the book to your home. Good Luck!
Chocolate Chip Amish Puff Cookies
Originally Published In: A Field Guide to Cookies by Anita Chu
Yield: About 2 dozen cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon (Note: I only used one teaspoon in this step)
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars on medium speed for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined.
Add the flour mixture, and mix on low speed just until combined.
Cover dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line several cookies sheets with parchment paper (Note: I use silpats).
Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in the cinnamon sugar and place on cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown. Cool cookie sheets on wire racks.