Spiced Chocolate Oat Cookies

I've been going on about spring now for a couple weeks. While I could do without the watery eyes and runny nose, I think these months are my favorite of the whole year. The earth is waking up from its nap; everything's in bloom, the produce is killer, and the markets are (my oh my!) very, very crowded.

It only makes sense, given my nonstop chatter about the end of winter, that I'd get a sudden and powerful molasses craving in the middle of April. It was undeniable: peas and asparagus be damned, this lady wanted ginger snaps.

Well, I couldn't really go that far. The cold season has officially passed, and with it, the time for molasses chews and gingerbread and all those lovely things. But my molasses craving left me wondering if I couldn't find some creative way to spike a non-wintry dessert with the stuff.

Enter these cookies, the love-child of molasses chew and chocolate-chocolate-chip, with some oats thrown in to acknowledge that other craving I have. These are no flabby cookies; they're thick, they're dense, and their innards are not unlike brownies. As you're taking them out of the oven, you'll give them a second look, your brow furrowed; they look underdone. Worry not: they firm up as they cool.

The result is a cookie that is at once comfortingly chocolatey and appealingly unfamiliar. The molasses and chocolate and oats combine into an almost gooey mix, and spices like cinnamon and ginger boost the molasses' flavor without nudging the cookies into winter territory.

One of the times I made these cookies, I used Equal Exchange's Spicy Cocoa in place of regular cocoa -- I loved the spiciness it added. Spicy cocoa is highly recommended: it really amps up the spice factor in these cookies.

I never thought I'd need a dose of winter in springtime, but these non-wintry cookies are the perfect cheat when the craving hits.

Spiced Chocolate Oat Cookies inspired by Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 tablespoon water 1/4 cup turbinado or demerarra sugar (regular white will do in a pinch) 1 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup molasses 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 2 large eggs 1 1/2 cups oats

In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.

In the bowl of a double boiler, melt butter and water together. When butter has mostly melted, add sugar, brown sugar, molasses and chopped chocolate. Stir just until everything is melted; you don't want the butter to separate or the chocolate to get chunky, so remove the bowl from the heat when everything has melted, even if the sugar granules haven't fully dissolved.

Off the heat, whisk in the eggs one at a time, whisking each time to incorporate. The mixture will start to look shiny. Add the dry ingredients, stirring just until they disappear. Add oats and mix just to incorporate. Scoop your cookies (by the tablespoon) onto parchment- or silicone-lined baking sheets, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to several days. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes until just done (they'll still look quite soft when you pull them out). Use a wide spatula to transfer cookies onto a rack, and cool to room temperature.

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

At this point, my quest to find the perfect oatmeal cookie has spanned several years. I've tried crisp, lacy varieties, which I find too unsubstantial. I've made those big, hunky ones -- the kind where two sticks of butter get you a mere six uber-bad-for-you cookies -- but they're so big, they're practically the blondies of oatmeal cookies: not what I'm looking for. I've tried raisins and chocolate chips, dried cranberries and dried cherries, even added pumpkin for a seasonal take on the classic. None has hit the spot.

My perfect oatmeal cookies are full of oats and studded with raisins. They're mighty crisp on the edges, but the middles have some height and a lot of chew. The batter has plenty of vanilla and a whiff of cinnamon. When you bite in, there's plenty of cookie to sink those teeth into.

I'll spoil the end of the story now, and say unabashedly that the search continues. What I'm posting here is not the ideal oatmeal cookie. But you know what? It's okay. As oatmeal cookies they may score average, but as cookies, they're just wonderful. They achieve that perfect balance of softness and chew, the sugars practically caramelized from an unusually long mixing period and an extended stay in the oven. The oats -- more sparse than in traditional oatmeal cookies, but in just the right proportion here -- add heft and home-iness. The tart cranberries and sweet, bitter chocolate cut through the rich butter and caramelized sugar, both of which are present in great proportions. I'll say it: these cookies are kinda awesome.

In making these cookies, I used the now-famous recipe for "Compost Cookies" from Christina Tosi, baker-savant at David Chang's Momofuku empire. The recipe provides a backbone upon which any number of delicious combinations can be based. Tosi recommends quirky additions like crushed potato chips and salted pretzels. I confess that I made a round of this dough with those items, and that the cookies came out pretty damn good. That said, I favor these, with more wholesome ingredients. For the adventurous, I've included Tosi's recs below.

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies adapted from Christina Tosi of Momofuku

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup light brown sugar 1 tablespoon corn syrup, optional 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1 cup oats OR: instead of the oats, include 1.5 cups of crushed pretzels, potato chips, crackers, you name it instead of the pecans/chips/cranberries, use 1.5 cups rolos, snickers, reeses, m&ms, etc

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium-high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides with a spatula.

On medium-low speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar will dissolve, and the mixture will turn pale yellow and double in size.

When 10 minutes are up, turn mixer to low and add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix 45 - 60 seconds, until dough just comes together and dry ingredients disappear. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Still on low, add in oats and mix for 30 seconds, just to incorporate. Add in pecans, cranberries, and chips, mixing again on low speed until they are evenly distributed.

Using a 6 oz. ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Set cookies about 2.5 inches apart.

Set a layer of plastic wrap over the cookie-filled sheet and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour or up to 1 week. Don't skip this step or your cookies will be runny!

7. Heat the oven to 400. Take the plastic off cookies and bake 9 to 11 minutes.

At 9 minutes, the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if cookies still seem pale.

8. Cool cookies completely on the sheet pan before transferring to a plate or an airtight container At room temperature, cookies will keep five days.

Graham Crackers

D's stepmom, Terri, has an absolute weakness for graham crackers. She says they're the one thing she absolutely can't keep in the house, because once she opens the package, she'll eat every last one. I learned this on our recent trip to Israel, and was pleased to be able to reply that in my bag, I just so happened to have two homemade graham crackers that I'd packed as a plane snack. Naturally, her eyes bulged. I bounded up the stairs and grabbed them immediately.

It had all started innocently enough: having given in several times the previous week to sugary, buttery shortbread and chocolate chip cookies and really so much more, I was determined to bake a snack that would satisfy my sweet tooth without pushing me over the edge. That whole "new year, new habits" thing has nothing to do with it, promise.

Graham crackers were the perfect choice. (They're called crackers -- how bad could they be?) I made a batch a couple days before we left; I gave a few away as holiday presents, and the rest I played around with. Some got a one-sided dunking in chocolate, others became sandwiches.

The cookies were just perfect. They were addictively crunchy, and the addition of whole wheat flour gave them a rustic, graham-y quality. And don't forget the generous dusting of cinnamon sugar to finish them off.

Now Terri wasn't all that enthused by the graham crackers, because the particular pair I'd brought were sandwiching a thick layer of intensely brown caramel, which overpowered the rather subtle flavor of the graham crackers. I liked 'em just fine, but I probably won't make them again. Graham crackers are meant to be simple, the kind of thing you munch alongside a steaming cup of tea. They satisfy a sweet craving just perfectly, no caramel or chocolate needed.

Graham Crackers adapted ever so slightly from The Washington Post

For the graham crackers

9 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour, plus more for rolling 1 1/3 cups whole-wheat flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons whole or low-fat buttermilk or milk

For the topping (optional)

1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until light.

Combine the flours, baking powder and salt on a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper.

Reduce the speed to low; add the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, in several increments, ending with the flour; beat to form a soft dough. Divide the mixture in half, then wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until well chilled.

For the topping (if using): Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Lightly flour a work surface. Working with 1/2 portion at a time (keeping the others chilled), lightly flour the top of the dough. Roll out to a rectangle with a thickness of slightly less than 1/4 inch. Use cookie cutters to cut into shapes, or use a sharp knife and a ruler to cut the dough into 2-by-3-inch rectangles. Alternatively, use a scalloped cutter to give your cookies a wavy edge. (I did this on batch number 2.) Prick each cookie two or three times with a fork, and place the unbaked crackers on the baking sheets, spaced 1/4 inch apart. Sprinkle evenly with the topping, if using.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. Bake for 6 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets before serving or storing.

Chocolate-Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread

If it wasn't obvious from my cookie page, I've got something of a permanent craving for bite-sized crunchy/chewy treats. Hanukkah isn't really a cookie-focused holiday -- it's more a celebration of your deep fryer. But Christmas is just around the corner, and every year, I get swept up in the holiday spirit. This year is no exception, and I'm more than happy to bake off a few batches in honor of the holiday cookie season. Just doing my duty, people.

Tonight's first batch was my favorite chocolate chip cookies. Everyone's got a favorite recipe: mine are pretty close to the NYT recipe, only I don't mess around with the two different types of flour, I use natural sugar instead of bleached white stuff, and I use a mix of ghiradelli chocolate chips and chopped bittersweet chocolate for textural contrast.

After a few of those were in the oven -- for D, of course, just wanted to please my lady -- I moved onto batch number two: hazelnut shortbread. Less sweet but just as buttery and full of toasted nuts, these shortbread are chocolate chip cookies' sophisticated sibling. They come together in a flash, and can be baked in any number of ways. If you're in a rush, roll the whole pile of dough into a log and stick them in the freezer for slice-and-bake action later. If you have more time, form them into little individual log cookies. Either way, dunk the finished shortbread into shiny melted chocolate (or just drizzle the chocolate on top using a fork), and roll in toasted nuts on top for some truly elegant December desserts. Oh, and by the way: they make a lovely holiday present.

Speaking of holiday presents, if buying toys isn't your thing, why not make something homemade? Fudge, sea-salt caramels, cookies, truffles, and even home-assembled cake mixes (dry ingredients layered decoratively in a jar, with instructions included) all make great gifts.

Chocolate-Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread adapted from Bon Appetit

1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup finely ground husked toasted hazelnuts (about 2 ounces) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped 1/3 cup coarsely chopped husked toasted hazelnuts or shelled, unsalted pistachios

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture until just combined.

Shape dough by tablespoonfuls into 3-inch-long logs. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies until light golden brown around edges, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool cookies completely.

Stir milk chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Place 1/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts in small bowl. Dip 1 end of cookie into melted chocolate, then into coarsely chopped hazelnuts (or pistachios, which I love for their green color). Return to rack. Repeat with remaining cookies. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour. (Cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)