White Chocolate Chip Lemon Cookies

March 3, 2013 by 6 Comments

A new McDonald’s opened up this week 5 minutes from my house.  Before it’s opening, the closest McD’s was 40 minutes away… so we hardly ever went there.  The McCafe serves giant white chocolate chip lemon cookies that are SO YUM!  They are crisp on the edges and soft in the middle and full of lemon flavor.  Unlike like cookie I’ve ever had at a fast food restaurant before.  I just new I had to recreate these cookies at home!

And what better time than right before my hubby is going away for a few weeks to train for his upcoming deployment.  A big platoon of soldiers needs cookies to fuel themselves while training, right? :) So into the kitchen I went this morning to whip up a batch.

You could have these cookies made in about 30 minutes – they’re that simple yet so super delicious!  I made a bunch of little cookies so they would go further, but you could easily make them bigger – like the one I got at McD’s!

Enjoy!

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White Chocolate Chip Lemon Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 11 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
  • 2 cups white chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
  3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, press the lemon zest into the white sugar until it's fluffy and fragrant. Add the brown sugar and butter and cream until smooth and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the egg.
  5. Mix in the lemon juice.
  6. Add the flour and mix until just combined.
  7. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
  8. Roll golf ball size (1in) balls of dough in your hand and gently press them onto the cookie sheet 1-2 inches apart- slightly flattening them.
  9. Bake 9-11 minutes or until air bubbles form and the edges SLIGHTLY turn golden.
  10. Remove from the oven and cool on the cookie sheet 3 minutes. NOTE: If you remove them before 3 minutes, they will be too soft and will break.
  11. Move to a wire rack to cool completely.
  12. Store in an air tight container for 3-4 days or EAT IMMEDIATELY!
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Filed Under: chocolate chip cookies, cookies, fruity cookies, lemon, recipes, white chocolate

Lemon Raspberry Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

January 28, 2013 by 1 Comment

Lemon Raspberry Shortbread Sandwich Cookies by JavaCupcake.com

Lemon Raspberry Shortbread Sandwich Cookies.  Yea.  You read that correctly.  These cookies are the perfect combination of lemon and raspberries.  Sweet and tart.  I’ve made lots of lemon and raspberry combos (Lemoncino Raspberry Cupcakes & Lemon Raspberry Tart Pie – just to name a few) in the past… but I think this one may be one of my favorites.

I took a basic shortbread cookie and filled it with the most delicious raspberry jam and then topped it with a simple lemon drizzle.  Simple but so yum!  The day I made these, I also took the same shortbread cookies and filled them with a creamy lemon filling.  Those were super yum too!  But I think these were my favorite.

I hope you try these cause they are super easy and super delish!

Enjoy!

Lemon Raspberry Shortbread Sandwich Cookies by JavaCupcake.com

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Lemon Raspberry Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 12-15 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

    Lemon Shortbread
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature and soft
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups sifted flour - measure after sifting
    • Raspberry Filling
  • Use your favorite raspberry jam. (I used a local homemade jam made by a cute little old German couple - best jam I've EVER had!)
    • Lemon Drizzle
  • 1 heaping cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

    Lemon Shortbread
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of your mixer, press the lemon zest into the sugar. Your sugar will become thick and fragrant.
  3. Add the butter to the sugar and cream until fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated.
  4. Mix in 1 Tbsp of the fresh squeezed lemon juice.
  5. Add the flour and mix on low until a dough ball forms.
  6. Place dough on a lightly floured counter and knead 2-3 times until smooth.
  7. Roll dough out about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
  8. Using a 2 1/4in biscuit cutter (I used one from a Martha Stewart set), cut cookies and place onto prepared cookie sheet.
  9. Bake on center rack in your oven for 12-13 minutes or just until the edges begin to brown. Remove immediately to a wire rack to cool completely.
    10. Lemon Drizzle
  10. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and sugar.
  11. With a fork, stir until smooth and no lumps remain.
    12. Assembly
  12. Spread the raspberry jam in a thick layer on the bottom side of one cookie almost to the edges.
  13. Place another cookie on top of the jam (bottom side of the cookie face down on the filling) and press gently until the filling reaches the edges.
  14. Drizzle lemon and sugar mixture over the top of each cookie.
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Filed Under: cookies, filled cookies, fruity cookies, lemon, raspberries, recipes, shortbread

Lemon Blackberry Shortbread Cookies

December 18, 2012 by 1 Comment

Every holiday season I’m always on the lookout for a great new cookie to add to my recipe box.  Last week, more than 500 cookie recipes were posted in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap including my recipe for Candy Cane Crinkle Blossoms.

Lemon Blackberry Shortbread Cookies by JavaCupcake

While browsing through all the fantastic cookies, I came across these beautiful raspberry almond thumbprint cookies by Saving Room for Dessert.  Tricia’s recipe is so simple that I couldn’t resist trying them myself!

In my cabinet I have this beautiful jar of handmade Blackberry jam made by a local German couple.  I have tried 5-6 different flavors of their jams and they are THE BEST I’ve ever tasted.  I am definitely spoiled being able to have access to such quality, homemade foods here in Germany!  So, I decided to use this jam for these cookies and flavor the dough with lemon instead of almond.  Lemon and blackberry make an amazing combination, so I’m sure these cookies will be a hit!

PS…. If I were to make these again, I’d make them more like thumbprint cookies and make the hole for the jam bigger… more jam the merrier!

Enjoy!

 

Print
Lemon Blackberry Shortbread Cookies

Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

    Cookies
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • Blackberry jam
    • Lemon Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3-4 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tsp lemon extract

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. I used a hand mixer, but you can use your stand mixer if that's easier for you.
  2. Add the lemon extract and mix until combined.
  3. With the mixer on low, blend in the flour. The dough will be clumpy.
  4. In the bowl, knead the dough 8-10 times or until it's come together to form a ball.
  5. Wrap dough ball in plastic and chill for 1 hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  7. Shape 1 inch balls of dough and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
  8. Using the tip of a wooden spoon, press a hole into the center of each cookie at least 1/2 way down.
  9. Fill each hole with blackberry jam. (I used a piping bag with the jam in it to squeeze into each hole.)
  10. Bake for 13-14 minutes or until golden brown. Let cookies stand for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Once cool, mix the powdered sugar, cream and lemon extract. Drizzle over each cookie. (Again, I filled a piping bag filled with the glaze to drizzle over each cookie.)
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Filed Under: blackberry, Christmas, cookies, filled cookies, frosted cookies, fruity cookies, glaze, lemon, recipes

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Hug Cookies

January 8, 2012 by 4 Comments

Valentine’s Day is just a few short weeks away… and you know what that means? LOTS AND LOTS of delicious baked yummies all colored in pink and red for this holiday full of LOVE!

Actually, it’s just another reason for me to bake. Haha. My hubby and I don’t usually celebrate Valentine’s Day because he’s either been in the field training or deployed to war. This year, he’s home…. but we’re still not celebrating.

Instead, I’ll be making cookies and cupcakes in the weeks leading up to this mushy, pink, lovey dovey holiday!

But seriously, is anyone really going to complain about that? Probably not!

My first cookie is a spin on all the holiday blossom cookies I made during December. Hershey’s has a raspberry filled white and pink hug KISS this season which I thought would go perfectly on top of a blossom cookie! So these cookies are made with my favorite raspberry jam and a super dark chocolate rolled in hot pink sugar crystals and topped with a Hershey’s Raspberry Kiss! nom nom nom nom

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Hugs Blossom Cookies
Makes 3+ dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup raspberry jam (I used Smuckers because it’s my favorite!)
2 cups flour
2 tbsp milk
3.5 oz chopped 70% dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup hot pink sanding sugar
Hershey’s Raspberry Hug Kisses

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the sugar, butter, salt and vanilla.   About 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the raspberry jam, scrape the sides of the bowl, and mix until well combined.
  4. Add the flour and mix on medium speed until combined.  Add the milk just before flour is completely combined.   This will help the flour incorporate into the dough.
  5. Add the chopped chocolate and fold in using a spatula.
  6. Chill for 20 minutes in refrigerator.
  7. Scoop 1 inch balls of dough and roll in hot pink sugar crystals.   Place on a baking sheet at least 1-2 inches apart.  (Note: Don’t roll dough balls any larger than 1 inch or they will spread too much on your cookie sheet!)
  8. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
  9. Immediately press a Raspberry Hug into the middle of each cookie.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Eat and enjoy!
Filed Under: blossoms, chocolate, chocolate cookies, cookies, dark chocolate, fruity cookies, holiday, raspberry, recipes, seasonal, valentine's day

Mandarin Orange & Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

December 18, 2011 by 2 Comments

I’ve got this yummy box of mandarin oranges just sitting on my counter.  I don’t know what it is… but I think my family might be all mandarin oranged out.  I think this might be our third box this season… so yeah, it was about time to do something with them before they went bad.

But what?  Oh… duh, COOKIES!  haha  It’s that time of year and I’ve been doing nothing but baking cookies lately.  So, why not mandarin orange cookies?  But hmmm…. what goes with orange in cookies… hmmmmm??? CRANBERRIES!  Oh and WHITE CHOCOLATE!

I took a basic brown sugar cookie cookie dough recipe and transformed it into a super amazing Mandarin Orange & Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie!

Now, I used fresh cranberries and fresh oranges, but I’m sure if all you had was canned or jarred that would be okay too.  I just love the idea of big chunks of fresh fruit in these cookies!

I’ve seen some with a glaze on top, but I didn’t want to hide the chunks of fruit inside of them, so I just topped them dough with sugar before baking.  I think they’re pretty much PERFECT!

Mandarin Orange & Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp orange extract
3 tbsp orange juice
Zest of one Mandarin orange

2 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup halved fresh Mandarin orange slices (about 4 Mandarin oranges)
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks (I used a mix of both cause that’s what I had on hand)

1/4 cup sugar, for dusting

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.
  3. Add the egg, extract, zest and orange juice.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on high for 3-4 minutes or until the dough is light and fluffy.
  4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
  5. Add the flour to the butter/sugar and mix on low until just combined.
  6. Fold in the halved orange slices, chopped cranberries and white chocolate.
  7. Drop 1 tbsp of dough onto the cookie sheet, 1-2 inches apart.  Do not place more than 12 on a sheet, the cookies spread and need room!
  8. Dust each mound of dough with sugar.
  9. Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges begin to brown.  Do not overbake!
  10. Remove and let cook on sheet for about 1 minute.  Remove to a wire rack to cool complete.
Filed Under: cookies, cranberries, featured, fruit, fruity cookies, mandarin orange, orange, recipes