Friday, May 30, 2014

German Chocolate Cookies


 
Dear Readers, where has the month of May gone?   Really, it is one of my favorite months of the year.  We made these delicious German Chocolate Cookies for my daughter's high school graduation, and then have made them several times again.  They are simply delicious, and after eating them you think, "Well, I probably won't be making German Chocolate Cake ever again." You get the taste of German Chocolate Cake without the fuss.  
 
Tatianna is the second on the left.

 

The cookies are made with three steps
 
 
This idea is not original with me.  I am sure that I saw this idea somewhere on the Internet and it hid in the back of my mind until I wanted to make something different for Tati's graduation party. 
 
The chocolate sugar cookies are from Lila Loa's blog.  She was a presenter at Cookie.Con this year.  She is a wonderful cookie maker and her chocolate sugar cookie recipe is very good. 
 
 Step 1
 Lila Loa's Chocolate Sugar Cookies
 
1 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening -- I didn't add this; I added 1/4 cup of butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup cocoa
3 or 3 1/2 cups flour (see below for guidance)

Cream butter, shortening and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add baking powder and salt and mix again. Stir in the cocoa until well blended. Add flour 1 cup at a time. She advises that if you are going to make the cookies right away only add 3 and 1/2 cups of flour.  If you are going to chill them or make them on another day only add 3 cups.  The dough will be soft and look all wrong, and she advises not to add more flour.  I have only made them when I am planning to bake them right away.  Bake at 375 F for 6 1/2 minutes. She rolls her cookies 3/16-inch thick.  This makes a very nice cookie -- it doesn't spread a lot.  It makes about 12 large cookies (I double it).    I always under cook the cookies a little, and then I let them cool on the pan for about 10 minutes.  I then place them on a cooling rack for at least and hour before decorating or frosting.
 
Step 2
German Chocolate Frosting
(via Betty Crocker)
 
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg yolks
1 -1/2 cups flake coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
 
Mix sugar, butter, milk, vanilla , and egg yolks  in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thick, about 12 minutes.  After about 12 minutes, stir in coconut and pecans (sometimes I toast them).  Beat until spreading consistency.  Don't worry it if doesn't thicken right away; it will thicken as it cools.  When cooled, spread on chocolate sugar cookies.
 
Step 3
 
Melt chocolate chips, semi-sweet or milk, in microwave in micro-wave proof bowl, in ten second intervals, making sure to stir after each time.  Take the chocolate and a fork and drizzle over the cookies.  Allow chocolate to harden, before serving. 
 
 
I made some royal icing cookies with this chocolate cookie recipe for a friend who just had a baby.
 


These cookies are notes made for Tati's piano teacher.  She just had her last piano recital.
 

 
Thanks for dropping by my couch. 
 
 
 
I


6 comments:

Sarah said...

What a clever idea! Thanks for sharing, Joni, and congratulations to Tatianna on her graduation.

Sue said...

You have been a busy baker! Love the idea of German chocolate cookies as opposed to making a whole cake:)I even have some leftover frosting in the freezer from when I did make a German chocolate cake for my son-in-law:)
Congrats to Tatianna!

Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...

Oh my, I have always loved German chocolate cake. I know I would love these! Congratulations to Tatianna on her graduation.

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kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

Congratulations to Tatiana on her graduation, Joni. Since I love German Chocolate Cake I know I'd love these. Thanks for sharing.

Debbie said...

Just getting around here. I'm running in circles lately. (What's new with that?)

I can't make these.
Nope.
I can't be trusted.
German chocolate cake is my absolute favorite dessert in the world. I would snarf in the entire batch, and not one at a time either.

These look delicious!

Engageya