Gale Gands Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies Recipes

GIANT'S THUMBPRINT BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a baking sheet.
• In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the vanilla scrapings and salt and mix until incorporated. Add the flour and mix at low speed until incorporated. Using your hands, roll the dough into golf-ball-sized balls and arrange them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet, flattening them out a bit as you go. Using your thumb, press the top of each cookie to make a shallow well. Roll your thumb back and forth to widen the well. Using a small spoon, fill the wells with jam. Bake until very lightly browned around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on the pan. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue creaming, then add the vanilla and mix. Mix in the flour and salt. Add the milk and chopped chocolate and mix. Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls and dip the top of the ball in chopped peanuts. Place on a cookie sheet 1 1/2 inches apart and push your thumb in the middle to make a depression. Bake until light golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool while you make the filling.
• To make the filling, over hot water melt the chocolate then stir in the remaining ingredients. Cool 5 minutes then fill the centers of the cookies. Allow to slightly set, approximately 10 minutes.

MARTINA MCBRIDE'S NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with waxed or parchment paper.
• Melt the Country Crock® Spread in a 3 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar and milk; bring to a full rolling boil. Boil vigorously for 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and immediately stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, and oats, stirring to combine. Add chocolate, stirring just until combined.
• Drop the dough into mounds by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Do not flatten. Let the cookies stand for 30 minutes, or until set.

GALE GAND'S PINWHEEL COOKIE DOUGH

Steps:

• In large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat on low just until combined.
• Divide dough in half. Form 1 half into 4- by 4-inch square, wrap in plastic wrap, and set aside. Return other half to mixer. In metal bowl set over pan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Add melted chocolate to dough in mixer and beat just until combined. Form chocolate dough into 4- by 4-inch square and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate both squares of dough 30 minutes.
• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut each dough square into 4 strips. Place 3 strips of chocolate dough and 4 strips of vanilla dough on baking sheet and refrigerate. Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll out 4th strip of chocolate dough into 6- by 7-inch rectangle (use ruler to make sure dimensions are exact). Remove 1 strip of vanilla dough from refrigerator and, between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll out into 6- by 6-inch square. Peel off top sheet of parchment from each dough and flip vanilla dough over onto chocolate, aligning top and bottom edges and allowing 1/2 inch of chocolate dough to stick out on each side. Run rolling pin lightly over doughs to adhere, then peel off top sheet of parchment. Fold extra 1/2 inch of chocolate dough over vanilla on 1 side. Starting on folded-over side and using parchment as aid, tightly roll up dough into log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Repeat with remaining strips of dough to form 4 logs.
• Refrigerate logs 1 hour, then remove from refrigerator and roll each log on counter several times to prevent bottom from flattening. Refrigerate 3 hours more, then transfer to freezer. When frozen, wrap in parchment paper, twist ends, and tie with decorative ribbon. Attach card with baking instructions for each log:
• Keep dough frozen until ready to slice and bake. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease 2 large baking sheets. Using sharp knife, slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake until vanilla dough is slightly golden, 9 to 11 minutes. Makes 20 cookies.

GALE GAND'S PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the butter, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, brown sugar, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Mix, using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, until the mixture is light and creamy (approx. 1-1 1/2 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add peanut butter and stir until well mixed. Add chocolate and mix briefly.
• Roll cookie dough into 48 balls using approx. 1 Tbsp. dough per ball. Place balls on an ungreased cookie pan. Dip a fork in water and press a criss-cross pattern into the top of each cookie.
• Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven 10-15 minutes.

GALE GAND'S CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Line eight muffin tins with paper cups.
• In a mixer with a whip attachment, mix together the peanut butter, egg, and sugars until smooth. Add milk in 3 additions, mixing well each time.
• Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together and add to the peanut butter mixture. Mix on low just until the flour disappears.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Spoon into muffin cups filling 3/4 full (a small ice cream scoop works well for this) and bake until puffed up and firm on top, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool in the pan.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD (MOCK NUTELLA FROM GALE GAND)

Steps:

• In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts into a paste. Add the oil, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and continue processing. Add the melted chocolate and blend well.
• Strain the mixture through a fine strainer to remove any large grains of nuts. The mixture will be thin and a little warm. Pour into a jar to let cool and thicken slightly.
• NOTE: To roast and peel hazelnuts: Preheat oven to 350°F Place nuts in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Toast until the skins are almost black and the meat is dark brown, about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through baking so ensure an even color. Let cool, then place the nuts in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, and rub until most of the skins have come off.