I’m not going to tell you that you have to have a cookie party in order to be happy, but for me it was a big milestone along the way, so I decided to leave you with my best advice for how to throw a party of your own. Does your party have to revolve around cookies? No. Does pretty much everyone love cookies? Yes. And I think that says it all. You could pick a different theme for your next party, but why would you want to?
I’m no Emily Post. Or Martha Stewart. I don’t turn up my nose at paper napkins. And I’m not a food snob, either, so I’m not going to send you in search of organic, locally produced flour or tell you to grind your own spices. The only hard-and-fast rule here is that the cookies at your party must be homemade. You don’t have to make them all yourself—you can have friends bring some—but the cookies must be made by someone you know (and, no, that nice guy at the local bakery does not count). One year a coworker’s mother’s manicurist made cookies. And they were amazing! He didn’t try to pass them off as his own, and he was happy to brag about her skills. A year before I had started giving out blue ribbons to the best cookie of the evening (I enlisted a panel of friends to judge), and the manicurist’s cookies won that year. They were homemade, after all, and by very well-maintained hands.
So it’s absolutely fine to invite cookie donations, but I think the lion’s share of the cookies should come from your own kitchen. How you serve them is totally up to you, though. If you want to serve all those homemade cookies on paper towels or old newspaper, I really don’t care. In fact, the best parties I’ve ever been to have been the least formal. I have fond memories of my mother’s friends coming over for bridge or mah-jongg, and my mother filling bowls with chocolate licorice and setting out some grocery store cheese and crackers on a tray. It wasn’t fancy, but it was fun, and it felt special to me and to her friends. My cookie parties are my version of my mother’s bridge and chocolate licorice. The only difference is that I serve way more booze.
IT ALWAYS MAKES ME laugh when I open up a magazine about cooking for a crowd and the home kitchen in the picture is the size of my entire apartment. What’s to complain about if you have at least two ovens and a second freezer in the basement? When you live in an apartment with a kitchen the size of a restaurant bathroom, you have to be a lot more creative, and advance preparation is key. But don’t let the size of your kitchen (or your apartment) scare you away from having a party. If I can do it, you can do it. Here’s a picture of my own galley kitchen to prove that I’m not secretly in possession of a magazine-worthy spread.
If, like me, you have just one refrigerator and freezer, then I definitely recommend that you eat up the contents of your freezer in the weeks leading up to your party, because your freezer is going to become your best friend. It’s where you’re going to store your chocolate chip cheesecake squares (recipe on page 106) and all the cookie dough that you’re going to mix up in advance.
One of the nice things about cookies is that they’re not really attached to any particular season. Sure, everyone thinks of cookies at Christmas, so a holiday party is a no-brainer, but I also like throwing cookie parties in the fall, right when the weather is starting to get crisp. And there’s no reason you can’t have one in the spring or even in the summer (you can give your friends an excuse not to skip town for the beach). And because cookies can be baked at least a day in advance (and bar cookies can be baked and frozen even further in advance), you don’t have to worry about heating up your house or apartment on the day of the party. Just add some nice, cold champagne, and a selection of wines and soft drinks, and you’re good to go for any time of year. It’s up to you if you want to decorate with fresh flowers, fall leaves, or evergreen.
Truth be told, I’m not big on decorating, but when I first started working in TV, the stylist I hired to help me figure out how to dress for the camera also offered to decorate my cookie parties for me. It was amazing what he did with some brown butcher paper. He crumpled it so that it had the texture of old parchment and covered my dinner table with it, which looked like a million bucks. In the fall he hung it on the walls and created fall foliage out of more paper and raffia. At one of my holiday parties he hung icicles all over the apartment. If decorating is your thing, then maybe you don’t need someone like him, but if you’re like me, then my advice is to grab a stylish friend and put him or her to work so you can focus on other things. And remember that as long as your bathroom is clean, most guests care way more about what they eat and drink than what’s hanging on the walls.
That’s the general stuff. Now let’s break things down.
A fun party is a crowded party. I don’t want to be able to see the floor when I’m having a party. So when you’re thinking of making your invite list, don’t think about how many people you can comfortably fit in your space—think about how many people you can uncomfortably fit in there. And remember that not everyone is going to come at the same time.
My friends make fun of me for inviting every new person I meet to my next cookie party, but my approach makes for a great mix of people. I never know who’s going to walk through my door (including Tony Soprano). If you aren’t the type to invite every stranger you encounter, that’s okay, but definitely give your guests the option of bringing a plus-one. That way you’ll meet some new people, and your guests will too.
E-mail your invites about five weeks in advance of the party, and then do a follow-up reminder e-mail about two and a half weeks before. You definitely don’t have to get fancy with the invite, but I think it’s fun to throw in a picture and get clever with your subject line so people start getting excited in advance. When I was flipping through a teen magazine for work a number of years ago, I spotted some illustrations that I really liked, so I asked the editor there if I could hire the artist to do some work for me. It turned out that the artist was actually a teenaged reader named Hannah Alexander. I ended up hiring her to work on my website and to do a bunch of my cookie party invites. Here’s one of my favorites, with me and Lucky:
© by Hannah Alexander
Just remember: this is a cookie party. So you can serve bar cookies and brownies, but if the dessert requires a fork, don’t serve it. I’ve also found that fresh fruit desserts are tricky. And if you put together fresh fruit with something that needs to be sliced and then eaten with a fork, I’m afraid that’s a no go. I’ve had guests bring fresh fruit tarts that were absolutely gorgeous, but for some mysterious reason they weren’t gobbled up. In my experience it’s much safer to stick with rich, satisfying cookies and bar cookies that are easy to eat and require only fingers.
Look at the yield of all your recipes (and make sure you follow the directions for how big or small to make the cookies so that you don’t end up with far fewer cookies than you expected). Figure that at least half your guests will bring someone if you’ve given them the option. Now calculate how many guests you’re likely to have and figure that you’ll want to allow for about five cookies per person. Then I always make a few extra batches—trust me, you will not believe how many cookies adults can devour. My standby for backups is my trusty chocolate chip cheesecake bars because I can serve them right out of the freezer.
When you’re figuring out what cookies to serve, consider your invite list. I’ve observed that men love chocolate and peanut butter, so they love anything chocolate, anything peanut butter, and anything chocolate with peanut butter. Or peanut butter with chocolate. At the risk of generalizing, I will say that women can be a little trickier. There are women who aren’t afraid to eat and like everything, and obviously they’re the easiest and most appreciative. Then there are women who don’t want to reveal in public that they like cookies. For these women (and some more rigorously health-conscious men), the oatmeal cookie was invented. The truth is that oatmeal cookies are no lower in calories or fat and sugar than anything else, but people convince themselves that oatmeal as an ingredient makes the cookies healthy. Finally, there is one sure bet that’s a hit with everyone, male or female: brownies.
One last note: no matter what you make, if you take my advice to keep the serving size small, then your guests will actually end up eating more.
I’ve tried serving mixed drinks in the past, but then I found them to be a big headache. So now I just serve champagne and wine. I always start out with one bottle per four to six people that I’ve invited. Guests will bring more, and I’ve never run out of alcohol. I also provide soft drinks and lots of ice, because sugar can make you thirsty. And in case someone brings a bottle of vodka or other liquor, I have some orange juice and cranberry juice for mixing. One year a coworker brought a few cartons of eggnog and it was such a hit that I’ve served it every year since.
One of the hardest things about entertaining is making sure everything is prepared and baked on time. Thankfully cookies are sturdy and you can bake them in advance. And there’s lots of other preparation you can do in advance as well. You’ll still be frantic the day of your party, but at least you’ll be organized.
Make your grocery list and purchase as much as possible. As soon as you’ve sent your invites, collected all your recipes, and calculated how much booze you need, you can start buying what you need. Anything nonperishable can be purchased way in advance, and butter and eggs last a long time, too, so if you’ve got the time, go ahead and buy everything you can (and have room to store).
Make a list of supplies, and check that you have everything you need. I buy many of my supplies at a baking supply store. If you don’t have one in your town, check the web. I’ve also had great luck at department stores and big box stores. Here’s a list of what I recommend having in your arsenal:
1. A set of mixing bowls.
2. A good rubber spatula for scraping out bowls.
3. A nice, thin spatula for lifting cookies off trays (the thinner the better).
4. Ice cream scoops, for scooping drop cookies. I use a ⅜-ounce scoop most often, but for a few recipes in this chapter I use a ⅞-ounce scoop.
5. Cookie sheets. If your oven is wide enough to hold two cookie sheets side by side, then you should have four cookie sheets so that you can always have two ready to go with uncooked cookies when the baked ones come out. I like having a mix of cookie sheets—full sized and half sized. I love the half-sized sheets for the remaining dough that won’t fill up a whole sheet.
6. Baking pans. For bar cookies and brownies, I recommend having a few sets of 9 x 13–inch pans. As with the cookie sheets, if you can fit two pans side by side in your oven, then have four of them if possible. This saves a lot of time. Remember, you can always borrow from friends. I like metal pans—preferably dark—with straight sides and sharp corners. For the life of me I don’t know who invented pans with curved edges—they’re the worst.
7. Mixer. You don’t have to have an expensive standing mixer in order to have a cookie party (although if you do have one, that’s great, and if you can borrow one, that’s great too). A hand mixer with a strong motor should tackle any recipe in this book. That said, if you can save up and buy your own standing mixer, I think it’s an excellent investment. It will make baking so much more enjoyable. I bought mine from a neighbor who was moving to France. He didn’t want to lug it to Europe, so I got a great deal. I love it, and I think it looks beautiful in my kitchen. I affectionately wipe it down after each recipe—it’s one of my most prized possessions.
8. Parchment paper. Lots and lots of it. I adore the stuff, and I share that love with all the pastry chefs I’ve ever known. However, I’m not a fan of the rolled parchment paper you can find in the supermarket. It’s always curling up and it never tears cleanly. I buy precut cookie-tray-sized sheets from a cooking supply store on the web. The sheets come lying flat, so they’re much easier to work with. You’ll notice that for bar cookies I always recommend lining the pan with parchment paper, with a few inches overhanging each of the short sides. This way you can use those extra few inches of paper like a handle to lift the entire recipe out of the pan. It’s so much easier than buttering a pan and worrying about messing things up while you try to dig them out with a spatula. Parchment paper is just as great for lifting cookies off trays. Alfred Stephens taught me this trick that I use to this day—it’s like magic, similar to pulling a tablecloth off a table fast without having anything spill: once the cookies were cooled a bit on a large cookie sheet, he’d take the edge of the parchment paper and quickly pull it (and the cookies) off the tray. It made a sound like wissshhh. The cookies amazingly stayed on the parchment paper and then he could quickly reuse the cookie sheet for another batch. He kept repeating this until he had stacks of cookies. It made the process very fast and efficient. (One note of caution: while learning this, expect some cookies to hit the floor.)
9. Self-sealing plastic bags, cellophane, and foil. For wrapping and freezing cookie dough and already baked bars.
10. Foldable cooling racks. If you have a lot of baked goods cooling at once you can spread these anywhere—dining table, coffee table, wherever you’ve got surface area (you’ll need it).
11. Plastic serving trays. You can get these at a good stationery or party supply store.
12. Placecards and toothpicks. For writing the names of cookies and labeling trays. (More on this below.)
13. Paper bakery boxes. This is the best way of storing drop cookies once you’ve baked them. I’m not a fan of plastic containers, because I find that storing in plastic can affect the texture of baked goods. But if you have them, by all means use them. They work just fine.
14. Paper plates and napkins. Don’t even think about washing dishes.
15. Plastic glassware. Ditto. And I have to add that I know the tall red 12-ounce plastic cups are all the rage, but I think the clear 6-ounce glasses are classier.
16. Plastic goodie bags. For sending cookies home with guests at the end of the night. This way, no leftovers! Around the holidays you can find decorated plastic zipper bags, which are a cute way of sending home goodies.
Bake and freeze bar cookies. People are often surprised how far in advance I make them, but it’s so great (and calming) to get these out of the way, and they freeze really well. The key to freezing bar cookies is to cool them, then refrigerate them until they’re very firm. Then you can slice them, carefully remove them from the pan (lifting up by the short edges of the parchment paper that you’ve used to line the pan) and freeze them wrapped in a double layer of cellophane and foil.
Mix and freeze drop cookie batter in plastic zipper bags. Be sure to label them.
Mix, roll out, and freeze rolled-out cookie dough (such as the gingerbread men on page 69). Once you’ve rolled out the dough, you can lay it flat between sheets of parchment paper, then wrap it in a double layer of cellophane and foil and freeze flat.
Make cookie labels. Get those placecards you bought and write the names of all the cookies and bars you’re making, then attach each one to a toothpick with a little tape. Be sure to leave some of these blank just in case your guests bring some cookies that you’d like to label.
Thaw drop cookie batter.
Bake drop cookies, cool on racks, and store between layers of parchment paper in paper bakery boxes, or plastic containers. Store in the fridge if you have room, or in the coolest, driest place in your home. I’ve even stored cookies on the inside ledge of a window, with the window slightly cracked—instant refrigeration in the colder months.
Thaw rolled-out cookie dough.
Cut and bake rolled-out cookie dough. Store between layers of parchment paper in paper bakery boxes or plastic containers. Can be left in a cool dry place until you’re ready to put out for the party.
Clean and decorate (if you like).
Thaw all the bar cookies you made, except for the chocolate chip cheesecake bars—those can stay frozen until you’re ready to serve them.
Chill booze and drinks. If there’s not enough room in your fridge (there’s never enough in mine), you can use a cooler that you already own, or buy several Styrofoam box coolers and fill them with ice. Keep them near the bar so that guests can help themselves.
Roll up rugs and move out as much furniture as possible (see more about seating later in the chapter).
Clear surfaces where you’ll be serving food and drinks.
Create layering foundations on serving tables. You want some trays to be high and some to be low. This creates visual interest. You can even turn over a bowl and set a tray on top. I’ve also used an empty glass hurricane lamp, filling it full of cookies (sturdy ones are best for this). Get creative.
Put out napkins, plates, and plastic cups.
Arrange the first round of cookies. Place cookies on trays, poke a label into one cookie or bar on each.
Assemble the bar. I use a rolling cart from my kitchen.
Light candles. I love scented candles, particularly at the holidays. My favorites are from the Gap and Nest. They really remind me of what a Vermont inn smells like. Your guests will love the smell, too. Cinnamon or pumpkin spice scents are great for fall parties.
Have a drink. You need it.
Throwing a great party is more art than science and sometimes it’s hard to figure out why one party is amazing and another is a flop. But I’ve figured out a few strategies for stacking the odds in your favor:
1. Timing is everything. I always call the party for 8 P.M. and I know the first person will arrive at 8:30 P.M. It’s nice to have a few close friends promise to get there on the dot, just so you’re not panicking in an empty apartment. Every party has its own rhythm and there’s going to be an ebb and flow, so don’t get anxious if it feels like the energy is starting to flag (for more on how to keep the energy up, read on). Expect the prime time of the party will be 9:00 to 10:30 P.M. and then the last guests will likely leave around midnight—and those will be your closest friends and/or the person you’re having sex with. I’ve never had to kick anyone out, but I remember once I was sweeping the floor at 12:30 A.M. and someone actually rang the bell. I gave them some leftover cookies and sent them on their way.
2. Music. I used to always start out with slow R&B, and then I’d move on to some more up-tempo stuff as the evening went on. You know the tastes (and age group) of the crowd you’ve invited, so it’s fun to throw in something nostalgic—Michael Jackson never fails. Now that I work in satellite radio, I don’t bother with CDs or a playlist, I just turn on SiriusXM. You can’t go wrong with its music channels, and there are hundreds to pick from. Sirius XM even has annual Christmas-themed channels. Just stay tuned to the energy level in the room. If it’s still early in the party and things are starting to drag, pick up the beat. If it’s later in the party and things are starting to mellow, then it’s fine to keep it that way.
3. No sitting down. Unless there’s a reason certain people would have a tough time standing, I try to get as much seating out of my apartment as possible. You want people moving and circulating, not plopping themselves down, glued to one spot. I’ve actually moved furniture into neighbors’ apartments (and rugs, too, because a wooden floor is a lot easier to clean than a carpet).
4. No clumping. The best parties offer a mix of people who don’t all know one another. And I feel like it’s my job as hostess to introduce different groups of people to each other. Otherwise, you end up with a party where everyone is attached with Velcro to the one or two people they know, like it’s the first day of school. I get a lot of pleasure from figuring out who would love to meet each other. Maybe this person works in print media and that one works in radio and I think they’d like comparing notes. Maybe this person is a marathoner and that one is a cyclist. Maybe she’s a dog lover and he’s a vet. I have spent whole parties dragging my guests around meeting each other—I will actually take them by the hand and pull them away from whatever security blanket they’ve attached themselves to. Don’t be shy about it. This is your job, and everyone will have more fun this way—and they’ll thank you for it later. Because when that dog lover has a problem with her best friend, who do you think she’s going to call? Introducing people is my way of giving back to the people I love.
5. Always keep lipstick nearby. Touch-ups are important when you’re running yourself ragged while being a social butterfly.
6. Make sure your air-conditioning works if the temperature outside is warmer than 75. If it’s a good party, then it’s crowded, and it will be hot. Even in the winter, packed parties can get steamy. One year, in the dead of winter, my air-conditioning was on the fritz and people were sweating. It’s no fun to see your male friends’ dress shirts sticking to their bodies like they just ran a few laps. It’s a cookie marathon you’re throwing, not an actual road race.
7. Make sure your neighbors know you’re having a party, and if you like them (or don’t actively dislike them), then invite them. Either way, make sure to warn them about your party in advance. Then they won’t complain.
8. Seek help! You don’t have to do everything yourself. If guests ask if they can bring anything, don’t be shy—say yes. And don’t hesitate to be specific so you get what you need instead of duplicates of what you don’t. I’ve never seen wine go to waste, so you can always ask for a few backups. You can ask friends to bring their favorite cookies, too. If you know you’ve got plenty of chocolate chip cookies made, give them an idea of what kind of cookie would really add to the array. Even if the cookies your guests bring aren’t all equally great, you can put them out at the end of the night when your guests are too well lubricated to care. You can also enlist some extra sets of hands at the party. When I realized that I was too busy shuttling cookies back and forth from the kitchen to enjoy my guests, Joan Hamburg of WOR Radio gave me the brilliant advice to hire a few students from the Columbia University Bartending School. I have them come early, show them where everything is, and then they can refill platters and restock the bar. It’s amazing help and worth every penny (and it’s really not that expensive). Plus, if you still have any cookies or brownies left over at the end of the night, they’ll be more than happy to take them off your hands.
WHEN MY GUESTS ARRIVE, usually the first thing they say to me is, “Where’s Lucky?” He’s the real celebrity at my parties. But forget it, Lucky makes a quick disappearing act before the doorbell even rings. He knows what’s good for him and he stays well hidden until about 11:30, when he emerges to take a star turn for the few remaining guests.
And it’s not just cats that can get shell-shocked by entertaining. At a certain point—it might be the stroke of midnight, or it might be 5 A.M. the next morning or 12:30 the next afternoon—you will look around your post-cookie-party home and you will ask yourself what the heck you were thinking. You’ll find your own cat (or your dog, or your boyfriend) cowering under the bed, and he will be wondering the same thing.
Then, you’ll clean up the mess, get over the trauma, and you’ll want to do the whole thing again next year—and do it even better. Chocolate stains are temporary, wine stains less so, but the memories of your cookie party are forever.
I know people who refuse to serve red wine at their parties just to avoid the mess, but that’s not who I am. I’d rather stock up on club soda and salt than tell my guests they can’t drink something that stains. Over the years, I’ve had maybe one really bad carpet stain that I had to call in professionals to deal with, and that’s not so bad.
Just accept in advance that you’ll find a cookie ground into a spot in your apartment that you never would have expected. After the last guest leaves (and preferably with the help of a friend), sweep up the worst of it, and collect dirty plates, cups, and all food scraps into bags. You don’t have to clean everything, because you really want to crash at this point, but you do want to get rid of anything that smells or you might step in on your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Finally, take all that trash out of the apartment so you don’t have to smell it the next morning.
The next day—after you’ve had a cup of coffee—you can deal with the rest. And you can enjoy all the e-mails and texts and tweets and Facebook wall posts you get from people who loved your party. Despite all the hard work, you might even find yourself suffering from a bout of PCPS (post-cookie-party syndrome). I know I always do. A good antidote is to pack up any leftovers and take them into work Monday morning. Then you can soak up a few more compliments.
THERE ISN’T A WRONG cookie to make for a cookie party, but here are some more party-tested winners that I guarantee will make your guests happy. And if you’re a newbie baker, my best advice is: don’t worry. It’s very hard to go wrong with butter and sugar—and chocolate and peanut butter. If you make sure your invite list is diverse and your bar is well stocked, you could serve cookies made of flavored Styrofoam and your guests would still walk away happy.
When I first started throwing cookie parties, I tried serving full-sized cakes and pies, but they were never as popular as the cookies. It’s just too hard to hold a drink in one hand and try to eat something with a fork with the other hand. And once you start cutting into a pie, it stops looking nice on the table, so the whole display can become an unappetizing mess. The solution? Mini apple pies. My guests love these, and they’re one of my favorite recipes. They’re just as delicious at room temperature, but if you have time before the party starts, you can pop these into a 325-degree oven for about 10 minutes to warm them up. They smell amazing.
2 ready-made piecrusts
For the apple filling:
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1½ tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the strudel topping:
⅓ cup butter (cold)
⅓ cup flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
2½-inch round cookie cutter
Minimuffin pan
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using the 2½-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 24 circles to form mini-piecrusts. Place one circle in each well of a minimuffin pan, and push dough down, forming a cup shape.
In a bowl, toss together diced apples, sugar, and cinnamon until apples are well coated.
Fill each dough cup (two-thirds full) with apples.
In another bowl, with hands (my preferred method) or a pastry cutter, smush together butter, flour, sugars, and cinnamon to form a strudel. Place small amount (about a teaspoon) of strudel over each mini apple pie.
Bake 15 minutes until the topping turns lightly brown. When cooled, dust with powdered sugar.
Makes 24 mini apple pies.
These cookies are so delicious, and they remind me of something important: things don’t have to be complicated to be good. With so many cookies with different textures and tastes, it’s nice to serve a basic butter cookie. And as any chef will tell you, it’s the simple recipes that test your technique—if you can bake a butter or a sugar cookie, then you’re good to go with everything else.
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Parchment-lined cookie sheets
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using a standing or handheld mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down sides. Add egg and vanilla. Mix until incorporated.
In separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Slowly add to butter mixture until combined.
Chill dough for about 20 minutes. This makes it easier to scoop.
Using your ⅜-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop out balls of dough and place them 2 inches apart on the parchment-lined cookie sheets. Press top of dough down gently, just a little.
Bake 11 to 13 minutes, until bottoms turn light brown. Cool on rack.
Makes about 57 small cookies.
I started making chocolate peppermint bark bars as holiday presents for coworkers, and then I decided it would be fun to showcase the same flavors in a cookie. One look at these cookies and you’ll think Christmas, and it’s a nice little surprise to get the crunch of the peppermint as you bite into them.
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
12 candy canes
Parchment-lined cookie sheets
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated.
In a small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Add slowly to butter mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Melt chocolate chips in a microwave in three increments of 20 seconds each. Stir between each increment until smooth and fully melted. Now mix into dough.
Place candy canes in a sealed zipper bag and crush using a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin. Stir one-third of the chopped candy canes into the dough. Place in freezer for about 10 minutes until dough is firm.
Using ⅞-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop out balls of dough, dipping tops of dough balls into remaining candy canes. Place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets and flatten cookies slightly.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until cookies are firm.
If some of the candy melts outside of cookie, wait until completely cooled; it will easily break off.
Cool on racks.
These are the bootleg version of an Oreo cookie, and even more delish. Some of the most popular cookies at my parties are copies of old childhood favorites. Who doesn’t love chocolate mixed with vanilla and a generous heaping of nostalgia?
For the chocolate cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
For the vanilla crème:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup solid vegetable shortening
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Parchment-lined cookie sheets
2½-inch circular cookie cutter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the cookie dough, cream butter and sugar; scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg and vanilla until incorporated. Add flour and cocoa powder in batches until well mixed. Make sure you scrape sides and bottom of bowl very well. Then gather the dough into a ball and divide in half, flattening into two disks. Place each disk between sheets of parchment paper and roll to ¼-inch thickness. Freeze flat for about 10 minutes, until dough is firm.
Using cookie cutter, cut out circle shapes in the dough and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 12 to 13 minutes. Cookies should be firm and start to turn a little bit darker.
Cool on wire racks.
To prepare the vanilla crème, cream together all the ingredients until smooth and spreadable.
Turn half the cookies over, so the flatter side is facing up. These will be the bottoms. Place 1 tablespoon of crème in the center of each bottom half. Spread out to edges. Place one cookie top on each, so the slightly domed side is facing up. Press slightly.
Makes 20 sandwich cookies.
These are my favorite cookies for the fall, and I especially love baking them for Thanksgiving. The hint of orange with the oatmeal is a sure hit. My father especially loves these. When he’s visiting from Florida, I always pack him a box to take back, but they never make it to the plane.
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
⅞ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
¾ tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces old-fashioned oats (not instant)
6 ounces fresh cranberries, chopped (or half of a 12-ounce bag)
Zest of one large orange
Parchment-lined cookie sheets
⅞-ounce ice cream scoop
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. Beat in egg, honey, and vanilla.
Add flour and mix until well incorporated. Stir in oats, then cranberries and orange zest. Mix well.
Using your ⅞-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop out balls of dough and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet 1½ inches apart. Press slightly.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Cookies should be firm.
Cool on wire racks.
Makes 25 cookies.
These have a delicious, subtle flavor, and their pale green color is really lovely. These are also good for those health-conscious guests who think that anything green (and green tea) must be healthy. Just don’t tell them about all the butter. Note: you can find green tea powder in health food stores and even some larger grocery stores, or online (where I’ve found it a little cheaper). And here’s a fun fact: you can also use it for a homemade facial mask! Green tea has astringent properties and is very good for the skin—just mix it with raw egg, lemon juice, and some honey or sugar and slather it on.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Matcha (green tea) powder
2¼ cups flour
Parchment-lined cookie sheets
⅞-ounce ice cream scoop
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In mixer, blend butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add salt (it brings out the flavor of the tea, so don’t skip this step). Add green tea powder. Slowly add flour until incorporated.
Make sure ingredients are mixed in well. Scrape up the bottom of bowl to make sure flour doesn’t stick. This is important to make sure cookies keep their shape and don’t spread during baking.
Using a ⅞-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop out balls of dough and place 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Balls should look like light green scoops of butter.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until cookies are light brown at the edges.
Let cool completely.
When cooled pour ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar in plastic or paper bag. Put cooled cookies in bag and very gently shake until cookies are completely covered with sugar.
Makes 24 cookies.
This is another simple, nostalgic cookie that never fails to please. Even though this recipe has been around forever, these cookies always bring a smile to your face. People love the chewy texture and the hint of cinnamon. And they go really nicely with wine.
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Parchment-lined cookie sheets
⅜-ounce ice cream scoop
For dipping:
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg and vanilla until incorporated.
In a small bowl, sift together baking powder, flour, and cinnamon. Slowly add to butter mixture.
In separate small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon for dipping.
Using ⅜-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop out dough. Dip tops of dough balls into sugar/cinnamon mix. Place dough balls on parchment-lined cookie sheets, 2½ inches apart.
Bake 10 minutes.
Cool on rack. Cookies will firm up while cooling.
Makes 50 cookies.
Peanut butter lovers are a very loyal group and if you satisfy their taste buds, they’ll be your devoted fans for life. This is a classic recipe that never fails to please. You can add chocolate chips to them and skip the cross-hatching, but I love the pure peanut flavor of the old-fashioned, unadulterated way.
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup smooth (not natural) peanut butter
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Parchment-lined cookie sheets
⅞-ounce ice cream scoop
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar in bowl until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg and vanilla until incorporated. Add peanut butter. Mix until well blended.
In a small bowl, sift together flour and baking soda. Slowly add to butter mixture. Mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Using ⅞-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop out balls of dough and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
Using a fork, press down on the tops of each cookie, making a crisscross pattern. The cookies will spread a little as they bake, but that’s okay.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until cookies firm up and start to get golden brown at the edges.
Makes about 30 cookies.
I asked my friend Wayne Brachman if he’d like to contribute a cookie recipe to this book, and this is the wonderful creation he came up with. Wayne is the pastry chef at Porter House in New York City, and he can whip up anything gourmet, gorgeous, and yummy at a moment’s notice. He also knows how hectic life can be, so he came up with a cookie that’s both tasty and easy to make. If you want something fun for Passover, substitute one cup of matzo farfel for the chow mein noodles. Just toast the farfel in a 350-degree oven for 7 minutes or until crisp.
5 ounces semisweet, bittersweet, or white chocolate
1 five-ounce package fried chow mein noodles
¼ cup lightly toasted coconut flakes
¼ cup chopped, roasted, unsalted peanuts
¼ cup chopped dried cranberries or cherries
Parchment-lined cookie sheets
In a dry bowl, or in the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate over barely simmering water.
Mix in the noodles, coconut, peanuts, and dried fruit. Drop walnut-sized little haystacks of the mixture onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until set.
This amazing recipe comes courtesy of chocolatier Jacques Torres, the ultimate professional who always wears a smile on his face. I visited (and worked) in his kitchen when he was pastry chef at Le Cirque in New York City, and his kitchen hummed along like a well-oiled machine. Despite the demands of working in one of the top restaurants in New York City, he never let you see him sweat. It was pretty amazing watching him whip up gourmet delights like a magician, and voilà . . . a three-tiered, three-flavored mousse dessert in what seemed like seconds. Now he owns his own chain of chocolate factories and boutiques where he sells the most decadent chocolate confections, including these incredibly delicious mudslide cookies. I’m honored that he’s allowing me to include the recipe here.
1 pound 60% bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2¾ teaspoons baking powder
1¼ teaspoons salt
5 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2¼ cups sugar
1 pound 60% bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1¼ cups chopped walnuts
Parchment-lined cookie sheets
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, or use nonstick pans.
Combine the 1 pound chopped bittersweet and the unsweetened chocolate in the top half of a double boiler. Place over (not touching) gently simmering water in the bottom pan and heat, stirring frequently, until completely melted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking power, and salt and set aside. Crack the eggs into another bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until very light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until well blended. Add the eggs and beat just until incorporated. Then add the melted chocolate and beat to combine. On low speed, add the flour mixture a little at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated before adding more.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the finely chopped chocolate and the walnuts with a rubber spatula.
To shape the cookies, scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough, form them into balls, and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing the balls about 1 inch apart. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until set around the edges. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.
Makes 20 large cookies.
Note: Leftover cookies can be stored, airtight, at room temperature for three days or, tightly wrapped, frozen for up to one month.
When I met Alfred Stephens, he was an assistant pastry chef at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill restaurant in New York City. He was always incredibly kind and generous with his time—he certainly didn’t have to spend as much time with me as he did, teaching me the tricks of his pastry trade. I am forever thankful. Not only that, he was a huge Hot 97 fan, and it was great sharing stories while we baked away early on weekend mornings. Now Alfred is a bigwig pastry chef with Todd English’s organization, and once again he showed his generosity of spirit by offering me his own modern interpretation of a black-and-white cookie.
TO MAKE THE COOKIES:
4 ounces (1 stick) of softened butter
⅓ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon lemon extract
2 eggs
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
Parchment-lined cookie sheets
Piping bag and tip
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and lemon extract, then add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate between each addition.
Sift and combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the milk, sour cream, and olive oil until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the butter, sugar, and egg mixture and mix until smooth. Add the milk mixture and mix until that’s incorporated as well.
Place the batter in a piping bag fitted with a plain piping tip. Pipe mounds of batter—2 inches wide and 2 inches high—onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving enough space in between for the batter to spread when baking.
Bake in a 325-degree oven for 15 minutes, turning the cookie sheet once halfway through the baking. The cookies are done when they are light golden brown and the centers bounce back when touched. Remove from oven and allow to cool 1 hour.
Makes 25 large cookies.
TO MAKE THE GANACHE:
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over high heat. Bring cream to a boil, then pour over the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth. Let the ganache cool to room temperature.
TO MAKE THE VANILLA ICING:
1 cup water, plus 3 tablespoons boiling water
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Place the 1 cup water, salt, and vanilla extract in a small pot and bring to a boil. Place confectioners’ sugar in large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in the 3 tablespoons of boiling water to the sugar to make a thick, spreadable mixture. If it’s too thin add more sugar a teaspoon at a time. Place the frosting into an airtight container until you’re ready to use it.
TO FROST THE COOKIES:
Hold a baked and cooled cookie in one hand and insert a small paring knife at an angle a quarter inch from the edge of the cookie. Cut a cone-shaped piece out of the center of each cookie, then fill with enough ganache until it’s slightly below the lip of the cookie. Take the cone-shaped lid you just cut and trim off the pointy end so that when you place it back on the cookie you have a flat lid. Press slightly until the lid sits even. Chill the cookies in the refrigerator 30 minutes, until the ganache firms up. Remove the cookies and ice the same cored-out side of the cookie with the vanilla icing using a small offset spatula to cover up the cookie surgery.
Leave out on a wire rack for an hour so the icing firms up. Store in a clean airtight container.
Makes 8 medium-sized cookies.
You’ve got your practical tips and your cookie recipes, so now off you go to plan your party. First, though, one last bit of wisdom. I’ve been doing cookie parties for years, and still, no matter how well organized I am before, every single time I’m exhausted afterward. There’s no magic wand to wave and no single piece of advice that will make it a breeze to throw a party. There will be chocolate stains somewhere in your apartment. Wine will be spilled. And you will sweat. But what I learned from entertaining people I love is the following, and these are definitely words to live by:
1. It’s not about me.
2. Anything I work hard for is worth it—whether it all ends perfectly or not.