Recipes from Joanne Fluke

These are the absolutely awesome recipes that I promised you, courtesy of the Hannah Swensen Mysteries by Joanne Fluke.  Check out her website: www.murdershebaked.com

NOTE: * is a note from me.

ANOTHER NOTE: These are not the original word-for-word recipes, just condensed a bit.  Check out Joanne Fluke's Lake Eden Cookbook (in bookstores September 27th) if you want to hang on every single word.


Black and Whites

Do not preheat oven yet - dough must chill before baking.

2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 sticks butter
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup (or more) powdered sugar in a small bowl

Melt chocolate chips with butter.  (Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes, then stir smooth.)

Mix in sugar and let cool.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in vanilla, baking powder, and salt.  Add flour and mix well.

Chill dough for at least 4 hours.

When the dough is ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

Roll walnut-sized dough balls with your hands.  Drop the dough balls into the bowl of powdered sugar and roll them around until they're coated.  (If the dough gets too warm, you'll have to refrigerate it for a little while before resuming.)

Place the balls on a cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet.  Do not flatten.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12 to 14 minutes.  Let cool on sheets for 2 minutes, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Yield: 6 to 8 dozen.


Chocolate Chip Mega Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

2 cups white sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)
1 teaspoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts, or rolled oats, raisins, shredded coconut,
       crushed breakfast cereal, or chopped dried fruits*)
2 cups chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups flour

Place sugar in large mixing bowl.  Add softened butter and vanilla, and stir until light and fluffy.  Add beaten eggs and mix well.


Mix in molasses and stir until the mixture is a uniform color.


Add salt and baking soda; mix until thoroughly incorporated.


Add nuts (or alternative) and stir in.  Add half of chocolate chips and flour.  Stir thoroughly.  Add the rest of the chocolate chips and flour.  Mix thoroughly.  Let the dough rest while you prepare the pans.*


Line TWO 9-inch or 10-inch pie pans with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  You can also line three 8-inch pie pans the same way, but the cookies will be thin and you will only bake them for 35 MINUTES.


Divide cookie dough in half and form each into a large ball.  Place balls in centers of pie pans and flatten with the heel of your hand until the dough reaches the edges of the pan and the top is fairly smooth.


Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes.  (If you're not sure, test for doneness by pressing the back of a spoon down on the center of the cookie.  If it sinks in and comes out gooey and squishy, then try again after 5 minutes more baking time.  If it leaves only a slight indentation, then the cookies are done.  Usually you can tell without using this test.)


Remove cookies from oven and let cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Then lift cookies in foil out of pans and let cool to room temperature on wire racks.


When cookies are thoroughly cool, pull off foil.  Frost if desired.

*I made only one cookie originally, so I halved the recipe and used one pan.