Barnes & Noble Cookie Bake-Off - June 2015

Salty Sweet & Tart Fantasy Trail Cookie

Placement: Finalist - one of only 75 out of the over 4,000 entries

Prize won: My recipe published by Sterling Publishing in the Barnes & Noble Cookie Bake-Off Book & complimentary copy of cookbook

This is the kind of e-mail that automatically puts a smile on my face! 

"Congratulations! You have been chosen as one of the recipe finalists in the first ever Barnes & Noble Cookie Bake-Off!"

"As a finalist, your recipe and story submission was chosen as one of only 75 out of the over 4,000 entries in the contest and will be included in the first edition of the Barnes & Noble Cookie Bake-Off Book. The Book will be published by Sterling Publishing on or about November 1, 2015; and you will receive one complimentary copy."

"My original ‘Salty Sweet & Tart Fantasy Trail Cookie’ recipe was inspired by the popular trail mix granola bar. My ultimate trail mix fantasy cookie creation takes a classic light and crispy vanilla-kissed sugar cookie and crowns it with a royal trail mix, composed of a sweet, salty and tart fruit’n nut mixture coated with a intensely rich brown sugar and honey glaze. All this goodness is topped off with a touch of semi-sweet chocolate to add even greater indulgence to this sensational cookie."

Book signing at Barnes & Nobles? No problem! 

Honored to have my All-American Salty Sweet & Tart Fantasy Trail Cookie recipe published in the Barnes & Noble Cookie Bake-off cookbook! Now available for purchase at any Barnes & Noble bookstores!

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RECIPE:

Salty Sweet & Tart Fantasy Trail Cookie

40 minutes

25 minutes total [15 minutes stovetop/10 minutes oven/bake]

30 cookies

Cookie dough ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed) 
• 1 egg (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (for dusting)

Topping ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup salted and roasted cashews (coarsely chopped)
• 1 cup honey roasted peanuts
• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 3/4 cup water
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cup golden brown sugar
• 4 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chunks)
• 1 tsp shortening

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars till creamy (about 3-5 minutes); combine egg and vanilla; add flour mixture (one cup at a time) to creamed mixture and mix after each addition. Once dough is well combined, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. 
3. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment. Set aside. 
4. On a lightly floured surface, open dough using a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using a fluted 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 30 cookies. Place over prepared cookie sheets and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. 
5. Meanwhile, in a large glass bowl, combine dried cherries and nuts. Set aside. 
6. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring water, butter, 1 1/2 cup brown sugar, honey and vanilla to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer till mixture becomes syrupy, mixing every two minutes (about15 minutes total cooking time). Pour hot mixture over cherries and nuts and mix until cherries and nuts are well-coated.  
7. Top each cooled cookie with one heaping tablespoon cherry/nut mixture. Bake in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest in the sheet pan for about 2 minutes before placing over cooling rack. 
8. Melt chocolate and shortening in microwave till smooth and creamy. Place in a plastic piping bag and cut very small end (or use a tiny round decorating tip). Pipe a thin line of melted chocolate over cookie in a zigzag pattern. Allow cookie to cool completely before serving. Enjoy!