Happy Friday!  Hope everyone is ready for some winter fun this weekend.  One thing I love doing (all year round but in the winter things really warm up) is being in the kitchen.  Recently, I've been working on perfecting some of my favorite recipes and today I'm sharing this yummy one for Panettone Cookies.  Yes, just like the iconic cake but in the form of a sweet and delicious little cookie.  Well, maybe not all that little.  These gems are more in keeping with those infamous Levain cookies or least their little sister, haha.  I was inspired to recreate this recipe after enjoying some store made ones that needed just a little something more to make them perfect.  After several rounds in the kitchen (and lots of spilled flour to go with them!) I discovered the magical mix that resulted in the perfect cookie.  While it can be hard to beat the classic favorite which for most of us is chocolate chip, this one comes pretty darn close.   


PANETTONE COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks room temperature butter
1 jumbo egg
2 jumbo egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 packed dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp orange extract
3/4 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup half and half
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*F
Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and spices.  I know the cornstarch seems excessive but through a lot of experimenting and test batches I've found that it works magically to make the cookies thick and chewy (just like the ones from Levain bakery!).  Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter and sugars.  Mix on medium speed until well combined and blonde in color.  
Add in the egg, yolks and extracts.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. It will take about 5 minutes for it to become the pale yellow shade you're looking for.
Now you can slowly mix in the dry ingredients.  Add them in slowly mixing on a low speed after each addition. While you want to combine all the players, you don't want to over beat and cause the batter to yield a tough cookie.
The batter will have gotten pretty thick and somewhat dry at this point.  This is why we add in the half and half now to soften things up just a bit. Start with 1/4 cup and add up to 1/3 as needed.  Depending upon the weather, humidity and air temperature, the amount you need to use will vary.  Add just enough to make the batter resemble a thick, delicious icing.  Be careful not to over-wet it and make it gloopy.  
Finally, add in the dried fruits, chips and nuts one half cup at a time using only a few rotations of the mixer.

Once all the goodies are combined, use a large spoon or ice cream scoop to create 12  - 14 golf ball sized cookies.  These cookies will spread slightly but 6 -7 per cookie sheet is fine.  I place mine on two heavy cookie sheets line with silpats to avoid sticking and make for easy clean up.

Bake for 11 minutes.  At this point, the cookies will seem slightly underbaked but have a bit of golden brown peeking through.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  The silicone mats make for easy removal and irresistible munching.  Any cookies you're not dunking in your milk can be stored in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days...if they last that long, haha.  Enjoy!

I hope this recipes inspires you to try something fun and new in the kitchen.  And if you try these delicious morsels be sure to let me know!  Thanks so much for reading....Have a great weekend!

xx,

~K

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Photo credits: verona's kitchen, the new york times