Galletas by Giselle Aparicio

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Galletas

By Giselle Aparicio

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COPYRIGHT @ 2021 BY GISELLE APARICIO PHOTOGRAPHS COPYRIGHT @ 2021 BY GISELLE APARICIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS BOOK MAY BE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS, ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL, INCLUDING PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING, OR BY ANY INFORMATION AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, WITHOUT PERMISSION IN WRITING FROM THE AUTHOR AND/OR PUBLISHER, WHICHEVER IS APPLICABLE. PUBLISHED BY GISELLE APARICIO, LORTON, VIRGINIA. COVER DESIGN BY GISELLE APARICIO PRINTED IN CHANTILLY, VA FIRST EDITION

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To my loved ones, Thank you for all that you gave to make this book possible.

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And to my late Abuelita Mercedes, who inspired and taught me all about the delicacy that is pan dulce con café.

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Introduction 9 The baker’s pantry Originals

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Chocolate Chip cookies Iced Molasses cookies Sugar Cookies

Chocolate

Cosmic Brownie cookies Samoa cookies Strawberry Chocolate cookies

10 Fruity

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Coconut Cookies Pasteles de Pina Raspberry Crumble Cookies

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Seasonal 38

Peppermint Cookies Sesame cookies Wookie cookies

Table of Co 8 | Galletas

Experimental

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Index

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Birthday Cake cookies Cereal Cookies Smores cookies

Brownies + Bars Brownies Cheesecake bars Half-baked

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ntents Galletas | 9

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Introduction

In the past couple of years, cookies have rebranded themselves from being just a boring old pastry to a dessert with limitless possibilities. Bakeries dedicated to just cookies, and endless trending posts of the most extravagant cookies you’ve ever seen just popping up everywhere! Many have realized that cookies don’t need to be just chocolate chips or snickerdoodles- which are great, don’t get me wrong. But why not go outside the box and factor in maybe some things you’d never considered? Like cereal? Or a brownie-cookie hybrid? This burst of creativity has revived what we used to know as the regular-schmegular cookie and created an entirely new wide range of possibilities. I have always been an avid baker but once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I went full-force and decided to try to make as many baked goods as my heart desired.

That may sound stressful to some but for me, baking is a relaxing experience. It’s like sitting down and drawing a beautiful painting or doing some yoga. I know many still aren’t able to go out as they please, so I hope that with this book you can create yummy, extravagant cookies from the comfort of your own kitchen.

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The Baker’s

Pantry

Chocolate Semi-Sweet: A dark chocolate, blended with sugar vanilla, and typically an emulsifier. This chocolate is known for being the standard in chocolate chip cookies.

Milk Chocolate: The most popular type of chocolate, which is made by combining cocoa, sugar, and milk. A sweet treat with hints of cooked milk and caramelized white sugar.

Baker’s Chocolate: Also known as bitter chocolate, is a type of dark chocolate with no added sugar. It is prepared with the intention of being used as a baking ingredient.

Cocoa Powder: A powder that is produced when chocolate liquor is separated under pressure, and the resulting cocoa solids are ground into a powder. It is typically unsweetened and 100% cocoa.

Fats Vegatable oil: Oil derived from plants (i.e. canola, olive, grapeseed). The main function of this ingredient is to ensure the baked good stays moist.

Shortening: Any fat that turns solid at room temperature, which helps give baked goods a delicate, crumbly texture.

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Butter: A dairy product made by churning either fresh fermented cream or milk. It consists of butterfat, milk proteins, and water. It also works as an active ingredient in keeping your baked goods moist.

While most of our pantries are stocked with a ton of who knows what, listed below are a few ingredients I recommend you have on your shelves to ensure you’re always ready to whip up a delicious batch of cookies! The following items are almost always present in my pantry, but that doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy every single one.

This list is meant to represent a wide range of flavors and possibilities, and give you the tools to build your pantry according to your taste!

Flour All purpose flour: The most popular and versatile, general-use wheat flour. It comes from a blend of hard and soft wheats, and is suitable for all types of baked goods such as cookies, breads, biscuits, muffins, pizza, you name it!

Self rising flour: A mixture of all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This makes things a lot easier for the baker and ensures you’ll get a nice rise out of your baked goods every time.

Cake flour: A finely ground low protein flour made from soft wheat. Having a lower protein creates lower gluten content causing the products to have a tender, more crumbly texture that is desirable in cake.

White rice flour: Flour produced by grinding rice into a powder. It can be used for baking, as well as a thickening agent for sauces and puddings. One thing to keep in mind is that rice flour contains no gluten so it will not do well with recipes like yeast breads.

Coconut flour: Made from dried, ground coconut meat, this flour is commonly used in baking. It does have a strong scent, and will give your food a bit of a coconut flavor unless you use other strongly flavored ingredients. It is gluten free, and tends to absorb more liquid than regular flour so it is recommended to use at least equal parts liquid to flour.

Bread flour: A high protein flour, with more gluten than the standard AP-flour. This extra gluten allows the dough to become elastic, resulting in a lighter and chewier baked good. Pro tip- For a chewier cookie, always do 1:1 ratio of AP flour and bread flour!

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Sugar Granulated: Also commonly known as white sugar, is sugar that has had all of the natural molasses refined out of it.

Light brown: White sugar that has molasses added to it. It is often used in baking, sauces, and glazes due to the rich textures it can produce. Pro tip- Watch out, as brown sugar can easily harden.

Keep stored in an airtight container, or microwave it for a few seconds.

Dark brown: Brown sugar, but with more molasses added to it. This is useful in situations where you’d like to add a deeper flavor to your food. It also contains more moisture as a result of the extra molasses.

Light Molasses: A thick syrup that comes from the sugar making process. It is used to add sweetness, retain a moist consistency, and give dishes that rich flavor. Common dishes that use it are pecan pie and gingerbread cookies.

Confectioner sugar: Also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar, is granulated sugar that has been finely ground and mixed with a bit of cornstarch to prevent clumping. This is commonly used for frostings and glazes due to its built in thickening agent, and it’s fine texture making it easy to dissolve.

Techniques Slurry: A mixture of part liquid, part powered solution (i.e. Flour, cornstarch, sugar) added to a liquid to thicken it. Begin by mixing a small amount of liquid with the powder until it’s dissolved, then adding said liquid back with the rest. This assures that there will be no clumps and that the powder is evenly distributed throughout the liquid, allowing a smooth, thick consistency to form.

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Brown butter: Butter that has been melted down over medium-low heat till it has a goldish color and brown specks. This mixture is used for enhancing the taste of different recipes by adding an aromatic nutty flavor.

Spices, extracts, and more Baking soda: A chemical base that is intended to react with an acid (i.e. buttermilk, brown sugar, yogurt, etc.) in your recipe to allow your baked goods to rise. Careful not to use too much as it could create a metallic taste.

Yeast: A single-cell organism that needs food, warmth, and moisture to thrive. This organism converts its food - sugar and starch - into carbon dioxide and alcohol through fermentation. Carbon dioxide is what gives baked goods a nice rise.

Baking powder: A mixture of baking soda, cream of tartar (a dry acid), and at times cornstarch. It’s used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods.

Spices: • Cinnamon • Rum • Allspice • Ginger • Espresso powder/ instant coffee

Extracts: A substance made from extracting part of a plant—such as spice, nut, fruit, or herb—using alcohol.

The most common extract is one everybody knows, vanilla. Extracts are essential ingredients in baking as they allow you to integrate flavor without adding additional volume.

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CHAPTER ONE:

THE ORIGINALS Galletas | 17

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Chocolate Chip Cookies Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

Servings: 8-10 cookies

There’s nothing quite like biting into something and feeling that wave of nostalgia hit you. Chocolate Chip cookies have been around for ages, giving each passing generation that warm fuzzy feeling. This classic cookie is chewy, crispy and chocolatey. A sure-in to get you feeling in your happy place.

Ingredients

Steps

8 tbsp butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt (kosher) 1/2 tsp baking soda 2/3 cups AP flour 2/3 cups bread flour 1 cup large chocolate chips

1. Melt and carefully brown 8 tbsp butter, I used Kerrygold brand. Slowly stir over low- medium heat till it turns a toasty gold color with brown specks.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add in your sugars, egg, vanilla, salt and baking soda until it’s a ribbon-like consistency.

3. Once you’ve hit that consistency, add in your flours and chocolate chips and mix till well incorporated (no spots of flour!)

4. Next, you can begin scooping the dough onto a parchment-lined pan and form about 8 balls, or if you’d like them on the smaller size 10 balls. (Note: You can chill your dough at this step if you want a thicker cookie).

5. Pop them in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 F. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

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Iced Molasses Cookies Prep time: 1 hr 30 mins

Bake time: 15-20 minutes

Servings: 12 cookies

Iced oatmeal cookies in my household were a staple as my father loved them, but I always thought they were a little too dry. In this recipe, I do a play on a classic by replacing it with a soft pillowy molasses cookie. It is rich in flavor, super chewy, and a perfect way to bring you that warm, cozy feeling.

Ingredients

Steps

2 ¼ cup all purpose flour

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Set to the side.

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon all-spice ¾ cup butter (room temperature) ¼ tsp salt ½ cup dark brown sugar ¼ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup molasses 2 teaspoons vanilla

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together at a high speed until creamed together. Add molasses and continue to mix. Once it’s reached a good consistency, add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix for about 1 minute. Make sure to scrape the sides of your bowl as you go!

3. Slowly combine the dry ingredients to the wet till thoroughly combined, expect a slightly sticky dough. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 2-3 days).

For rolling: ⅓ cup granulated sugar

4. Once cooled, roll the dough into 3 tablespoon balls, then roll them in the granulated sugar. Place the dough balls down on a baking sheet at least 3 inches apart.

For icing: 1 ½ confectioners sugar ½ cup milk

5. Place in the oven at 350 F for 15-20 minutes, or until you notice the edges have set and the top appears cracked.

Cool for at least 10 minutes.

6. In a bowl, mix together confectioners sugar and milk till it reaches a ribbon-like consistency. Once cookies are completely cooled, dip the top of each cookie into the icing.

Allow the excess to drip off a bit before flipping it back over and placing it on the pan. Allow icing to cool and harden for at least 20 minutes. Enjoy!

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Sugar Cookies Being from El Salvador, having sweet bread around was usually a given. There is such a wide variety of different flavors and textures, as well as plays on classic recipes. While many know the sugar cookie as a soft, crumbly cookie, my recipe does it a bit differently. These sugar cookies are not too sweet and have a crunchy texture, making them a perfect pair to dip in your cup of coffee!

Prep time: 15 minutes

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Bake time: 18-20 minutes

Servings: 8-10 cookies

Ingredients 1 cup all purpose flour 8 tbsp of butter (room temperature) 1 egg ½ tsp vanilla 3 tbsp warm water For rolling: ½ cup sugar

Steps 1. In a bowl, mix together your butter, egg, vanilla, and warm water until it’s all creamed together.

2. Once everything is incorporated, slowly add in your flour and knead until you’ve got one homogenous dough, free of any clumps of flour.

3. Next, you can begin separating the dough into 8-10 balls.

Once formed, roll each ball into a 6-inch-long rope; starting at one end, coil rope to make a round cookie.

4. Once all the cookies have been rolled and shaped, dip the top of each cookie in the ½ cup of sugar we reserved. Next, lay your cookies down on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart from each other.

5. Pop them in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes at 350F. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

6. In a bowl, mix together confectioners sugar and milk till it reaches a ribbon-like consistency. Once cookies are completely cooled, dip the top of each cookie into the icing.

Allow the excess to drip off a bit before flipping it back over and placing it on the pan. Allow icing to cool and harden for at least 20 minutes. Enjoy!

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CHAPTER TWO:

THE FRUITY ONES Galletas | 25

Coconut Cookies These coconut cookies are a light and airy treat that resemble shortbread, all without the extra butter. If you’re looking for a not too sweet, absorbent cookie to pair with a cup of coffee this is just for you. It also pairs perfectly to dip with sweet cream cheese and fruit!

Prep time: 15 minutes

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Bake time: 15-18 minutes

Servings: 12 cookies

Ingredients 2 cups coconut flour ½ cup shredded coconut 1 tsp baking soda ½ cup of butter (room temperature) ½ tsp vanilla 1 ½ cup sugar 2 eggs ½ tsp coconut extract

Steps 1. In a bowl, combine softened butter and sugar. Then, add in your vanilla and coconut extract and mix well.

2. Once everything is incorporated, add in flour, baking soda, and shredded coconut and fold in till you can’t see any more flour in your dough. Then add in your eggs till you have a smooth consistency throughout the dough.

3. Divide the dough into 12 balls, and roll them into the shape of an oval. Optional: using excess dough, roll them into the shape of leaves and tiny balls to add a small flower design to each cookie.

4. Place each cookie onto a lined and greased baking sheet at least 1-2 inches apart.

5. Pop them in the oven at 350 F and bake for 15-18 minutes till the cookies are golden on top. Cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

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Pasteles de Piña Prep time: 35 minutes

Bake time: 18-20 minutes

Servings: 8-10 cookies

I know pineapples don’t typically get a lot of love when it comes to cookie business, but I promise these cookies will make you regret ever waiting this long to try it.

They’re perfect for breakfast, as a midday snack or even as dessert (warmed up and paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And to top it all off, they’re super easy to make.

Ingredients

Steps

1 cup all purpose flour 8 tbsp of butter (room temperature) 1 egg ½ tsp vanilla 3 tbsp warm water

1. In a bowl, mix together your butter, egg, vanilla and warm water until it’s all creamed together.

For rolling: ½ cup granulated sugar For Pineapple Jelly: 2 cups finely chopped pineapple ½ cup brown sugar ½ tsp vanilla 2 sticks of cinnamon

2. Once everything is incorporated, slowly add in your flour till and knead until you’ve got one homogenous dough, free of any clumps of flour. Set aside.

3. In a saucepan, combine your pineapple, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon over medium low heat for 20 minutes, stirring constantly until it reaches a thick jelly-like consistency.

4. Next, you can begin separating the dough into 20 balls.

Once formed, roll each ball into a flat circle.

5. On top of 10 of the rolled out circles, add about 1- 1 ½ tbsp of pineapple jelly to the middle, leaving about ¼ an inch around the entire edge. Place another rolled out circle on top of the jelly, then pinch and fold the edges to seal the cookie and create a nice braid pattern.

6. Dip the top of each cookie in granulated sugar before flipping it back over and placing on a lined baking sheet.

7. Pop them in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 F. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

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Raspberry Crumble Cookies A while back, I tried a raspberry shortbread bar and was completely blown away. I loved the texture of the crumbly cookie paired with the tartness of the raspberry and knew I had to recreate it. With this recipe, I was able to transform those bars into a perfect batch of cookies. Make these at your next get-together and I promise they will be begging for more!

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Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 25-30 minutes

Servings: 12 cookies

Ingredients 2 ½ cup all purpose flour 1 cup of butter (room temperature) 2 tsp vanilla 12 tbsp raspberry jam/preserve ½ cup sugar For decoration: ½ cup confectioners sugar 6 tbsp raspberry jam/preserve Additionally, you will need 12 small 4” tart molds so the cookies can hold their shape. Another alternative is using a muffin pan, but your cookies will be a bit smaller.

Steps 1. In a bowl, combine softened butter and sugar. Then, add in your vanilla extract and mix well.

2. Once everything is incorporated, add in flour and fold in till your dough resembles chunks of bread crumbs and clump together when pressed.

3. Next, preheat your oven to 350 F and grease your molds. Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of the dough in each mold and press evenly into the bottom.

4. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the raspberry jelly on top of the dough, leaving about a ¼ around the rim of the mold. Sprinkle some of the remaining dough crumbles on top till it’s covered. Do not press.

5. Pop them in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes till the cookies are golden on top. Cool for 10 minutes.

6. Remove cookies from mold and sprinkle with icing sugar. Then, add the remaining jam to a sandwich bag and cut a tiny corner off. Use this to pipe a swirl on top of each cookie and you’re all set! Enjoy!

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CHAPTER THREE:

THE CHOCOLATE ONES Galletas | 33

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Cosmic Brownie Cookies Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

Servings: 12 cookies

Whether they were your favorite childhood snack, favorite munchies snack, or both I think we can all agree that cosmic brownies were a one of a kind treat.

These cookies are soft, chewy, and crispy, topped with a chocolate ganache and sprinkles to really emulate this amazing snack. Be ready to be hit with a wave of nostalgia with this one.

Ingredients

Steps

1 cup and 2 tbsp all purpose flour ¼ cup cocoa powder 8 tbsp of butter 2 eggs (room temperature) 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp baking powder 8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips ⅔ cup brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar Rainbow Chocolate sprinkles

1. In a bowl, mix together your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

For chocolate ganache: 6 oz semi sweet chocolate ganache ¼ cup heavy cream

5. Using a large ice cream scoop, divide the batter into 10 equal sized balls onto a lined baking sheet, leaving about 2-3 inches between each cookie.

2. In a saucepan, melt your butter and chocolate chips on medium low heat till melted and well incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl whisk your eggs, vanilla and both sugars using a hand mixer at medium high speed for about 3-5 minutes, or until your mixture is airy and doubled in size.

4. Slowly add in your chocolate mix to the egg mix by gently folding it in. Once combined, repeat this step with your dry mix. Try to avoid over mixing by combining just till the flour disappears.

6. Pop them in the oven and bake for 12 minutes at 350 F. Allow them to continue to cool afterwards.

7. To make the ganache, add your chocolate chips and heavy cream to a bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between each time. Repeat til the chocolate is melted and is smooth ribbon-like consistency.

8. Place about 2-3 teaspoons of the ganache on top of each cookie, spread it around a bit, top with sprinkles, and enjoy!

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Samoa Cookies Prep time: 30 minutes

Bake time: 0 minutes

Servings: 12 cookies

We all love our girl scout cookies, but I’m convinced that samoa cookies have to be the best cookie on the market. It’s got caramel, coconut, chocolate all in a chewy delicious cookie. And the worst part is you can only get them one time of the year… but not anymore! Typically baking shortbread takes forever when baking small batches, but with this no-bake recipe you can make these delicious cookies fresh in your kitchen in no time.

Ingredients

Steps

1 package fudge striped shortbread cookies (will only be using 12) 6 oz caramel squares 2 tbsp heavy cream 1 cup toasted coconut 3 oz milk chocolate 6 tbsp heavy cream

1. On a lined baking sheet, place your cookies facing up, spaced out about 2 inches apart. Set aside.

2. In a microwavable bowl, add in your caramel with the 2 tbsp heavy cream and microwave in 30 second increments.

Between each increment, make sure to stir in between until you reach a smooth consistency. Next, add in your toasted coconut.

3. Add about a tablespoon of the caramel coconut on top of each striped shortbread, spreading it out to cover the surface. Be sure to work diligently as the caramel will begin to slowly turn harder.

4. While the caramel coconut sets, add your chocolate and 6 tbsp of heavy cream to a microwavable bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring and repeating till smooth.

5. Drizzle the melted chocolate over each of your cookies, then let it set for 10 minutes and enjoy!

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Strawberry Chocolate Cookies Strawberries and chocolate. A dynamic duo paired in heaven. While it is already a sweet treat, sometimes you’re in the mood for something a bit more decadent.

And this is the perfect way to satisfy that craving.

Prep time: 20 minutes 38 | Galletas

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

Servings: 8-10 cookies

Ingredients 8 tbsp butter ½ cup white sugar ½ cup dark brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp salt (kosher) ½ tsp baking soda ⅔ cups all purpose flour ⅔ cups bread flour 1 ½ cup chocolate chips ½ cup crushed freezer dried strawberries

Steps 1. Melt and carefully brown 8 tbsp butter. Slowly stir over low medium heat till it turns a toasty gold color with brown specks.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add in your sugars, egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda until it’s a ribbon-like consistency.

3. Once you’ve hit that consistency, add in your flours and 1 cup of chocolate chips, and mix till well incorporated (no spots of flour!). Then fold in your dried strawberries for about 2 minutes.

4. Next, you can begin scooping the dough onto a parchment-lined pan and form about 8 balls, or if you’d like them on the smaller size 10 balls.

(Note: You can chill your dough at this step if you want a thicker cookie).

5. Pop them in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 F. Cool for 10 minutes.

6. Once the cookies have completely cooled, melt ½ cup of your chocolate chips and dip half of your cookie into the melted chocolate.

7. Place each cookie on parchment paper and allow the chocolate to harden. Enjoy!

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CHAPTER FOUR:

THE SEASONAL ONES Galletas | 41

Ingredients 8 tbsp butter (room temperature) 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 2/3 cups all purpose flour 2/3 cups bread flour 1 cup crushed peppermint bark

Steps 1. In a large mixing bowl, add in your butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda until it’s a smooth consistency.

2. Once you’ve hit that consistency, add in your flours and mix till well incorporated (no spots of flour!) Then fold in your crushed peppermint bark pieces.

3. Next, you can begin scooping the dough onto a parchmentlined pan and form about 8 balls, or if you’d like them on the smaller size 10 balls. (Note: You can chill your dough at this step if you want a thicker cookie).

4. Pop them in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 F. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

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Peppermint Cookies There’s nothing more reminiscent of the holidays than seeing a nice candy cane.

They’re tasty on their own, but also make a great pair with chocolate. If you want the perfect treat that tastes like Christmas and is a sure crowd pleaser, you need to whip up a batch of these cookies.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

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Sesame Cookies

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Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

Servings: 8-10 cookies

Sesame seeds have such a great nutty and aromatic taste, which always reminded me of the cozy feelings you get around autumn time. They aren’t overly sweet and have a great crunch. It’s perfect to pair with a fresh cup of coffee or tea to warm yourself up on a chilly autumn morning.

Ingredients 1 cup all purpose flour 8 tbsp butter (room temperature) 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp baking soda ½ cup sesame seeds

Steps 1. In a bowl, mix together your butter, eggs, and vanilla until it’s all creamed together.

2. Once everything is incorporated, slowly add in your flour and baking soda and knead until you’ve got one homogenous dough, free of any clumps of flour.

3. Next, you can begin separating the dough into 10-12 balls.

Once formed, roll each ball into a 6-inch-long rope; starting at one end, coil rope to make a round cookie.

4. Once all the cookies have been rolled and shaped, dip the top of each cookie into the sesame seeds and place it down, plain side, on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart from each other.

5. Pop them in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 F. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

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Wookie Cookies Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake time: 12 minutes

Servings: 12 cookies

May the 4th is a holiday that tends to fall under the radar but not in this house!

This year, celebrate by making a nice batch of wookie cookies! Chocolate and pretzel chunks wrapped up in one cookie, with tiny light sabers on top to commemorate the saga. (P.s. they are best enjoyed while watching a Star Wars marathon)

Ingredients

Steps

8 tbsp butter (room temperature) 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 2/3 cups all purpose flour 2/3 cups bread flour 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips ¾ cup crushed pretzels ½ cup pretzel sticks ½ cup white chocolate Food coloring (red, blue, green)

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in your butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda until it’s a smooth consistency.

2. Once you’ve hit that consistency, add in your flours and mix till well incorporated (no spots of flour!) Then fold in your crushed pretzel pieces and semi sweet chocolate chips.

3. Next, you can begin scooping the dough onto a parchment-lined pan and form about 8 balls, or if you’d like them on the smaller size 10 balls. (Note: You can chill your dough at this step if you want a thicker cookie).

4. Pop them in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 F. Cool for 10 minutes.

5. Melt your white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time till it’s smooth. Next divide your chocolate up into three and add the food color to each. Dip your pretzel sticks in the chocolate, leaving about ½ free at the end to create a lightsaber.

6. Place two lightsabers over each cookie in the shape of an X and enjoy!

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CHAPTER FIVE:

THE EXPERIMENTAL ONES Galletas | 49

Birthday Cake Cookies Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake time: 12 minutes

Servings: 12 cookies

Sometimes your birthday rolls around and you’re just not in the mood for cake, orrrr it isn’t your birthday yet but you don’t want to bake a whole cake. Whichever one you fall under, this recipe is sure to satisfy your craving. A soft chewy cookie, covered in sprinkles and topped with a swirl of icing.

Ingredients

Steps

8 tbsp butter (room temperature) 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 2/3 cups all purpose flour 2/3 cups bread flour ½ cup rainbow sprinkles

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in your butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda until it’s a smooth consistency.

For the icing: ¼ cup shortening 2 tablespoons butter 1 ⅛ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon water

4. Roll each ball in the rainbow sprinkles before placing them back on the lined pan.

2. Once you’ve hit that consistency, add in your flours and mix till well incorporated (no spots of flour!)

3. Next, you can begin scooping the dough onto a parchment-lined pan and form about 8 balls, or if you’d like them on the smaller size 10 balls. (Note: You can chill your dough at this step if you want a thicker cookie).

5. Pop them in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 F. Cool for 10 minutes.

6. In a bowl, add in shortening, butter, vanilla and water then beat with a hand mixer. Next add in sugar and a pinch of salt and continue to beat till well incorporated. Continue to mix for about 15 minutes, and add a tablespoon of water if it’s too stiff.

7. Add your icing to a piping bag, cut off a tiny tip of the corner and begin piping swirls onto your cookies. Let rest for 10 minutes and enjoy!

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Cereal Cookies Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake time: 12 minutes

Servings: 12 cookies

Cereal is definitely a top tier meal, but there’s only so much you can do with it..

Till now. I introduce to you, cereal cookies. These are chewy and crunchy, kinda similar to the cereal bars we ate as kids. The great part of these is that every element in cereal is incorporated into this dessert from the baked in cereal, to the crunchy exterior, to the cereal milk glaze on top.

Ingredients

Steps

8 tbsp butter (room temperature) 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 2/3 cups all purpose flour 2/3 cups bread flour 2 cups cereal of your choice

1. In one cup of milk, add about ½ a cup of crushed cereal.

Let sit for at least 30 minutes.

For the glaze: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 4–5 tablespoons cereal milk 1 teaspoon vanilla

2. In a large mixing bowl, add in your butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda until it’s a smooth consistency.

3. Once you’ve hit that consistency, add in your flours and mix till well incorporated (no spots of flour!) Then fold in your 1 cup of cereal.

4. Next, you can begin scooping the dough onto a parchment-lined pan and form about 8 balls, or if you’d like them on the smaller size 10 balls. (Note: You can chill your dough at this step if you want a thicker cookie).

5. Roll each ball in 1 cup of crushed cereal and place on a baking sheet.

6. Pop them in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 F. Cool for 10 minutes.

7. Strain cereal milk, and in a large mixing bowl add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 4-5 tablespoons of cereal milk. Combine till free of chunks and at a ribbon like state.

8. Drizzle cereal milk glaze over cookies and enjoy!

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Smores Cookies This classic treat is popular during the fall, but I think you should be able to indulge in this treat any time of the year from the comfort of your kitchen! It’s chunky, toasty, and a great way to warm up on a cool day.

Prep time: 15 minutes

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Bake time: 10-15 minutes

Servings: 8-10 cookies

Ingredients 8 tbsp butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 2/3 cups all purpose flour 2/3 cups bread flour 1 cup milk chocolate chunks 1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers (not ground!)

1 ½ cups mini marshmallows

Steps 1. In a large mixing bowl, add in your butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda until it’s a smooth consistency.

2. Once you’ve hit that consistency, add in your flours and mix till well incorporated (no spots of flour!) Then fold in your crushed graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows.

3. Next, you can begin scooping the dough onto a parchmentlined pan and form about 8 balls, or if you’d like them on the smaller size 10 balls. (Note: You can chill your dough at this step if you want a thicker cookie).

4. Add a couple of pieces of graham cracker, chocolate chunks and marshmallows on top of each cookie to get toasted in the oven as a nice decoration.

5. Pop them in and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 F till the edges look golden. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

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CHAPTER SIX:

BROWNIES + BARS Galletas | 57

Brownies Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 12-15 minutes

Servings: 6 bars

You can’t know how to bake cookies and not brownies, which is why I decided to include this recipe. If you’re looking for a chewy, decadent brownie then look no further and get to work!

Ingredients

Steps

10 tbsp butter 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar ¾ cup cocoa powder ½ tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla 2 eggs ½ cup all purpose flour ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1. In a saucepan, melt down the butter. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in your cocoa powder and sugar.

For chocolate ganache: 6 oz semi sweet chocolate ganache ¼ cup heavy cream

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2. Next, add in your flours and mix till well incorporated (no spots of flour!) Then add in your eggs, salt and vanilla.

3. Lastly, fold in your chocolate chips. Grease a 9x13 pan and pour in your batter.

4. Pop it in and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 F till your fork comes out clean. Let cool.

5. To make the ganache, add your chocolate chips and heavy cream to a bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between each time. Repeat til the chocolate is melted and is smooth ribbon-like consistency. Pour over pan of brownies and smooth over. Cool for 20 minutes and enjoy!

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Half-baked Prep time: 30 minutes

Bake time: 24-28 minutes

Servings: 10-15 bars

Some days you’re just in a really indecisive mood, but I have the perfect treat to cure it! Half baked bars are a split between cookies and brownies, and are quite literally the perfect dessert bar.

Ingredients

Steps

For the cookie: 8 tbsp butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 2/3 cups all purpose flour 2/3 cups bread flour 1 cup large chocolate chips

1. Follow the instructions for the brownie recipe on page 56 and set batter aside.

For the brownie: 10 tbsp butter 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar ¾ cup cocoa powder ½ tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla 2 eggs ½ cup all purpose flour ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2. Follow the instructions for the chocolate chip cookies recipe on page 16 and set dough aside.

3. Next, you can prepare a parchment lined 9x13 pan and pour your brownie batter in. Put it in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes and take it back out.

4. Add scoops of the cookie dough to the pan and swirl or spread it out.

5. Pop back into the oven and bake for 24-28 minutes at 350 F till the edges look golden. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

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Cheesecake Bars Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 40 minutes

Servings: 8-10 bars

The most decadent dessert of them all: Cheesecake. It was impossible to not include this recipe as cheesecake is yet another multifaceted dessert with endless outcomes. In this recipe I swirled in some strawberry jam but it pairs great with blueberry compote, crushed cookies, or even chocolate ganache too.

Ingredients

Steps

16 oz cream cheese, softened ½ cup sugar 2 eggs ¼ cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and grease down.

For the crust: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (1 sleeve) 2 Tablespoons sugar ¼ cup melted butter 5 tablespoons strawberry jam

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter till a soft moldable mixture forms.

Press mixture into baking dish till the bottom is entirely covered.

3. In a mixing bowl, mix cream cheese till smooth and add in sour cream and sugar. Mix again.

4. Next, add in one egg at a time making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then mix in vanilla extract.

5. Pour cream cheese mixture over the crust, making sure to wiggle around and add in your scoops of jam on top and swirl it with a toothpick. Tap the pan on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

6. Bake at 325 F for 35-40 minutes till the center no longer jiggles and the edges are slightly golden.

7. Remove from the over and let cool for 30 minutes. Then move it to the fridge and let it sit for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

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Acknowledgments A great big thank you to all my classmates for their feedback and encouragement. This book wouldn’t be half as great without your support. And to anyone who tries these out, I hope you thoroughly enjoy them and continue to use these recipes for years to come.

And a huge thank you to my amazing sister for being my editor/lighting crew/emotional support buddy throughout this entire process. You’re the GOAT!

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INDEX A

All-purpose flour

B

Bakers Chocolate Baking Powder Baking Soda Birthday Cake Cookies Bread Flour Brown Butter Brownies

C

Cake Flour Cereal Cookies Cheesecake Bars Chocolate Chip Cookies Cocoa Powder Coconut Cookies Coconut Flour Cosmic Brownie Cookie

D

Dark Brown Sugar

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11

10 13 13 48 11 12 56

E

Extract

G

Granulated Sugar

H

Half-Baked

11 50 60 16 10 24 11 32

I

Iced Molasses Cookies

L 12

Light Brown Sugar Light Molasses

13

12

58

18

18 18

M

Milk Chocolate

P

Peppermint Cookies Pasteles de Piña

R

Raspberry Crumble Cookies

S

Samoa Cookies Self-rising Flour Semi-sweet Chocolate Sesame Cookies Shortening Slurry Smores Cookies Spices Strawberry Chocolate Cookies Sugar Cookies

10

40 26

28

V

Vegetable Oil

W

White rice Flour Wookie Cookies

Y

Yeast

10

11 44

13

34 11 10 42 10 12 52 13 36 20

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Galletas

| gah-yeh-tahs | FEMININE NOUN 1. (culinary) a. cookie (sweet)

Giselle Aparicio is the baker, author and photographer behind Galletas. She shares 24 recipies inspired by different flavors and feelings, to create picture perfect cookies.

Galletas, breaks away from the mold of traditional baking cookbooks. While others focus on sharing hundred year old recipes, this book encourages you to think outside the box and cook by experimenting with different flavors.

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