New York Cheesecake Cookies

Yields about 12 cookies

Ingredients:

1 ¼ Cups Finely Crushed Graham Crackers

1 Cup  All-Purpose Flour

1 ½ TSP Baking Powder

1 stick Unsalted Butter, softened

½ Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1 Egg  Separated

3 OZ. Cream Cheese, softened

¼ Cup Granulated Sugar

2 TSP Lemon Zest

½ TSP Vanilla Extract

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, or 325 degrees F low fan convection oven

In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder.  In a medium bowl, beat together the butter with the brown sugar.  Add the egg white and beat until well combined.  Add to the graham cracker crumb mixture and blend until just combined.

In a separate bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, with the granulated sugar, egg yolk, lemon zest and vanilla until well combined.  Set aside.

Using a small scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and place on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet.  Flatten slightly, pressing your thumb in the center of the ball to create a small bowl shape, repeat with remaining dough.  Spoon the cream cheese into the indents of the cookies.

Bake until the filling is barely set and the cookies are lightly golden, about 12 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to completely cool on a wire rack.

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Walnut Shortbread Cookies

Enjoy this traditional Scottish recipe! These shortbread cookies are rich, but not too sweet. 

Ingredients:

2 Cups AP Flour

1 Cup Cornstarch

1 TSP Salt

2 sticks Butter, softened

1 Cup Sugar

1 ½ TSP Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Fine Chopped Walnuts

6 oz. Semisweet Chocolate Chips

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Sift together flour, cornstarch, and salt

In mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar till fluffy. Add vanilla and walnuts.

Lightly stir till blended. Gradually add dry ingredients.

Form into tablespoon-size discs and place on baking sheet and bake until golden and firm to touch. Immediately drop chocolate chips on each cookie. When melted, gently spread and let cool.

  

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Ingredients

¾ cup (1½ sticks) Butter, softened

1 cup Packed Brown Sugar

½ cup Granulated Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1½ cups All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

½ teaspoon kosher Salt

1 cup Packed Shredded Carrots

¾ cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

½ cup Raisins

2 cups Old-Fashioned Oats

 

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 oz. Cream Cheese, at room temperature

4 teaspoons Milk

¼ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Add dry ingredients to butter mixture until well-combined.

Stir in carrots, coconut, raisins, and oats and mix until just combined.

Scoop 1” rounds of dough onto baking sheet.

Bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes.

Let cool.

 

Make glaze: Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until combined.

 

Drizzle glaze over each cookie and let harden before serving.

 

 

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Heath Bar Cookie

Growing up my great grandmother would always hand out Heath Bars for the holidays. That and a five dollar bill for every birthday, Christmas and even Easter card she would hand out. She has been gone for a few years now, but anytime I have a Heath Bar I think of her. This cookie is a delicious balance of cookie dough and crunch. Enjoy!

Ron Gordils is the Executive Chef at Old North State Club. 

Ingredients 

2½ cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter
¾ cup Brown Sugar
¾ cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1½ cups Chopped Heath Bar pieces (8, 1.4 ounce bars)
½ cup Chopped Walnuts

Directions 

Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine Heath Bar pieces and chopped walnuts. Set aside.

Whisk butter, sugars, vanilla, then add eggs: In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown and white sugars, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Make and chill dough: Add the flour mixture a third at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the Heath bar walnut mixture. Chill cookie dough for at least 30 minutes - better an hour or longer.

Spoon out dough balls onto a cookie sheet: Preheat oven to 350°F. On cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat, spoon out the cookie dough in small 1-inch diameter balls (size of a large marble). Leave ample space because they do spread.

Bake: Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.

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Ultimate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Todd Jackson is the Executive Chef at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation 
    

Ingredients 

2 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

¾ cup Butter, softened

¾ cup Granulated Sugar

¾ cup Packed Brown Sugar

½ cup Smooth Peanut Butter

2 Large Eggs

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

½ cup Peanut Butter Chips

1 cup Peanut Butter Cups, rough chopped

   

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl of a mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and mix. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then add vanilla. Add flour mixture in batches until fully incorporated.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and chopped peanut butter cups.

Scoop out dough with a medium cookie scoop onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

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Biscotti 

Recipe by Sal Baldino of Brook Valley Country Club provided as a tribute to his wife as they are celebrating fifty years of marriage.
    

Ingredients:

1 cup Butter                                                    

1 ¾ cup Sugar                                               

6 Eggs                                                              

2 teaspoon Vanilla                                                    

1 teaspoon Anise flavor                                          

1 teaspoon Anise Seed                                            

6 cups Flour                                                    

3 teaspoons Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt                                      

½ cup Chopped Nuts    

      

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add all wet ingredients and mix well. Add dry ingredients. 

Form dough into a long log; bake until golden brown at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool, then slice. 

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The facts are daunting. Of the 78 million metric tons of plastic packaging produced globally each year, a mere 14 percent is recycled. Our efforts to keep plastic out of landfills are simply falling short. But, among the first private clubs to step up to the challenge, McConnell Golf has committed to pitch in and has already made significant gains in reducing the impact of what gets pitched out. 

Corporate Director of Culinary Operations, Howard Murphy and Corporate Executive Chef, James Patterson had long been discussing environmental factors regarding plastic waste and concluded that it was time to jump in with two feet.

As they quickly learned, this was not an easy nor cost-effective task. “We wanted one company capable of servicing all of our properties and finding a quality product took many trials,” says Patterson.

In selecting Greenware®, the mission finally became a reality and all McConnell Golf properties now offer compostable to-go cups for cold and hot beverages including lids and straws.

While the network of clubs has buying power, the more eco-friendly products cost a whopping 30% more than mainstream plastic. Yet at a decomposition rate of three to six months versus 200 to 1000 years, it’s a commitment that the company feels imperative. 

“A couple of years ago, bamboo products were very expensive, as science has continued to develop with biopolymer materials it has now made them attainable,” said Murphy, “We expect that trend to continue.”

Jumping into anything requires quick learning. As Murphy reports, “We've actually switched from paper straws to plant-based in reaction to member feedback.” 

With these changes, McConnell Golf as a company will keep over two million pieces of plastic out of landfills by using biodegradable alternatives. It’s an effort and cost the company is willing to bear to make the world a better place.

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