Holiday Baking Series - Almond Spice Cookies

Almond Spice Cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 ounces slivered almonds (1 cup) - I used toasted ones from TJ's

Beat together flour, baking powder, slat and spices in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and sugar about 3 minutes in a standing mixer with paddle attachment on medium high speed. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the almonds.

Form dough into a 12-inch log (2 inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up dough in plastic wrap. Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm, at least 4 hours. (To roll cookies into balls, see note at end of recipe)

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. (I baked my cookies on one sheet at a time in the oven, baking sheet on middle rack of oven.)

Cut enough 1/8- 1/4-inch slices form log with a heavy knife to fill the sheet/s. Arrange slices about 1 inch apart (chill remainder of log, wrapped in plastic wrap). if you'd like you can garnish with course sugar.

Bake cookies, switching positions if doing 2 sheets at a time halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.

Note: Dough log can be chilled up to 5 days or frozen, wrapped in double layer of plastic wrap, 1 month. If frozen, thaw dough in refrigerator just until it can be sliced.

Instead of forming dough into a log and chilling, you can roll tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch and can roll in course sugar. Bake following directions above. You can make plain butter cookies with this recipe by omitting spices and almonds. Cookies can be garnished with melted chocolate as well.

Yield: About 4 dozen cookies

Holiday Baking Series - Chocolate Truffle Cookies

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE COOKIES

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups [12 ounces] semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 250 degrees F.

Chop unsweetened chocolate. Cut butter into pieces. Melt chopped chocolate, butter and 1 cup chocolate ships in a small pan in oven, stirring occasionally. Cool.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Beat sugar and eggs about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Stir in chocolate mixture, then flour mixture and finally the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips.

Cover and chill until firm, at least 1 hour. Dough must be very cold.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Shape into approximately 1 inch balls. It may help to wet hands. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart, until puffed, about 10 minutes.

YIELD: about 4 dozen cookies

Holiday Baking Series - Pumpkin Cookies

BEST EVER PUMPKIN COOKIE RECIPE

2 cups butter, softened (4 sticks)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups pureed cooked pumpkin (or canned)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups raisins
2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the pumpkin and vanilla extract, blending well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
Add to the creamed mixture, stirring well. Mix in the raisins and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

YIELD: - makes up to 7 dozen, depending on size. I use a small scoop

Holiday Baking Series - Puff PAstry Pinwheel Cookies with Jam

Puff Pastry Pinwheel Cookies with Jam

I package of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

1 egg, beaten to blend (glaze)
1/2 cup (about) sugar
1/2 cup (about) assorted jams (such as peach, apricot, raspberry, kiwi, blueberry)

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 16X13-inch rectangle. Trim edges neatly, forming 12X15-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle into twenty 3-inch squares. Using a small sharp knife, make 1-inch long diagonal cut in all 4 corners of 1 square, cutting toward the center (do not cut through center). To form pinwheels, fold every other point of the pastry toward center of square, pressing to adhere. Repeat with remaining puff pastry squares. (I brought all points up and made flowers.)

Brush pinwheels lightly with egg glaze. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Place scant 1/2 teaspoon jam in center of each. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet. Bake until pinwheels are golden and puffed, about 13 minutes. Using metal spatula transfer cookies to rack and cool. Repeat with remaining puff pastry sheet, glaze, sugar and jam.

Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar, if desired. I did. (Can be prepared ahead. Place between waxed paper sheets in airtight container and freeze up to 2 weeks; thaw before using. You can also store them at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days.)

Yield: 40 pinwheel (or flower) cookies

Holiday Baking Series - David's Snicker Doodle Recipe

David's Long-time Recipe for Snicker Doodles

Cream together:
½ cup shortening
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar

Add:
2 eggs
Sift together and add:
2 ¾ cups flour
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Chill dough until stiff; form into balls the size of walnuts and roll in:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375.

Holiday Baking Series - Cream Cheese Cookies with Jam

Cream Cheese Cookies with Jam

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Jam
Powdered sugar

Combine butter, cream cheese and sugar; mixing until fluffy and well blended. Blend in eggs, lemon juice and zest. Add combined dry ingredients; mix well. Chill f a few hours at least. Shape about a tablespoon or so of dough into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; flatten slightly. Indent centers; fill with jam. (I used homemade peach and some strawberry) Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Cool; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Yield: about 7 dozen

Holiday Baking Series - Chocolate Grand Marnier Balls

Chocolate Grand Marnier Balls

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk'
1 1/4 cups vanilla cookie crumbs
1 1/4 cups ginger snap cookie crumbs
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (can use walnuts)
1/3 cup Grand Marnier(I used about 2 teaspoons more than called for)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded coconut

Melt the chocolate chips and evaporated milk in a pot over low heat, stirring constantly, until well blended. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for about 30 minutes. Combine all remaining ingredients except the coconut; stir into the chocolate mixture, blending well.

Shape the mixture into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls (if the dough is too moist, add up to 1/3 cup more cookie crumbs - I had to add some extra), then roll in coconut. Let air-dry for 2 hours po waxed paper. Transfer to an airtight container; store in refrigerator.

Note: You can use any liqueur you like such as Kahlua, Frambroise, etc. I happened to love the taste of chocolate with orange.

Yield: About 4 dozen

Holiday Baking Series - Chocolate Mint Cookies

Chocolate Mint Cookies

If you like the Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, you are going to love these!

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-Process) - I used King Arthur Double Dutch Processed Dark Chocolate
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 large egg

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in peppermint extract and vanilla extract. Beat in sugar in 3 additions. add egg and beat until blended. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended (dough will be sticky).

Divide dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap as an aid, form dough on each into 2-inch-diameter log. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough until well chilled, at least 2 hours. (Dough can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) I also like to place on a baking sheet before putting in fridge.

Position rack in center and 1 rack in third top of oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap cookie dough logs; roll briefly on work surface to form smooth round logs. (I could get them nice and round, but as soon as I sliced though it flattened on the bottom every time.) Cut logs crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies until tops and edges are dry to the touch, about 15 minutes. Transfer baking sheets with cookies to racks; cool completely. Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool melted chocolate until slightly thickened but still pourable, about 10 minutes. (A few minutes and it happened for me.) Sip fork into melted chocolate, then wave fork back and forth over cookies, drizzling melted chocolate thickly over cookies in zigzag pattern. Refrigerate cookies on baking sheets un til chocolate is set, about 10 minutes. (Cookies can be made 1 week ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container between sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper.)

Yield: Makes about 3 1/2 dozen

Friday - The Kids Come For the Weekend

The first fun thing I did friday was bake Justin his favorite cookie- Triple Peanut Bars. Let's face it, they are a favorite of all of ours.



Really simple: take a roll of store-bought peanut butter cookie dough and with gloved or floured hands, press out onto a jelly roll pan sprayed with PAM. Top with 12 oz of semisweet chocolate chips then drizzle a can of sweetened condensed milk on top. Cover evening with 10 oz of peanut butter chips and 1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts.
Place in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes until edges are crispy and they look like above.

When cool, spread with a mixture of 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup peanut butter and 1 tablespoon milk. Keep adding milk, a little at a time, until right consistency to frost (which I prefer the look and taste of), or make it thinner and drizzle on top of cookies. Cut into bars.

Here I am with Jacob. I could just eat him up!

Justin pumkinlina. He brought it home from school and has to care for it and then create an activity for it to do. I believe he said he was going to have it fly around the classroom on a plane or something. I hope they take video!

Jacob a.k.a. Skeleton Boy. He even glowed in the dark!

Justin showing me his magic trick; a pencil staying in his hand without holding on to it. I think I may have to find a magic kit for him for Christmas.

Jacob in his Johnny Jump-Up.

Jacob teething oin his Johnny Jump-Up. He has 2 front teeth coming in!

Shawn, Theresa, David, John

I made a pot roast dinner. Actually I cooked 2 pot roasts and there is only enough leftover for David and I to have one more meal. That made me smile.

Shawn and Theresa.

Jen brought us Halloween labels for bottles of wine. This turned out dark, but the label on the wine bottle says 'Vampire Blood."

JAcob and his Daddy.

Jacob is starting to use a sippy type cup, but it is a cross between a bottle nipple and a sippy cup. He gnaws on it alot and he also tries to drink water from it. I have to admit it just throws me how fast he is growing up.

Special Goodies for Justin - Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip

We will be seeing the grandchildren tomorrow (yay!) so I baked cookies for Justin. He likes that I bake cookies especially for him. His very favorites are the Triple Peanut Bars with Chocolate that I bake. I baked something new for him this time; Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I recieved the recipe from an Internet Foodie friend Risa and they are really good!


You'll need to make them:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree (out of the can works just fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 12 cups pecans, chopped

Sift together the flour, baking soda and spices, then mix in the oatmeal. Set aside. (I sift by whisking, works great and saves time and clean up)

In a large bowl of an electric mixere fitted with the paddle, cream the butter; then beat in the sugars, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and egg. Add the flour-oats mixture.

Place batter in a large bowl and add the chips and pecans. Mix well. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Drop the dough in rounded tablespoons on well-greased sheets (I did not grease my sheets and had no trouble at all removing them), spacing them 2" apart. Bake each sheet in the middle level of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned and set. (14 minutes in my oven.) Note: Keep batter in frisge between scoopings.

Remove immediately and transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight conatainer at room temperature. Then try to eat just one........

A Chocoholic's Dream Cookie

Chocolate Truffle Cookies



Here's the Recipe:


Makes about 4 dozen cookies

4 oz unsweetened chocolate
6 T butter
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup flour
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ t baking powder
¼ t salt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ t vanilla extract

Chop unsweetened chocolate. Cut butter into pieces. Melt chopped chocolate, butter, and 1 cup chocolate chips in a small pan in oven, stirring occasionally. Cool.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Beat sugar and eggs about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Stir in chocolate mixture, then flour mixture and finally the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips.

Cover and chill until firm, at least 1 hour. Dough must be very cold.

Heat oven to 350 F. Shape into approximately 1 inch balls. It may help to wet hands. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart, until puffed, about 10 minutes.