Laughing all the way to the oven

I made these cookies for our Ward Primary Scripture Camp.

They were a huge success. Apparently, everyone loves a cookie with snicker in the name.

It was a favorite of my Dad. One of the few things he made in the kitchen, although he made a lot of things in the shop.

This is the recipe I used at the bakery. And a tasty one it is! Even if it doesn't have chocolate, which I think is a very important key to anything truly delicious.

So, for all you cinnamon sugar lovers out there . . .

Snickerdoodles:

Ingredients:

5 cups All-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Cream of tartar (that magical ingredient kept in pantries everywhere for the sole purpose of making snickerdoodles, I think)
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1teaspoon Salt

1pound (2 cups) butter
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

1. Whisk dry ingredients together

2. Cream butter and sugar (remember my 5 minute rule. Cream until very smooth and fluffy)

3. Add vanilla and eggs and mix at low speed until well blended. It might look curdled, but that is normal, not a sign of anything icky or weird.

4. Stir in dry ingredients until just blended.

At this point, I suggest refrigerating the dough for an hour or so which will make the shaping part less sticky.

5. Mix together 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons (or to taste) cinnamon.

6. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a ball and roll in cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 350 F for about 12 minutes or until edges turn golden brown.

This recipe makes quite a few cookies. I am not sure exactly how many as Milo did in fact eat the corner of the paper on which I had noted the yield.

Sorry. I think it made about 5 dozen.

Happy eating! sol (snicker out loud)







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Hull, MA

Spice up those hot summer days!

I normally make these cookies in the fall and winter, for they are quite fallish.

But, why? It's hot out there, anyway. Why not spice things up?

These are the ultimate molasses spice cookie, complete with the ultimate 'spice'. I have never had anyone guess the secret spice without being told.

If your friends can, they are geniuses worthy of your friendship.

Molasses Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. pepper (yes, this is good old black pepper!, the secret spice)
¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, very soft
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup molasses

1. Stir dry (first 8) ingredients together in bowl, and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. You know the drill. 5 minutes is NOT too long. Cream away now, before adding dry ingredients.

3. Add egg, vanilla, and molasses, and beat until combined. It is quite likely to look curdled, which is not a problem, just be sure it is well combined.

4. Stir in flour mixture at low speed until completely combined.

5. At this point I like to refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before shaping, or freeze the shaped dough, and bake from frozen. This creates a cookie that holds it's form. If you like flat cookies, you don't need to worry about this step.

6. Roll cookies in granulated sugar before placing on parchment covered cookie sheet. I also like to sprinkle a course sugar such as turbinado on top if I have it around. It is not necessary, of course. Just extra crunchy sugar.

7. Bake at 375 F for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and set, but not brown.

Now, eat cookies everyone!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Hull, MA

Picnic Food

These raspberry bars, based on the people's choice lemon bars by Hillary, key bakery recipe contributor and bread baker, adapted by Rhonda, key early morning baker and recipe contributor, are DELICIOUS.

Try them! Whether you are going on a picnic or not.

Someday, I will tell you about the People's Choice lemon bars. Someday, when I can find the recipe. Hmmm.

Ingredients:
2 cubes (1/2 pound) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sweetened, condensed milk

2/3 cup raspberry jam, heated to pourable consistency

1. Cream butter and sugar in stand mixer, with paddle attachment at medium speed until combined.

2. Add flour and oats and blend at low speed until a rough dough has formed. Similar to a cookie dough.

3. Pat 2/3 of mixture into a 9 x 13 pan, save remaining mixture for topping.

4. Beat cream cheese with sweetened, condensed milk until smooth, spread gently over crust. This requires finesse as it is a crumbly crust. An offset icing spatula works well. I'm sure you all have one of those. If not, a butter knife. A rubber spatula is too clumpy, I don't recommend it. Just in case you were interested in my opinion.

5. Pour melted jam over cream cheese mixture. I melt in the microwave, because I am unafraid of micro waves. If you are opposed to microwaves, melt it on the stovetop. If you are opposed to stovetops, stop reading this recipe, as you are not qualified to cook.

6. Crumble remaining crust mixture over jam

7. Bake at 350 F for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown.

I am aware that is quite a long time variance. I'm afraid I cannot help you with that, as I don't remember why I wrote the recipe that way. Sorry!

Cool, cut, and go on a picnic!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Snap, crackle, pop . . .

. . . drool, smile, chomp.

Your favorite marshmallow crispy rice treat.

Only better.

And slightly more time consuming.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 vanilla bean
1 10.5 oz. bag mini marshmallows
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups crispy rice cereal (sometimes referred to as Rice Krispies)

1. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium low heat.

2. As the butter is melting, cut open the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the pan. Yes, you can substitute vanilla extract, but if you do, add it after the marshmallows are melted, but before you add the cereal.

3. Once the butter has melted, you are going to wait for it to brown. This is one of the things, along with the vanilla bean and salt, that makes this recipe extra special. It will bubble and hiss, but not boil, for about 4 to 5 minutes before it starts to brown. You need to watch carefully because it is a very short trip from brown to burnt.

4. Add the marshmallows and salt as soon as the butter starts to brown. Stir over low heat until marshmallows are completely melted and seeds are evenly distributed.

5. Stir in cereal until well combined.

6. Pat into prepared pan.

7. Let sit for about half an hour, if you have very good self control, then cut and enjoy!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

. . . it isn't an Oreo

But, it's an even more delicious alternative!

And you could certainly make it say O R E O if you were so inclined.


Sometimes, flour girls like to try new recipes.

Actually, flour girls like to try 
new recipes all the time.

This is how it happens.

I look through a number of my cookbooks.  I have several.  Dozen.  Several dozen cookbooks.  I find it difficult to pass up a pretty cookbook with lots of pictures.

Anyway, it usually happens that I find a delicious sounding recipe, look up a dozen similar recipes on line.  And make a version based on available ingredients and time.

This is the Oreo knock off I tried this weekend.

Ingredients:

Cookie:
1 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
3/4 cup (150 grams)
granulated sugar
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 1/2 cup (210 grams) all purpose flour

3/4 cup (90 grams) Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 2/3 cups (230 grams) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

This is a nice dark chocolate cookie.  It is intended to be crunchy, and under cooking will not make it chewy.  Just in case you are tempted:)

Another warning.  This is definitely a regular Oreo amount of filling.  If you are a double stuff person, or have a taste tester, or are a taste tester, make double filling!

Because of the melted butter, you can mix the cookie dough by hand, which means you don't have to wash the mixing bowl before making the filling.  Hooray!

Whisk the butter and sugar together until well combined.

Whisk in the vanilla and melted chocolate.

Whisk in the egg.  Be sure everything is well combined.

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda together in a separate bowl.

FYI:  many bakers are passionate about Dutch cocoa powder.  It is very dark and rich.  But, if you have Hershey's, use it!  It works fine in my opinion.

Mix dry ingredients into wet.  It will be quite stiff.  Use a wooden spoon or spatula.  Switch to your hands if you want to.

Put mixture on parchment or waxed paper, and roll into a 10 inch long log.

Refrigerate for a couple hours, or freeze for 15 minutes and call it good because you are in a hurry;)

You may want to reshape since it tends to flatten.

Heat oven to 325 F.

Slice into 1/4 inch rounds and bake on parchment luned cookie sheet for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookie us firm.

While cookies cool, mix the filling.

Wonderfully easy.

Put all the ingredients in mixing bowl and mix until smooth.  Be sure your butter is soft.  It will be quite thick.  Like cream filling should be!

Put a tablespoon of filling on the bottom of a cookie.  Put another cookie on top.  Bottoms in, of course.


I got about 14 cookies.

Yum!






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Hull, Mass.

Young Love

This is the cookie recipe dreams are made of.  Happily ever after cookies.  Really!

Although, I suppose, to use Really! might be a few million years premature since 'ever after' is a very long time.

But!  But, but, but . . . it has been working really well since about 1981 when I discovered it.  And 20 cookie years is a very long time in people years.  Okay, 20 years is just a very long time.  If you don't believe me ask my children.  Only half of which have achieved that momentous age.

--interesting aside.  I am typing on my iPad right now, which is challenging for my clumsy hands.  I regularly hit the 'n' key instead of the space bar which results in interesting words like ifnyou.  I am sometimes tempted to leave it, and become a country girl.  Just thoughtnI'd share that with you.  Thatnlast one really happened.  By accident!

Anyway, back in the early 80's when I was a young high school girl, I used to browse my Mom's magazines on Sunday afternoons, or whenever I didn't have a date, which was always.  Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, Woman's Day, things like that.  Next to the diet tips, they would have delicious recipes.  I don't know why, but they still do.  Anyway, I made the cookies, I loved the cookies.  I met my husband, I loved my husband, who loved the cookies, and loved me.  We served the cookies at our wedding.  And, we are living happily ever after with the cookies.  Which were my number one seller at the bakery.  The end.

Make the cookies, and you, too will love the cookies.

And, just ignore uniformed persons who ask if you ran out of brown sugar.  They do not deserve an answer or a cookie.

Enjoy!

Ingredients for Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies:

2 cups butter (I use the kind with salt), very soft
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt (unless you use unsalted butter, then use 1 teaspoon)
4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Beat the butter until light and creamy with the powdered sugar.  You cannot beat it too long, so if you have a Kitchenaid or other stand mixer, just walk away for 5 minutes and let it go.

Add the remaining vanilla, salt, and flour and continue to beat until completely combined and smooth. Another 3 to 4 minutes, or as long as necessary.  If it still falls apart, it needs more mixing.  There is nothing fragile in this recipe, so don't worry about over beating it.  It will not have good texture if you stop too soon.

In case you are still wondering . . . BEAT IT REALLY, REALLY WELL.  Sorry, I just feel very strongly about this.

--note:  this dough is stiffer than regular cookie dough, so don't be alarmed.

Once it is a soft, smooth beautiful dough, stir in the chocolate chips. In case you are wondering, I used mini chips this time. but, it's not necessary.

Place a large heaping tablespoon per cookie on cookie sheets (12 to a sheet).  Now the crazy part.  Gently smash with a fork, as though you were making peanut butter cookies.  Strange, I know.  But that's hownwe do it round these parts.

Bake for 14 minutes at 350 F.  You want the bottom to be light golden, but no color on the top.

They should taste like sweet buttery goodness in your mouth.  Soft, but not chewy.  Definitely not crunchy or crispy!  Just delicious.

I must admit, I envy you if you are eating this cookie for the first time.