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sy pie - a recipe for disaster!

syako — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:32:48 -0800

Pardon the cheesy title - I could not resist.

In college I rarely cooked meals. I either ate something really simple (hamburger helper, anyone?) or I went out to eat. Needless to say, I gained a lot of weight the first couple years in college. The end of my junior year I realized that if calories consumed were more than calories spent, I gained weight. I started eating healthy and counting calories.

Fortunately, this led me to start actually cooking --- unfortunately it led me to have very boring meal selections. Baked chicken, broiled fish, brown rice, steamed veggies, and other very simple and very lite foods were a part of my weekly regulars. I was never adventurous in the kitchen, I rarely looked up recipes unless they were from a health Web site and had nutritional information. That limited me severely.

At some point I started cooking for my now-husband (then boyfriend). He would quickly tire of my baked chicken, so I started branching out a little and found recipes that were not from health Web sites (but did still have nutritional content!). I know, I was a maniac. After he'd shower me with compliments on my more risky meals, it inspired me to explore more.

My cousin (and roommate at the time), Liz, got me a subscription to the Rachael Ray Magazine back when it first came out in 2006. I smiled, and thanked her for noticing that I was learning to cook, but secretly I was disappointed because Rachel not only left out nutritional content --- but she also cooked with butter and olive oil! Quel Horreur!

Well, let's just say Liz opened up a floodgate. By that point I was no longer trying to lose weight, instead I was (and still am) just maintaining my current weight. That meant that using butter or olive oil was OK and hubby LOVED that fact. Then I got the Bon Appetit subscription from my sister, and it just added fuel to the fire. From that point on, I made dinner mostly every night and I tried at least one new recipe a week. I'm still doing it and loving it and finding recipes from all sorts of places.

Despite my excitement for new recipes, and despite the fact that I still try new things very often, I've been very timid in creating my own recipes. I have, in the recent past, modified recipes with success. Sometimes even changing a recipe quite drastically, but I still needed it written down and in front of me. And when it comes to baking, I'm even more weary of tweaking.

That is, until this weekend. I've started this new thing where every Sunday afternoon I bake a dessert and then hubby and I nibble on it all week long after dinner. We used to eat ice cream most nights, but now that we're no longer in Louisiana and there's no Blue Bell Ice Cream - well, it just aint the same. So this Sunday I'm looking through my cookbook trying to decide on what to make (well, more trying to figure what I have on hand that I can make) when I decided on peanut butter cookies.

I had a huge bag of marshmallows from last week's easy Rice Krispy Treats dessert, and I was really itching to include them. So I decided I'd make a cookie "pie" and then top it with marshmallows and chocolate chips. I put things in the bowl, in the oven, went through all the steps... and... well... it came out.... as a disaster!

My husband says I can only call it a disaster if it was so bad that we threw it away, and we didn't have to, so it wasn't a disaster per se, but it was not as I intended it to be. Regardless, I know what I did wrong, and I know what needs to be done right, so you can bet your bottom dollar that I will post this recipe as a success very soon!

So... I want to hear your messes and successes! SPILL!

Autumn Hodgepodge

THE BIG AGOO — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:15:05 -0700

Oct

14Autumn Hodgepodge
Posted by JB on Tuesday Oct 14, 2008
Under Soapbox Mama
With autumn all around us, this is the perfect time for a hodgepodge of great and fun things all about leaves, colors and the essence of autumn. Enjoy!

Crafts

Hand print and finger print crafts always make wonderful keepsakes. Here’s a fun way to celebrate the coming of Autumn while preserving your child’s size and age at the same time.

What you’ll need:
• White construction paper or card stock
• Orange construction paper
• Scissors
• Acrylic or poster paint in green, brown, orange, yellow, tan and red
• White craft glue

How to make it:

1. Line work surface with newspaper and place white construction paper in the center.

2. Start by showing the child where you want to place his/her arm on the paper, you will be painting the bottom of the forearm, palm and all fingers.

3. Use brown paint to cover bottom of forearm, palm and all fingers, use a generous amount.

4. Help child carefully lay their arm and fingers down on the paper, fingers extended. Hand should go in the center of the paper to allow room for the leaves. Gently press down and roll each finger, palm and arm onto the paper. Lift arm straight up into the air.

5. Wash paint off arm and hand and dry completely.

6. Place a nickel sized amount of each color paint into a paper plate. Have child dip their finger into the paint and onto the paper creating leaves of all different colors. The fingers on the paper are the branches, so put the leaves at the end of the branches and all around them.

7. Use a paint brush to add some grass at the bottom of the tree.

8. For older kids, add a few flowers in the grass. Use a small dot of paint on their finger to create the center and flower petals. You can even add a little squirrel in the tree by dotting on a head, body and tail! Use a black marker to dot on the eye. You can also add a few “falling leaves” by dotting two or three colors falling from the branches and use a marker to add a few squiggly lines indicating motion.

9. Make a frame from the orange construction paper by gluing around the back edge of the picture.

Tips:
• This project has fun variations for Spring as well. Make all the leaves green using two or more shades, then add red dots for apples or white and pink dots for flowers. Use a construction paper color for the frame to match the season.
• It’s best to show children a finished project first so that they understand what they are trying to create. This will make it easier to envision their own picture.
• Be sure to have a bowl of water and some paper towels handy for cleaning off fingers.

This craft activity is from one of my favorite sites, Kaboose. Thanks to Amanda Formaro for the great idea.

Cooking

For those who love pumpkin, I am sure you won’t be able to resist this recipe.
This recipe is from Debbie Vassil who submitted it to How To Eat a Cupcake.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Makes 23 cookies (11 pies + 1 leftover cookie to eat!)

1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (2 3/4 cups)
1 teaspoon baking powder (2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (1 tsp)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (4 1/2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1 1/2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (1 1/2 tsp)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (1/2 tsp)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp (2 1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup sugar (1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon molasses (3 Tbsp)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (2 tsp)
2 large eggs (4)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) (1 1/4 cups)
1/4 cup buttermilk (1/2 cup)

Spiced Cream Cheese Filling (my own recipe)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg, ginger, and cloves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk dry ingredients (except sugar) together in a medium bowl.
Using electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, molasses and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin puree.
Mix in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beating until just combined.
Line large baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart, leaving enough room for dough to spread.
Bake for 13 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center. Cool completely on wire racks before filling.
To make the filling, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until blended. Add sugar and spices. Beat just until thickened and well blended.

I rolled some in toasted chopped pecans and some in mini chocolate chips. They’d also be super good topped with dried cranberries like those raisin creme pies you can get at the grocery store. Thanks Debbie, these were SO great! There were no leftovers!

Ingredients

After letting the electric mixer do most of the work, I like to finish the batter by hand.

I used a medium (#30) cookie scoop to make sure they were all the same size.

While they were cooling, the house smelled SO nice!

Tada! Autumn deliciousness!

Of course with the amazing colors donning the trees comes the fun and delight of cleaning all the leaves. Since most of don’t have the handy-dandy leaf blowers of the professionals, here are some useful tips to make raking leaves fun and enjoyable.

Cleaning

First of all, get your kids and have them join you. Just being outside with your children on a crisp fall day will feel good and make the task feel more like fun then work.

Make sure you have a proper rake that is strong and in good condition. Often this tool is left laying in the garage awaiting those few times it is used. An old rank can bend or break under pressure. Invest in one with wide tines that bend slightly and has a good sweep.

As for sweeps, shorts strokes are more effective than long ones. They gather more leaves, using less energy.
Make sure to rake with the wind, not against it.

Start at one end of the yard and work backwards, closest to the area where you can clean up and dispose of the debris. Then create small piles that are easy to gather and put in bags.

Designate your first pile as the one and only pile the kids can play in.

Bring with you your camera or video camera for some really great pictures filled with happy smiles and vibrant fall hues.

an apple a day...

Sweets by Ally — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:26:12 -0700

It's Autumn, which means time to say goodbye to sandals and swimsuits, and say hello to sweaters, cool scarves and of course, the bounty of the harvest. What October wouldn't be complete without a trip to a local orchard for fresh pressed cider, corn mazes and of course, bushels of apples?

So, the family is heading out this weekend to go apple-picking, which means that come Monday, my kitchen will be full to the brim with the smell of apples, cinnamon and fresh pastry. To set the mood, here's a classic Autumn morning treat that's sure to fill your kitchen (and your tummy) with warm apple goodness:

Apple Cinnamon Muffins
(yields 16 small muffins)

ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chilled butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 large apple, peeled & diced
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 egg
2/3 cup milk

directions:
In a bowl, blend flour, sugar, baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until mixture is the texture of coarse meal. (Speedy hint: use a food processor!)
Measure out 1/4 cup of mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and brown sugar and set aside for the topping.
Add apple and walnuts to remaining mixture. In a separate bowl, beat egg, then add milk. Blend well. Add to flour mixture, stirring until just blended. Don't worry if the batter is thick and lumpy - it's supposed to be!
Spoon batter into greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle topping lightly over batter & bake in a preheated 425F oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
Cool, remove from pan and enjoy!

C is for cookie...

Sweets by Ally — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:21:07 -0700

I don't think there is any dessert that is more classic or comforting than a fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie. Few other scents can invoke such nostalgia as the smell of chocolate chippies baking in the oven.

A fresh baked cookie reminds us of Mom; of after-school snacks and bake sales, and most importantly, of home. It's one of the main reasons that real estate agents suggest that sellers bake a batch of cookies just before an open-house; it shows prospective buyers that your home is loved.

As we move away from the carefree days of summer and into the reflective mood of fall, I'm reminded of things that are comforting; my favourite sweater, my blanket, a comfy chair, a good book and of course, homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Here is my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I hope it will become yours too.
Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
(yields about 5 dozen 2 1/4" cookies)

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon good vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 x 12 ounce package (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips (Hershey's or Nestle Toll House)
1 cup chopped pecans (they play so nicely with chocolate chips!)

Directions
preheat oven to 375F
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside for a moment.
In a large bowl, combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop the cookie mixture by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown.

Reverse out!
Turn these cookies into Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies by substituting 1/4 cup of flour with cocoa powder and use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet.

CHAPTER 59 / 2008/09/27

Iveenia — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:04:26 -0700

The Italians made hell of money with the Libyans… We had found Parmiggiano Reggiano. 100 g 6 Dinars 90 – that was stealing! In Switzerland we paid not even half of that… The Pannettone was abt the same price but at that time they had not sold any Bauli that was my favorite. It was so terribly expensive for a country with such a low income! It was luxury! Okay Switzerland is an expensive country as well but the same prices like in Libya for Italian products? WOW that was truly fresh!
Going to Tunisia might have been an alternative. No way. On the borders it had been hell, you open all, you show all and you wait at least 1 up to 2 hrs at the border! That is no joke! I had gone through this in 2000!
Then it had still been under embargo and you only had a chance to travel to Libya by car. You had to fly to a neighbor country like Tunisia or Italy or Egypt or Algeria or Malta – either go by ship or car, then.
At night we arrived at the border to Libya. The guy who was needed to stamp the passport, was in his break and only came back one hour later… I loved it very much! After the border we had to drive to Tripoli; every 200 meters there had been checkpoints (no kidding), then abt 50 miles after the border it became better. Luckily I went back to Djerba Airport with a police officer who was high ranked; we had half of the time; they all saluted him. LOL; sure at the airport it had not been funny either. I had to undress in a cabin, because I think they thought I would smuggle something, when I had been pregnant. After she had seen my state, she was very upset of herself and apologized again and again… SMILE
Yet I can imagine that there had been cases…
***
Amal respected me very much at that time; and Mufida as well was only addressing me as her sister. Even when writing little cards she wrote; dear sister.
They started again with the panicking abt the pregnancy… I was tired of it. I only wanted to deliver. They were guessing when the baby was coming. Why did they not leave that in the hands of God and the baby? They would be unable to make me bear it…
Men were even worse with that bearing story…
***
Salah improved his baking. His bread became better (he baked at home; Pizza and bread). I was not that good at it… Actually I wished my dad had given me some genes of his baking abilities… Well my cooking was good. At least Salah said so. His family shared the same opinion. That was a pleasure. But also a huge job… So many people so much to do. And so much weight to carry along as well – SMILE.
It had been time to go to the doctor, again. It then was every two weeks. Salah was washing his car; it was full moon. How clever! The next sand storm would come, too? So why bother? That all people saw how beautiful his car was? Whatever, at least I hoped he was happy with it!

Cake Pans

AbbyHintz — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:33:23 -0700

My mom once had cake pans that had a slide that turned around the bottom of the pan to loosen the cake. It's an old-fashioned style, before non-stick, but it's 100% no fail.

I'm looking for a pan like this. Anyone seen one? I cannot think of the proper search terms to find it on the internet. (This image is from ebay -- but I'd prefer new pans)

Betty's Carrot Cake Easter Basket

Bettyesque — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:20:02 -0700

Well I was working on this all morning ... here is the recipe for the cake. Now the basket was entirely different task. I used crushed pecans for the basket, use a teaspoon and just drizzle and shape a basket. I then mixed food coloring in the icing for the grass and eggs. I left the icing mixtures out for a bit so they would stiffen some. I applied the green icing with a knife making upward strokes to appear as grass. I used a teaspoon to scoop the other colors and then lightly placed on the cake reshaping if necessary. I used gels and non perils to decorate the eggs....Its really not that difficult and adds a nice touch to a carrot cake for Easter.

Hope you enjoy this post!

Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS

* 4 eggs - I use 5 more fluffy
* 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
* 2 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 3 cups grated carrots
* 1 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan or two 8in pans
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting Or ... Make your Own

# 1/2 cup butter, softened
# 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
# 4 cups confectioners' sugar
# 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
# 1 cup chopped pecans

To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

Valentines Day Cake

katiesugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:56:28 -0800

Happy Valentines Day! I wanted to show mommy and daddy I loved them by making them a surprise cake. It was my first time cooking a real cake, but I have had plenty of practice in my Dora Kitchen playing with all my food. I helped Aimee pour in the chocolate and I even stirred it allllll up.

After we mixed it all up, we poured the chocolate in the hearts and I even got to lick the bowl! I then watched the cakes bake in the oven to make sure everything was going perfectly. It was hot, hot, hot!

And when it was all done I decorated it all by myself. I think it is beautiful, and so did mommy and daddy.

Try Something New: Mango Muffins

celebrity_soup — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:50:11 -0800

Yesterday I was in my usual baking mood and all I knew was that I wanted to make muffins!
It had to be different though, something new, something that had to do with fruit I had most.
That fruit was mangoes.
I've never heard of Mango Muffins before, but what the heck!
So I went on a quick Google search for some Mango Muffins and you know what?
I found lots of results, but the one that caught my attention most were these mango and coconut ones.
I liked the idea but remembered that i didn't have any cereal to top it, so I found a similar one that contained lemon but no coconut.
From there I made a mix between the two recipes, so I now declare this recipe my very own!

These were great, so fruity and soft inside, while I was making them I realized that if I added a little more buttermilk, I could make some delicious mango pancakes! Next time I'll try that out.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 large mango chopped in small cubes (or canned)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup desiccated coconut (you can add 3/4 cup if you like coconut more than I do)
¾ cup caster sugar
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 melted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
juice and rind of 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to, 180C/350F. Lightly spray a 24-hole muffin pan with oil or use cupcake paper cups.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, coconut, lemon rind and sugar. In a jug, combine buttermilk, spread, egg and lemon juice.

3. Make a well in centre of the dry ingredients. Add buttermilk mixture all at once. Mix lightly, until combined.

4. Fold in the mangoes carefully.

5. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with some sugar and coconut.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan for five minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 24 small muffins (normal sized for me, small compared to the american sized ones)

Roscón de Reyes

partysugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:15:13 -0800

Roscón de Reyes
From The Cuisines of Spain: Exploring Regional Home Cooking by Teresa Barrenechea

1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Minced zest of 1/2 lemon
Minced zest of 1/2 orange
2 1/2 tsp. (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2/3 cup milk, heated to lukewarm (90°F to 100°F)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 eggs
3 tablespoons orange-flower water
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
olive oil for preparing pan
1/2 cup candied fruits, finely chopped, optional
whipped cream, chocolate whipped cream, meringue, or pastry cream optional for filling

In a food processor or blender, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and both citrus zests and process on high speed until you have a mixture of fine particle. Set aside.
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let stand for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.
Add sugar-zest mixture, the butter, 2 of the eggs, the orange flower water, and the salt and stir with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are well mixed.
Add half the flour to the milk mixture and mix with your hands until well blended. Add the remaining flour and continue mixing until all the flour is incorporated.
Knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes until it is smooth, flexible, and no longer sticky.
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until it has roughly doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to its lowest setting and brush rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
Punch down the dough. On a floured work surface, using your palms, roll the dough back and forth until it forms a log about 30 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place it on the prepared baking sheet and bring the ends together to form a circle with a hole in the center 4 to 5 inches in diameter, forming a "crown." Alternatively, divide the dough in half and form 2 logs each 15 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Form the logs into 2 crowns on the baking sheet.
Fill an ovenproof bowl with water and place it at the rear of the oven.
Place the baking sheet with the dough crown in the oven. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour, or until nearly doubled in size.
Remove the pan from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Break the remaining egg into a small bowl, beat until blended, and brush it onto the crown(s). Scatter the candied fruits evenly over the top(s), if desired, and sprinkle evenly with the sugar.
Bake the cake(s) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool on the pan.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve at room temperature.
If desired, carefully slice the cake in half lengthwise. Spread the inside with the filling of your choice and top with the other half of cake.

Makes 1 15-inch or 2 8-inch coil cakes.

12 Days of Cookies - Bonus - Coconut-Peanut Cookies: Galletas Maria (Costa Rica)

CiaoBella — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:25:01 -0800

Coconut-Peanut Cookies
From Food Network Kitchens

Versions of these cookies — named for a Grand Duchess of Russia after her wedding — are popular all over the world, but especially so throughout Spain as well as South and Central America. Packaged versions tend to be more biscuit-like; ours is nutty and textured: easy, kid-friendly, delicious and perfect for the holidays or any other time.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup flaked or shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup chopped unsalted roasted, skinless peanuts

Position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (If you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.)
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.

Melt the butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the brown sugar with a wooden spoon. (The sugar will get soft and saucy, but there may still be a layer of butter on top; don't worry, the mixture comes together as you add the rest of the ingredients.) Stir in the egg, then the flour mixture, taking care not to overmix. Stir in the coconut, oats and nuts to make a textured cookie dough. Set aside until it gets to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Using a tablespoon-sized ice cream scoop (#60), scoop balls of the dough onto the prepared pans, arranging them about 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are golden brown with toasted edges, about 12 minutes.

Cool cookies in the pans for a couple minutes. Then transfer with a spatula to racks to cool. Serve.

Busy baker's tips: You can store unshaped dough for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Store the cookies in airtight containers for up to a week. Freeze for 1 month for longer storage.

Pecan Pie Cookies

taratootie — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 23:39:53 -0800

Here you go people! Hope you try the adjustments I made and that you like them! Here is the original recipe Yum posted ( http://yumsugar.com/806378 ). My changes are marked with asterisks (**)! Warning: the dough is freakin delicious so good luck getting the full yeild

For Cookies:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
**1/2 cup pecan meal (grind pecans in processor until sandy)
**dash almond extract

For Filling:
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
**change to 1/4 cup
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
** 1/4 cup maple syrup
** 1 T flour
** 1 egg white

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine butter, sugar, extracts and egg.
3. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add pecan meal. Reduce speed to low and add flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed.
4. Shape dough into 1-1/4-inch balls.
5. Place balls into 24 greased muffin tins.
6. Make indentation in each cookie with thumb (I used a pestle, but you could use a melon baller or even the bottom of a shot glass).
7. Combine all filling ingredients in small bowl and fill each cookie with 1 rounded tsp. filling.
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes, remove from muffin tin.

Day Three, Daily Points

HappyKate — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 20:32:21 -0800

Mad busy today! I got up early and baked a huge batch of cookies. I dubbed them UFO cookies but they are really called buried cherry cookies. My fam. tells me that they are AWSOME. Haven't tried them yet...points and all. That took about 3 hours. Then I went x-mas shopping with the man, came home made peppermint bark and the dough for gingerbread men. After that it was dinner while wrapping presents and watching the finale of The Biggest Loser (the fatty fat show as my family likes to call it, they are fans too). So all in all a very busy Christmasy day. No time for exercise but I ran around like crazy (that has to count for something right?!)

Daily Points

19 Points

6......Tuna Pita
7......Bites of things while baking (I did really well though / estimate might be high)
5......3oz Ham and 4oz New Potatoes w/ Spray Butter
0......Big Salad with FF Italian Dressing
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 Points left so far

:} Yay for Holiday baking, so much fun! I just made sure that I had a nice cold glass of water on hand so that I wouldn't snack on cookies. I also din't actually crave them today for some strange reason...luck me!

*Sens won again! SWEET!

Gingerbread for Houses or Cookies

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:57:23 -0800

Gingerbread (for House or Men)
From Bon Appetit, 2000

For Gingerbread
6 3/4 cups all purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/2 cups solid vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup robust (dark) molasses

For Icing
4 large egg whites
7 to 7 1/2 cups powdered white sugar

Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cardamom into medium bowl.
Using electric mixer, beat shortening in large bowl until fluffy.
Add sugar and beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add molasses and beat on high speed until well blended.
Add dry ingredients in 4 additions, beating at low speed until dough forms.
Divide dough into 6 equal pieces [this is perfect for a house, and a good idea for cookies]. Flatten each piece into rectangle. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
When dough is ready, preheat oven to 350°F.
Roll out 1 dough piece (keep remaining dough refrigerated) between two 15-inch-long sheets of parchment to scant 1/4-inch rectangle, turning over dough and parchment occasionally. If parchment wrinkles, peel off, smooth wrinkle and reposition parchment over dough; continue to roll out dough to required thickness.
Cut into desired shapes. The easiest way is to remove the excess dough from the bottom parchment paper and slide the entire parchment paper sheet (with cut-out cookies) onto baking sheet.I didn't have a cookie cutter, so I free-styled.
Bake until dry looking, firm to touch in center and just beginning to darken around edges, about 13 minutes. Note: this is the perfect time for house pieces, which you want to be a bit dryer, for individual cookies, start checking around 9 minutes.
Slide parchment with gingerbread onto rack and cool completely. Rinse baking sheet under cold water to cool; wipe dry. Continue with rest of dough/cookies.
While cookies are cooling, make icing. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until very foamy, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Beat until well blended. Add remaining cups sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating until well blended after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.
Beat icing at high speed until very thick and stiff, about 5 minutes.
Place icing into pastry bag with a small round pastry tip.
Use icing to decorate cookies or adhere gingerbread house pieces together.

Note: If concerned about salmonella, use egg white powder instead of egg whites.

12 Days of Cookies - Day 12 - Pistachio Melbas (Australia)

CiaoBella — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 17:41:59 -0800

Pistachio Melbas
From Food Network Kitchens

This biscotti-like cookie is derived from the Eastern European/Jewish cookie Mandelbrot. Australians adopted it, and renamed it Mandel-Melba, due to its textural similarity with the Australian favorite Melba toast (named, of course, for the opera singer Dame Melba). We've used pistachios here, with lemon and orange zests to brighten the flavor. They're not super-sweet; they're more of a cookie to have with your tea or coffee. The key to this is to slice it super-thin so it crumbles in the mouth.

Unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons (about 1 tablespoon, packed)
Finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 teaspoons, packed)
4 large eggs
1 cup whole raw peeled pistachios

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with butter and dust it with flour.

Whisk the flour and salt together in a bowl.

In another medium bowl, rub the citrus zests into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is fragrant and takes on a bit of the fruit color. Beat the eggs into the sugar with a wooden spoon until blended. Stir in the flour mixture to make a smooth, sticky but pourable batter. Stir in the pistachios. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the surface lightly with a spatula.

Bake until the loaf is lightly browned and pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 40 to 45 minutes. A skewer inserted into the center should come out clean, and the loaf will look like a not so great pound cake. Let stand for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a rack for 1 hour.

Wrap the loaf in plastic and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Slice the chilled loaf as thin as you can — 6 to 8 slices to the inch. (It helps to mark the loaf lightly with a serrated knife every half-inch and use that as a guide.) Lay the slices flat on 2 baking sheets and bake until brown, 10 to 15 minutes. (Take care — the cookies can go from pale to dark brown quickly.)

Let stand overnight or for at least 12 hours on a rack to cool and crisp up. Serve. Store in a well-sealed jar or other container.

Busy baker's tips: The loaf can be stored well-wrapped at room temperature for a week, or frozen for a month. The melbas are best stored in an airtight container, away from moist cookies and cakes. Freeze slices double-wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 1 month. Defrost in their wrappers.

12 Days of Cookies - Day 11 - Mazurkas (Poland)

CiaoBella — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 08:05:01 -0800

Mazurkas
From Food Network Kitchens

We tasted cookies from all over Eastern Europe, and these bars really stood out — they were beautiful, satisfying, sweet and colorful, and the dried fruit really sings Christmas. They're usually made on Christmas Eve, but their portability would make them great for bake sales or cookie swaps.

Cookie:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup unsalted butter, soft, but still cool
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Fruit:
4 teaspoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons sugar
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered
1/2 cup dried dates, quartered
1/4 cup dried cherries, each halved
1/4 cup dark or golden raisins
3 tablespoons candied orange peel, diced
1/2 cup raw peeled pistachios
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
For the cookie: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl, with an electric mixer, at medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat well, and then scrape down the sides.

While mixing on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 batches. Scrape down the bowl between each addition, and mix until just blended.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake until light golden brown with spots of darker golden brown and darker edges, about 30 minutes. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the fruit: Whisk the cornstarch and sugar together in a small saucepan. Whisk in orange juice until mixture dissolves. Stir in the fruits and candied orange peel. Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring often; continue to cook, stirring until thickened into a compote, about 3 minutes more. You should be able to draw the spoon along the bottom of pan and see the pan with no liquid seeping back. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the nuts and lemon zest.

Spread fruit evenly over the top of the cooled crust.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake mazurkas until golden brown around edges and fruit sets but is still slightly glossy and jewel-like, about 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

Cut, using an oiled knife, into 24 bars. Serve.

Busy baker's tips: When double-wrapped, the cookie base keeps at room temperature for 3 days or frozen for 1 month. The fruit compote can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated. Store completed cookies in an airtight container, layers separated with parchment paper, for up to 5 days.

12 Days of Cookies - Day 9 - Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bar (Canada)

CiaoBella — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 08:00:53 -0800

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bar
From Food Network Kitchens

There are a number of stories as to where this cookie came from. It's thought to be native to Nanaimo, British Columbia (hence the name), and it gained widespread popularity in the 1950s. Whatever its origins, we loved it. We added the twist of peanut butter to make a simple, delicious, no-bake bar cookie that's super kid-friendly and freezes well.

Cookie:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 large egg, beaten
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
Peanut Butter Filling:
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Chocolate Glaze:
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan or casserole with aluminum foil, with long flaps hanging over each edge.

For the cookie: Put the butter in a heatproof medium bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer over medium-low heat. Set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Once the butter is melted, add the sugar and cocoa, and stir to combine. Add the egg and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until warm to the touch and slightly thickened (it should be about the consistency of hot fudge), about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in graham crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press the dough firmly into the prepared pan. (Save the pan of water for melting the chocolate.)

For the filling: Beat the butter, peanut butter and confectioners' sugar together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light. Spread over the cookie and freeze while you prepare the chocolate glaze.

For the glaze: Put the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl, and set over the barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue to heat until completely melted, about 1 minute more.). When cool but still runny, pour the chocolate layer over the chilled peanut butter layer and carefully smooth out with an offset spatula. Freeze 30 minutes.

To serve, remove from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Pull out of the pan using the foil flaps and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife. Serve cool or at room temperature.

Busy baker's tips: Finished bars can be wrapped in the pan in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month.

What is your favorite holiday dessert?

katmat89 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:16:39 -0800

What is your favorite holiday dessert to make or eat? That one dessert that means 'christmas' to you. I love sugar cookies! I can spend hours decorating them. haha

12 Days of Cookies - Day 10 - Spoon Cookies: Lusikkaleivat (Finland)

CiaoBella — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 08:18:28 -0800

Spoon Cookies
From Food Network Kitchens

Scandinavia is known for all kinds of cookies, mostly flavored with anise or lemon. The flavor we found most compelling in cookies from all over Scandinavia, however, was brown butter — it's nutty, rich and delicious, and pairs perfectly with a tart fruit jam. These cookies get their elegant shape from the teaspoons used to form them.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch fine salt
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/3 cup jam, such as a berry, plum or cloudberry
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Melt the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter browns lightly and smells slightly nutty, about 15 minutes. Transfer the butter to a medium bowl -- be sure to get all the tasty brown bits -- and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another medium bowl.

Whisk the egg yolk, sugar and vanilla into the cooled browned butter.

Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture to make a uniform but crumbly dough that looks like wet sand.

Scoop out dough with a small teaspoon (the kind you set the table with, not the ones you measure with). Rock spoon gently back and forth against the side of the bowl, packing the dough into the spoon, then scrape/slide the spoon against the inside of the bowl to make spoon-shaped cookies. Trim excess dough with your fingers and slide out onto the prepared pans, preserving their shape. (Try to make sure you form an even number of cookies, since these sandwich together.)

Bake cookies until just browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool almost completely on the baking sheets, and then transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

When cool, spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on the flat side of a cookie, and then sandwich together with a second cookie. Repeat until all cookies have met their match. Lightly dust the cookies with the confectioners' sugar. Serve.

Busy baker's tips: The dough can be prepared several hours ahead and stored at room temperature. Freeze baked cookie halves wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil for up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, defrost at room temperature and assemble as desired. Store sandwiches in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not store with crisp cookies, as moisture from the jam will soften the texture of other crisp cookies.

12 Days of Cookies - Day 8 - Chocolate Oat Cakes (Scotland)

CiaoBella — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 08:13:30 -0800

Chocolate Oat Cakes
From Food Network Kitchens

hese are our take on the classic British digestive biscuit. We added chocolate to highlight the richness of the oats, and hazelnuts for texture and crunch. We love that they aren't too sweet, making them the perfect match for afternoon tea. Baking them in muffin tins gives them a gorgeous tea-cake shape, but they're also delicious as drop cookies.

1/4 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 mini muffin tins with mini muffin liners, or set out 20 mini muffin liners on a baking sheet. Lightly spray liners with nonstick spray and sprinkle the hazelnuts into the bottom of each muffin liner.
Whisk the flour, cocoa, wheat germ, oats, spices and salt together in a medium bowl.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar in another bowl until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat together. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Scoop a tablespoon of dough (about 3/4 ounce) into the mini muffin tins or liners, on top of the nuts. (Alternatively, drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and top with chopped nuts.) Bake until the cookies are cooked through and nuts are toasty, about 15 minutes (drop cookies will bake slightly faster). Transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Serve.

Busy baker's tips: Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Freeze formed dough in cups for up to 1 week. Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

12 Days of Cookies - Day 7 - Sesame Rings (Spain)

CiaoBella — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:59:20 -0800

Sesame Rings

From Food Network Kitchens

These Sephardic Jewish cookies are usually served at Shabbat (Sabbath) dinners and on holidays. We loved the savory sesame flavor so much that we added tahini to the dough to help showcase it. They store well, so they're excellent cookies to keep around in case of unexpected guests.

4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3 large whole eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Sesame Glaze:
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup hulled raw sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment, or coat them with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.

Beat the eggs and yolks with the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the tahini, oil and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture until combined to make a soft dough. Cover the dough and set aside for 5 minutes before forming into rings.

Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll it into a rope that is about 5 inches long and 3/8-inch thick. (Dust your hands and the parchment lightly with flour if the dough is sticky.) Pinch the ends of the rope together to form a ring. Repeat until all the dough has been formed into rings.

To glaze the cookies: Put the sesame seeds on a small plate. Whisk the egg white and honey together, and then brush each ring with the mixture. Then immediately dip the ring into the sesame seeds. Place the rings seeds side up, on the prepared baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.

Bake rings until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer from baking sheet and cool on wire racks. Serve.

Busy baker's tips: These cookies keep for a couple weeks stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They can also be double-wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to a month.

Delightful Lemon Mint Cookies

celebrity_soup — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:18:32 -0800

Last weekend I was feeling pretty stressed out for some reason... and when I'm stressed, I feel the need to cook just about ANYTHING.
Since I haven't baked any cookies for a while (went cake crazy) I decided cookies it is!
The last cookies I made (about 2 weeks ago) were Yumsugar's Lemon Basil Snaps as appetizers for a dinner party I had.
They were a hit! Everyone loved those cookies Yum!
I liked them so much that I wanted to make a similar cookie.
So I went for these crispy, minty, lemony, very delightful Lemon Mint Cookies.
I got the recipe from the Dallas Morning News site, but changed it completely, so it's MY recipe now, woot woot!

Ingredients:

¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
Grated zest (yellow part only) of 1 lemon
1 egg, room temperature
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 tsp mint extract or essence
1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter 2 cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. Set aside.

With an electric mixer on high speed, cream butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add lemon zest, egg and lemon juice, mixing on low speed. Add flour, ¼ cup at a time, and mix well, scraping sides of bowl after every addition. Add fresh mint, extract/essence and baking powder.

Drop by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. Watch carefully near end of baking time to prevent them from burning.

Remove cookie sheets from oven and allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to complete cooling. Makes 4 dozens.

12 Days of Cookies - Day 6 - Fregolata (Italy)

CiaoBella — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:46:53 -0800

Fregolata
From Food Network Kitchens

This oversized cookie is perfect for big family dinners; place the whole thing in the middle of the table and hit it with a spoon to crack off pieces. Good-quality almond extract is absolutely key here; if you can't find it in your local stores, check online.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup whole unblanched almonds, toasted (about 3 ounces)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment.

Pulse the nuts in a food processor to finely chop, allowing some larger pieces of nuts to remain. In a large bowl, combine butter, almonds, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of the milk. Add the extract. Drizzle yolk mixture over almond mixture and toss with fingers to combine and get everything moistened. (If needed add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk.) Mixture should still be crumbly, but not dry, like a crisp topping.

Sprinkle 1 cup (about half of the crumbs) on the prepared baking sheet and press lightly to create a thin, even 8-inch round. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top to give the cookie some texture. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking, about 30 minutes. For an extra crispy cookie, turn oven off at this point and let the pan rest in oven for 10 minutes.

Cool on a rack until easy to handle. Slip the fregolata on the paper onto a rack to cool completely.

To serve, place a whole almond or overturned demitasse spoon under the center of the fregolata and rap the top with a spoon or the side of a knife to crack into serving pieces.

Busy baker's tips: Dough can be frozen on cookie sheet for up to 1 week and baked from the freezer (for an extra 5 to 10 minutes). Store baked cookie in an airtight container or on a baking sheet wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 1 week. Baked cookie can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 2 weeks.

12 Days of Cookies - Day 5 - Cinnamon Stars: Zimtsterne (Germany)

CiaoBella — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:15:29 -0800

Cinnamon Stars
From Food Network Kitchens

These are a classic German Christmas cookie; you'll find them in most every household as soon as St. Nicholas' Day (December 6) rolls around. These gluten-free cookies are kind of like a cross between a macaroon and a meringue, with a hint of nutty spiciness. We find them truly addictive. They're designed to keep for a long time, they'll get chewier as time passes.

2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling
15 ounces sliced almonds, with skin (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
Sift the confectioners' sugar.

Put 1/2 cup of the sifted confectioners' sugar, 10 ounces (3 heaping cups) of the almonds and all the cinnamon in a food processor. Process until the nuts are finely ground, with just a few larger pieces.

Whip the egg whites in a large, clean bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until they hold soft peaks, about 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining confectioners' sugar while whipping, until the whites are thick, creamy and somewhat stiff, about 2 minutes more. Set aside 2/3 cup of this meringue for topping the cookies.

Fold the ground almond mixture and the lemon zest into the remaining meringue to make a stiff dough.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Lay a sheet of parchment or waxed paper on the work surface and lightly dust with confectioners' sugar. Turn the dough out onto the dusted paper, flatten and dust with more sugar as needed, and then lay another sheet of parchment or waxed paper on top. Roll the dough between the papers until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Flip the dough over and gently peel off a sheet of the paper. For ease when cutting, lay the paper back on the dough, flip again and gently pull off the other side of the paper so that the dough is fully released from it.

Cut cookies with a 3-inch star cutter and place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. (Excess dough can be rerolled.) Use a small spoon, brush or offset spatula to spread the reserved meringue over the top of each cookie, taking care not to let the meringue drip over the sides. Press or sprinkle remaining sliced almonds in a decorative pattern into the meringue.

Bake cookies until bottoms are light golden brown and meringue is set and crisp, about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door to release heat and dry cookies out in the oven for 10 more minutes.

Busy baker's tips: The dough can be frozen between the sheets of paper for up to 2 weeks. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

Shortbread Striped Delight

PinkPaper360 — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:13:29 -0800

This shortbread recipe is the perfect dessert for your next holiday gathering. If you're looking eliminate more fat per serving prepare with Philly Neufchatel Cheese.

12 Days of Cookies - Day 2 - Moravian Spice Cookie Wafers

CiaoBella — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:18:59 -0800

Moravian Spice Cookie Waffers
From Food Network Kitchens

This cookie comes to us from North Carolina by way of Central Europe; it's a classic, peppery spice cookie brought to the U.S. by Moravians in the 1700s. The key to this cookie is rolling it super-thin to get that characteristic snap; it's a lot easier to roll it that thin between waxed paper. If you don't have the patience, go thicker, for chewy gingerbread-style cookies. Either way, these cookies would be fantastic on your holiday table.

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg yolk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper and mustard together in a medium bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until just combined and lightly fluffy. Beat in the molasses and egg yolk. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix together on low speed until dough is just combined and still crumbly, about 3 minutes. Give dough a few turns with a spatula to bring together.

Lay out wax paper on a clean work surface and put about 1/3 of the batter on top. Lightly press down and top with another sheet of wax paper. Using your hands or a rolling pin, gently pat into a rectangle. Roll out with a rolling pin until dough is as thin as possible without breaking, no thicker than 1/16 inch thick. This is the key to these cookies: they really can't be too thin. Gently peel back the layer of waxed paper and then replace it loosely.

Transfer rolled batter to a flat baking sheet and freeze until firm and can easily be peeled away from the waxed paper, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cut dough using a small (2- to 3-inch) fluted round cookie cutter and return to the freezer for 15 minutes to set. Transfer frozen cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until crisp and lightly, evenly colored (but not brown), about 10 minutes.

Busy baker's tips: Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 10 days. The dough can be frozen, between sheets of waxed paper and well-wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 weeks. Baked cookies can be wrapped in plastic wrap then aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month.

Cook's note: Don't be intimidated by how many cookies this recipe makes. This dough freezes well, and you can roll out far in advance -- so when you need cookies, you can cut and bake as needed, which is a great holiday timesaver.

12 Days of Cookies - Day 1 - Almond Lace Cookies (Florentines)

CiaoBella — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:13:49 -0800

Almond Lace Cookies
These Tuscan cookies are a Christmas classic. They're nutty, lacy and crisp, as well as deceptively simple to make. Drizzle them with chocolate for a perfect holiday indulgence.

From Food Network Kitchens

1 3/4 cups sliced, blanched almonds (about 5 ounces)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping, optional:
2 to 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely chopped, but not pasty. Stir together the nuts, flour, zest and salt in a large bowl.

Put the sugar, cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a rolling boil and sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then pour mixture into almond mixture and stir just to combine. Set aside until cool enough to handle, 30 minutes.

Scoop rounded teaspoons (for 3-inch cookies) or rounded tablespoons (for 6-inch cookies) of batter and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 to 4 inches between each cookie since they spread.

Bake 1 pan at a time, until the cookies are thin and an even golden brown color throughout, rotating pans halfway through baking time, about 10 to 11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve.

Optional chocolate topping:
Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very low simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, about 1 to 2 minutes more.)

For sandwiches: Drop about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate onto on the flat side of half of the cookies and press together with remaining halves. Return to rack and let chocolate set.

For chocolate decor: Drizzle melted chocolate over Florentines as desired. Set aside at room temperature until chocolate is set.

Busy baker's tips: Store baked cookies carefully, separated by parchment or waxed paper, in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Florentines are best stored separated from moist cookies and cakes.

You're in for a treat!

guineapiggin9 — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 07:29:32 -0800

Hey guys!! As many of you know, I recently got a pug puppy named Angus. He's a really good boy and I love him to death and I want to show him how much I care in more ways than one. I have some store-bought treats for him and he likes them, but I was hoping I could make him some home-made biscuits or treats. I've found a few recipes, but I don't want to waste all the time and effort only to discover that he doesn't like them or they're not healthy for him. So I was wondering if any of you had recipes that you and your pets enjoy. They don't have to be just dog treats, they could be for any animal since not everybody in this group owns a dog. Feel free to share them below!!