Raspberry Thumbprints

****Hey Friends I've moved my blog!!!!  Follow the link to my new site. ABAKERSWIFE.COM!! Come and see the new site.  I'm really excited about it, and can't wait to share.  xoxo Lisa

You know when we started the bakery (Great Harvest Bread Co.) 19 years ago this June, we were just kids.  We were playing “Grown Ups”, because really, at 22 and 24, you don’t have a whole lot of life experiences under your belt.  But we had a new baby, a new bakery, a new college degree, and a new town to call home all within 15 days time.  We gained a lot of experience really quick!  But the greatest moments of owning a bakery are the employees that we’ve employed over the last 19 years. They have touched our lives in so many ways.  We have worked with a lot of cousins, nieces and nephews, and lots of college students we now think of as dear friends.  At Christmas time I get loads of Christmas Cards from these old bakers and kneaders.  They’re doing the family thing now.  Beautiful kids, and spouses, vacations, real jobs, and great lives are what we get a glimpse of each Dec.  Getting those cards each year is always a highlight of our Christmas Season.

It was a month or two ago that we met up with one of our first employees from Pocatello.  She was beautiful then, and 15 years later she’s still amazing.  We were able to catch up on 15 years without missing a beat.  Our family was on vacation in Sun Valley and that’s where this friend calls home now. (How great is that!) We met for dinner one night.  The kids ran around the restaurant and we big people talked for HOURS!  So fun!!  As we were leaving A., our old employee sent us home with a bag of her homemade cookies.  And the recipe too if I may add!!  I love it when someone just knows you’re going to be wanting to make more of something because it’s THAT delicious.  The cookies are her favorite, and I can honestly say they are now some of my favorite too!!  I wouldn’t actually put these cookies in the same category as  say a chocolate chip cookie, but maybe a perfect”Biscuit”.  Kind of how I would categorize a Biscoff Cookie  They’re fantastic.  Not too sweet at all, but the nutty taste is awesome!!!  Homemade raspberry jam on the top is the crowning moment, but any flavor of jam would work.  I’m actually going to try these cookies with some different ingredients, and turn them into granola bars.  I think they’d be so fantastic!! I’ll let you know how that turns out.

The recipe is from the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center Cookbook.  It’s a Buddhist monastery and retreat near San Francisco.  The original recipe is vegan, but I don’t particularly like Maple Syrup.   (I know!!  Blasphemy!)  I LOVE honey though, so that’s what I used.  You can actually make these cookies wheat free (that’s if you aren’t “Rootin’ for Gluten!” like I am.) by substituting more blended oats in place of the flour.  Thanks again my dear A. for sharing the night with us, as well as a favorite new recipe!  I love your guts!!


Raspberry Thumbprints
Ingredients

1 cup unbleached flour
2 cups almonds, ground (I measured 2c. whole almonds and then buzzed them to powder.)
4 cups baby rolled oats (I used Quick Instant Oats)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup maple syrup (I used Honey)
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup jam, thinned with water
Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, almonds, oats, and salt.

2. In another bowl, mix together the syrup and oil. Add to the dry ingredients using your hands to mix well. Let dough stand for 15 minutes before using.

3. Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place close together on baking sheets. Make a little dent in the top of each ball and fill them with 1/2 teaspoon (or less) of the jam. Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly brown. Do not over bake. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe made approx. 40 good sized cookies for my family. The original recipe yeilds 5 doz. I guess it's all in you dough ball size:)

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Here's a fun treat for these cold, bitter days of January.  If the response on Instagram for the photo of these lovelies is any indication of the joy these cookies can provide, well then I think you will be EXCEEDINGLY happy if you make these:) I've seen these around, but every single time I click  to find the recipe, it is ALWAYS a cake mix recipe.  I wanted the real thing.  Something that I could be proud of.  Something I could bake at the bakery for the next 5 weeks and make people giddy with delight.  And do you know what?  I'm not sure the recipe for the cookies is any harder than emptying a cake mix and adding a few things.  I actually just tweaked my Favorite Chocolate Cookie recipe.  (It was one of the top 10 recipes last year!!) Really easy and you will be a STAR where ever you take these. Enjoy!!

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

 4 eggs

1 T. water

2 t. vanilla

5 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. salt

1 10-12 oz package of white chocolate chips

1/2- 1 t. red food color (depending on how red you want the cookies)

1 c. slivered almonds (optional)

1 c. powdered sugar (for rolling the dough balls in before baking.)

Cream butter, shortening, sugars, eggs, water, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Add chips and nuts if you'd like.  Scoop dough balls  and plop each one in a bowl of powdered sugar.  Make sure the cookie is completely covered in powdered sugar.  This is what gives you the crinkle look.   Bake at 350'F for 10-12 minutes.  Enjoy!

Lemon Glazed Gingerbread Madeleines

I took part again this year in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.  It always sounds so fun and festive when I sign up in Oct., but by the time cookies are due to be shipped, I'm swamped!!  I'm sure it's the same with everyone else who plays along, and there is nothing like getting a package of goodness from the post office.  

Three lovely ladies sent me cookies.  
Sarah from Frankly Entertaining sent a yummy Triple Ginger Chocolate cookie. 

Nicole from Cookies On Friday sent a lovely Pistachio Cranberry cookie.

Monica from DeLisha's Recipes sent a perfect 3-C Cookie. Coconut Caramel Chocolate cookie.  

(check out the links to their blogs.) All were so good, and we ate every last crumb!

So last year I made Pistachio Wedding Cookies.  They were good!  This year I decided to make Madeleines.  Some special equipment is required but I really like Madeleines so the extra pan in my cupboard isn't a sacrifice:)  The recipe I followed was from Better Homes and Gardens with a little twist.  My first batch was a complete failure!  Totally sunken cookies.  They looked awful!  They tasted great, but horrible looking.  I noticed one ingredient listed in the BHG recipe that no other Madeleine recipe had.  1/4 t. baking soda.  All recipes contained baking powder, but no soda.  So after my failure I whipped up another batch, omitted the soda, and Bam!  Perfection in a Madeleine!!!  Can you believe 1 puny little 1/4 t. of baking soda can make such a huge difference!  Lemon glaze was just a little something extra, but a sprinkle of powdered sugar is all they needed.  

Here's a link to the Madeleine pan I purchased a few years ago.  Nothing fancy, but does the job well.  Enjoy the recipe, and check out what other fun cookies were given away.  Also with all the cookie swapping, all these bloggers were able to raise over $13,778 for Cookies For Kid's Cancer.   The food blogger donations were matched by OXO, Dixie Crystals, Grandma's Molasses, and Gold Medal Flour.  Also here's a link if you'd be interested in joining in the swap next year.

Here's a list of the girls I sent the Madeleines to:

It's Not Easy Eating Green
Jamies Recipes
The Chic Geek


Lemon Glazed Gingerbread Madeleines
recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens (minus the baking soda!)


1/2  cup  butter, softened
1/2  cup  granulated sugar
1/2  cup  packed brown sugar
4  eggs
1/4  cup  molasses
1  cup  all-purpose flour
1/2  cup  cake flour (or 1/2 c. all purpose flour minus 1 T. and      then add 1 T. cornstarch)
1  teaspoon  ground ginger
1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
Powdered sugar

directions
1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the molasses until combined.
2. In a small bowl stir together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves. Sprinkle about half the flour mixture over the butter mixture; fold in until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture. Cover and chill batter for 2 to 4 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour twenty-four 3-inch madeleine molds. Spoon batter into prepared molds, filling each about half full.
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden and tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool in molds for 1 minute. Using the point of a knife, loosen each madeleine from the mold; invert mold over a wire rack to release madeleines. Let cool. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Lemon Glaze

Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1-2 c. powdered sugar

Mix the juice, zest and 1 c. of powdered sugar to start.  You want a thin glaze.  Add more powdered sugar to thicken it up, or a little water to thin.  I just dipped each cookie in the glaze and then let them dry on a baking rack.  

Perfect Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are fan- tastic!  And my oldest son is becoming the best cookie baker on the planet.  He made these the other day.  Some little girl is going to be very lucky one day to get him:)  I mean if a man can make a perfect cookie, he is the perfect catch.  Jed's had a lot of practice over the last 6 months.  He was the main cookie maker at Great Harvest when we had a 28,000 cookie order during the month of Dec.   And he just made 600 of the tastiest Snickerdoodles I've ever tasted, and acted as if it was no big deal.  I guess with the quantity of cookies that Jed's been baking he should be a pro by now.  It's just to bad though that he leaves in less than 35 days on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the Adriatic South Mission. (It includes Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Montenegro.)  We could have really used him as a sweet baker:)  This cookie recipe is a great base to make it into YOUR favorite cookie.  Add a little mint extract, or add lots of different chocolates with slivered almonds.  How about Caramel Chips with pecans.  The variations are endless, and delicious.  Enjoy!

Perfect Chocolate Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

 4 eggs

1 T. water

2 t. vanilla

5 1/2 c. flour

3/4 c. cocoa powder

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. salt

2+ c. chocolate chips

Jed added white chocolate chips, and milk chocolate chunks:)

optional ingredients:

nuts

any chip of choice

mint extract instead of vanilla

dried fruit

1/2 t. cinnamon

Add what you'd like to make the perfect cookie for you.

Cream butter, shortening, sugars, eggs, water, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Add the mix-ins of choice.  Bake at 365'F for 10-12 minutes.  Enjoy!

Shortbread Hearts

I should get an A on my last assignment.  I think I've spent enough time, energy, and calories on it.  Actually it should be an A+.  That's what I give myself:)  This Thurs. morning at 11am I will transform myself into the Sugar Cookie expert on Studio 5.  I was given the assignment last week from our dear family friend Darin Adams on Studio 5.  What makes the best sugar cookie? was the question.  Do I use butter, Crisco, refrigerate or not, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt?  What makes the best cookie? So I did a very scientific poll.  On Instagram and Facebook.  But my favorite friends and family came through with flying colors.  And the consensus is......................

There isn't ONE best sugar cookie!  The only conclusion I came to is: Every person on the planet has a favorite recipe, texture, doneness, and preference to their sugar cookie.  There isn't a one size fits all Sugar Cookie:)  Not one person agreed on all aspects of a sugar cookie.  Most like soft thick cookies with a great tasting frosting, but there are still those that like a more sturdy cookie with a little crunch.  I am definately in that camp, but still there was NO consensus what so ever.

I have baked my little guts out this last few days.  6 very different recipes, and a lot of different cookies.  One thing I did notice is my kids like naked sugar cookies.  3 batches were gobbled up before being dressed with frosting, and they were just as happy as could be.  A few things I did discover though that are very important for any sugar cookie baker are:

1- Butter is best! There is a lot of discussion about using butter vs. Crisco.  Even Alton Brown weighed in on this.  I found that the cookie using Crisco or butter has the exact same texture, and crunch, but the flavor of the butter cookie was much tastier.  MUCH TASTIER. I was worried about replacing butter for the Crisco.  I worried that the moisture content in butter would make the cookie spread, but I was pleasantly surprised.  The dough with butter was softer, but baking yielded the same results as a Crisco cookie.

2- Refrigeration is personal preference.  The New York Times did an actual experiment with Chocolate Chip cookies and found that refrigeration yielded a tastier cookie.  36 hours of refrigeration actually, but I found that refrigeration didn't change anything for the sugar cookie.  Some cookies required refrigeration to make the dough easy to work with, but if the recipe didn't specifically require it, don't worry.

3- Sour Cream recipes yield a "Lofthouse" type fluffy soft cookie.  If that's the kind of Sugar Cookie you like then make sure you use a sour cream recipe.  They were a lot fluffier than a standard Sugar Cookie recipe, but a little bland on naked cookie flavor.  These cookies needed frosting:)

4- Don't ever, EVER criticize someones Sugar Cookie preference!! There is a deep, personal, passionate feeling when it comes to Sugar Cookies.  There is usually a story, a tradition, a memory, something truly sentimental to people's sugar cookies.  People like their cookies a certain way because it was how granny made them. It was their favorite Christmas treat from their Great Aunt. It is their family tradition dating back to 1948. Or they got the recipe from a dear friend from a life long ago.  You know what I'm talking about don't you.  

So today I'm sharing my favorite sugar cookie............today.  It's the mood I'm in, or maybe it's the fact that I created a cookie that is crisp around the edges and has a subtle hint of lemon.  It's pink too.  With cute little sprinkles and all. 

 If you don't make these Shortbread Hearts today, at least it will spark a desire to make YOUR favorite Sugar Cookie recipe today or tomorrow for your loved ones.  You know you will.   Happy Valentines!  I love your guts!! XOXOXOXO 

Cake Mix Sugar Cookie Recipe     My Cousin Lindi's Famous Sugar Cookies

Here is the actual segment from yesterday's Studio 5.

My Favorite Shortbread Hearts

Shortbread recipe was adapted from Ina Garten. 

Disclaimer:  This is a crisp, buttery cookie.  MY personal fave, but just so you know.......James hates it.  He likes soft under baked sugar cookies.  See what I told ya!

1 1/2 c. butter softened (no subs here folks!)

1 c. powdered sugar

3 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. lemon extract

zest from 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix until combined.  Dough may seem dry, but just give it a few seconds.  It should come together.  Roll dough out to desired thickness.  I like about 1/4- 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into desired shaped and place on a ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 350' oven for 12-18 minutes.  Depending on thickness of cookie and desired doneness. I like my cookies to barely have a hint of brown around the edges.  Take out of oven.  Let sit a few minutes and then remove them to wire rack or towel lined countertop.  Frost with your favorite frosting, or eat totally naked or dip in dark chocolate.  Enjoy!!

Pistachio Wedding Cookies

I've never done something like this before.  I sent cookies to three perfectly perfect strangers:)  One from Texas, one from Florida, and one from Alaska.  It was fun, and I was dang excited to participate.  It was the 2nd Annual Food Blogger Cookie Swap.  Who doesn't love getting things in the mail.  So thank you to the two lovely ladies who sent me and my family a treat.  Ashton @ Something Swanky and Christine @ Chew Nibble Nosh.  The family devoured the cookies!  Before the cookies even made it into the house they were gone.  (That's saying a lot since all of the Clawson children are up to their eyeballs in cookies at the bakery.  Our count is now up to 28,800 cookies to be baked and shipped by next week.)  Both cookies we received were lovely.  Ashton sent a glorious Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Truffle cookie, and Christine sent a scrumptious Pecan Raspberry Thumbprint cookie.  I love those girls guts!  Thanks again!!

So now on to what I sent.  I decided on a Pistachio Wedding Cookie.  The chocolate orange version graced the blog a few days ago, but these pistachio babies were the star.   (Here's a little story if you care about a Mexican Wedding cookie fiasco a few years ago.)  I have always loved pistachio stuff.  I loved Jello Pistachio pudding for Family Home Evenings, and I love the pistachio ice cream at Farr's as a kid.  The lovely pale green color was beautiful too.  Thanks to the lovely Mother Thyme blog.  That's where I got the recipe, and I will forever be in her debt.

Happy Christmas baking!!

Pistachio Wedding Cookies

Recipe from Mother Thyme

Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup confectioners sugar, divided

2 teaspoons pure almond extract (or vanilla)

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3.4oz package pistachio instant pudding mix

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl cream butter. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. Add in almond extract.

In a medium bowl combine flour, pudding mix and salt. Gradually mix flour mixture into wet ingredients until combined.

Divide dough in half and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove dough from plastic wrap and make teaspoon size balls. Place on baking sheets and press down on the balls slightly spacing them about 1 inch part.

Bake in preheated oven for 10-11 minutes. Don't overbake. Remove from oven and let them sit on baking sheet for about 5 minutes. While cookies are still warm toss them in remaining confectioners sugar and set on wire rack until cooled completely.

Store in airight containers.

Chocolate Orange Butter Cookies

I'm making cookies.  Thousands of cookies!  21,600 cookies to be exact.  Plus or minus a few extra dozen here and there for a fun cookie exchange.  Actually we're (as in every Clawson child I own) making lots of cookies at the bakery this week.  It will probably continue on into next week and the next.  Tis the season for tired bakers you know.  It's all good.  We've got a fantastic system down and we can crank out a few thousand cookies in no time.

I really love Mexican Wedding cookies.  The actually have many names that they go by, but the recipe is the same no matter what country your baking from.  When we won our trip to the Food Network a few years ago, Emeril made these cookies on the show we were in the audience for.  He called them Russian Tea Cakes, but same thing.  I made a chocolate orange variety and I really liked them.   You won't mistake these for powdered doughnut holes:)  Cute little mouthfuls of chocolate.  Don't inhale as you're eating.  You know what happens with all the powdered sugar around.  So enjoy some baking the next few weeks.  Boy I know we will.

Chocolate Orange Butter Cookies

1 c. butter (2 cubes) softened

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/4 t. salt

zest of 1 orange

1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

more powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350' F.  In a large bowl cream butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add vanilla, flour, cocoa, salt, zest, and chocolate chips.  Mix until pulls away from the bowl.  At first you'll think you need some more moisture.  Just give it a minute or two and the dough will come together.  Roll the dough into little balls.  I got about 28 balls per batch.  Place all the dough balls on a cookie sheet and place in the fridge for 1 hour.  Bake in batches, returning the unused dough back to the fridge until it gets used.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until set.  Let cookies cool and then plop them into a bowl of more powdered sugar.  Enjoy!!

Raspberry Coconut Macaroons

I'm always on the lookout for a good recipe to use up some of my garden's treats.  I found this recipe yesterday at Tasty Kitchen, but the original was from Smitten Kitchen.  It looked so good, and I decided I had to make it today.  I've had a great season this year and my raspberries are doing soooo good.   This recipe found me on the perfect day.  I had just picked an ice cream bucket full of those red jewels, and I wanted to use them in something.  It is a harmonious combination of my all time favorite Coconut Macaroon and a fresh Bear Lake Raspberry Shake!!!  Heck Yes!!  For those of you who aren't familiar with a fresh Bear Lake Raspberry Shake, let me fill you in.  There's a beautiful little valley on the East side of the  Utah/Idaho border.  There is an enormous lake there that has the most beautiful blue water you have ever seen.  It is glorious in the summer.  The one thing that the Bear Lake area is most famous for is their raspberries.

Can you believe the blue.  Bear Lake is just one of those places full of fun, cousins, and amazing memories!

I remember as a kid going there every summer, and usually on one of the days we were there, a mom or two would spend the afternoon picking raspberries.  As you dropped down the mountain into Garden City, there were fields and fields of self pick berry patches.  My mom would then turn those raspberries into jam, and we'd eat bowls full of the fresh berries and milk.   Now days those same famous raspberries are going for around $40 a flat!  It's usually a fight to get some of those berries though:)

 My garden full of life.  The sunflowers are still amazing, even when they're on their way out.  

I planted a raspberry patch probably 9 years ago, and I have loved the harvest I get every year.  Seriously!  There is no other jam in the world that compares to homemade Raspberry Freezer Jam.   So now besides jam, and bowls of raspberries and cream I will be making these Macaroons.  This is one of those recipes that just turned out way better than I expected.  You could always dip the cookies into some dark chocolate, but I think next time, I'm adding mini semi sweet chips right to the cookie.  I can only imagine how delish they would be.

Her middle name should have been Berry.  She is my best picking partner:)

The recipe is an adaptation from Smitten Kitchen, but I used the Macaroon recipe I found years ago.  I've tried many over the years, and this recipe just works.  There's no puddling of egg whites or sweetened condensed milk.  It's just perfect.  I'll leave a link to the original Smitten Kitchen recipe, but I'll give the recipe I used as well.  I hope you love them:)

Raspberry Coconut Macaroons

Smitten Kitchen recipe here!  Thanks SM

Lovely Macaroons

I think I found this recipe off of Food Network, but I've never been able to find it again when I've looked for the source.  So let's just say it's theirs:)

1/2 c. flour

1 14oz. bag of coconut plus 1 1/2 c. from another bag

1/4 t. salt

1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk

1 c. fresh raspberries

2 t. almond extract

Mix flour, coconut and salt together.  I used the Smitten Kitchen directions here and buzzed all the coconut in my food processor.  It pulverizes the coconut, but turned out a very pretty cookie.  I think I like this technique best.  Add milk and almond.  Buzz until combined.  Now add the fresh berries and buzz until just combined.  Don't overly buzz.  You want big bits of berries if you can.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a parchment lined or greased cookie sheet.  Silpats work fabulous here.  Bake at 350' F. for 12- 15 mins. or until browned around the edges.  This made 21 good sized cookies for me, but it could make about 24-30 smaller cookies.  To dip in chocolate take 8 oz. of Bakers Semi Sweet chocolate, and place it in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute.  Stir and place in microwave for another 30 secs.  Repeat until the chocolate is melted.  Dip cooled cookies in chocolate and let set on wax paper until the chocolate is solid.  Enjoy

The Everything Cookie

I've been dreaming of this cookie for a long time.  You know when you taste something, and in your mind it was the best thing you've ever tasted, and you try your hardest to recreate it?  Well that's what this cookie has been to me.  Years ago I was in lovely grocery store (somewhere in SLC) and I purchased  a cookie that was called the Everything Cookie.  It was so chuck full of all things good, and happy.  The cookie itself was an oatmeal based cookie, but then it was filled with all sorts of chocolate, raisins, nuts, coconut.  It was delicious!  I loved it!  I've thought about this cookie for a long time, and I think I came up with a pretty good rendition of it.  I combined a few of my favorite cookie recipes, and tricks and came up with something James deemed "incredible".  (really he just likes me.........alot!)

The cookie base is the Neiman Marcus $250 Cookie.  There's a whole story behind this recipe.  Here's a link.  I love the ground oatmeal in this cookie, and personally I think it is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe around.  I added raisins, slivered almonds, semi sweet chips, milk chocolate chips, coconut, and a big couple of handfuls of Corn Flakes.  I love the Corn Flakes in the cookies.  It just adds a little something happy to them.  Next time I'm going to add some Craisins, or dried blueberries as well.  White chips, or PB chips would be yummy too.  Give it a go, and scoop them big.  There's something about a big giant cookie:)  Enjoy!!

Everything Cookie

2 cups butter 

2 cups granulated sugar 

2 cups brown sugar 

4 eggs

2 t. vanilla

4 c. flour

3 cups oatmeal (measure oatmeal first and then blend in blender to a fine powder) 

1 tsp. salt 

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder 

(from this point on the measurements are approx.  Just add as much of whatever you want until you have a loaded cookie.)

1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

1 c. milk chocolate chips

1 1/2 c. raisins

1 c. coconut

1 1/2 c. slivered almonds or chopped pecans

2 c. Corn Flakes

Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, nuts and anything else you want to add. Roll or scoop into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes depending on size of cookie, at 375 degrees. A half recipe made 30 GOOD sized cookies. 

Madelienes

Picture straight from my iphone.  I love that little phone.  It's magic!

We felt very French the other day.   A few Saturdays ago, our dear little Emma was feeling a little stir crazy.  Sometimes she gets that way.  This Sat. wasn't filled with skiing, or rock climbing, or playing with friends, and Emma needed to make something.   She does that.  She'll come into the kitchen and say, "So what can we make delicious today?" Someone is going to be very lucky to marry this girl one day.  She can cook.  I knew how to make chocolate chip cookies when I got married, but Em has quite a repertoire.  She decided on some cute little Madeleine cookies.  I had received a Madeleine pan for Christmas and this was our first attempt.  They turned out perfect.  A simple little cookie.  Almost the texture of a pound cake, but more of the crispy edges.  I thought they were wonderful.  So did everyone else.  We felt as if we should be outside a cute Paris cafe maybe cheering on some Tour de France bikers as they rode along.  We can only dream.  A nice little dip in chocolate would be tasty too on these cookies.  So if you're needing a little vacation, make these and then sit on your porch outside and think of Spring.  I think it's coming!!  **Here's a link to the Madeleine Pan.  I got it from Amazon and it works super great!  It wasn't too bad price wise either:)

Madeleine Cookies

recipe from The Barefoot Contessa

1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, to grease the pans, plus 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Thoroughly butter and flour the Madeleine pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add 1/4 pound of butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.

With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Cake Mix Sugar Cookies

Who doesn't love sugar cookies? I'll bet you not a single person would raise their hand to this question.  I don't know a person alive who doesn't love these.  I think it's the sprinkles, and the fun colored frosting.  It just makes a person smile.  There are certain times of the year that sugar cookies are mandatory.  I think those times include: Valentines, Christmas, and Halloween for sure.

At the bakery we sell tons of sugar cookies during the different holidays.  We actually add in Easter, St. Patricks Day, Mother's Day, Summer in general, and anytime I seem to be feeling a bit of a sugar cookie need.  It happens sometimes, and James is always kind to oblige.  My only complaint about sugar cookies is the time required to roll, and cut, and then frost those little babies.

I do have a favorite sugar cookie recipe from my cousin Lindi that I usually make at least for one of the above mentioned holidays.  If you are feeling like going all out, be my guest.  Here's the link.  But if not, these Cake Mix Sugar Cookies are pretty dang good.

 I make homemade Oreo's out of a cake mix and they are always tasty, so you can only imagine these will knock your socks off as well.  Play around with flavorings if you want.  I usually put a little lemon extract in my frosting, but almond is good too.  I like to scoop the cookies extra big or extra small.  It just makes a funner cookie I think.   Frost and sprinkle to your hearts content.

The other day my oldest son went to the Sweetheart Dance with a cute girl, and the only thing I could think of to describe her dress was, "Red with silver sprinkles!"  Mems thought that was hilarious.  She told me I needed to step away from the sugar cookies:)  Make these and I promise you, someone is going to love your guts!

Cake Mix Sugar Cookies

again another great find from pinterest and skiptomylou

2 boxes white cake mix

4 eggs

3/4 c. oil

Mix ingredients together until combined.  Scoop onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 350'F oven for 10-13 minutes.  Until the cookie is puffed, and crackly.  Don't let the edges brown if you can help it.  Frost and sprinkle to your little hearts desire!

Gingies!

I think my most absolute favorite cookie on the planet is a really chewy gingersnap.  I love them.  I love them to pieces and I insisted years ago that gingersnaps be on our daily menu at the bakery.  Just to make me happy year round.  They're beautiful!  Glistening with big rough sugar crystals and tasty as can be.

I usually make gingerbread boys every Christmas to go on the tree, but to be honest you'd have to be pretty hard pressed to eat one of those boys.  The recipe is fantastic to smell and makes the best gingerbread houses, but thats about it.  They certainly aren't a gingersnap.  They smell like one, but that's about it.

Well this year I wanted to eat a gingerbread boy.   Maybe it was the principle of the thing.  I wanted a gingerbread boy to taste good.  Not just something cute to be viewed and smelled but tasted.  I was searching for a delicious gingersnap texture boy.  Could it happen?  Could gingerbread boys be tasty too.  In a perfect world I knew it could happen.

I found it!  Yeah!!!  I have a testimony of Pinterest.  That's where I spied these.  They are delicious! My whole Christmas has been made.  I've decided I don't even need a new Landrover now.  I'm happy with my Gingie Babies!

Another trick I've come across is white chocolate.  It actually looks as pretty as royal icing, but it tastes good too.  We had a great time last night decorating all these babies.  My kids favorite is the little girl laying on her tummy in her thong.  Everyone seems to want to eat that cookie.  We should eat her and sing that scandelous Christmas song while we eat her arm.  You know the "Baby It's Cold Outside" song.  Such a clean uplifting Christmas tune:)  I hope you have fun making some gingerbread babies of your own.  They really are delish!

Left to right we have Thing A Thong Cutie, Mr. Gingie, Honey Chunkers (she's going chunky dunking), Mr. Happy Gingie Baby, Swim Team Gingie, and Mr. Pirate Gingie.  Can you tell we had fun!

Gingie Babies
Recipe courtesy of Annie-Eats

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 c. butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 large egg
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices to combine; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the molasses and egg until combined.  Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to about ¼-inch thickness.  Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.  Place the cookie shapes onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Or even a minute less.  A little underdone makes a perfect cookie.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.  Decorate as desired.  I used melted white chocolate and piped it out of a Ziploc.  Just melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute and stir.  Put back in microwave for 30 more seconds until melted completely.  Pour into Ziploc and snip the end off.  Go to town.

Yummy Macarons

Oh my love, and total happiness!!   I did it!!  I made these babies, and they actually turned out.  What a good day!  Tomorrow Seth is getting baptized and I'm busy today making all sorts of yummy things for the small group that's coming tomorrow.  We're going to have a crepe bar, a couple delicious salads, some Key Lime Tarts, and these lovely Macarons.  I mull over the details of these "after"events for days.......even weeks.  I love them.  The family gathers for a great event like a baptism, baby blessing, or even a missionary farewell, and then we get to just enjoy each others company for a few hours.  Tomorrow is extra special though since Seth and his favorite little cousin Tyler are both being baptized.  As Hollie put it, "two for the trip of one!"  A perfect day I think!

I have always loved coconut macaroons.  Ever since I can remember.  A few years ago I first started seeing these little macarons pop up here and there, but it wasn't until our little vacation to San Francisco last spring that I first tasted a real French Macaron.  First off, there is no coconut involved at all, but lots of almond meal.  So all a French Macaron really is, is egg whites, sugar, ground up almonds, and flavoring.  Not to bad.  Then they are sandwiched together with something delicious.  We made chocolate ones today and sandwiched Nutella between them.  So tasty.  We also made lemon ones and we're going to sandwich lemon curd between those.  Light and springy (even though you'd think it was Dec. around these parts today.).   So when we tasted our first macarons in San Fran they were a buck a piece.  Little cookies not much more than the size of a quarter and they were charging a buck.  It was a complete rip off, but I had to have one.  James and I each had a delicious little morsel, and I've been smitten ever since.  I've never worked up the gumption to make them before today, but I figured if I at least tried, I would have one attempt under my belt.  They weren't bad at all.  My chocolate cookies turned out the best.  I folded the egg whites as directed and they worked perfectly.  They lemon didn't look quite as pretty since I got lazy with the folding and I just stirred.  Don't do that.  Just follow directions.  Both cookies tasted great though.

So now I no longer need to visit San Francisco for my little bite of goodness.  I can make them at home.  And it saved me a bunch of moolah too.  Enjoy! And congratulations to my Seth-a-roni for getting baptized tomorrow.  I'm proud of him, and grateful to have such a good little boy!  Love his guts!!

Chocolate Macarons

Makes about fifteen cookies (I doubled the recipe and it made about 32 sandwiches)

Adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris (Broadway) by David Lebovitz

Macaron Batter

1 cup (100 gr) powdered sugar

½ cup powdered almonds (about 2 ounces, 50 gr, sliced almonds, pulverized)

(I used the almond meal from Bob's Red Mill products.  It cost about $10, but well worth it.  Or you can finely grind some raw almonds yourself.  You'll have flecks of almond skin, but it will still taste great!)

3 tablespoons (25 gr) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

5 tablespoons (65 gr) granulated sugar

Chocolate Filling (I just used Nutella)

½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

4 ounces (120 gr) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon (15 gr) butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C).

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready.

Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder and cocoa so there are no lumps; use a blender or food processor since almond meal that you buy isn’t quite fine enough.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.

Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).

Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch (3 cm) circles (about 1 tablespoon each of batter), evenly spaced one-inch (3 cm) apart.

Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, then bake them for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.

To make the prune filling:

Cut the prunes into quarters and pour boiling water over them. Cover and let stand until the prunes are soft. Drain.

Squeeze most of the excess water from prunes and pass through a food mill or food processor.

Melt the milk chocolate and the Armagnac in a double boiler or microwave, stirring until smooth. Stir into the prune puree. Cool completely to room temperature (it will thicken when cool.)

To make the chocolate filling:

Heat the cream in a small saucepan with the corn syrup. When the cream just begins to boil at the edges, remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit one minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in the pieces of butter. Let cool completely before using.

Assembly

Spread a bit of batter on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together. (You can pipe the filling it, but I prefer to spread it by hand; it’s more fun, I think.)

I also tend to overfill them so you may or may not use all the filling.

Let them stand at least one day before serving, to meld the flavors.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze. If you freeze them, defrost them in the unopened container, to avoid condensation which will make the macarons soggy.

Elementary Treats

This is another treat I have been trying to recreate for a long time.  Again those lunch ladies at good old Lomond View Elementary have had me on the lookout for a recipe resembling one of their lunch room treats.  They were dang good cooks those little lunch ladies.  I still remember "Taco Friday" and the homemade cinnamon twists we would get with the taco.  My mother even loved Taco Friday.  Those ladies made everything from scratch.  You could smell the bread cooking down the halls and know you were in for a treat most days.

One of my favorite desserts were Congo Bars.  The only bad thing about them was you could only have one, and there was never a friend who was on a diet in elementary school.  Congo Bars resembled a chocolate chip cookie, but in bar form, but they had a little coconut in them and chocolate drizzled over the top.  Yesterday I did a little search for Congo Bars and came up with this recipe.  I changed it a bit, but was completely happy with the outcome.  Actually I was thrilled with the outcome.  These were delish!!

I made them for a little Lion Club family cookout yesterday, but as fortune would have it, we never made it to the cookout.  The bakery demanded J's time and attention yesterday from 5 am until 9:30pm so I ended up taking one for the team.  I ate the whole pan by myself!  Just kidding!  My mom would be mortified, but I did eat one for breakfast today.  Full of protein, and chocolate, and wheat, and eggs.  That's a great breakfast don't you think.  I'm going to stash a few down the road for my long run tomorrow.  I'm sure my girls will thank me!  Wouldn't you?

So try a lovely Congo Bar for your next little gathering.  They were dang good!  Thanks Lomond View lunch ladies!!

Congo Bars

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 lb. brown sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

3/4 c. shredded coconut

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. (I never do this.  Who owns a sifter anyways!)

Combine butter and sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Add flour and mix until combined.

Stir in chips and then pecans. (I toasted my pecans.  Yum!)

Coat a 13 X 9 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.

After the congo bars have cooled you can drizzle a little melted chocolate on top.  I couldn't wait and ate them as is.  They were great!

Adults Only (Are You Kidding Me!)

Tis the season of the family reunion.   I hate to admit it though..........I missed my family's reunion last Sat. due to an extraordinary lack of sleep from 4 days of girls camp.  I think my mom is still speaking to me.  She knows what it's like to be at girls camp.  38 perfect girls, 11 wonderful leaders, way to many snakes, way to much "Purple Stew" singing, tons of really yummy food, a bathroom that was too far away for frequent visits, a lovely midnight shower every night, tons of love, and spiritual highs. Needless to say I didn't make it to the Barker Family reunion, but I was there in spirit.  I love all my cousins!

The weekend before though we attended James' extended family reunion.  Technically we could say it was my side of the family too since James and I are 5th cousins.  (We didn't know until after we sealed the deal.  I was told I couldn't get a refund:)  Obviously that explains what went wrong with our children, or at least the red head:))  We had a great time.  Lots of cousins, and kids, and good food.  I decided to take this easy sheet pan sugar cookie.  My neighbor C makes this frequently for little get togethers and I thought it would be perfect for the kids.  (And me too!)

Funny thing- at the end of the night I went over to the dessert table to retrieve my pan and noticed there were a lot of desserts left.  Even my sister-in-law's gorgeous cupcakes were still there.  I went home with a few cookies in my pan, feeling a bit dejected.  I did have a treat for the next day though.  When I asked the kids how the cookies were this is what Jed said.  "Well I tried to get one and this little lady told me I couldn't eat any desserts.  They were for the adults."  Emma tried the same thing and thought the "little lady" was just teasing her, but swiftly got her hand smacked away.  This was some serious dessert protectiveness.  Anyways desserts went home on the plates that brought them, and I'm sure there were a few other broken hearted kids because they didn't get one of my lovely blue frosted sugar cookies.  I sure hope Aunt Kay isn't reading this.   If you are............I'm sure you had the best intentions and we love your guts still:), but I think my kids might freak out the next time they hear those words.  I won't even say them:)

Fabulous Neighbor Colette's Pan Sugar Cookie

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla (I used lemon extract)

2 t. baking powder

3 c. flour

Cream butter, sugar, egg and extract.  Mix all other ingredients until combined.  It's a bit dry.  Press dough into a big silver cookie sheet.  Bake in a 440'F oven for 6-8 mins.  Don't let it brown.  Cool and frost.

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cube butter softened

powdered sugar

coloring 

sprinkles

Whip the heck out of the frosting and frost the cooled cookie.  Top with sprinkles or leave it naked.  It's up to you!