Here's the Wrap

The Christmas Cookie Challenge has come to an end. Whatever will I do now? One thing I won't be doing for quite some time...making cookies. Who am I kidding, I give it two months before I am furiously creaming butter and sugar in my KitchenAide.
All in all this was fun and I am glad I did it. No, I did not make a cookie every single day. But to be fair, I started very early in the season. Next year I may wait at least until after Thanksgiving to start. Yes, I will do it again...at least I think I will.
Now for the winners!! These were the best and the favorites, in no particular order.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
Norma Freer's Chocolate Chip
Snickerdoodle's
S____'s Bakery Sugar Cookies
Russian Teacakes
Buttery Gingerbread
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Martha Stewart's Peppermint Meringue Cups with Chocolate Ganache
Rachael Ray's Hot Cocoa Cookies, Coconut Lemon Snowflakes and Peppermint Surprise Cookies
Cherry Bombs
Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies and Lemon Sage Variation
Jingle Bell Blossom
Frosted Maple Cookies
Cream Cheese Pretzels
Peanut Butter Blossoms

Did you try any of these? Do you have a favorite I did not make? Do you have any questions about anything you have read on this blog over the last few months? Email me @ fdmelissa@gmail.com. Also I would like to keep this blog going but I would not like to bake everyday...any suggestions for topics? I usually bake and decorate at least 3 cakes throughout the year, but I think I will miss the blog in between those cakes. What would you like to hear me ramble on about?
Thank you so much for reading and most importantly for clicking on the adverstisements. No final total yet on how much I have earned but will keep you all posted.

The Grand Finale: Lemon Bars

As a child there are certain things we know to be true. We know our parents love us no matter what, we know our faces will not really stick that way, and that your Aunt makes the best Lemon Bars. My Aunt Jan makes the best Lemon Bars, I have known this my whole life. But a funny thing happened along the way. Other people have told me their aunt makes the best Lemon Bars, how can this be??? Turns out just about everyone has an aunt that makes the best Lemon Bars. And after not very much research I have concluded all of these recipes are just about the same. That is not to say all lemon bars are the same. Trust me I have made my share of not-so-good and down right nasty ones. That being said, I have also made some awesome ones too.

This time around...eh...so so. Some people like them light on the filling and heavy on the shortbread, my take is just the opposite. Who needs crust? Give me filling every day.Hopefully some day my nephews and neice will say "My Aunt Melissa makes the best Lemon Bars"

Day 37: Silly Little Peanut Butter Blossoms

Now why on earth would I call such an amazingly good cookie "silly"? Well...I blame my mother of course. This is one of those "back of the box" recipes, the kind my mom would not be caught dead making. My mother is an OG Foodie. She was a foodie before foodies existed, before Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. The only way I think my mom would make these cookies is if she made the Hershey Kisses herself, from scratch.
Growing up we were poor. Whenever I visited a friends house and saw things like white bread, creamy peanut butter, margarine, marshmallow fluff or Hostess Cupcakes, I thought to myself "wow, they must be rich!" We never had those things. It wasn't until my late teens that I realized you did not have to be rich to make Ragu spaghetti sauce. Instead of bean dip, we had homemade hummus and pita (also homemade), instead of ranch salad dressing we had Balsamic Vinaigrette, instead of hot chocolate in a packet, we had homemade hot cocoa with real vanilla and real whipped cream. Sheesh, she probably even ground the chocolate herself!
I was 19 years old before I even saw a Peanut Butter Blossom! It was love at first sight...and bite. And believe it or not, this is the very first time I have ever made them. In honor of my mom though, I made them with chunky peanut butter.

I would love to offer some unique tip or twist to making this cookie, but honestly they are super easy and perfect just the way they are. Oh and use chunky peanut butter. Love you Mom!

Day 36: Butterscotch Chip Spice Cookies ala Mr. Garcia

she's back.....No cold or flu will keep me down! Not for long anyway.
This recipe comes from one of my husband's oldest friends, Steve Garcia. These are some things I know about Steve: 1)he graduated from Garces Memorial High School in 1985 2) he has a beautiful wife, Tammy 3)he teaches math at his alma mater 4)He shares my husband's great taste in music. What I did not know was that he can bake! The only thing I love more than a man who bakes is a man who doesn't complain when I bake, when he comes home to a kitchen that looks like a bag of flour exploded in the middle of it, who doesn't seem to mind that there has been at least one egg shell in the sink everyday since November and who still cooks dinner every single night.
Back to Steve. Steve mentioned on Facebook he was baking some kind of butterscotch cookie, that immediately peaked my interest as I have not had very good luck with butterscotch lately. He very generously sent me the recipe stating he made these and took them to school and they were a big hit. My own son's reaction, "Holy Crap!"

Butterscotch Chip Spice Cookies

2 C flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.

1 ½ C brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

12 oz. butterscotch chips

Powdered sugar

Stir flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt together in a bowl; set aside.

Cream butter and brown sugar with a mixer until smooth.  Beat in egg and vanilla, then add flour mixture.  Mix in flour just until thoroughly blended.

Fold in butterscotch chips, then cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Shape dough into approximately 2 inch balls.

Roll balls of dough into powdered sugar and arrange on the baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.  Bake 12-14 minutes until golden and just set.  Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a rack.  Makes about 2 ½ dozen

**Now for my take: Be sure to chill at least an hour if not 2. The dough is sticky and not easy to roll, but if you drop a tablespoonful into a bowl of powdered sugar you can achieve the "ball" while rolling the dough in the sugar . Bake the full time, cookies will be a toasty brown color. The first batch I removed after 10 minutes and the cookies kind of flattened. I also added a couple extra spoonfuls of flour.

These cookies will definitely be added to the Christmas Cookie repertoire. While they are baking your entire house just smells like, well, Christmas. But the spice is not too overwhelming in the taste.
Since Steve and Tammy will not be able to make it to the X concert at the Crystal Palace this year maybe I will have my son take a batch of these to the band before the show.

Day 35: Butter Cookie Jam Tots

mmmm....butter. This recipe boasts it is The WORLD's Best Butter Cookie. Okay, I won't argue, especially since I think it is the only butter cookie recipe I have tried. Honestly I just wanted a rolled cookie I hadn't made yet that would go well with Apricot Jam. This worked.

As usual, sadly, it is mostly about the appearance for me. The cookie has to look good. I think these look good. Oh yeah, and they taste really good too. Such a pretty cookie and so easy to do. Use any rolled dough you would like, roll out into any shape (being sure to pop something in the middle for the jam to show through), spread with any jam or jelly you would like and dust with powdered sugar. I love to do these at Valentine's Day with raspberry jam and a heart shaped cookie cutter.
This was not all I did today however, no indeed. Friday my son took some cookies to school for his Secret Santa gift. When he came home he told me how his whole class loved the cookies and raved about them. He then asked me if I could just whip up a plate of decorated cookies to take to the class. "Yeah right, I'll get right on that!" Did I mention I have a nasty cold/mild flu?? But eventually my vanity coupled with a stressfull week at work got the better of me. Yes, I spent the entire day making cookies, decorating cookies, scrubbing my hands alternated with laying on the couch until the dizziness subsided. At the end of the day,which I suppose is right now, these cookies made me very happy.

Day 34: WTH Paula Deen???!!!

It must be me right? Something is wrong with me. I mean, it can't always be Martha's fault, or in today's case Paula Deen's! Maybe I need to start actually watching these shows, before I try their recipes. Maybe there is some secret step you only learn about by watching the show.
Let's back up so I can explain my rage. In an earlier post I mentioned that I was not exactly sure what English Toffee was. But last night, at the Norris Middle School staff Holiday Get Together (they are teachers, I think they have to call it that), someone brought English Toffee. As soon as I popped one in my mouth I remembered what it was and that I loved it. Everyone makes it and everyone makes it good. Everyone that is except me.

As I read Paula's recipe for English Toffee I chuckled to myself a little as I used her thick southern accent while reading it to myself. Phrases like" butter a cookie sheet"-what size cookie sheet Paula? A jelly roll pan, maybe? "top with chocolate bars"-what kind of chocolate bars Paula? Hershey's, dark, semi-sweet, Butterfinger? Oh well, I followed her directions, temped the candy mixture but before it could even reach 300 degrees it became "sandy". Why??? Where did I go wrong ???Are you there Paula?? Help! The taste is there, but I don't think this is to be eaten with a spoon. Grrrrrr.......
This is however a good note for next year, I will stick with what I know. Lemon Bars are coming soon, can't wait!

A Non Cookie Related Idea

Cinnamon "Cookie" Ornaments

I did not bake a cookie today...ugh FAIL! But today work called, and called and called. It's a good thing, I love being busy this time of year.
Since I did not bake I thought this would be a great day to share another type of recipe with everyone. This is so simple you will smack yourself in the head wondering why you never thought of it.
Cinnamon Applesauce Dough recipe #2
Ingredients:

• 1 cup store-bought applesauce
• 1 cup ground cinnamon

Mix ingredients, knead, roll out and cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
Use a drinking straw to form a hole at top before drying.
After dry (in about two days depending upon temperature and humidity in the room), you can craft paint details and thread a ribbon or other tie through the hole for hanging.
 I tried putting them in a low oven but they curled a little.
That's it! Decorate or "ice" with puffy paints, small beads, whatever you want. Be sure to poke a little hole into the tops of each "cookie" so you can hang them on your tree. They smell amazing for weeks too.

Day 33: Cherry Bombs

Hello Daddy, Hello Mom, Imma ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!!!!

Yes I think I invented this cookie and yes it is a total cheat. Why a cheat? Because it's kind of a rip off of a couple of cookies. First the obvious, Peanut Butter Blossoms (which I have yet to make). Second, some recipe on the back of the bag of the Cherry Cordial Kisses. Third, I used left over chocolate dough from the Hot Cocoa cookies I made yesterday. But who cares...they taste really good.

Just use any chocolate cookie dough, roll into one inch balls then into chopped walnuts. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes (depending on the dough recipe used). Remove from then oven and plop a Cherry Cordial Kiss right in the middle. Cool.

So why the cop out tonight? I was busy doing this:

No, I have not abandoned my beloved Bears. Steven, my youngest son, is part of a Secret Santa thing at school. The kid he has "J-Dog" is a big Steelers fan. Since I am not about to shell out 3-5 bucks a day to buy J-Dog gifts, we thought we would use what we had.
And since the icing and stuff was already out, I went ahead and did this:

Now I am just showing off! My fingertips and knuckles are nearly numb, I think I am allowed to show off!

Day 32: Massive Baking Blowout Part 2

Today reminded me why I started this in the first place, doing this all in one day really burns you out. After tomorrow, I think it's time to get back on track. With lemon bars still to come I can feel the baking excitement slowly coming back.

If you must do all of your holiday baking in one day I found today it is important to be prepared and be organized, she says after sending the kid to the store twice today! Carefully and thoughtfully I laid out all of my equipment, cookie sheets, parchment, cooling racks and all the ingredients I had in the pantry. The problem was I had no plan or list of what I was going to bake. So I started with doughs that were better chilled...snickerdoodles, I thought about favorites...maple cookies, I thought about what I wanted to show off...Rachael Ray's Hot Cocoa Cookies. I baked and baked and baked and I am not done. I still have sugar cookies to roll, etc. etc. etc. My big accomplishment of the day, a healthy tray of cookies to take to my coworkers in Fresno tomorrow.

Every cookie baked like a champ today. No spreading, no burning and I even perfected the frosted Maple Cookies. Martha must have been smiling on me today.

Day 32: Massive Baking Blow Out: Part One

Yesterday the catering hotline was on fire! My poor little Blackberry rang more in one day than I think it has all year. Usually on a really busy day I can squeeze in a shower but probably not dry my hair or put on make up. Yesterday I did not even make it upstairs to the shower. It was that busy. I joked that the city of Fresno woke up and said " Oh crap, Christmas is less than two weeks away...I need to order food!" Then I woke up this morning and said "Oh crap, Christmas is less than two weeks away...I need to...do everything!!!"
Awhile back I posted "this is my game, my rules". Therefore today I am going to bend my rules and bake my little heart out. With my bluetooth on, Blackberry and laptop near and pantry fully stocked, I will revisit some of the favorites of the last 31 days. Treats for my coworkers in Fresno, a Steelers themed cookie or two for my son's Secret Santa and hopefully something new too.
Stayed tuned and wish me luck!!

Day 31: Butterscotch Brownies-Round 2

First an apology....I did not bake yesterday nor did I blog, seeing how I didn't have a baked good to blog about and all. Somehow I contracted some ridiculous little stomach flu...grrr...that almost never happens to me, but when it does, I am a huge cry baby.
Second a HUGE THANK YOU! To my cousin Stephanie Newbold for featuring my blog on her way better blog. Stephanie is an amazing photographer in Tucson AZ. She was bitten by the shutter bug (I crack myself up) probably the day she was born. I will never forget, when I was 16 she had me dress up and do my hair and make up so she could take "senior pictures" of me with her little Kodak. We walked around our apartments looking for settings and light. Mind you, this was not for a college class or anything of the likes, mind you I was just beginning my junior year, mind you I take worse pictures than Chandler Bing. Just for fun. Yeah, we did stuff like that.
Third and finally, I baked today. Twice in fact. The fudge I made a few weeks ago was not right so I re-did that of course. Came out marvelous, funny how that happens when you follow the recipe.
Then I just couldn't let the Butterscotch Brownie/Blondie thing go. The last recipe I tried was such a disappointment, I was so ready for Butterscotch. This time I found another recipe from AllRecipes.com.
This recipe made me very nervous, nothing about it looking right while mixing. While I was spreading it into the pan I discovered why. It's not so much a brownie as it is a giant cookie. Seriously I probably could have dropped them by tablespoons full onto a cookie sheet. No way I was going to mess with this one though. I want butterscotch!!

The results: pretty easy to make, not real easy to spread into the pan. The taste: not real butterscotchy, just kind of like a brown sugar cookie. I am thinking this might make a great crust for something amazing, but what?? My bout with the flu seems to have stricken my creativity...that can be a good thing sometimes.

Day 30: Coconut Macaroons and Insomnia

Christmas and Insomnia. For every mother, these are two words that go together like Eggnog and Brandy, like Reindeer and Carrots...you get my drift. Whether it is lying awake all night planning escape routes for when the Christmas tree catches fire or that recurring nightmare we all have. You know, the one where it is Christmas morning and you forgot to buy gifts. If we all band together I'd bet we could find more than a few psychoanalysts to declare this an actual "syndrome". Then we could all take off work from November to February and collect unemployment benefits. Maybe not.
For me last night, it was four boxes of unpacked and undisplayed decorations calling from my living room. You would be amazed at how creative you can be at 3am.

Why yes, I did cut all of those paper snowflakes by hand, and there are more that are not even up yet. I couldn't stop!
Eventually I put the scissors down and moved onto today's cookie.

Coconut Macaroons

3 cups sweetened flaked coconut

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

optional: chocolate chips and/or nuts

Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet at 350 for 10 minutes.

Seriously, that's it. The recipe was right there on the back of the coconut bag. Nothing seemed right about it, but I figured if they didn't work, I would at least have time to do a different cookie. But they worked...sort of...I think. I mean, they taste okay. Sort of like the topping for magic bars since essentially that is what they are.

You will notice mine are topped with chocolate ganache as I opted out of the chocolate chips, didn't sound right to me. Instead I topped them with some left over chocolate ganache I had. Just melted it down a little first. Doesn't everyone have chocolate ganche hanging out in their fridge? I bet Martha does...

Day 29: Jingle Bell Blossoms

Before I get to today's cookie...a disclaimer, a fraud report if you will.
In yesterday's blog I claimed to create a cookie I called "Pee Wee's". However a quick Google search of the elements in my cookies revealed at least 3 others almost exactly like them. Despite my false claim, I have decided to continue calling them Pee Wee's...so there!

Today's cookie I guess could be considered my own invention, I am just a little gun shy to use the "I-word" now. The inspiration came from those silly little Peanut Butter Blossoms. Why so silly you ask? Because they are such a simple cookie yet ridiculously good. Name one person that doesn't love them, I dare you. And yes, Ashleigh, I will make them.
Ever since the whole ketchup cookie debacle (Day 15), I have laid off the peanut butter cookie and am apparently opting for chocolate lately. For this recipe I used the chocolate dough from Rachael Ray's Double Chocolate Cookies with a Peppermint Surprise (Day 10). -Don't worry, no peppermint, (or ketchup), is used in making the chocolate dough.
Just roll the chilled dough into tablespoon sized balls, bake 8 minutes at 350. Remove them from the oven and press one Reese's Peanut Butter Jingle Bell candy into each cookie. Cool. Marvel.

****One last note: Please if you will, click on my advertisers below. You do not have to buy anything and they promise me the links are safe. Everytime someone clicks on the advertisement, I earn a few cents for Relay for Life.

Day 28: Pee Wee's

These cookies are named for my Grandpa Pee Wee. I think he would have enjoyed them.

Hooray, an invented cookie turned out great, at least I think I invented it, I never bothered to really check. The inspiration came from one of my favorite holiday traditions, making a big German's Chocolate Cake. My late grandfather's birthday was the day after Christmas. When I was little my mom would always make a German's Chocolate Cake for his birthday and take it to him on Christmas. I continued the tradition as an adult until he passed away in 2008 just weeks before his 80th birthday, and I have not made one since. Not for any romantic or sad reason. Honestly I think it's because without an occasion  I will most likely eat all of the frosting before it makes it on to the cake.
Before I get to the cookies, a few notes on German's Chocolate Cake. (I am so sorry if I offend anyone here, or offend your personal tastes.) Please do not use any other recipe than the one printed on the inside of the box of German's Chocolate(also linked above). Do not substitute the ingredients, do not add chocolate frosting, do not try to make it look pretty. Just follow the directions on the box and everything will be fine. There, I felt that had to be said once and for all.

the cake should look like this and nothing else

We all know the Coconut Pecan Frosting is the best part of the German's Chocolate Cake right? So I thought of  this cookie as an excuse to just eat the frosting. Eating it out of the pan just feels so wrong at Christmas time. We, that's right we-I have a guest baker today, used a box of chocolate cake mix for the cookies but made the frosting from scratch, which by the way is the only way it should ever be made. This would be a lot better using the German's recipe adapted for cookies, but I needed to keep it simple for my guest. Maybe one day I will go back and give it a try.

Now on to my guest baker. today I had my son Patrick, 19, do the baking. All of these thoughts I have on baking need to be passed on, no matter how illogical or mundane. I imagine him married some day, in the kitchen with his wife, teaching her to make cookies like his mom. Oh wow, I am going to be an amazing mother in law aren't I.

Seeing how Patrick was the baker today and not me, I asked him to write a few notes on the blog. I also promised him he could write whatever he wants and I wouldn't read it until after I posted. So without further ado....here's Patrick...

Though I'm defiantly not one of the most coordinated people in the kitchen, for the blog's sake I decided to make today's cookie and give my input from someone who isn't the best baker. Now first off, as my mom repeatedly kept telling me in the kitchen, you can easily mess up this cookie & frosting if you start to rush yourself or slack off. As for the cookie's themselves, they're probably the only cookies I have ever made that actually turn out to look like a cookie and not just a blob of fried dough, just make sure to keep and eye on them once they come out of the oven and make sure to not mess with them too much other wise the will break apart and not take the proper shape. As for the icing, make sure you keep and eye on it while you are stirring because the icing will come out wrong if you don't keep it moving for the full 12 minuets; and if you see little brown specks in the sauce, that is normal. That's about all I can think of for this recipe, not too sure on how to end this think... so yeah.

Day 27: Chocolate Cream Cheese Peppermint Pinwheels

There is a strange phenomenon going on with me right now. Instead of simply being satisfied with baking and decorating cookies, I now feel the need to "invent" cookies. This can't be good and needs to be squashed...after I make my idea for tomorrow's cookie of course.
The idea for this cookie came from Pillsbury. Their version however called for two rolls of their refrigerated cookie dough :scoff: For my version I choose the Cream Cheese Molding Dough I used to make the pretzel cookie. This dough is now my favorite, it does not spread and is so easy to work with, oh and it tastes great! The only problem here is the not spreading part, the need to spread a little.

My son gave these the green light. I wished I had used a different cookie recipe.

So for the recipe, use any sugar cookie dough you like.
Divide the batter in half before adding the flour.
Add 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract to half of the batter.
Split the amount of flour needed into two bowls. In one bowl add about 2/3 cup cocoa powder.
The other half of the flour goes into the now peppermint flavored batter, stir until mixed.
Add the unflavored half of batter to the cocoa and flour mixture; stir until mixed.
Roll each dough on a floured surface into a rectangle.
Brush the top of the peppermint dough lightly with water ( I did not and wished I had).
Top with the chocolate rectangle.
Roll the layered dough lengthwise, snugly, wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least an hour.
When ready slice the dough about 3/4" thick. I have no room in my life for skinny cookies!
Place slices on baking sheet lined with parchment and bake at 350 for about 13 min.
Remove and top each cookie with white chocolate chips (maybe 3). I used Wilton Candy Melts and just one.
Back into the oven for about 2 minutes.
Remove and top with a little crushed candy cane. Cool on wire racks.
Bonus!! Drizzle the tops with melted chocolate.

More Christmas Cookies! Hooray! And a few more tips

Decorating cakes and cookies is my favorite part of baking. But before I can even begin to think about decorating cookies for any occasion, I need inspiration. I look at dozens of pictures of decorated cookies just to get ideas and see things I never even thought to do. Here are some of the cookies I have made so far and a few more tips for decorating cookies.

our dogs, of course

in no particular order...

1. If your plan is to bond with your children over holiday baking, be realistic. Most kids, like me, could really care less about the whole baking process. Do them and yourself a huge favor and have the cookies made and ready . Cover your entire house in plastic.

2. Keep a bowl of hot water in your sink for pastry dips, small bowl, spoons, etc. Trust me on this one, just do it.

3. Think outside of the Snowman. Any cookie cutter or shape can be a Christmas cookie. Slap some green and red in there somewhere and voila!

4. Small dots and sanding sugar (colored sugars too) can cover up almost any mistake. Big mistakes, add a lot of candy.

5. Go for a cookie and icing that actually taste good. The color flow I mentioned in a previous post...not so much. Otherwise you might as well be using salt dough and paint.

6. When rolling out your dough don't be afraid of thickness. The are supposed to be Christmas Cookies, not Christmas Crackers.

7. Go 3D! My mom used to push cookie dough through a garlic press and make "hair" for the gingerbread people.

8. Sometimes less is more. I know, I know, you are on a roll and having fun and have lots of great ideas. But you have to know when to put the cookie down and say "done".

9. See above...there is a fine line between polka dots and diseased, know when to say when.

Day 26: Biscotti Al Cioccolato E Noce

Otherwise known as Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti, for those of us who only know the Italian that is taught in the bathroom at Macaroni Grill.

For the last few days I have been searching the Internet for a biscotti recipe to make. When I was younger and had more time on my hands, I made biscotti often, sometimes when I wasn't even trying to. I'm not sure what it is about the process that makes it kind of fun to make. Maybe its that I imagine I am a famous Italian Pastry Chef working at a chic San Francisco bakery turning out the world's most amazing biscotti while espresso machines whir and hiss around me. Or maybe its that it is really just kind of easy to make but looks very professional.
Some of the recipes I contemplated sounded amazing. There was a Chocolate Filled Cream Cheese Biscotti. Sounds so good, but at 5am I just couldn't wrap my head around all of the steps...we'll table this one for another day. Then there was the Pumpkin Biscotti. This one I had every intention of making, except that I do not have any pumpkin, dried cranberries or pistachios. Sure those things are readily available at my nearby market, but that would have meant brushing my hair and putting on a bra...Pass! Finally I found  Biscotti Al Cioccolato E Noce. Great Italian name (adds legitimacy) and very easy. In fact, the ease of the recipe made me very nervous. I have read recipes that call for overnight chilling, double boilers and yeast...Yeast! for crying out loud.

I will probably dip their little bottoms in chocolate later

Yes, this recipe was easy. Funny little thing to mention though, the ingredients listed at the top are not exactly the same as what is in the instructions. Nothing major, just that the recipe calls for 3/4 cups semi sweet chocolate. It doesn't say melted or broken, etc. But when reading the instructions, it says chocolate chips. Good, because that is what I had. Then it lists an additional 1 tbsp. of sugar. Again, reading the instructions, all of the sudden it says to sprinkle dough with confectioners' sugar. What?? Where did that come from? No biggie, I still had about a tablespoon to spare. But what a funny little game the author of this recipe is playing. I am convinced Martha is behind this somehow, some way.

Biscotti is a very appropriate treat to make around Christmas time because it must be cut immediately after coming out of the oven. This will leaving you swearing to the the Virgin Mary, Jesus and all that is Holy and Bright. Wear gloves and have any small children out of ear shot.
Maybe the real reason I like making Biscotti so much is that I can justify Biscotti as a breakfast food. I mean, if I am dipping it in my coffee...Right? Just saying.

Day 25:Decorated Cookies...Finally

This is my favorite part of making cookies...decorating them!! Over the past years I have to admit I have made some beautiful cookies. The challenge is always finding an icing recipe that looks good but still tastes good. Royal Icing is always the "go to" and great for gingerbread houses, but not so great for actually eating the cookies. Buttercream tastes great but doesn't set spread evenly or give a nice sheen and smoothness.

Last year I used a delicious cookie glaze made with powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and corn syrup. It sets up great, spreads well and best of all, it tastes really good. Unfortunately, you can't get a lot of detail with it and it's not great when you want multiple colors on one cookie. Tonight was my first time using Color Flow. Easy to make, easy to use. We'll have to just wait to see how it tastes.

Day 24: Cream Cheese Pretzels

After playing in chocolate all day with yesterday's Hot Cocoa cookies, today I felt the need for something a little lighter and now that is officially Christmas time, something that looks, well...Christmasy. Orange Cream Cheese Cookies sounded perfect. This is actually called a "molding dough", meaning it is perfect for shaping or cut outs since the dough does not spread at all. Not a fan of orange? You can use any flavor you prefer. This is also a great cookie to make with kids, real easy and fun to mold. I chose to do pretzel shapes because I thought they would be cute and I am just not feeling very creative at the moment.
Put your electric mixer away for this one and break out the wooden spoon:

• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c butter, softened
• 1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t vanilla or orange extract, or whatever you would like

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Stir by hand until well blended. Add:

• 1 2/3 c all-purpose flour

Stir until dough forms a ball. Knead dough on floured surface, about a minute or two, until dough is smooth and pliable and not sticky. Roll, shape , mold....whatever.
Bake at 350 until edges are light brown 10-15 minutes or 15-22 minutes for thicker cookies.

For sparkling pretzels:

Pour colored sugar onto waxed paper. Roll about a tablespoon of dough into a 4" rope between your hands. Finish rolling rope on colored sugar until about 10" and shape into pretzels.

Day 23: Hot Cocoa Cookies

There are a few things you must have before making these Hot Cocoa Cookies.
1. A chilly evening in the forecast.
2. A quiet evening in that same forecast
3. A roaring fire
4. Some Peppermint Mocha Coffee
or and it also doesn't hurt if you have a fine chocolatier sponsoring you.

This is another one of Rachael Ray's Holiday Cookie Recipes, but beware, they are a little costly to make. the recipe calls for 7 bars of semi sweet chocolate. 7 bars!!! I have been putting off making these just for that reason. But this morning at the grocery store, Ghiradelli 4 oz. semi sweet bars were on sale for 2 for $5.00. I bought two, convincing myself I read the recipe wrong and maybe it actually was only calling for 7 oz. No such luck. But then I read the recipe a little more carefully and I noticed that the first 12oz. of chocolate used is chopped and melted with butter. Hmmm....12 oz of chopped chocolate. Have you ever noticed the weight on a bag of chocolate chips? Yep, 12oz. Rachael was trying to tell me something! The chocolate chips (Safeway brand even) worked great, but I did use the good chocolate in the rest of the recipe.
The dough for this cookie looks more like a brownie batter. I thought for sure I would be ending my relationship with Rachael after this and I just could not handle another failure after yesterday's Butterscotch Blondie Blowup. However, after chilling the dough/batter for at least 30 minutes as directed it magical firms into a dough that can be rolled into a ball. From there is was smooth sailing and cookies are absolutley delicious!

Day 22: Fail!!!!

Seriously, do recipe publishers even test the recipes they print??? I should know better by now though. When a recipe calls for a lot of butter and brown sugar, not white, and not a lot of flour, something is wrong. Very wrong. Shame on me.
I loved this recipe for Butterscotch Blondies going in. So simple, I was so prepared to brag about it. What a simple quick "go to" dessert it could have been. I imagined them with ice cream or maybe dallops of chocolate ganache. My kitchen filled with the aroma of butterscotch, my heart filled with anticipation, my mind raced with all the wonderful things I would blog about these blondies.
Only to open my open door to this....

My heart now broken and infuriated! What a waste of time, butter and sugar!! Sadly I do not have time for a replacement cookie for Day 22 because happily we are heading to Imbibe tonight. After all, this is nothing a few glasses of wine can't fix right?

Day 21: Peppermint Meringues Cups with Ganache

I think I am the only one who truly loves, loves, loves meringues. So light, so tasty and so pretty. That is why despite my better judgement I tried this recipe for Peppermint Meringues with Chocolate Ganache from none other than Martha Stewart! Ack! What was I thinking! Okay, it wasn't that bad, but I will fill you in on some of the things Miss Martha won't tell you. So go ahead and click the link above and read this recipe.
All done?
First of all, this is not a recipe for the novice. There is serious baking equipment you must have, not should have, but must have. Years ago when I first started baking cakes you would have to order a lot of the speciality decorating items. Now you can find just about anything and everything you need at Michael's, Target, Walmart, even Fresh and Easy has started carrying Wilton items.
Second, read and follow all the tips I posted yesterday. Have your equipment ready! I did not, and found I was out of large pastry bags. I had to use parchment triangles, several of them. You really need a good quality, large pastry bag for this recipe.
Third, the first few squeezes of the meringue will not have the stripes you painted. Slowly squeeze this back into the bowl until you just start to see a dash of red coming through your pastry tip.
Fourth and oh so important.... when mixing the egg whites with the sugar over the simmering water be careful the bowl is not too warm when you add the egg whites, better still add the sugar first then the egg whites. And begin stirring immediately and constantly. Otherwise you will have very sweet poached egg whites.
I've gotten out of order so here are just a few more tips: don't worry too much about painting your lines straight, it won't matter when you begin piping; use superfine sugar instead of granulated but beware, it will dissolve faster; the top of a bottle of non-perils or sprinkles is about 1-3/4 inches.

And that is just the meringues!!

Now on to the ganache, well I won't even attempt to give any tips on ganache. Maybe my mother, an amazing baker and cook, will be so kind as to post some of her tips for ganache in the comments below. (Also I can make sure she is reading this blog-hehe). I never seem to do it just right, I just know it is never quite as simple as it sounds.

As I write this the meringues are in the oven and the ganache is chillin in the fridge. this takes about an hour and a half! So I will stop here and update this with pictures when they are all done. I can tell you though, only about 5 of the meringues look like Martha's.

Oh and real quick- I was so happy to hear the teachers at Norris Middle School enjoyed the cookies today!
Update:::::::
It's almost 5am and the ganache is set!!! The cookies are finally finished...

Another update:
Sadly these do not taste all that amazing...certainly not for the amount of work and how good they look. The meringue and ganache just do not seem to go together all that well. At 1/4 teaspoon, the peppermint is still a little too much. And the cookies are more chewy than crisp, not wet mind you, so I know I baked them long enough, just kind of chewy. Maybe next time I will skip the sugar dissolving step.

Day 20: A Great Cookie Day Thanks to Rachael Ray

Yes! Rachael comes through again-oh, didn't you know, we are on a first name basis now. The foundation of trust between has been built, a mutual respect if you will. Okay so it's not mutual, she has no idea who I am after all.
I have been dying to make this Coconut Snowflakes since I bought the magazine last month. Not only do the cookies feature two things I love, coconut and lemon, but I also just happen to have this particular snowflake cookie cutter. Warning: Rachael does say offer a substitute cookie cutter, use your imagination. Another warning: she says to bake these for 20 minutes. Do yourself a favor and check them after 12 minutes. At 18 minutes I burned a pan, and nearly destroyed my relationship with Rach.

When spreading the filling on the cookie I say go for it! One measly teaspoon just doesn't seem to be enough. I also got a little creative and opted to not line the two cookies up exactly when sandwiching them. I know, I am a wild woman.
My husband thought that the two cookies sandwiched together were a little dry. Since I still have half the dough to bake I may try not sandwiching them and sprinkling the coconut right on top of the filling. Once again...crazy, wild, I know.

How About A Few Tips

As I am waiting for today's cookie to properly chill, I thought of a few baking tips to pass along. For you professionals: go ahead and roll your eyes and skip this post. For everyone else, pay attention! Every tip comes from a mistake I have made in one way or another.

1. Establish a "No Cleaning No Eating Rule". If your loved ones are not willing to help clean up after you bake they do not partake. (This also includes running to the store for a missing ingredient)
2. Read the recipe through before starting. Know what you need and how much, what tools, etc. Locate your tools. Because of my Rule #1 (above) my baking tools are sometimes found in the cupboard where we keep our glassware, with the pots and pans, in the kid's bedroom...
3. Own a stand mixer, preferably a Kitchen Aid.
4. Follow the recipe exactly. Unless it is a Martha Stewart recipe, then just do whatever you want. There is no way what you make is going to in any way resemble what she made.
5. Own a lot of bowls. Big, small, finger, cereal...whatever, you will need them (see tip #6).
6. "Weigh out" your ingredients before you start. It's actually fun, you get to pretend like you are hosting your own little cooking segment, or maybe that's just me. Measure everything you will need into an appropriate sized bowl to have at your fingertips.
7. Pre heat your oven accordingly. Seems simple enough, I usually don't. But you should.
8. Buy parchment paper and use it every time you bake cookies.
9. Beat the hell out of the cream and sugar. But stir, with a wooden spoon, in your dry mixture. And stop stirring as soon as it is mixed. Over mixing is the leading cause of tough cookie syndrome.
10. Do not over bake. The way your cookies look when they come out of the oven is not the way they need to look cooled. They should just be baked enough to set. They will bake a little more when you take them out. This is why most recipes say to cool them on the pan for a few minutes. If you do over bake them though, get them off the pan as soon as possible.
11. Chilled dough almost always works best.
12. Use good ingredients. That box of baking soda that has been in the back of your fridge for 6 months is not an example of a "good ingredient".

I'm sure there are plenty I have not mentioned, but it's almost time to bake.  Please feel free to post your favorite baking tip as a comment too.