Steam driven cookies

There is a subset to the science fiction genre called Steampunk and the Underground Art Show chose it as their theme this year. Basically this fantasy sub-culture is what technology produced without electricity in the Victorian-era using steam driven engines would look like. Think Wild Wild West and you've pretty much got it or Willy Wonka, or the recent Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey, Jr.

Gear driven machines are at the heart of it all so my submission for the dessert table is all decked out appropriately. This post is more of a product review than anything else because these are just plain, rollout and iced sugar cookies. I knew what I wanted to do and talked to PBE's resident chef Teri, she had the solution, Wilton's Color Mist, a spray on editable color. I made my own stencils out of heavy cardstock and iced the cookies with royal icing to give a smooth base. Then laying the stencil over the cookie and gently spraying gave me the look I was going for. I played with different layers of color. Of course you can use this spray on any dessert and a quick spray would dress up plain white cake or cupcakes.

Things to know:

• Practice spraying first on something you can wash off
• Give yourself lots of space because there will be overspray
• Shake often, really shake a lot
• Spray in a sweeping motion so as not to "puddle" the color
• Let dry at least an hour before stacking or adding another color

I do like this product and for about $4 a can it wasn't too pricey.

And, if you lived in the Victorian-era and played guitar, this might be what an electric one looked like. Google for more creative examples of this fantasy world "Steampunk".

Christmas Guest Chef

We had a guest chef in the PBE kitchen this morning. She comes from a long line of fantastic cookie bakers. I felt honored just to be in the same kitchen let alone her helper.


Here are her 2009 Christmas Cookies. I'm sure they'll be copied as soon as the public sees them. I'm just hoping she lets me help her again next year.

Ridiculously short Shortbread Cookie

They do not travel well; you can hardly get them to your mouth in one piece.
Forget about putting them in a cookie jar, you have only crumbs.
Do not dip them in coffee; they disintegrate.
The better the butter, the better. (I love that sentence, read it again)
They must be beaten for 10 minutes; no more, no less and baked immediately.

Ok, that all the bad things about these cookies, here is the one reason you will run right out and make them: These are the lightest cookies you will ever put in your mouth. Do I have to say more?

Shortbread Cookies (this recipe can be cut in half very easily)

1 lb unsalted butter, softened but not too soft.
4 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 pinch of salt

Beat for 10 minutes with a stand mixer. Pip from a pastry bag with a large tip onto parchment.
Bake 350 for 15-17 minutes. Just brown on the edges. Let cool about a minute on cookie sheet and remove to a rack to cool.

When life gives you egg whites, make meringues

I ended up this morning with four egg whites and I can't throw away four egg whites. Nope can't do it. I've tried, I've even froze them thinking I'd do something at a later date and since I already have frozen egg whites that are from the Clinton administration I figured I better use these. Don't try to understand me, just feel sorry for me.

Even though I've collected a dozen recipes for meringues I'd never made any of them. Oh, I've eaten my fair share. There is a lovely bakery in Westlake that make a coconut meringue cookie that is to die for but I've never tried until this morning when I ended up with four egg whites. How I ended up with four egg whites is another post that I will hopefully finish this weekend but you've seen my track record lately, don't get too excited.

Now, the most important thing about meringues is don't open the oven. Sheesh, what a test of my patience. My sister makes a wonderful roast prime rib that you cook for a while, turn the oven off, and let it rest for a few hours. Holy Cats. She had to tie the oven door shut so I wouldn't, you know, just check on it. So here I am with my cookies tucked neatly into their warm little beds and me on the outside tapping on the glass, Open, Open, Open ...

Here's the recipe I used. Could not be more simple, it's just the damn waiting.

Pecan Meringue cookies

Notes on working with egg whites. Before you start, remove eggs from refrigerator and let them come to room temperature. (A couple of hours will do, or if you are rushed for time, immerse them in warm water for 10 minutes.) Make sure that all bowls, hands, and utensils that might touch the eggs are clean and free from oils.





* 1 cup whole pecans (preferably lightly roasted - 8-10 min at 250°F)
* 3 egg whites
* Pinch salt
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vinegar

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Place pecans in zipper baggie and beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Set aside.

Put egg whites into a stand mixer bowl. Add salt. Start the mixer speed on low, gradually increasing the speed until soft peaks start to become visible and the egg white bubbles are very small and uniform, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Increase the speed to medium-high, and slowly add the sugar to the egg whites. Continue to whip the eggs and sugar for a few minutes. Then add the vinegar to the bowl. Increase speed to high and whip the egg whites until they fluff up and become glossy, and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 4-5 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the pecan pieces. Drop by teaspoons onto a cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment paper or Silpat. (I piped them from the same plastic bag the nuts were in after cutting off a corner)

Put the cookies sheet in the 300°F oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Leave them in the oven overnight. In the morning they should be ready - crisp on the outside, light and airy on the inside. If they are a little marshmallowy or chewy on the inside in the morning, just let them dry out for a few more hours. Makes 12-24 cookies, depending on the size.

Editors note: I did finally get the photos posted. It's not easy taking a snap of something white in something glass. Should be a photo assignment somewhere. The cookies are wonderful. Not too sweet and light and airy.

Bite the cookie

Sometimes I become obsessed with food and make and remake recipes until I like them. Cookies are on the Hit Parade right now so bear with me, folks.

I adore cookies, all types, flavors, and sizes. If I'm thumbing through a magazine cookie photos will make me stop, asses the recipe, and tear it out for later. I've piles of snippets stuck in the back of my cook book. Someday I'll organize them, ha!

Let me sing the praises of the cookie. Easily stored in a variety of containers, put in a slice of bread alongside cookies you want to stay soft, you don't need a fancy jar though I enjoy my crock. You don't need a plate or a fork or any fussy presentation; hands work great. It's portable, you can walk by the cookie jar, on your way to the gym, and snag one or three. They are a favorite of all ages, cultures, and cooks. I bet your family has its favorite and it's time you made them some right now.

Here is my latest Vanilla Pecan Refrigerator Cookies. I can't say where I got this recipe but I do enjoy having a log of refrigerator cookies in the freezer. I can bake the entire recipe or maybe just a dozen for my beloved and me. He likes them, too. Though shortbread cookies are my all-time favorite these little gems are easy, quick and delicious. I've been going for more of a crispy cookie lately and, since there is only white sugar, they fill that order. I used butter but if you use shortening they might be a bit crispier; I'll try that next time.

Vanilla Pecan Refrigerator Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter or shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla (yes, this is correct)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans (nice if you toast them)

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each. Add the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Use a spoon to stir in the flour mixture into the sugar mixture. Add the pecans, mixing well. Shape into three rolls about 2 inches in diameter and wrap in was paper. refrigerate at least two hours or up to three days. You can also freeze.

Bake in 375 oven. Cut the dough into 1/4 inch slices 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack and store in airtight container. Makes about 6 dozen.

Editor's note: My husband usually can take or leave cookies, I know, why would I marry someone like that? With these he can't keep out of the cookie crock. It has quite a heavy lid so I can always tell when he's in there. I asked what he liked about them and he couldn't put his finger on the reason. Finally, who needs a reason to eat a cookie!

Let us know your family favorite cookie.

Plain but perfect

There are as many sugar cookie recipes as there are families. For roll out cookies I'd made the same recipe over and over until I found Sylvie's on Soul Fusion Kitchen. Perfect for cookie cutters but growing up I remember a plain sugar cookie with the tops dusted with sugar. As luck would have it I found a recipe to satisfy that old memory.

While celebrating Christmas at Mary's, my step-mother, I found some cookies she'd baked but didn't have out. She said they were a little stale. They were exactly what I was looking for, well not the stale part, but I asked her to send the recipe and now I make these regularly. I only make a half recipe because my darling and I would sit down and eat them all and four to five dozen is way too many.

They are dusted cinnamon and sugar and are made with butter and oil and couldn't be easier to throw together. I hope you enjoy them.

Sugar Cookies
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup margarine (I used unsalted butter)
1 cup cooking oil

Cream together – beat until fluffy.

Beat in 2 eggs

4 cups plus 4 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. In a small bowl, combine some sugar and cinnamon. Using the bottom of a drinking glass, spread with margarine, dip it into the sugar and cinnamon mixture, and press on top of each cookie. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

I am a lucky person...

no I didn't win the lottery - but - I did win the lottery with my sister. If any of you come here often you know that sister Moon is quite talented in the kitchen, with her skills of cooking and baking.
Well I am far from being a baker with the exception of a cookie or three once in awhile. I had the craving for a pnut butter cookie today so I made up a small batch and froze most of the dough and left just a bit to make a few cookies for snacking. Had some in my little toaster oven and was on the phone with sister Moon. I mentioned I had to go my cookies were in the oven. "Oh", she says, "you making the butterscotch cookies I gave you". Holy shoot no I forgot about those, they are in the freezer.
Well ya know what I did immediately after getting the pnut butter ones out of the oven. Got in the freezer, found the Butterscotch cookie dough, sliced off a few, popped those sweet gems in the oven. This happens to be a very old family recipe.
Go see the post Moon wrote - oh and take your kleenex, it's very sweet

Ya see when we were just visiting sister and her handsome husband recently, sister gave me a log of her prized butterscotch cookies she had in the freezer. Now that is a caring sister. Not only that she fried chicken for us WOO HOO!!! See why I'm so lucky !!!

Sending our love

She liked Valentine's Day almost as much as Christmas. When lil bird was old enough to stand on a kitchen chair mom would have her over to make cookies for that special day. I know when she went off to college lil bird got a package of hearts from her beloved grandma.

So in honor of our mother/grandmother I made some sugar hearts. When I looked for the meringue powder to make Royal Icing I remembered I'd run out around the holidays. Yikes. I recalled a recipe in an old cooky cookbook and what did I have to lose. It turned out fine so on Wednesday I'm off to deliver these hearts to a special person. I did save some for the Gypsy Caravan* that is arriving tomorrow afternoon.

Here is the recipe. Using the meringue is much easier but this works in a pinch.

Royal Icing

2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla ( or other flavoring)
food coloring

Using a stand mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff. Gradually beat in 1 cup of sugar. Beat five minutes. Beat in secon cup of sugar; beat 10 minutes. During last few minutes of beating, add vanilla and food color for the desired color.

I made one mistake on this. I thinned some of the icing to flow on easier and it didn't dry as well. I have no idea how to thin this recipe. It turns out the unthinned iced cookies looked just as good.

*Editor's note: For those new to this blog. Sister doodles and her beloved are the Gypsy Caravan. They've sold everything, packed up their trailer, and are off on an extended adventure. You can read about them at her blog, Tombstone Tumbleweed.

A Holiday treat

I have received these little toffee cookie gems as a gift, for several years now. And this year the recipe accompanied the item. I could not believe that saltine crackers were used in this tasty treat.

Some people use saltine crackers others use graham crackers which I did. These taste something like a heath bar. I'm sure you could use the white chocolate morsels, or the butterscotch. And the nuts could vary as well. But whatever and however you make them you'll love em.

I made these last nite to tuck into a gift basket....Perfect!!!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces saltine crackers
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2. Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.
3. In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread t cover crackers completely.
4. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces.

Warning: unabashed bragging in this post

Last July we attended a BBQ with a twist. The hostess asked everyone to bring a home-made apple pie. Mine was a rustic apple tart served with my mom's apple dumpling sauce. I think that's what actually won.

Comes July again and another contest, cookies this time. I used a recipe I'd found on fellow blogger's site, La Vida Dulce's Chocolate Shortbread.

We have another winner. Yup, they enjoyed them enough to bestow a second victory. Sadly, we had to leave before the judging so I received the news when we returned from vacation.

This is an easy recipe, though I'm sure fattening and artery-clogging. They will melt in your mouth and go directly to your hips. My way of getting around this is to cut them into small cookies and give most to the neighbors so I don't eat them all. One thing is important, use Dutch process cocoa, it will make a world of difference.

Lemoney

This recipe I found in Cook's Illustrated last year and it's been a favorite. It should be called Ya Gotta Like Lemon Pound Cake but I've never had leftovers so it must be good. Melting the butter and adding it with the food processor is a neat shortcut and I want to try different flavoring but so far have always used the lemon.


Lemon Pound Cake
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter plus some to grease pan
1 1/2 cups ( 6 ounces) cake flour plus some for the pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoons grated zest plus 2 teaspoons juice from 2 medium lemons
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Grease 9x5 loaf pan and dust with cake flour.

Melt butter, stir to incorporate separated milk solids.

In food processor, process sugar and zest until combined. Add lemon juice, eggs and vanilla; process until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine running, add melted butter through feed tube in a steady stream (about 20 seconds). Transfer mixture to large bowl. Sift flour mixture over eggs in three steps, whisking gently after each addition until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 325 and continue to bake until deep golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes; rotating pan half way through baking time. Cool in pan for ten minutes, then turn onto wire rack and brush with glaze. Cool to room temp. Cooled cake can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temp for up to five days.

Lemon Glaze
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
1/4 cup juice from medium lemon
Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened slightly for about two minutes. Poke holes in baked cake and brush top and sides of hot cake.

Pumpkin Pie

Don't ask me why I made these little gems but a creative moment ascended upon me and for a split second I had no idea how these little gems were going to pop out of these small tart pans.
But persistence ruled and out they popped. The pumpkin part is just your ordinary Libby's canned pie stuff. I did create a bit of decor with the leftover bits of pastry dough.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Vanished!!!

I made four yes FOUR dozen chocolate chip cookies and this is what I have left!

We had a real estate open house today. When I saw La Vida Dulce's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe I thought that could be the cookie that sells this place.

this is the plate I found when we returned home, holy cow all had vanished, three little cookies remained.

Have yet to hear from our realtor.

Next open house if required, will the the famous "scutterbotch" cookies...stay tuna'd

Here's a crock

This crock, my now cookie jar, was my grandmother, Emily Prucilla's and it served her well for decades. I inherited it when my mom passed away because it was always my favorite. I nearly had a breakdown when I dropped the lid and it broke in two pieces but darling husband, to the rescue, patched it up.

I try to keep it full of cookies, these are Alton Browns chocolate chip (just for you, Jeff) but what I really want to make is a recipe of Grandma's that I recently rediscovered. She called them "scutterbotch" and each generation loved them. Along with the recipe was the following letter my mom sent to her family and friends after her mother's passing in 1991.

The time is fall of 1931. The people knew by then that the country was in serious trouble. Unemployment, failed banks, and closed factories plagued he towns and cities but in Monroeville, Indiana a small farming community close to the Ohio border, poor farmers were still poor farmers. My father, an engineer, moved his family to a farm to soften the blow of the depression. I was nine, my sisters Mary Alice and Marcella were seven and five. Our little brother Tom was two; Joseph was yet to be born.

As was typical of the day the big white farm house had a large kitchen with a wood burning cook stove. Here mother Emily would bake the most wonderful butterscotch cookies. At night she would mix up a batch and then early in the morning she would bake them. The smell of those cookies would walk us girls up and on those mornings we would waste no time getting ready. The smell always meant there would be cookies for breakfast and some in our lunch.

As time went by we sold the farm and moved to the city. Our brother Joseph was born and six weeks later, Daddy Tom died. He left Emily to raise the five children alone. Times were hard. Emily had to work to support her family but she always found time to make us a batch of butterscotch cookies. Mother died May 13, 1991. At that time I had two dozen cookies in the freezer. I had made them under her directions some weeks before her passing.

This morning, as I write you this letter, I am having butterscotch cookies with my coffee; the smell of cookies still lingers on.

Love, Lorna

Butterscotch Cookies
1 cup oleo,* that's shortening for you young uns.
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup chopped nuts

*you could use butter and they would be delicious; they just wouldn't taste like Grandma's.

Mix sugar, eggs, and oleo. Add flour salt and soda; mix well. Add nuts. Divide into two rolls and wrap in wax paper (plastic wrap is fine). Chill overnight. Cut 1/4 inch and bake 8-10 minutes at 375 until lightly browned. Do not overbake.

Note: Her rolls were never round they were flat on the sides producing an oblong cookie but I always made them that way, too.

Hats off to Johnnies

Christine, one of our foodie friends on La Vida Dulce has a post on The Hat and even though I think it's one of the better fast food "joints" in Southern California I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Johnnies Pastrami. You see, Doodles and I, and then lil Bird, grew up eating there. They are truely a mid-century classic complete with neon and and a working juke box at your table.

Not living close I get my pastrami fix from The Hat, there's one in Simi, but just the thought of Johnnies, that greasy joint, makes my arteries quiver, hmmmmm, onion rings. Philly might have their cheese steaks but The Hat and Johnnies have the market on pastrami.

After you order, from some of the oldest waitresses I've ever seen, they bring you this wonderful bowl of cold kosher pickles. Eating three or four is a must, then a rootbeer, pastrami, and onion rings. I don't know what is better. Well maybe Tito's around the corner but that's for another post.

Johnnie's Pastrami
4047 Sepulveda Blvd (cross street: Washington Place)
Culver City, California 90230

For Sale..........Oatmeal cookies

Some of you know that Mr & Mrs Doodles have our home for sale. The real estate market in our area is quite dismal. So one needs to resort to severe tactics.

"little bird" reminded me of LauraRebecca's recommendation on selling her home, BAKE COOKIES!!! And that I did. The house didn't sell, BUT we did have some inquiries.

I posted some info on my personal site if you are wanting to know more click here.........http://tombstonetumbleweed.blogspot.com/2006/09/it-was-cookies.html



The cookie recipe is straight off the Quaker Oats box......but the vanilla was a wonderful vanilla paste that sister moon and I got on our recent trip to Surfas.

I am going to be away from the computer for a couple of days. Hopefully we will hear from sister Moon soon as she returns from her vacation.....................stay tuna'd!

peach lush v 1.0

the lack of posts recently is due to the fact that the three of us were all in one place this weekend and actually doing things instead of sitting in front of the computer. on sunday, we had this dessert that was called "peach lush" at this restaurant on el paseo whose name escapes me. all i can say is...yum. it was a lighter version of a cheescake, with a pecan shortbread crust and topped with fresh peaches, as the name would imply. i have not been able to stop thinking about it, so i attempted to recreate it.



after tasting the finished product, it's good but not quite right. here's what i came up with for version 1.0:

crust:

16 pecan sandies cookies, crushed
4 tbsp. melted butter

mix together and press into a small (7") springform pan and bake at 350 about 10 - 12 minutes. cool.

filling:

8 oz cream cheese
4 oz milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 c heavy cream

beat cream cheese, milk, vanilla, powdered sugar until smooth. keep beating until some air gets incorporated and the mixture gets thick. in another bowl (alton brown would tell you to chill a metal bowl for this), beat the cream until stiff peaks form. mix 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. then fold in the remaining two thirds of the whipped cream in two batches (those are definitely a.b. instructions). fill the cooled crust with this mixture and chill thoroughly.

topping:

1 c water
1 c sugar
2 peaches

make a simple syrup from the water and sugar. peel peaches and remove the seeds. cut into thin slices. just when simple syrup comes to a good simmer, remove from heat and add peach slices. poach peaches in syrup for about two minutes then remove to a plate and drain off any excess syrup. chill peaches, then arrange on top of the "pie."



thoughts for next time: the crust and the toppings were pretty close. the filling was a little too mousse-y, though. the original was really firm and rich. i don't know if that was because there was more cream cheese or if it was just chilled longer. (as mooncrazy could tell you, i'm not the world's most patient individual, so if you guessed that i didn't let it chill that long, you'd be right.) i might also try beating the cream cheese and the heavy cream together or maybe add a little gelatin in the cream cheese mixture.

Hazardous to your health

Do check out Sweetnicks new site it looks wonderful. She also has some fun foodie news. Now here's our Weekend dog blogging with a tale.

First Buddy would like to wish all his fans a happy 4th of July. Don't forget to wear sun screen and be safe with the fireworks, remember the little doggie ears need protection. This handsome pix of Buddy was taken by his Aunt Doodles.




And now, the tale:

Our Mother/Grandmother Lorna was a great "basic" cook. Most of what she did was without a recipe because she'd cooked them so often. We all had our favorites. What she could throw together at a moments notice was pie and she excelled at that for sure. The one important thing I learned about pies is the bottom crust has to be set before the filling bubbles or you'll have a doughy mess on the bottom. Yuck, done that so crank up that oven for the first 15 minutes for sure.

The following recipe she acquired while standing in line at the market. I always laugh at this but you'd have to know her. This I've used in a number of variations and yesterday it won an award. We attended a early 4th bbq and every one was encouraged to bake an apple pie. I made a rustic apple tart and used momma's dumpling sauce and came away with first place. Not too bad, there were seven other contenders. Thanks, mom.

Lorna's Apple Dumplings

Pie crust for a nine inch pie
2 large Granny Smith apples
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sauce

1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons Karo syrup
1/2 cup apple sauce
Cook until slightly thickened

Roll crust into 4 circles. Divide apples, brown sugar and cinnamon among pastry circles. Pull up sides of crust and pinch together. Place in 8 inch square baking pan. Bake 350 until done. Cool and spoon hot sauce over dumplings, serve warm.

My Rustic Apple Tart was pastry dough in a 12 inch circle topped with sliced apples I'd sauted in a bit of butter then added sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice with zest, and nutmeg. Dusted this with flour and cooked it all until it thickened a bit.

After mounding the apples on the dough pull up the sides about two inches and brush with egg wash, dust with sugar. Bake pretty hot for about 15 minutes, 425; then 350 until done. This was baked on parchment paper on a cooky sheet.

in honor of sue

my best friends' grandmother passed last night. she was the sweetest, kindest little old lady you'd ever care to meet. she always had a smile and a kind word for everyone. everyone called her grandma and you just couldn't help but hug that wee woman every time you saw her. we'll miss her terribly, but she left a wonderful legacy of love with her children and grandchildren, so she will live on in all of our hearts forever.

grandma sue will always be remembered in my heart for her ginger snaps, which were a staple at the family's annual 4th of july party. and while there's nothing quite like the flavor and texture of a grandma sue ginger snap eaten with wet pool hands in the hot california sun, here's my favorite ginger snap recipe in honor of grandma sue:

1 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
1/4 c. molasses
1 egg
2 1/4 c. a.p. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 c. sugar

cream sugar, butter, molasses and egg. stir in remaining ingredients except 1/4 c. sugar. refrigerate dough for about an hour. form dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the remaining sugar. bake in a 350 degree oven for about 8 - 12 minutes (snaps will puff up and then flatten and set). cool about a minute on the cookie sheets, then remove to a rack.

that one's for you, grandma sue. we sure will miss you.

Gladly not a vanishing breed

I try to keep some homemade cookies on hand because they are so much better than the packaged varieties. Not that I'd turn down a Fig Newton or an Oreo if I had a big ol' glass of milk but I do love the good old oatmeal cookie recipe on the box of Quaker Oats. That recipe is one of those I could make in a coma because I've made it so often but I thought I'd look on the Quaker website for a link. Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Cook's Illustrated.com tried to improve on this recipe and after months of testing they had something quite close to the recipe on the box. They replaced the baking soda with baking powder and eliminated the cinnamon. Philistines! Cinnamon and nutmeg are two of my "personal" spices but other than that the recipe is ok.

This may sound odd but I eat less of the homemade. I'm thinking it might be because the box variety are filled with empty flavors where you put fresh ingredients that are full of flavor in your own. Who knows, I do feel more satisfied with one big homemade oatmeal cookie than a whole box of the store bought, and I've eaten a whole box. Come on, you have too.