Hello, Dreamy . . .

 
It's been one of those kinds of weeks as far as baking goes.  I tried my hand at 2 "fancy" recipes.  Fancy as in candy thermometer.  Fancy as in I tried both recipes TWICE and neither worked. 

I really just wanted a cookie. A regular ol' buttery, delicious, chewy, comforting cookie.

So, I made some. 

You know those 7-layer bars with the coconut, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, etc.?  We grew up calling them 7-Layer Cookies, but I know in some parts of the country, they're also known as Hello Dollys.  Since these have some of the same flavors, I'm calling them, "Hello Dreamys."  And they ARE dreamy.


Hello Dreamy Cookies

{based on the essential chewy chocolate chip cookies from the King Arthur Flour's Cookie Companion}

3/4 c. salted butter
2/3 c. dark brown usgar
2/3 c. sugar
2 TBSP corn syrup
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
2 eggs
1 TBSP pure vanilla
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 and 1/4 c. unbleached flour
1 and 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips
1/2 c. shredded sweetened coconut

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment and preheat over to 375.

Cream the butter, sugars, corn syrup and vinegar.  Beat in both eggs.  Add the vanilla, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; beat until combined.

Stir in the flour, chips and coconut.

Scoop the cookie onto the prepared pans with a 2 TBSP cookie scoop, or mounding 2 tablespoonfuls of dough for each cookie.  Bake for 10-12 minutes; the edges will be set and centers may seem a bit underdone.  Leave on the sheet for 1-2 minutes and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy! 

Doesn't a warm from the oven cookie (or three) make everything better?

---

Oh, and do be sure to pop on over to Kevin and Amanda's blog today!  Amanda is doing the COOLEST thing with BLOGGER FONTS....yes, fonts from actual blogger's handwriting (including my chicken scratch)...and has a link where you can contribute to help with the tornado relief in Alabama and surrounding areas.

Peanut Butter Blossoms . . . one of our favorite cookie recipes

Do you have a go-to cookie recipe?  A recipe you can always depend on when you need to bring cookies to a party, to a school function, or to a friend? 

Here's mine.  Peanut Butter Blossoms.  PB Blossoms are little sugar-dipped peanut butter cookies with a Hershey's Kiss perched perfectly on top.

You've probably eaten them...and you might just have the recipe in your arsenal.  If you don't, you need it.  These babies get scarfed up by kids and grown-ups alike.

{PS....I have written in my cookbook (do you write in your cookbooks?) that the 1st time I made these was when kiddo was 7.  He said these were the "most fun" recipe he's ever helped make.}


Peanut Butter Blossoms
{ever so slightly adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion}

1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter (I use Skippy Natural)
1/3 c. sugar (plus more for rolling)
1/3 c. light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 & 1/2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
Hershey's Kisses (7 ounces)

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 375.

Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter until blended.  Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy.  Add in the egg through vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.  Add in the flour in 3 additions. Scrape the bottom and side of bowl as needed.

Place extra granulated sugar on a plate. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar.

Place coated dough balls on the parchment-lined sheets.  Bake cookies until the are a very light golden color, about 10 minutes.  (Meanwhile, unwrap the kisses.)

Remove the cookies from the oven and it's go time!  Immediately place a kiss on top of each hot cookie, pressing down slightly.

{Kids LOVE to help with this part!}

Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
 
My favorite part? How the heat from the warm cookie makes the kisses soft and melty.  You want one now, don't you?  Oh, and here's how I eat them....I eat all around the perimeter of the cookie, saving the Hershey's Kiss with a bit of cookie on the bottom for the *perfect* last bite.

Are you sold yet?  Wanna try a Peanut Butter Blossom?

Pecan Snowballs

 
You know those people in your life that you just *trust* when it comes to food? I don't care if they are serving you a piece of toast, or a bowl of soup, or a slice of pie....you know it's going to be good.

Well, this recipe comes from one of *those* people....my Aunt Janice. When she mentioned these Pecan Snowballs around Christmastime, I knew I MUST make them!

Two things....

1. Aunt Janice says that she usually doubles this recipe. I forgot to buy double the pecans.  I will not make that mistake again. DOUBLE IT....they go FAST!
2. The.dough.is.so.good.....do not pinch off a piece to taste before baking.  You may end up eating half the dough before it gets to the oven. {Not that I did that or anything.}

Pecan Snowballs
{from Aunt Janice}

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flour
Powdered sugar to coat the snowballs after baking

Cream sugar, salt, butter.

Add vanilla, then flour and nuts.

Chill 2 hours.

Form small balls...about 1 inch diameter


Place balls on cookie sheet and bake in 250 degree oven (yes, two hundred fifty:)  until light brown on bottoms......40-50 minutes.


Roll them in powdered sugar as soon as they are cool enough to handle.  Then, roll them again after they've cooled more.  Then, roll them again when completely cool.

These cookies were a huge hit at our house!  Make them....just remember to double that batch!

Gingerbread Dudes, Gals & Pups, plus *the best* gingerbread cookie recipe

 

EVERY year, I say I'm going to make gingerbread cookies more often.  And every year, I forget. But I'm making these again next week (and quite possibly the next week and the next).

I'm going to beg you....MAKE THESE COOKIES!  They are some of my favorite cookies ever....soft, chewy, spicy...delicious!

I had a little too much fun making these.  The gingerbread dudes and gingerbread gals were just decorated with a bit of royal icing.

Was it wrong to start pairing off the gingerbread couples? It's like eHarmony for cookies over here. 

{Sign you've spent too much time with your cookies? You start staring at the gingerbread girl wishing you had her outfit.}

Here's a little trick for making hair from Martha:

Use a garlic press (this is the only thing I ever use mine for). Just fill it with dough and....

.....squeeze. 

These gingerbread scotties could not be easier.  A little collar, a little spring of holly...voila! Gingerbread Scottie Dog.

Here is the recipe.  I'm going to go out on a limb and call it the BEST GINGERBREAD COOKIE recipe EVER.  (I can say that because it's not my recipe, it's from the Southern Living Incredible Cookies cookbook.)


Gingerbread Cookies
(modified from Southern Living Incredible Cookies)

1/4 c. water
1 & 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. molasses
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
5 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1 & 1/2 TBSP ground ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 & 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Line baking sheets with parchment.

Stir together the water and baking soda until dissolved. Stir in the molasses; set aside.

Beat butter & sugar until fluffy and combined.

Whisk together flour, salt and spices.

Add to the butter mixture, alternating with the molasses mixture. Begin and end with the flour. Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a floured cookie cutter and place on baking sheet. Freeze for 5 minutes before baking. {They are going to spread.}

Bake 10- 12 minutes (for a large shape). Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating with royal icing.    

 What are you waiting for?!?  Go make 'em!!

Witchy Wormy Cookies

My mom made these every October.

And, yes, they are SCARY!!!  Scary because you CANNOT.EAT.JUST.ONE.

First, gather your ingredients...

 

You will need:

 
and and few...
 
...don't forget...
 

Witchy Wormy Cookies

2 pkg buzzards eyes (chocolate chips, 12 oz ea)

1 pkg snails (peanut butter chips, 10-12 oz)

1 can spider eggs (peanuts, 12 oz) 

3 oz. fried worms (Rice/Chow Mein Noodles)

Melt the buzzard eyes and snails over low heat.  Take off the heat and stir in the spider eggs and fried worms; mix thoroughly.

Drop by the spoonful onto wax paper lined cookie sheets.  Freeze until set.  Store in the refrigerator.  (Makes about 40 pieces.)

I'm going to warn you right now...these are MESSY!!!  Do NOT give these to your kids if they are wearing white.  Don't let them eat one while sitting on the "good" furniture, and definitely don't give them one to eat in the car on the way to school.

{What kind of mother lets her child eat a cookie before school anyway? Certainly no one in THIS house. ;)}

 

 

Homemade Oreos . . . oh, yes!

Oreos...my child learned to stop asking for the real ones at the grocery store years ago.  I like to blame it on preservatives and all the words I can't pronounce on the package, but the truth is, I buy Oreos only once or twice a year because I can't resist them.

Once the package is open, all bets are off...there is a path worn in the kitchen tile from my feet going back and forth to the pantry to get just "one more."

Now, Homemade Oreos, I don't feel so bad about. I know exactly what's in them. They're a little softer the the packaged variety, but so satisfying that one, well two, will be enough for one sitting.

{It doesn't hurt to make them the "Double-Stuff" variety.}

Homemade Oreos

1 batch of chocolate roll-out cookies (minus the espresso powder)

 

{It's going to get messy.}

I cut these out using a 1 and 3/4" cutter and baked for 9 minutes.
{I also pressed a small heart cutter into the top, but not all the way through, before baking.}

Let cool.


Cream Filling
{source: The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion: The Essential Cookie Cookbook }

1 tsp. plus a heaping 1/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin
2 TBSP. cold water
1/2 c. shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
2 and 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Combine the gelatin and water in a small bowl or cup.  Place the cup into a larger bowl of hot water and leave it there until the gelatin is completely dissolved and liquid transparent.

Remove the cup from the hot water and let the liquid cool to room temperature, but hasn't begun to set...about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the shortening with a paddle attachment until fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add the sugar a little at a time, beating until the mixture comes together.  Scrape the bowl as needed.  Beat in the gelatin.  Use immediately, or store, well-wrapped at room temperature.

To make the sandwiches, flip one cookie over.  Make a teaspoon-sized ball of filling and place on upside-down cookie.  Press another cookie, right-side-up, down on top of it.

{Makes 26 or so sandwich cookies if you don't eat too much of the dough.}

Remember I'm driving that new, 2011 Chevy Malibu this month? Well, they sent us on a mission to the grocery store.  Normally I'm in my SUV, would the Malibu trunk be able to handle all the groceries?  YES!  It held ALL my groceries...and I did BIG shopping, all the usual suspects, including everything I needed to make these Oreos...

....and did I mention the remote start had the AC on and the car cooled off by the time we got inside?  No?  Well, it did and it was heaven in the 90 degree heat.

The mission got me thinking, though...what items are on your grocery list every week?  I tried to narrow mine down to the top 5:

1. tortillas (you can't live in Texas and be without tortillas),
2. milk
3. OJ
4. flour (always more flour),
5. bananas

What's in your top 5?  Oreos?