A Valentine’s Day Love Story
14 Feb 2012 5 Comments
in Bake, Cookie, Dessert, Gourmet, Sweet, Valentine
I met my husband in the parking lot of a grocery store. I know… how apropos.
Shortbread Buttery Cookie Bars
It was at a Publix grocery store, one of my favorite food stores. I have this slight obsession – I cannot pass by an abandoned grocery cart, I return them to their proper place. Let’s call it love & service and save the term obsession for sweeter things.
You can kind of see where this is going…
I offered my grocery cart to Jeff as he was walking by and well, we’ve been together ever since.
Over the years, Jeff and I have acquired a special kind of love for many many sweets. Currently at the top of our list is Tate’s Bake Shop cookies. Most of you are familiar with the obvious scrumptious flavors, like their chocolate chip and oatmeal raisins cookies that are full of crunchy goodness. Though, a recent trip to the grocery store unveiled a new flavor. We fell in love again. The obsession kind of love. The flavor: shortbread.
It seems we do a lot of falling in love at groccery stores. It also seems impossible to get your fingers, er’… lips on them. A plain crunchy, salty, buttery, shortbread that has you gobbling it up by the package. Did I really admit to that? Well, yes but I shared it with Jeff – so it was totally acceptable!
Buttery Shortbread Cookie Bars (recipe adapted from Tate’s Bake Shop)
Here’s what you’ll need… You can make cookies and cut them out with any cookie cutter, or use a baking pan like I did to make bars. I used a 1/4 sheet pan, 9″X 13″ X 2″.
3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a small mixing bowl, combine flour and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, use a paddle attachment to cream butter, sugar and brown sugar until combined . Add salt and vanilla mixing well until combined. Pour in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Your dough should be thick and stiff.
Form the dough into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured baking dish making it about to 1/4″ thick..
Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes. They will start to get golden brown on the side of pan and the top. Allow to rest in baking pan until completely cooled.
I am constantly craving these buttery shortbread crunchy sweets, so much so that I never thought getting these on a regular basis would be difficult, otherwise I would have stashed some away for later.
This new shortbread obsession sent me on a whirlwind search for this perfect cookie. I explored new grocery stores, searched online blogs, reviews of cookie recipes, to finally buying Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbook and testing several recipes only find they were very different.
I had fallen deep into “unrequited love”. Shortbread cookie love.
Until recently, in a weekly Tate’s newsletter was the traditional recipe of the month, offering a version of their shortbread cookie. I immediately noticed this recipe was different then any of the others I tried, so I did what any good sugar shortbread cookie obsessed baker would do and made them.
WOW, these are pretty close, tasty and buttery and crunchy and salty and all things good. They had the consistency and texture that had me falling for them in the first place.
I am happy!
So for today and because it’s Valentines day, I’m sharing this incredibly simply, crunchy, salty, buttery shortbread cookie with you.
I hope they make you happy too!
Pistachio Orange Oatmeal Cookies
19 Jan 2012 5 Comments
in Bake, Bloghop Love, Cookie, Gourmet, Sweet Tags: Cookie, cookies, oatmeal, oatmeal cookie, orange, orange zest, pistachio
Here is the scrumptious Pistachio Orange Oatmeal Cookie recipe I promised to post. I served these with my Orange Peel Sweet of the Spoon dessert and a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream. These tasty little cookies are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, similar to a granola cookie. I hope you enjoy them!
Pistachio Orange Oatmeal Cookies
Here’s what you’ll need…
Makes 20 to 30 cookies
4 tbsp salted butter, melted
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup oats, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoons corn syrup ( I used Lyle’s Golden Syrup)
dash of salt
Preheat oven to 425
Melt the butter in a saucepan, set aside. In a food processor, pulse the pistachios and raw oats into tiny pieces. Combine all ingredients – the butter, sugar, oats, flour, baking powder, orange juice, orange zest, corn syrup and salt into a bowl, mixing until all ingredients are incorporated.
Orange Pistachio Oatmeal Cookie
Using a measuring teaspoon, scoop a spoonful onto a baking sheet, be sure to space several inches apart. Bake for 6-8 minutes (each oven varies, so keep an eye on them – they bake fast), or until the cookies begin to brown around the edges. Let them cool on a baking sheet.
Pistachio Orange Oatmeal Cookies & Greek Coffee
Serve with a glass of milk, ice cream or a nice cup of Greek coffee – the way I ate them.
Oatmeal Lace Cookies
15 Dec 2011 9 Comments
in Around Town, Bake, Cookie, Gourmet, Sweet Tags: lace cookie, Lace cookies, oatmeal, oatmeal cookie, oats
Here is the lovely – delicate – chewy – sweet lace cookie recipe I promised to post from the NYC Cookie Swap, the spectacular fundraiser event to help Cookies for Kids Cancer.
Oatmeal Lace Cookie
Here’s what you’ll need…
Makes 30 to 40 cookies
6 tbsp salted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oats, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup ( I used Lyle’s Golden Syrup)
dash of salt
Preheat oven to 425
Melt the butter in a saucepan, set aside. In a food processor, pulse the raw oats into tiny pieces. Combine all ingredients – the butter, sugar, oats, flour, baking powder, heavy cream, corn syrup and salt into a bowl, mixing until all ingredients are incorporated.
Using a measuring teaspoon, scoop a spoonful onto a baking sheet. Be sure to space several inches apart, about 3 inches to prevent cookies from merging together.
Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and beginning to brown around the edges. Let them cool on the baking sheet. Remove with a metal spatula and serve!
You can add a center filling, like raspberry jam or chocolate (white, dark or milk) and make a sandwich. These little sweets are quick and easy to make and oh so good!
The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap
11 Dec 2011 7 Comments
in Bake, Cookie, Food Bloggers Events, Gourmet, Sweet Tags: #fbcookieswap, Chocolate chip, Cookie Swap, cranberry, cranberry turtle bars, Food Blogger Cookie Swap, Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, pecan, Shortbread, The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap
Here I am, once again participating in another great cookie swap. Hosted by the lovely and talented Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen. These two ladies know how to throw a party.
How it works… you send a dozen cookies to 3 secret cookie swap participants that you have been paired with. Meanwhile you receive a dozen cookies from 3 separate cookie swappers. That’s a lot of cookies! This has turned out to be one of the biggest cookie exchanges ever, with nearly 22, 000 cookies shipped across the world.
Here are the cookies I made…
Cranberry & White Chocolate Maple Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies (recipe adapted from Zoe Bakes)
C & WC Maple BB Shorbread Cookies Cooling
Here’s what you’ll need:
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup sifted flour
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dried cranberries, very finely chopped
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375°
Prepared in a cupcake baking dish lined with baking cups, or use a square 9 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Use the middle rack in oven.
To make the brown butter:
In a small sauce pot, heat the butter on medium heat until it boils and resembles a light golden color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Using a small wire mesh strainer, pour through the butter into a medium bowl.
To make the brown butter shortbread cookies:
In the bowl with brown butter, add the sugar and flour mixing well with a wooden spoon. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. If the dough is too cold, allow it to sit for 15 minutes so that it becomes soft and pliable again.
Using a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and place in lined the baking cups, you can use the spoon to spread and distribute evenly. (if using a square 9 inch pan distribute evenly).
Bake for 15 minutes in cupcake pan and (20 minutes for square pan), or until the dough is a nice golden brown. Remove and allow the crust to cool on a rack while you make the cranberry maple filling.
Maple fruit topping:
In a sauce pot combine the maple syrup, salt, cranberries and vanilla, cook over medium heat until you reach a boil, continue to cook for about a minute. Remove from heat.
Using a teaspoon, place a spoonful onto each shortbread cookie, then top with 4 to 5 white chocolate chips. Return cookies to oven and bake for additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until chocolate chips begin to melt. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack. I removed the baking cups from the cupcake pan and allowed the cookies to cool in baking cup liners on a wire rack.
Cranberry & White Chocolate Maple Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies
The following lovely bloggers were my secret cookie recipients…
Erin from Erin’s Food Files
Kristen from A Healthy Balance
Erin from Currently Coveting
Happy Holidays to all of you! I do hope you enjoyed the cookies as much as I enjoyed making them and eating them.
I received super delicious cookies from these talented ladies…
Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil, “Malted Chocolate Sammie’s”. These cookies are absolutely divine! Thank you for pairing me with Lindsay.
Love & Oilive Oil, Malted Chocolate Sammies
Britne of Shabbott’s Healthy Habits, “Nut Horn Cookies”. I ate one immediately upon opening. I have been craving them every day since my first taste… I’m eating one right now!
Shabbott's Healthy Habits, Nut Horn Cookies
Margaret Farmer sent me “Honey Ginger Cookies”. Obviously, I ate one right away, though with this batch I ate 5 in a row… they were really – really good.
Margaret Farmer, Honey Ginger Cookies
I had an incredibly fun time making cookies and receiving them during “The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap”. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, make & taste new recipes while sharing awesome #cookie love. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!
If you would like to learn more about The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, check out this link.
NYC Cookie Swap
07 Dec 2011 4 Comments
in Bake, Cookie, Gourmet, Serendipitous Adventures, Sweet Tags: #cookielove, #nyccookieswap, #nycookieswap, basil cookie, Cookie, cookies, cookies for kids cancer, cookiesforcancer, NY Cookie Swap, nyccokkieswap, oatmeal lace cookie
I am grateful to have had the chance to attend the NYC Cookie Swap, a wonderful fundraiser for Cookies for Kids Cancer. Hosted by Maggy of Bloggers without Borders along with her talented co-hosts Gail, Ken and Jacki.
NYC Cookie Swap 2011 Jackie, Larry, Pam, Dori, Jessica
I met wonderful new friends and I mingled with old ones. I played paparazzi taking as many photo’s as I could to document this wonderful event.
Amber, Nicole, Ken, Jessica & Jeff
ALL the cookies were amazing. I’m still working my way through the personal stash I brought home. I can’t seem to pick just one as my favorite, every cookie had some special ingredient that made it tasty; whether it was gluten free, savory or sweet they all shined.
NYC Cookie Swap Paparazzi
Lunch was provided by Hill Country BBQ and was the tastiest and most delicious BBQ food that I’ve had in a long time. Jeff and I plan on re-visiting very soon.
Tara, Ian, Penny, Pam, Dori, Sarabeth & Julie
I found myself smitten by the endless array of talent that graced the room, especially “cooking and photography” royalty like, Dori Greenspan, Pam Anderson, Abby Dodge, Ian Makay and Penny De La Santos.
Gail, Jackie, Lillian & Mitzi
I had the best time ever! My only regret that there wasn’t enough time to meet everyone, this gives me something to look forward too next time.
Pesto Basil Cookie, A Savory Cookie
Jeff and I made two cookies for the NYC Cookie Swap, a savory Pesto Basil cookie (above) and Oatmeal Lace cookie (below). I plan on posting both of these recipes soon, so you can enjoy them too.
Oatmeal Lace Cookie
I hope you get a chance to attend next year’s cookie swap. The cause alone is incentive enough, but what exceeded my expectations was the cookies, the food and the love from everyone who attended. I know I got lucky by purchasing the last two tickets, now that’s serendipity! Happy Holidays! Happy #cookielove!
Cookie Love: Cranberry Turtle Bars
03 Dec 2011 27 Comments
in Bake, Bloghop Love, Cookie, Dessert, Gourmet, Holiday, Sweet Tags: #cookielove, bloghop, bloghop love, chocolate, Cookie, cranberry, cranberry turtle bars, pecan
Who doesn’t love chocolate pecan turtles? They’re my go to candy bar when I’m craving chocolate, especially when I’m visiting our local chocolatier at Chocopologie Cafe. This month’s bloghop “Cookie Love” got me thinking about my favorite candy “pecan turtles” and one of my favorite cookies “shortbread”. I remembered reading a cookie recipe from Gourmet magazine and thought these would be perfect for bloghop cookie love and perfect as holiday gifts.
Bloghop #Cookielove
Cranberry Turtle Bars: (Recipe adapted from Gourmet Live Blog)
Cranberry Turtle Bars
Here’s what you’ll need: Candy thermometer, 10 x 15 baking pan – makes 24 to 36 bars (based on cut size)
For the crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 – 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
For the topping:
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 – 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup (I used Lyle’s golden syrup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in the middle to bake.
For the crust:
Line a 10 x 15-inch shallow baking pan with foil, butter all 4 sides, except the bottom.
Blend the flour, brown sugar, and salt into a food processor, add butter and pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal. Layer into baking pan, pressing down firmly with a metal spatula to form an even sheet.
Place in oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden in color. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.
For the topping:
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir in sugar, corn syrup, and salt and bring to a boil. Stirring occasionally, until caramel registers 245 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the cranberries, coating them entirely in caramel sauce. Return to stove and boil until caramel cranberry mixture reaches 245 degrees.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla mixing well, add the pecans stirring into caramel mixture coating well. Quickly, pour the caramel topping onto the cookie shortbread base, gently spread pecans and berries evenly. For the final layer, sprinkle chocolate chips throughout to cover.
Cool completely, it’s important to allow the topping to set. Once completely cooled, cut the bars into equal pieces and serve. Now only if I could keep from eating them all.
I’m part of bloghop, where the food blog community connects with other blogs to share recipes and spread the love. This month, December is #cookielove month!
You’re more than welcome to join us in #cookielove fun by simply adding your recipe at the end of this bloghop! Be sure to link back to this post, so that your readers know to stop by the #cookielove event! The twitter hashtag is #cookielove
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Badger Girl Learns to Cook, Baking and Cooking: A Tale of Two Loves, BigFatBaker, Bloc de Recetas, Bon a Croquer, CafeTerraBlog, Cake Duchess, Creative Cooking Corner, Easily Good Eats, Georgie Cakes, Hobby and More, Knitstamatic, Mike’s Baking, Mis Pensamientos, Manu’s Menu, No One Likes Crumbley Cookies, Oh Cake, Queen’s Notebook, Savoring Every Bite, Simply Reem, Soni’s Food for Thought, Teaspoon of Spice, That Skinny Chick Can Bake, The Art of Cooking Real Food, The Spicy RD, The Wimpy Vegetarian, Vegetarian Tastebuds, Vegan Yack Attack.
Harvest Cookies
11 Nov 2011 32 Comments
in Bake, Cookie, Gourmet, Sweet Tags: Chocolate chip, oarmeal, pecan, pumpkin
“I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, Mother, what was war?” ~ Eve Merriam
A special recipe for those who serve our country.
Harvest Cookies
Here’s what you’ll need: Makes about 3 dozen cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 sticks of butter, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips, bittersweet or milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and oatmeal in a medium bowl. Beat eggs, salt and vanilla in a small bowl. Mix Pumpkin, butter, oil and sugars in a large bowl. Stir in egg mixture until smooth. Stir in flour mixture and combine. Add the cranberries, pecans and chocolate mixing gently to incorporate throughout the cookie dough.
Get ready for harvest cookies
Drop a teaspoonful onto a parchment-lined or greased floured cookie sheet. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden browned around the edges. Let cool for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Harvest Cookies Cooling
These are crunchy on the edges and chewy in the middle. I plan on donating batches of cookies to our service people.
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ” ~ John F. Kennedy
I’m part of this month’s blogHop, where the food blog community connects with other blogs to share recipes and spread the love. This months bloghop is focusing on the wonderful Autumn harvest with the incredible lovable squash.
Join our love blog hop.
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Recipe adapted from Three Many Cooks
Carmelita Bars
02 May 2011 8 Comments
in Bake, Cookie, Dessert, Gourmet, Serendipitous Adventures Tags: bars, caramel, carmelita bars, Chocolate chip, oatmeal, oats
Right now, for this moment, this is my favorite dessert in the world!
Carmelita Bar
These succulent caramel, chewy, chocolate chip, oatmeal crumble coated bars easily get me weak in the knees. So much so that I had to share them with you! Here’s Whole Foods’ recipe for Carmelita Bars.
Carmelita Bars
1 cup caramel
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 X 12 inch metal pan with cooking spray.
Combine caramel and heavy cream in a saucepan, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel has melted, let cool.
In a food processor add the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt together and pulse on low-speed. Slowly adding in the butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal.
Begin layering the bottom of the pan with your oats crumb mixture, reserve 1/2 cup for final layer. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and add the next layer of chocolate chips and pecans then drizzle with caramel. To finish add the last layer of the remaining oat crumb mixture.
Bake in the oven until a golden in color, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely prior to cutting into desired squares.
These are absolutely scrumptious and my most beloved dessert, that is, until something else comes along and rocks my world!
Double Chocolate Chip & Nutty Biscotti
06 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment
in Bake, Cookie, Dessert, Gourmet, Sweet Tags: biscotti, chocolate, Chocolate chip, Cookie, italian cookie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Here’s what you’ll need… Baking sheet, Oven Temp: 350 degrees, Bake time: 50 minutes.
1 stick Unsalted Butter
4 ounces Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 3/4 cup Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
½ cup Pistachio (chopped & toasted)
½ cup Almond (chopped & toasted)
Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler and stir until smooth. Sift the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt together. With mixer beat sugar and eggs on medium speed until lightened then add the vanilla. Set mixer to a low speed, adding chocolate mixture, then flour mixture, nuts mixture and mix until the dough is soft.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Form two 8’ long x 4’ inch-wide logs onto baking sheet. Bake until dough sets, about 30 minutes.
Cut dough on diagonal into 1/2-inch slices; place cut side down on baking sheet and bake for an additional 20 minutes at a reduced oven temp of 275 degrees.
Cool on wire rack. These will last for up to two week in airtight container.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Chip Biscotti
06 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment
in Bake, Cookie, Dessert, Gourmet, Sweet Tags: biscotti, Chocolate chip, italian cookie
Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Here’s what you’ll need… Baking sheet, Oven Temp: 350 degrees, Bake time: 50 minutes.
1 ¾ Cups Flour
1 Cup sugar
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Eggs
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
In a mixer, combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt, and mix well. Add the butter and vanilla and mix until mixture resembles coarse. Beat the eggs lightly add to dough until evenly moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips until mixed throughout.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Form two 8’ long x 4’ inch-wide logs onto baking sheet. Bake until dough sets, about 30 minutes.
Cut dough on diagonal into 1/2-inch slices; place cut side down on baking sheet and bake for an additional 20 minutes at a reduced oven temp of 275 degrees.
Cool on wire rack. These will last for up to two week in airtight container.
Enjoy!
