Holiday Cookies With Residents

 

Today I did a Holiday Cookie Demo for my residents.

Lots of good smells, stories and tasting going on.

 

 

First, I had to find a foolproof recipe! Mind you, I love baking but cut out sugar cookies and I have a checkered past. Please don't tell my health oriented friends that I have actually resorted to the slice and bake Pillsbury holiday cookies and yes, gasp, we kind of like them. Well, minus the artificial ingredients, that is. We try to forget that part.

 

So. I googled "foolproof" and found www.cookiemadness.net and this great recipe:

 

 

No-Fail Cut Out Sugar Cookies with No-Fail Icing

Author: Cookie Madness

Ingredients

·        3 cups all purpose flour (380 grams/13.5 oz)

·        1 teaspoon baking powder (5 ml)

·        2 sticks butter, unsalted, cool room temperature (230 grams/ 8oz)

·        1 cup granulated sugar (7.5 oz/210 grams)

·        1/2 teaspoon salt (2.5 ml) -- Use up to a teaspoon if you like sweet/salty

·        1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)

·        1/8 teaspoon lemon extract (or almond) (dash)

·        1 large egg

 

Icing:

·        2 sticks unsalted butter (8 oz/230 grams)

·        1 box confectioner’s sugar (1 pound)

·        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·        Whole milk as needed

Instructions

1.    Thoroughly stir together the flour and baking powder; set aside.

2.    Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the salt and extracts. Scrape sides of bowl and beat in egg, beating only until egg is blended in.

3.    Add the flour mixture gradually (1 cup at a time) and stir until incorporated

4.    Form the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

5.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface to approximately 5/8" thick. Cut the cookies into shapes and place the cut cookie shape on a parchment lined cookie.

6.    Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown in color. Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

7.    Yield will vary depending on how big you make the cookies

8.    Mix the softened butter and confectioner’s sugar together in a bowl, then add in the vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer until it all comes together. Slowly add the milk or half & half and beat, beat, beat until creamy.

Notes

If you are making really large cookies, reduce the baking temperature to 350 and bake for a longer period of time or until edges are lightly browned.

 

*Heather's note: I just add sprinkles. Frosting is a little too labor intensive and has extra sugar I don't need. If it was a special occasion, maybe I would do this though...

 

 

 

 

Rolling out these cookies was a breeze.

 

 

 

And the end result was tasty.

 

 

Merry Christmas, Happy Belated Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Festivus or whatever you celebrate!

Happy New Year in advance!

PS In the time it took to write this blog, I baked a Martha Stewart Apple Spice Cake for Christmas. Smells too good! I feel some more walking and yoga coming up to compensate for this...

 

 

 

 

 

 



Almost Southern Biscuits

 

Almost Southern. I guess that's how you could describe me. And my biscuits. Growing up in Northern Virginia wasn't quite a Southern experience. But having Southern parents from South Alabama (LA as it is referred to...Lower Alabama) gave me a rich childhood full of visits to the south and plenty of grits, okra, field peas, bbq, greens, fried chicken, dove and quail, catfish, hopin johns, boiled peanuts, banana pudding and of course, biscuits.

 

I still love Southern food and culture. And am grateful for trips to Richmond, Atlanta, Charleston, Raleigh and the coastal towns of North and South Carolina over the years and the foodie experiences I have had in those places.

 

Here is my modified biscuit recipe. Maybe slightly healthier for you than the traditional biscuit, but still tender and delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost Southern Biscuits (This is Alton Brown’s recipe with the substitution of coconut oil for butter and lard)

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 T of coconut oil microwaved 15 seconds
• 1 cup buttermilk, chilled or 1 cup of milk with 1 tsp vinegar added

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a spoon, mix softened coconut oil into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt too much.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)

·        Heather’s note: I use a juice glass to make my circle biscuits. They pop out easily to a baking sheet this way, I think.

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

 

 

 

Add some scrambled eggs from the hens in my yard and some turkey sausage, oj and coffee and we have a weekend breakfast with a small Southern influence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope everyone has time to have at least one relaxed breakfast this weekend.

Later gator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Cake Pops and Scones at Empanada Mama in Doylestown

 

 

Cake pops and scones by Carol are available this Saturday, 11/14/15, at Empanada Mama.

 

 

 

 

                                  

  

 

The cake pops are covered in delish chocolate and the scones are pumpkin cranberry, lemon raspberry and coconut cream.

 

 

 

 Yes, Empanada Mama, that popular shop on Donaldson in Doylestown, with those savory empanadas has something for your sweet tooth too.

 

And I am sure you remember Carol, the baker of these awesome desserts! 

 

 



 

You know her from her 30 years as co-owner of La Maison du Cheese on State Street in Doylestown.

 

 

So lucky to find her baked goods in the boro again.

Check them out at Empanada Mama!

 

 

 

 

Spring Update!

 

Carol's croissants are now at Empanada Mama!

Awesome.

 

 

 

 



Butternut Squash Soup

 

Butternut squash. I don't think I liked it as a kid. Sometime in my 20's I wised up and discovered butternut squash soup. So good! Love all the vitamin A, potassium and fiber too.

And tastes so different depending on how it's made. There's the savory version. The sweet. I think I like something right in between. I used to either boil cut up pieces of butternut squash or peel the whole squash, gut and bake before making the soup. Now, I take the lazy way. I roast a whole butternut squash, onion and apple (all cut in half) for an hour in the oven with olive oil salt and pepper. Sometimes a little garlic powder too. And then refrigerate it to make into a soup later.

Peel later. I love the roasted flavor it has this way. Try it!

 

 

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup

 

1 butternut squash cut in half, seeds discarded

1 medium yellow onion cut in half

1 apple cut in 4 sections, core discarded

4 T olive oil or spray oil

salt pepper and garlic powder

3 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of milk

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Cut butternut squash, onion and apple and coat with olive oil or cooking spray or a little of both. Spread on to baking sheet or casserole dish.

3. Salt, pepper and add garlic powder to taste.

4. Bake at 400 for 1 hour.

 

 

5. Put in separate dish in refrigerator with plastic wrap for a few hours or overnite. 

6. Peel skins or outer shells of squash, onion and apple. Discard. Put squash, onion and apple into Cuisinart or blender.

 

 

7. Puree in Cuisinart or blender with some of your vegetable stock.

 

 

8. Add other stock, water, milk, spice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Heat on low for 10 minutes.

 

 

Enjoy on a cool day with a salad and some bread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

 

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

 

Scones. They got their start as a Scottish quick bread. They became popular with afternoon tea in England after Anna, The Duchess of Bedford, deemed them delish in the 1800's.

Now, we eat them most anytime but more often with coffee or tea at a coffee shop, a brunch or at home.

 

 

So, with it being fall and all, I felt the need to make a fall scone. I tried a few recipes for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones. This one tasted lighter. Here it is:

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

 

2 cups of all purpose flour (substitute 1 cup whole wheat flour/1 cup all purpose flour if you like)

1/4 cup plus 3 T white or raw sugar

1 tsp salt

1 T baking powder

3 tsp pumpkin pie spice

6 T of cold butter cut up or 1/4 cup coconut oil microwaved 15-20 sec to soften

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

3 T milk or almond milk

1 large egg

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

 

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

 

 

2. Mix ingredients.

 

 

3.Chill for 30 minutes in fridge if you would like a dough that is easier to handle.

 

 

 

4. Roll out 1/3 to 1/2 of dough onto floured board. Cut into triangles.

5. Place triangle shaped dough pieces onto parchment lined baking sheet. I add a pinch of raw sugar on top of each triangle before baking for a more finished looking product.

6. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

7. Let cool a few minutes before serving. Serve warm.

 

 

Enjoy with coffee if you like!

 

 

I decided to serve mine on this tiered IKEA glass dessert stand I bought a few years ago. We were at IKEA last night and I saw one and it reminded me to put mine to use. The kids hadn't seen this dessert stand in a while. Everyone felt compelled to tease me, saying, "Who do you think you are?" "Martha Stewart, mom?" I laughed. Then Nick said, "What's next? Tax Evasion?" That made me laugh harder!

Oh boy! Have a sweet morning everyone.

 

 

 

 



Fall Pesto

 

Pesto. Easy, tasty, nutritious and for the summer, right? Well, yes. If you make it with basil. But my basil was hit by the frost a few weeks ago. And  our CSA no longer has it either.

What's a girl to do that is craving that fresh green sauce for her pasta?

 

 

Use arugula!

I just happened to get some with our CSA veggies this week.

 

This is the share I picked up a couple days ago at Palovchak Farm on Lower State outside of Doylestown.

 

Here is the recipe I used:

 

Williams-Sonoma Arugula Pesto

 

1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts or almonds

1 garlic clove or 1 tsp garlic powder

3 cups of arugula

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup water

2/3 cup pecorino romano or regular parmesan cheese grated, more for garnish

Kosher or Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

1 lb of fresh spaghetti cooked and drained

 

Use Cuisinart or Blender to puree first 7 lines of ingredients.

Toss with boiled and drained pasta.

Top with extra parmesan cheese!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Love,

Ms. DiPesto

 

 

get it?...Moonlighting reference!

Ok, if I have to explain my jokes...

Well, you know.

 

Have a nice weekend with all that tasty fall produce still out there! The next recipes I share will most likely be my Butternut Squash Soup recipe and a Borscht recipe I am getting from my son's friend's Russian American grandmother. Happy cooking/baking everyone!