Despite mad skills, sometimes your cookies are amazing.
And sometimes not so much.
(Even pro-stars burn cookies occasionally.)
These are a gift for a friend who is going away for a long time. Boyfriend Unit is delivering them in an hour or so.
I will miss you V. Goodbye, goodbye!
So this was ridiculously easy and delicious. I made cookies last night and Boyfriend asked if I would make some cookie bowls.
“What the hell is a cookie bowl? It sounds messy. Why?”
“Please just try it! It’ll be really good.”
“Oh fine.”
(Consume immediately after production, just make as many as needed. Don’t bake in advance.)
Make cookie dough. Press the dough flat, and fit it over an inverted muffin tin.
Bake!
Damn!
Carefully loosen edges with small spatula and you have a cookie bowl!
Add frozen yogurt.
Heat up the delicious caramel sauce wrought from your hard work and tears.
Verdict: OMFG. This was fantastic. I forgot the dough spreads so next time I’d space the dough farther apart on the muffin tin. The flavour of the caramel sauce seems better now that I’ve paired it with something, just trying a spoonful of it plain was a bit meh but on ice cream: WOW. I think this could be astronomically delicious with my hot fudge sauce under the frozen yogurt.
These didn’t come out quite as intended but they were delicious any way. I wanted to make Mini Egg cookies for Easter, and a test run was needed. (I was surprised how easily Boyfriend Unit accepted this flimsy excuse as justification to add a jumbo bag of Mini Eggs to the grocery list, but there you have it.) On a whim I dyed them green because I thought they would look cuter, like dino eggs in grass.
Except now that I’m more awake, I remember that dinosaurs roamed before grass covered the ground, which I learned from the making-of features in Walking with Dinosaurs. Whatever. The grass effect is artistic. Moving right along.
Time required: 1 hour
Yields: 24?
Total cost if you have none of the ingredients: $40
Cost per cookie: $1.70
Ingredients:
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat to 176° C / 350°F.
2. Beat the butter until it’s fluffy. When Boyfriend Unit comes to photograph for me I will always give a thumbs up. Cause I am a very cheesy person.
3. Before you add the eggs, beat them (one at a time) in a small cup, then pour in, and blend. Hmm. Something’s not right here. Attempt to cream the sugar now and fail miserable.
Cheer on glorious mixer, spin like a hurricane! (Yes, I really talk to my appliance, in exactly that tone.)
4. Hmmm, actually it seems salvageable now. Meanwhile…
… combine the dry ingredients (both flours, baking soda, baking power, salt), give it a stir, and then add it to the wet in thirds.
Struggle to mix it. Nemo started to make a chugging sound, this dough was very thick.
5. Almost add the eggs. Change your mind.
Add fondant colouring instead.
6. Introduce your dragons! Giggle like a fool.
7. Bake 12-15 min, checked at 10 but too jiggly, gave them another 2-3 min. Cool on rack a few min and consume hot.
Verdict:
Hmm. These are pretty good! And fun to make. I wasn’t sure how a Mini Egg would hold up to being baked in the oven, they still had the snap when you bit into them although the shells cracked in the oven.
“He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.”
I intended to cream the sugar into the butter before adding the eggs but I forgot. I’m not sure yet how these feel or taste after cooling, I only made 4 to test them.
I added cake flour to regular flour because I’ve had cake flour sitting around forever not doing anything with it and was curious how it would affect texture. It gave the cookies a nice consistency. I think I will tinker a bit and add some more flavouring, maybe cardamom. Something spicy for dragon eggs. A cookie fit for a khaleesi.
Playlist: Lit – My Own Worst Enemy
This recipe comes from BHG: New Cookbook: 12th edition which is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca
Time required: 1 hr
Yields: 54
Total cost if you have none of the ingredients: $48
Cost per cookie: 88 cents
Spring is in the air folks… The cats are acting like kittens, my allergies are flaring up in huge raging hives, and the bake sales at work have begun for another season.
I was asked if SpatulaGoddess could make something for the bake sale fundraiser for whichever cancer research thing was going on at the time, and I said “No. but I can make something for you.”, not offended by this but it seems my colleagues forget that I was baking my own goods before I met SpatulaGoddess. I won’t say that I have ever made anything as exquisite as my lovely, but I have never served anything that lasted, and the compliments abound… maybe it’s just been too long since I’ve baked for them… BAH!!!
I love peanut butter cookies who doesn’t? I know the ones I love are in the Red Checkered Cookbook that my mom used, and also got for me when I moved out, so I went looking there, my original plan was to make peanut butter ninjamen cookies, but once I found page 218 in that wonderful book my plans changed BIG TIME, beside the cookie recipe I was looking for I saw the recipe I used. I changed the hershey kisses with Reese’s mini peanut butter cups… ENJOY.
Kitchen implements I used:
Ingredients
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 176°C / 350°F
Flour, milk/egg/vanilla, sugars/baking powder/soda, shortening/peanut butter
1. Put shortening and peanut butter into mixing bowl.
2. Put the ½ cup of granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda, in a separate bowl.
3. Put milk, egg, and vanilla in a separate container.
4. Put flour in a separate bowl.
Nemo doing his thing
5. Beat “Step 1” ingredients with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.
6. Add “Step 2” ingredients and beat until combined, scraping the bowl.
7. Beat in “Step 3” ingredients.
8. Beat in as much of “Step 4” ingredient as you can, stir in the rest. I am guessing this was written for those that do not have access to a Kitchen Aid… cuz Nemo KICKS ASSSSSS and has no issues mixing in almost 2 cups of flour.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Peanut butter balls in sugar.
9. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, and roll them in the rest of the sugar.
10. Place balls 2 inches apart, (ballroom) am I right fellas? Ahem.. anyways back to the topic at hand. 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
11. Bake at 350°F for 10 – 12 mins or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned.
12. Immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into the middle of each cookie, and transfer to a wire rack and let cool
Cooling
Verdict: As I said to my buddy from work whom I sent a pic of these to after making them… “I AM A MUTHER$&#*^$ GENIUS!!!” These far exceeded my expectations, I was thrilled with how great these turned out. SpatulaGoddess was so impressed she wants me to make more… But isn’t willing to let me play with the centres. I know there are other great things to stick in the middle of a peanut butter cookie.
Playlist: Godsmack, Disturbed, Slipknot, Random J-pop… that’s how I roll
This is my Grandma’s cookie recipe which was published in a local book by her church society. I have pimped them up for St. Patrick’s Day which is my favourite day of the year. Scotch cakes are really quick to put together! If you are a lazy froster like me they are even faster.
I had a lot of trouble with my camera today.
Time required: 1 hour
Yields: around 24-28 cookies depending on the size of your cookie cutter
Total cost if you have none of the ingredients: $38
Cost per cookie: $1.35
Kitchen implements I used:
Ingredients:
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 204°C / 400°F.
2. Cream the butter.
3. Combine all other ingredients (except the dye) in a bowl, and slowly add to the butter and beat til just blended, then add dye. It will look crumbly when it’s done.
4. Roll the dough into a big ball and knead it for a few minutes, then separate dough into 2-3 balls.
5. One at a time, roll out each ball on a floured surface until about ¼” thick. Use awesome cookie cutter and transfer to pan.
6. Bake 7 minutes, cool in pan 1 min, then transfer to wire rack. The edges should be slightly golden.
7. Meanwhile make your frosting. Beat softened butter, then add icing sugar, milk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat until combined, then add dye and peppermint oil.
Peppermint oil is really strong, you do not want to overdo it here.
Frost your cookies and top with leprechaun poop if desired.
Verdict: These were really good. Sláinte!
Playlist: Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine
This recipe comes from Nestlé’s Chocolate 3 Books In 1 which is available from Amazon.com. They used milk chocolate chips which I changed to semi-sweet.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 190.5°C / 375°F.
2. In mixer cream together butter, sugars, and vanilla.
3. In a bowl combine: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to wet.
4. Beat in egg.
5. Gradually add flour and milk.
6. Stir in oatmeal and chocolate chips.
7. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake 13 min, remove from oven and leave on tray for 2 min before transferring to wire rack.
Verdict: Pretty good, would make them again.
Playlist: Foo Fighters – Everlong
CHUCK NORRIS! These ninjas are cut out for action!
My friend M (actually I have two friends named M, but this one is the boy) gave me a very cool gift last year and I have been waiting for December to use it. It’s a set of 3 ninja cookie cutters. M has a penchant for gifting me with ninja-related presents and the cookie cutters were just SO AWESOME.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
1. Moving like the wind, pre-heat your oven to 190°C / 375°F.
2. Quietly cream together the shortening, sugar, spices, and salt.
3. Beat in egg, to death. Add molasses and blend into the night.
4. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add dry mixture to the wet with deadly accuracy. Cream together as if your life depends on it.
5. Roll the dough to ⅛ thickness, as even and smooth as the deadliest katana. Your hands move like a whisper, cutting the dark shapes into the dough.
6. Release the ninjas. Transfer them to a baking sheet that has been greased with lightning or lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake 6-7 min. Cool on rack. (Here is Boyfriend taking them out of the oven for me.)
Oh noes! The ninjas are burnt. Let’s try another round.
8. Frost with traditional ninja accessories. (I used my basic butter cream and divided the bowl of frosting in thirds. One part I left plain, and the other two I added highly concentrated no-taste black and no-taste red pigment. To achieve a darker black, I added cocoa to that bowl because it’s a lot easier to get black frosting if you start with chocolate frosting.)
I didn’t use the red dye yet, I’m going to let it sit overnight to darken. Stay tuned for more ninjas later this weekend.
Go ninja go!
Verdict:
Making these was a lot of fun. The first few ninjabread that I rolled did not turn out so well. As I was transferring them to the cookie sheet, I squished them. They ended up misshapen and burnt.
For the second batch I got Boyfriend Unit to hold a piece of parchment paper tightly against the cookie pan, and I plopped the dough right on to that, and rolled it out, cut the shapes, and then just peeled the excess away so the ninjas did not have to be moved. It worked much better.
The ninjas tasted pretty nice. I’ve never made gingerbreads before, they are tricky to work with. I have new respect for my sister J’s skills.
Playlist: Placebo – Running Up That Hill
It’s only my favourite thing in the world.
I love Coke. I like the way the curved glass bottle fits my hand, I like how frost rimes the neck of the bottle, and my ears perk up when I hear a bottle being opened. I love how Coke tastes, and the way it fizzes going down. I also love molasses cookies and wondered if the two flavours were complimentary. I’ve wanted to try this for awhile.
Efforts to secure Coca-Cola extract failed, so I ordered some of LorAnn’s Cola flavouring and added it to molasses cookies. Afraid to use too much extract, I added 5 drops to a basic molasses recipe, and voila.
So how did it taste?
It was weird. You could smell the cola, but when you bit into the cookie, it was very faint. It almost tasted like the cookies had cola hot spots, some bites had a wallop of flavour, and some you couldn’t taste it at all. (Perhaps I under-mixed the batter?)
I wasn’t overly sold on the cookie recipe I started with, so I’m going to tinker around with it.
Today was a great day. I met someone I really admire (and got her autograph!), and we have company, Boyfriend’s brother stopped in for a visit. I’m told he is a master of chocolate chip cookies, so I wanted to make something a little different. I started with the chocolate chip cookie recipe my sister taught me, and improvised.
Will these cookies blow him away? Just stay right there, and find out!
Time required: 1 hour
Yields: 2 dozen or so
Total cost if you have none of the ingredients: $42.
Cost per cookie: $1.75
Kitchen implements I used:
Ingredients:
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 190°C / 375°F.
2. Cream the Crisco and sugar together.
3. In a glass measuring cup combine egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat into sugar.
4. Combine flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Gradually add to wet.
5. Stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips.
6. Roll dough into balls, bake 10 min.
7. Cool cookies in pan for 2 min before transferring to wire rack to cool.
8. Pour some milk and enjoy.
Verdict: These were pretty awesome. Will definitely make these again.
Playlist: The Legend of Zelda – Symphony of the Goddesses
It’s round 2 of Patty vs. Peanut Butter. Are these the cookies I’ve been waiting for? Stay tuned and find out.
I adapted this recipe from the Good Housekeeping Cookies! book, which is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca if you’re interested.
Time required: 1 hr
Yields: 2 dozen or so
Total cost if you have none of the ingredients: $54
Cost per cookie: $2.25
Kitchen implements I used:
Ingredients:
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 190°C / 375°F.
2. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In mixer cream together butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter (it’s a lot easier to get the peanut butter out if you lightly grease the cup first). Beat until fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and corn syrup. I always mix all the wet stuff together then pour into the dough because I am lazy.
5. On low speed, add the dry mixture by thirds, beat until just combined.
6. Mix in the chips, then cover and chill dough for 30 min.
This is some seriously heavy dough.
7. Roll dough into balls and bake for 12 min. Do that fork thing if you want.
8. Cool in pan 1 min, then transfer to wire rack.
9. Pour some milk and enjoy!
Verdict: Tonight we have company, a friend who is a self-proclaimed cookie connoisseur. He tasted one of these, and decided, “It’s actually pretty much perfect.”
I really enjoyed these.
Playlist: The Legend of Zelda symphony
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