To Hot to Bake Cookies???

What??! No baking cookies??  Hey, “It’s too hot to bake”,  you might say. (Even though it’s almost National Sugar Cookie Day!)  Remember….”must make cookies” for July 9th.

Idea, what’s wrong with buying a few baked cookies from your local bakery? (Shop from locals whenever you can.)

The best part of cookie making is the decorating!  Make up some fun, bright colors of Royal icing and let the kids decorate!  Round cookies can be the sun, a beach ball, logos, badges, baseballs, soccer balls…..whatever they can think of.  Just let them have fun!  (Sort of like Dec. cookie decorating in the kitchen, what a fun mess)! Pull out all of the holiday sprinkles, jimmies and silver dragees.  What a great way to fill up an afternoon!  Plus you get to eat cookies!

This is a great rain-y day activity for all ages.  Plus it’s fun when it’s too hot to go outside!

A neat idea: If the ‘store bought’ cookies are soft enough, try cutting shapes with your own cookie cutters.  Just be sure and use simple cutter shapes.  Place the cookie on a hard surface, (cutting board works great) place the cutter on the cookie and press.  Cut all the way through the cookie.  Heart, square and round cookie cutter seem to work best.  You can even use a mini cookie cutter to cut out the center of the  baked cookie for a ‘fun look’.  Decorate cookie as usual.

Happy Baking!

Regarding July 9th

Just wanted everyone to know about a very important day this month.  Most of you know July is “National Ice Cream” month.   However, did you know, July 9th is “National Sugar Cookie Day“?   I am letting you know ahead of time so you will have plenty of time to make your cookie dough, stash it in the freezer (yes, sugar cookie dough freezes very well) and bake a batch of fresh homemade sugar cookies!

Be sure and let me know how you celebrate the big day.  (I’ll post a photo of the best celebration!)  Your family and friends will thank you!

Happy Baking!

PS: July 22 is “Ratcatcher Day” (really!)  So…go catch a rat?? Yikes!

Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July!

  I love the 4th of July!  Fireworks and picnics, get out the lawn chairs and wait ….(what seems like forever) for the fireworks to begin. 

This year I am going  to fireworks celebrations Fri. and Sat. (maybe even Sun. somewhere?)  Can’t wait for that first ear-shattering……BOOM!  Then it begins!  Sometimes 20 minutes, sometimes 1 hour of “open your eyes and turn on the party lights in the sky“.

One of my very favorite July 4th  memories is a yearly party with the Swemm family.  Kerrie Swemm was my very dear childhood friend and our families would meet near the American Legion Post in my hometown of Danville.  There was always wonderful picnic food; grilled hotdogs, red potato salad and  garden fresh tomatoes from my dads garden.  Then there were the desserts!   On one end of the food table lay a massive amount of all things sweet and tasty.  I remember the pies; berry, apple and lemon.  Also, my moms famous blond brownies and a sheet cake iced with homemade buttercream iced to look like the flag; red, white and blue.   Then there were the cookies!  Chocolate chip, molasses and ginger, peanut butter, and of course sugar cookies.  I helped make the sugar cookies. (go figure?)  My job was to sprinkle red or blue sparkling sugar onto the cut out cookies.  Then my mom would pop them into the oven and we would wait.  12 minute later………joy and happiness!  Cookies!  We could each have just one cookie before the picnic. Guess which one I wanted?

I remember all of this like it was last week……….can it really be over 30 years ago?  My mom no longer bakes so I carry on the cookie tradition for her.  So here’s to you mom (and dad).  Happy 4thof July!  Enjoy the fireworks tomorrow! I love you both!

Happy Baking!

Fresh Ginger Island Cookies

Hot weather and entertaining outside are the perfect time to whip up a batch of these yummy cookies!

The use of freshly grated ginger adds a fresh spicy kick to these easy-to-make treats!  This is an old recipe from my mom.  Enjoy!

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tea. baking powder

1/2 tea. baking soda

1/2 tea. salt

1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tea. real vanilla extract

1/2 tea. lemon extract

1Tbls. freshly grated, peeled ginger

1 large egg

2 cups good quality white chocolate chips

1 cup flaked coconut, toasted

3/4 cup macadamia nuts, rough chopped and lightly toasted.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.   In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla and lemon extracts and the grated ginger.  Mixture will be light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg.

Gradually beat in the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the white chocolate chips, nuts and toasted coconut.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake 8-11 min. at 350 degrees or until lightly browned around the edges.  Cool on baking sheet for 2 or 3 min.; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Happy Baking!

Coffee and Cookies

Don’t you just love coffee?  People that know me, know I NEED my morning coffee!  I like to sit outside and drink my first cup and slowly greet the morning.  (It’s even better with a plate of cookies!)

Did you know, by adding strong, cooled coffee to any chocolate dessert, you bumb up the flavor of the chocolate? Just a tablespoon or so, really adds to the taste.  You will not really taste the coffee, but it will make whatever you bake with chocolate so much better.  You can also use espresso powder.  Yum!

Some of my favorite chocolate parings: Add orange, real vanilla or hazelnuts for a wonderful taste treat.

  I can never leave a recipe alone.  I am always experimenting with unusual flavors.  But…….trust me……sometimes they do not work.  (Like the time I added hot peppers to brownies.)  Now, a bit of heat in chocolate brownies can be quite tasty, but these were awful!  See?……..even I make baking “boo boos”.  The point is, I try…….I experiment.  And sometime it turns out to be a wonderful new treat!  NOTE: A word about altering recipes for baked goods. Be very careful not to alter the liquid/dry ratio or the fat/dry ratio in baked goods.  You want to add ‘flavor’ not change the structure of the basic recipe.

So go bake something today!  Let me know what you come up with! I love to hear from you!

Happy Baking!

Chill that (cookie) dough!

Wow! It’s hot out there! One very important thing in rolling out any cookie dough, is to be sure your dough is well chilled.  This makes rolling out the dough and cutting cookies out so much easier!  Remember, if your dough is too warm, it will stick to the mat and your rolling pin.  You will end up using more and more flour to keep it from sticking and your cookies will be tough and will grow to giant-size!  So always freeze or really chill dough.

Another tip: place several ice packs on your counter top.  Place the wrapped cookie dough on top. This way as you roll out small amounts of the dough, the rest of the dough will stay chilled.  I use to re-wrap my dough about every 10 minutes to chill it over and over.  Now I can leave it on the counter (on top of  the ice packs). It stays nice and cold.

Happy Baking!

-Cathy

Valentines Day "Flying Hearts" Cookie Decorating Tutorial

Melt the heart of the one you love with these adorable cookies made fresh from the comfort of your kitchen.

To get started you will need:

  • Baked and cooled sugar cookies in any heart shape.
  • 2 colors of medium thin royal icing

Step 1: Outline cookie with white royal icing. Flood in outline with the same icing. Completely fill in the cookie.

"Flying Hearts" Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 1

"Flying Hearts" Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 1

Step 2: Working quickly, add 7 or 8 evenly spaced small dots of a contrasting color to the just iced cookie.

"Flying Hearts" Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 2

"Flying Hearts" Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 2

Step 3: Immediately take a toothpick and drag it through the small dots while the icings are still very wet.  This should be done in one slow motion.  Do not pick up the toothpick until you are finish with the last dot. You will have created “flying hearts”.  Let cookie completely dry.

"Flying Hearts" Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 3

"Flying Hearts" Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 3

Step 4: Add small dots of white to the outside edges, starting at the top of the heart and working way your down one side.

"Flying Hearts" Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 4

"Flying Hearts" Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 4

Step 5: Finish working your way down the other side. Let dry for about 2 hours. 

"Flying Hearts" Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 5

"Flying Hearts" Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 5

Alternatively, you can run a small outline around the outside of the cookie and sprinkle with  sanding sugar. 

You’re done! Package cookies in clear cellophane bags and tie with a beautiful ribbon for gift giving to your favorite Valentine!

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Bonus Tip: This same technique may be used for creamy soups or dips.  Just use a contrasting liquid.  (Sour cream works well in soups.)

Polar Bear Cookie Decorating Tutorial

It may still be cold outside but this cozy little polar bear cookie sure will warm your heart! 

To get started, you will need:

  • Baked and cooled polar bear sugar cookie shapes. 
  • Medium thick royal icing in white and dark blue
  • Thick royal icing in black

Step 1.   Outline and flood the polar bear with the medium thick white icing. Cover the whole cookie.

 

Cozy Polar Bear Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 1

Cozy Polar Bear Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 1

 

Step 2: Immediately sprinkle wet icing with tiny white non-pareils. Note: if you don’t get the edges of the icing covered with the  non-pareils, try gently dipping the edge of the cookie into the bowl of non-pareils.  Use a spoon to help attached them to the wet icing. Let cookie dry 2 hours. 

Cozy Polar Bear Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 2

Cozy Polar Bear Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 2

 

 

Step 3: Add the ‘ear and eyes and nose” with black icing to the cookie.  Add the rear leg in black icing.  Let dry 2 hours. 

 

 

Cozy Polar Bear Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 4

Cozy Polar Bear Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 4

 

Step 4: Add “fuzzy scarf” by piping blue medium thick icing on the bears neck.  Immediately sprinkle with white sanding sugar.  Shake off excess sugar.  Let cookie dry 2 hours or overnight. You’re done!

 

Cozy Polar Bear Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 4

Cozy Polar Bear Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 4

Tips: Package cookie in clear cellophane bags tied with raffia.  This is a nice cookie to include with a coffee mug and a pack of hot coca mix.  Yumm! 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Christmas Tree Cookie Decorating Tutorial

Step 1. Outline the tree cookie with medium thin green royal icing.

Christmas Tree Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 1  

 Step 1

Step 2. Quickly flood the tree with same icing. Place on table and gently shake to settle icing. Let dry 2 hours.

Christmas Tree Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 2  

Step 2

Step 3. You are now ready to “decorate’ your tree.  With medium thick white royal icing, draw a ‘Z’ line down the front of tree.

Christmas Tree Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 3  

Step 3 

Step 4. Add small dragees (silver balls) or quins (candies in shapes) to the line of icing. Work quickly as the icing will dry within a few minutes.  Push the dragees into the soft icing.  I like to use tweezers for this.  You may also sugar the wet icing immediately with sanding sugar.

Christmas Tree Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 4  

Step 4

Step 5. Decorate. Let cookie dry 2 hours or overnight.

Christmas Tree Cookie Decorating Tutorial - Step 5  

 Step 5