Holiday cookies!!!

Hellloo, everyone!! Try to relax and have a good time during your holidays. And make cookies!!!

2007 Holiday Cookie Plate Extravaganza

If you only make one kind of cookie, put many on a small plate so they can be heaped up. If you have more than one kind, try to make cookies that contrast--people like to have choices. If you have many different kinds, then put one of each on each plate you give out. Everyone will love you!! Happy happy cookies and holidays!!!

Jazz up favorite recipes: pile oatmeal cookies with your favorite candy as "chips"; caramels covered with chocolate can be baked in the middle of sugar dough; make wreaths of fruit leather and stick them on top of sugar cookies; add colored sugar to the tops of chocolate chip cookies; dip half or all of your favorite cookies in chocolate; and decorate any kind of cookies with frosting...all recipes below are adapted by me and all mistakes are mine.

General directions for all the cookies below (if needed, extra instructions under ingredient list):
Combine butter and sugar, add eggs and flavoring. Then add dry ingredients. Stir. Make 1 or 2 inch balls and place 1-2 inches apart (unless noted otherwise.) Bake at 350 until lightly browned (on an ungreased cookie sheet unless otherwise noted.)

Benne Cakes
Thanks to HarperCollins.
1/4 cup butter, warm
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1 cup lightly salted, toasted sesame seeds

Spritz cookies
Terry's nana's
(Kennebunk cookie exchange friends add 1/4 c. more flour, 1/4 c. less sugar)
1 c. butter
1/2 t. oil
3/4 c. sugar
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla (or almond extract)
2 c. flour
large crystal sugar (optional) plain or colored, or granulated sugar, plain or colored or candy decorations or icing
Use a cookie press OR large pastry bag with a tip (star shape is good) and about a 3/4 inch opening. You can make the bag out of heavy paper.
Make 2 1/2 long cookies in an "S" shape or your choice. Sprinkle with sugar, decorations or icing or all of them. Delicious plain too.

Peanut butter kisses
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. natural peanut butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
2 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
optional: 1/4 c. chopped salted peanuts (not all children will like this, preferring a smoother texture)
1 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
24-30 chocolate kisses or 3 times as many chocolate chips
extra sugar
Make 1 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar before baking. After baking when still warm, press a chocolate kiss or several chips in the middle of each cookie; cookie will crack slightly. May stick back in oven for two minutes only to melt kiss in place more firmly.

Glenda's Cranberry Bars
1 3/4 sticks melted butter
2 T. oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 whole package cranberries (thawed)
chopped nuts optional, 3/4 c.
Make in one pan, 9 by 13.
Bake at 325 for 40 minutes.
Dust with confectioner's sugar when cooled OR can make streusel topping with 2 T. brown sugar, 1 1/2 T. butter and 1 1/2 T. flour, mix together and sprinkle over top of bars.

Vanilla AND Chocolate Crisp Almond Cookies
(two kinds: one recipe) Thanks, Dennis
1 c. butter
1½ c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 large eggs
1 T. almond extract (or vanilla)
3 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 c. slivered almonds
extra silvered almonds

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted but still warm

Split dough and add chocolate to one half.
Make 2 logs of this dough, and two of the vanilla dough.
Refrigerate until firm, then cut 1/2 inch cookies. If you put one light cookie on each chocolate cookie sheet, it's easier to tell when they're done.
Make baby bear paws by adding almond slivers as "claws" before baking.

Lillian and George's Fudge Slices
1/2 c. butter
heavy 1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
11 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla
1/2 c. flour
1 c. toasted pecans, chopped
5 oz. white chocolate chips
Glaze
6 ounces chocolate chips
4 T. butter
2 T. light corn syrup
2 t. vanilla
1 t. instant coffee powder (or make very strong coffee and use.)
pecan halves
Melt ingredients of glaze together and then chill glaze one hour.
Melt butter, sugar and chocolate until sugar dissolves. Cool, add eggs. Then combine with dry ingredients, pecans and chips. Bake for 25 min., until skewer comes out clean 2 inches from the center.
Pour glaze on top after baking and chill again. Place a pecan half on each piece.

Florentines
Clementia Bosetti of Genoa
6 T. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. whipping cream OR 1/4 c. milk with 1 T. melted butter
2 T. flour plus 1 t.
1 T. corn syrup
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. finely chopped almonds (can be slivered chopped more finely)

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted with 1 T. butter

Boil ingredients together for two min., then pour 6 small spoonfuls (cookie size) on the cookie sheet and bake until brown and lacy (not more than 10 min. usually.) Take off cookie sheet after one minute, very gently, and let cool on a rack. Very gently spread chocolate on the bottom of the cookie; when chocolate has set, you may turn cookie over and spread more chocolate over half the other side.

Rolled molasses cookies
from Ladies of Lake Forest, from the 1950's
Thanks to Brainerd-Burge family.
1/2 c. molasses
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 stick butter
1 c. flour plus 1 T.
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda

Boil butter, sugar and molasses for 2 minutes. Then add dry ingredients. Quickly make 6 cookies of about 1 spoonful each. Bake around 9 min., until browned and lacy. Cool 1 minute, then gently remove and roll around the handle of a wooden spoon (careful hot!), then let cool on a plate.

Palmiers
Thanks to Sandra Glock.
3 c. flour OR 2 1/2 c. flour plus 1/2 cocoa
1 1/2 c. butter, cut into pieces OR can freeze butter and grate it in if desired
3/4 c. sour cream (can substitute butter)
1 c. sugar, may color with a little food coloring
great plain; optional: can add 2 t. cinnamon to sugar or other dry spice like cardamon
Cut butter into flour in small pea-sized pieces, then stir in sour cream.
Knead and then flatten. Chill until very cold for 3 hours in fridge or overnight.
Sprinkle half of sugar on surface and roll out half of dough on sugar to a 14 inch square. Make indentation in middle, roll up dough to tightly to the middle on one side, then make another tight roll on the other side. Make sure sugar is sticking everywhere. Refrigerate for 2 hours or may freeze to make later.
Cut into 1/4 inch slices with serrated knife.
Bake at 400 for 10 min., then turn over and bake for 5 more until cookies turn a yummy golden brown. May make very fine lines of pure melted chocolate or icing but must eat immediately.

Melissa's macaroons
1 1/3 c. organic dry coconut
1/3 c. sugar
3 T. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 egg whites, beaten
1/2 t vanilla or almond
if using organic, dry coconut, add:
1 T. cold water
1 heavy T. honey
1/2 T. hot water
optional: add finely chopped raisins, or finely chopped apricots, and/or dip in melted chocolate, on bottom, half way up cookie or entirely submerge
Combine dry ingredients, than add wet ones, hot water last.
Let sit for 10 min. before cooking, lightly grease cookie sheets.

Chocolate hazelnut macaroons
Thanks to Susan Westmoreland.
2 large egg whites, beaten
1 c. sugar plus 1 T.
1/2 c. cocoa
2 t. vanilla
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped very finely
1 c. hazel nuts, chopped very finely
Add ingredients to beaten egg whites gently. Fold in chopped nuts and chocolate last.
Cook about 10 min. or until the top is firm to touch.
Sandwich two cookies with melted chocolate or hazel nut spread if you wish.

Magic Cookies Multiple Choice Bar
Thanks to Joanne Fluke.
1/2 c. butter plus 1 T. oil
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

Pick one of each!

Crust choices: 1 1/4 c. of: graham cracker crumbs, vanilla wafer crumbs, chocolate cookie crumbs, animal cracker crumbs, sugar cookies crumbs, OR almond cookies crumbs

Filling one choices:
2 c. of: chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, raisins (reg. or golden), M&M's (mini or reg.), dried apricots (chopped), dried cherries, OR dried cranberries

Filling 2 choices:
1 1/2 c. of: flaked coconut, rice krispies, mini marshmallows (2 1/2 c.), frosted cornflakes (crumbled), OR sliced caramels (with or without chocolate covering)

Filling 3 choices:
1 c. of: (chopped) walnuts, peanuts, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, OR macadamia nuts

In a 9 by 13 pan, pour melted butter all over the bottom of the pan. Evenly sprinkle your crust choice on top of butter. Pour condensed milk on top. Then add filling choices 1, 2, and 3, one at a time, sprinkling evenly and pressing down firmly. Done cooking when browned as you like it on top. Yum.

Mel Baker is writing a cookbook.

Daily cooking

Do you cook daily? Do you bake daily?
It's hard sometimes...that's why it's a nice idea to keep mixes on hand--homemade or store bought--because especially at this dark time of year, people love cake (and pies!), scones, cookies, etc...
Bake on!

Black and White Cheesecake

Today's Fav

Mmmm, mmm, mmm, we love this dessert!! And yes, you can use your kitchen torches to brown the sugar on top but please don't do this around the kids, or with the kids, until they are older (mine can't wait.)

I was inspired recently by the very fine creme brulee at Grissini's, our local, excellent Italian restaurant. Theirs is lovely, not too sweet and quietly elegant.
This is the closest thing I've made. And it happens to be the fastest creme brulee I have ever seen in my life.

1 2/3 c. heavy cream
4 large eggs
1/3 c. sugar
2 capfuls vanilla extract
4 T. brown sugar OR 4 T. white sugar

Put cream in a big bowl in the microwave (yes, microwave!) and cook on high for 3 minutes.
Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl.
Pour hot cream in a thin stream down the side of the other bowl, whisking constantly as the hot cream is added to the egg mixture (otherwise the eggs will cook.)
Pour 1/2 to 3/4 c. of the mixture into four microwave safe bowls or cups. Place each filled container into a larger bowl or container filled with hot water, like a little island in the middle of the ocean. Make sure all edges are separated by water. Once you put the cup or bowl in the larger bowl, make sure the hot water in the larger bowl rises above the creme brulee in the inside container about 1/2 inch. (The creme brulee cooks more with the outside water by its side.)
If you have a large microwave, you can put more cups in one bigger bowl but if you have a small one, you can microwave each portion individually in hot water in a larger bowl.
Microwave on high for 4 minutes or just until the middle of the creme brulee is just set. You can tell this by poking the top gently with the back of a spoon--the creme brulee should feel firm and a little bouncy. Let cool in hot water for a while. The dessert is actually delicious at this point, but you can chill it in the fridge until completely cool.
For topping, sprinkle 1 T. brown sugar on top when it's still a little warm and spread it around with the back of a spoon, pushing it gently into the top of the creme brulee. The sugar will darken. This is a fast version of the traditional browned sugar.
To make the traditional topping, you sprinkle the tops with about 1 T. of white sugar and brown them under the broiler (make sure your cookware takes broiler heat)--watch closely and pull as soon as they brown--it's easy to overdo it. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from Audrey Robertson's recipe, published on-line recently on the website Chow. Thanks Audrey!
Mel Baker is writing a cookbook.

updates updated

Hey everyone, thanks for your thoughts!! Keep those cards and letters and e-mails coming, please! My former kidney stones are leaving and I hope to keep them to as small a size as possible in future!! You do that too--okay?--drink lots of water!
Here's some more columns, bake on, my best cooking wishes to you all!!

Helllooo everyone!
Sorry for the long delay...yes, it WAS stones. I'm hoping to update the blog shortly, with new recipes and pictures...
Hope you've all been doing well!