#263_Melting Moments Cookies with a Twist

Almond Melting Moments Cookies

These cookies live up to their name as they literally melt in your mouth.
They are super easy to make and the recipe calls for just a few ingredients.
I got the recipe from my favorite site,
http://www.joyofbaking.com/MeltingMoments.html

In the original recipe, each cookie is rolled in powdered sugar. I omitted that procedure, instead I topped each cookie with a slice of almond.

Here's how I did it:

After mixing the dough, I formed them into 1 inch balls.

While the dough was still soft, I made slight indentations on each cookie
then placed a slice of almond on top.
I put them in the fridge for at least 3o minutes before
baking them in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven for 12 minutes.

Let them cool on wire racks.
Enjoy!!

Note from MaMely:
You can substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract, but use a little less.

#259_Mrs Johnson's Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Mrs Johnson's Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I tweaked Mrs Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie original recipe,
by modifying some of the ingredients, thereby
making the cookies somewhat different.
So now this modified version of the recipe belongs to me, hence,
Mrs Johnson's.

Here's the original
Mrs Fields recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until very smooth and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a food processor, blend oatmeal until fine. Add to flour mixture.
4. Stir butter mixture into flour/oatmeal mixture. Blend well.
5. Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Stir until blended. Roll into golf balls size and bake for 8-10 minutes. You do not want to over bake these.

.......and here's Mrs. Johnson's

I used some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and a Hershey bar
instead of chocolate chips morsels

Coarsely chopped candy bars

I used half butter and half shortening.

Here's the changes I made:

1) Reduced the white sugar to 1/2 cup since the peanut butter cups are too sweet already.
2) I used 1/2 cup cold butter and 1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco shortening
3) I replaced the chocolate chips with 2 cups chopped candy bars.
4) Toasted the walnuts in 350 degrees oven for 8 minutes
5) I only used 1/2 cup ground oats
6) Chilled the dough before baking.

Mrs Johnson's recipe

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 shortening
  
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups coarsely chopped candy bars
  
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

1) Toast walnuts in pre-heated 350 degrees oven for about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2) Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3) Cut cold butter into small cubes then cream together with shortening and sugars with a hand-held electric mixer until smooth. Stir in eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy
4) In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a food processor, grind the oats until fine then add to flour mixture.
5) Stir butter mixture into flour/oatmeal mixture until well blended.
6) Add the chopped candy bars and walnuts. Stir until all ingredients are just blended.
7) Refrigerate dough to chill for at least an hour.
8) Roll chilled dough into golf ball size. Bake for 8-10 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven.
9) Cool cookies on wire racks.

There's one caveat:

These cookies are highly addictive!!
if you know you can't stop
after 5 pieces, better not make these cookies....
Second thought: awww, make them anyway
and share them with your friends.

#179_Peanut Butter Cookies: Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Chocolate Chip Cookies
without the chips!

In one way these are chocolate chip cookies
and in another way they are not.
I don't know if I'm making any sense,
but here's what I did...

I substituted Reese's Peanut Butter Clusters
and Hershey's chocolate bar
in place of chocolate chips called for in Mrs. Field's Cookie recipe.
The result?? OMG, melt-in-your-mouth goodness!

These cookies are so soft, moist and chewy
and are actually better than chocolate chips cookies
as long as you don't over bake them.
Better yet, they are so easy to make...
if you can boil water, you can make these cookies.
Just use any chocolate chip cookies recipe
that you might already have, leaving out the chips

then replace the chips with a bag of Reese's Clusters
and a king size Hershey's chocolate bar.
Chop them up and mix them in the cookie dough mixture.
(I just had to reduce the sugar called for in the recipe
as the clusters have plenty of sugar in them already).

A Caveat: very addicting!

Chocolate Chunks Cookie
Caramel oozing out from the clusters.


The taste-testers!
These are my little neighbor friends...
patiently and eagerly and xcited to try the cookies.

Jackson and Kennedy

Careful, the cookies are still very hot!


.....and their little sister, Reagan
Mmmmm!! Super Good!

**************************************

#125_Sugar Cookies Choco Bars

This cookie bars is simple and easy to make and
is the kind you'd like to take to potlucks
and watch it disappear with pleasure.

I watched Giada De Laurentis on food network
make these cookies one day.
I basically followed her recipe except for some changes
in the ingredients as I used whatever I had.
I didn't have the mascarpone, so I substituted cream cheese.
She used refrigerated cookie dough,
I used my sugar cookies recipe #48, click here.
She used toffee, I used butterfinger bars.

With my sugar cookies recipe I made this bar cookies
using 12" x 16 1/2" cookie sheet
as it is twice the amount Giada used.
I doubled the rest of the ingredients as well.
It can yield from 48 to 60 squares depending
on the size you want your slices.
This is a big batch, ideal to take to pot lucks.
You can also use any of your favorite sugar cookies recipe.

Mix the chopped toffee bars or butterfinger bars with the cookie dough.

Spread the dough evenly onto a cookie sheet

You can press the dough down using your fingers
or you can use this gadget, mini rolling pin,
if you have one.
It makes it faster and easier to press the dough down,
and with the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over.
Bake the cookie in a 350 degrees pre-heated oven for 14 minutes
Or till the edges are lightly browned.

Let it cool, then spread the chocolate topping (recipe below) on the cooled cookie.

Sprinkle some chopped toffee bars and toasted sliced almonds.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing.

The cook gets the first slice!
Do you think the cook can wait 2 long hours before slicing it?

Here's the original recipe by Giada De Laurentis on food network:

Vegetable cooking spray
1 pound refrigerated sugar cookie dough (recommended: Pillsbury)
2 (1.4-ounces) chocolate-toffee candy bars, coarsely chopped, divided (recommended: Skor) 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chip (recommended: Ghirardelli)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray.

Lay a 6 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan.

Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the cookie dough, 1/2 of the chopped chocolate-toffee candy pieces and vanilla extract.

Using damp fingers, gently press the dough into the prepared pan.

Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes.

Chocolate topping:

Place the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a medium bowl.

Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted.

Cool the chocolate mixture for 10 minutes.

Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth.

Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust.

Sprinkle the remaining chocolate-toffee candy pieces and sliced almonds over the chocolate mixture.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the chocolate layer is firm.

Cut into 1 1/2 by 2-inch bars. Serve at room temperature.

Note:
To toast almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

#110_Easter Dinner

Bunny Rolls


My husband said they look more like pigs than bunnies.
Maybe he is right, but the G'kids thought they are bunnies.
Maybe it is because I had told them that
I made them "bunny rolls" before they saw them, ha-ha!!

So if my husband really thinks these look like pigs
then I might as well call them lechon rolls. LOL!!
Translation of lechon in English? Roast pig.
Oink-oink!!

Dinner Rolls baked in muffin pans

I used the Potato Dinner Rolls recipe
Click here for the recipe


Chocolate Cupcakes
with cream cheese frosting
garnished with dyed coconut flakes and jelly beans

Amy, our daughter usually makes these cupcakes
and since she worked all night last night
and will be working again tonight as a nurse,
I don't think she will be making them for today.
So I attempted to make them myself.
I didn't do as good of a job as she does but I want
to have something Easter-y for the Gkids.

G'daughter Lindsey taking a bite off a cakeball

Vegetable Casserole with Alfredo sauce,
topped with cheese, (posting recipe later)

Angela made this cake and she got the recipe online.
It is a very good cake except I don't like its name.
It's one of those better than s_ _
kind of cake. I think she changed the name to
"Better-than-Brad Pitt Cake" though.

Amy made some of her signature sugar cookies
which was a hit today as always.
She also brought some green salad and spiral ham, both not pictured.

I made some Banana Cream Pie, not pictured,
and Sally brought some pumpkin cookies, not pictured either.
It was hard to keep up with all the food.

This is Potatoes 'N Cream
The recipe is in my former company's cookbook.
(not my company...I meant, the company I used to work for)
I will post the recipe later.

Charlie and Nikki brought some Scalloped Potatoes, not pictured
It was really good!

Roast Beef

7 1/2 pounds of rump roast,
4 hrs in the oven and finished cooking it in the crockpot
for 2 more hours for moist and tender roast.

We had a nice Easter dinner as always,
hope you did too!

#51_RUGELACH COOKIES

RUGELACH, RUGALACH OR BUTTER HORN COOKIES

These cookies resemble croissants, and the varieties of them are so endless. Some people prefer to fill them with nuts and jams, or with spices, or with chocolate or veggies. I prefer my rugalach with just raspberry jam fillings, very simple, not-so-sweet dessert.

Chilling the dough for hours is one of the keys to sucessful RUGALACH

After chilling the dough for at least 1 hour, roll it out on a floured surface to a pie crust thinness and spread with whatever fillings you want on it. In my case, I like plain raspberry or strawberry preserves.

With a pizza cutter, aaarg!!! ugh!!! I can't find my pizza cutter!!. I just used a knife, cut the dough out to wedges and roll them up like croissants.

TO BE CONTINUED!!!

I NEED TO DELIVER SOME COOKIES BEFORE IT WILL GET SO DARK!!!

12-23-08

RECIPE:

1 cup butter, softened at room temperature

1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar mix with

2 tsps. ground cinnamnon

FILLINGS OPTIONS:

Walnuts with brown sugar and cinnamon, any of your favorite fruit jams or preserves, chocolate chips or chopped chocolate candy bars, M&M chocolates or mix and match.

PROCEDURE:

1) Cream butter, cream cheese and the 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy

2) Sift in the flour and mix thoroughly, this is a very soft dough.

3) Divide the dough into 4 equal balls and flatten each one to form disks.

4) Wrap each disk in plastic wraps and refrigerate for at least 2 hours

5) When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

6) Working with one disk of dough at a time, roll out thinly (like pie crust thin) on a floured surface into an 8-inch circle

7) Spread whatever filling you prefer on the rolled out dough leaving about an inch border.

8) With a pizza cutter or a sharp knife slice the dough into quarters, and then each quarter into 3 or 4 sections, making 12 to 16 triangles.

9) Starting from the wider side of the triangle, roll up to form spirals; you can curve them into crescents if you prefer

10) Continue with the other disks of dough

11) Arrange the rolled up dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheets making sure the points are tucked under

12) Sprinkle lightly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture

13) Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown

14) Cool on wire racks

#49_CHRISTMAS COOKIE PLATTER

AHHH, CHRISTMAS IS HERE!! (almost)

My sister Melita e-mailed me a few days ago wondering if I was sick as she noticed that I haven't posted a new entry in this blog for a while.

I have been so pre-occupied baking some yummy cookies and yes, I had slight flu which slowed me down quite a bit for the baking marathon, but in spite of all that I am still managing to bake these yummy cookies, which is a holiday ritual that I look forward to each year. Baking goodies is my JOY of the Christmas season.

I hope to be able to plate up 35 of these tonight and deliver them to friends and neighbors by tomorrow night.

A SAMPLE OF MY COOKIE PLATTER

Sugar Cookies, Mudslide Cookie Sandwiches, Lace Cookies, Honey Balls Cookies, and Rugelach.

#48_CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES

OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES

Using different designs of cookie cutters, you can make fun shapes such as Christmas trees, Christmas stockings, mistletoes, snowmen, candy canes, etc.

Roll out sugar cookie dough on a floured surface
and cut them out in different shapes with cookie cutter.



Sprinkle with sugar crystals

RECIPE FOR THE SUGAR COOKIES:

2 cups white sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
2 eggs

2 tsps. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

5-6 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

PROCEDURE:

1) In a bowl, cream together sugar and butter, add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

2) Stir in the sour cream and blend well.

3) With a wire whisk, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in another bowl to blend all ingredients together. (You don't need to sift them together). Stir into the creamed mixture until well blended.

4) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least 5 hours.

5) When ready to bake, on a floured surface, and with a rolling pin roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut cookies out into different shapes using cookie cutters.

6)Sprinkle cut out cookie with sugar crystals. In order for the sugar to stick on the cut out dough, brush each one with softened shortening like Crisco or butter.

7) Bake in 350 degrees pre-heated oven for 8- 10 minutes.

8) Transfer baked cookies immediately to a cooling rack.

NOTES:

1) This will make about 60 cookies, depending on the shapes and sizes of the cookie cutters.

2) Dough can be made few days ahead of time as long as it is refrigerated.

#41_ Lace Cookies

These cookies are very thin, crispy and have buttery taste.
They are so delicate that they tend to shatter to pieces
when you bite into them,
but they are very good, in fact, they can be addicting.

Drop them by teaspoonfuls on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

As they are baked they spread out and become bubbly
and form lace-like holes where they got their name from, thus,
Lace Cookies

Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 cup rolled oats, ground in food processor

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup pecans, finely chopped

Procedure:

1) In a bowl, mix all ingredients together with a fork. Cover with a plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight. ( if you can't wait that long, at least 2 hours)

2) Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

3) Line cookie sheets with parchment papers.

4) Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls and about 3 inches apart on the prepared pans.

5) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges turn light brown.

6) Let them stand for about 3 minutes or til cookies are firm then peel them off the parchment paper and transfer them to cooling racks. Cool completely before storing.

Note from MaMely:

1) This is optional: after peeling them off the parchment paper, you can sprinkle them with powdered sugar.