Tag Archives: Cookies

Oatmeal Cookie Crush

Oatmeal, yuck!  Ewww… Gross…. But an oatmeal cookie! Yum! Ask any of my friends and family how much I detest oatmeal, hot oatmeal cereal that is. I don’t care how you dress it up, give it as many flavors as you want, throw in berries, sugar it up…I’m still not eating it! Ever! As a kid I remember being forced to eat it for breakfast. Mom was big on making us eat ‘hot cereal’ for breakfast. I wasn’t a fan. I warned her that if she made me eat the oatmeal on this one morning that it would not be a pretty sight. That I would get sick. She didn’t believe me, as mother’s usually know when the kid is bluffing. I don’t bluff. I ate it and got sick! See! Told her!  Never had to eat oatmeal again. 🙂

Now if you give me an oatmeal cookie I’m all over it! Love them! Throw some raisins in too if you want (though this is the only way I will eat raisins as well, in cookies). And if you make it into a cocktail well you know I will drink it for sure! This is a really tasty and yummy cocktail. A couple of the ingredients were used in the Chocolate Chip Martini I posted a few weeks ago so you won’t waste the booze! It does however call for an ingredient that you probably won’t use much of, Goldschläger Cinnamon Schnapps. So buy the smallest bottle you can find unless you plan to use it again. You only use ½ ounce for two drinks so it won’t be used quickly.

Garnish your drinks or serve them with your favorite oatmeal cookies! Who says you can’t have a cocktail and cookies! I also found this recipe in an old Rachael Ray magazine several years ago.

INGREDIENTS:

3 ounces butterscotch schnapps

2 ounces Baileys Irish Cream

1 ounce coconut flavored rum

½ ounce Goldschläger Cinnamon Schnapps

Oatmeal cookies, crushed, for garnish

ice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add the butterscotch schnapps, Baileys, rum and Goldschläger Cinnamon Schnapps. Shake well. Strain into 2 rocks glasses. Sprinkle with the crushed cookies if you wish!

Makes 2 cocktails

Cranberry-White Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are very festive looking with their white chips and red cranberries! To make them look even more Christmas-like you can even add some shelled pistachios! The green will be subtle but very classy looking.

These cookies are also pretty easy to make. They are drop cookies. Nice and simple.

INGREDIENTS:

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup butter, softened

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1½ cups white chocolate morsels

1 (6 ounce) package sweetened dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture gradually, beating at low-speed until blended. Stir in white chocolate morsels and cranberries.

4. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.

5. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Pina Colada Oatmeal Cookies

Ok my Christmas tree is up and decorated! Woo Hoo! Now I just need to clean up and finish up the loose ends for the inside decorating. Spent all morning and part of the afternoon Christmas shopping so I got a late start on the tree today. I had promised myself I would write the blog in the morning also. Didn’t happen! It is amazing that even though I am not working (unemployed but not by choice!) you would think I had so much time on my hands! I seem to have even less. Looking for a job is a full-time job in itself so I am happy to take time and just write about my recipes and research photos and just escape into my own little food blog world. It’s a great place!

My Christmas tree

Great places have great food and drinks. The piña colada is a wonderfully decadent and delicious drink and it definitely brings up images of palm trees, warm weather, sandy beaches, tiki huts…You get the picture. So I found a recipe for my last cookie exchange that took that wonderful cocktail and made it into a cookie! The recipe calls for rum extract but I like to use the real thing. Or even use a coconut rum. It’s a small amount so don’t worry that anyone will be getting plastered from eating these cookies. They are tasty and tropical and they even go great with a real piña colada to wash them down! Why not! It’s the holiday! Enjoy! (I know the picture is small but I didn’t have a close up them by themselves. Never thought I’d be doing a blog when I made them!)

Pina Colada Oatmeal Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1½ cups firmly packed dark brown sugar

1½ sticks butter, softened

1 egg

1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice

1 teaspoon rum or coconut rum (or use rum extract)

2 cups flour

½  teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1½  cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)

½ cup flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, pineapple with its juice, and rum extract until well blended.

2. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until well blended. Stir in oatmeal and coconut.

3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. (Those silicone mats or parchment paper work great also). Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cookies cook on sheets for 2 minutes, then remove to a rack and let cool completely.

Makes about 48 cookies

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It’s amazing how when we were little kids, Christmas could not get here soon enough. We counted the days, made our lists, helped decorate the house, searched for the perfect live Christmas tree and just thought it was the most magical time of year. I still think that but Christmas seems to come faster and faster each year as I get older! There just doesn’t seem to be enough days to get everything done. My mother didn’t work outside the home while we were growing up but there were four kids that she had to raise! Somehow she managed to get everything done, on time, every single year. Even the year we bought our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve! (My Dad was being Scrooge that year and Mom waited till the last-minute to get the tree, for $5! The tree was about 5 feet tall, as tall as her, and about 5 feet wide! It was awesome!) Our house was always decked out from top to bottom inside and out! Dad took care of the outside and Mom worked her magic inside. I have so many happy memories of our Christmas holidays.

Cookie Party 2003 (Lake Worth, FL)

Somehow in our busy busy lives, with computers, tv, smartphones and so on, we have less time to enjoy the simple things in our lives. Every year I try and try to recreate that magic. I decorate, I hope, as Mom would have. I hope I am doing her proud!  I feel you can never have too many decorations! (My husband feels differently.) When I moved to Florida from NY I wasn’t able to take any of my Mom’s favorite decorations. I miss them and her terribly. I know she is watching over me though so I can smile while I decorate in her honor.  My sister and brothers have those decorations right now. We always had a real tree too. Loaded with lights and ornaments and tinsel. Lots and lots of tinsel. I used to have a real tree every year till one of my cats decided to eat the tree and drink the water. Bad. And no tinsel because of the cats either. Again, bad. So I do my best with what I have. (I burn lots of balsam type candles)  I also used to be able to decorate all in one day. No more. Why is that?

Cookie Party 2005 (Hobe Sound, FL)

Is my present under here?

When I lived in NY I started doing Cookie Exchanges/Parties. I loved them. There would be 15-20 of us and we’d all make dozens of cookies and exchange. It was wonderful. When I moved to Florida I tried it a few times. My first one went pretty well. But then when I moved to my present home I just couldn’t get enough people to make it as boisterous and festive and fun as I remember them. Don’t get me wrong we had fun but it wasn’t the same. The idea was to BAKE YOUR OWN!!! A few of my guests brought store-made cookies!  Not the same. And if I had 8 people attending that would be stretching it. And of course not everyone remembered to bring copies of their recipes! This never happened in New York so I was confused about why it was so hard to do here. Come on people, almost everyone has a computer these days, type it up and print it out! Or just make a copy somewhere! Maybe it’s just me, but I miss those simpler days. So from now until Christmas I am going to be doing recipes from those parties. (Recipes that I actually have that is) Plus I’ll also be incorporating other holiday dishes, desserts and cocktails. So starting tomorrow, let the festivities begin! Now if I can just get the house decorated by the weekend! Also feel free to share your own stories if you like and I’ll post them!

Where is Santa?

COMING TOMORROW! Rainbow Cookies!

S’More Cookies

S’mores usually remind us of campfires, summer nights, scouts and just plain fun. I may be weird but I’m not a fan! Honest. I LOVE toasting marshmallows but I don’t like to eat them. I like graham crackers and chocolate but not necessarily together, with marshmallows. Yes I am strange. I also think of the movie “Half Baked” with Jim Breuer and Dave Chappelle. They kept wanting to make “S’mores man!” Funny movie. But still not a fan of the actual creation. BUT, as a cookie, that is another story. Remember, I really like cookies. I also am baking challenged according to my husband but these are so simple even I can make them. They are basically drop cookies which means you mix all the ingredients and just drop them on the cookie sheet. So with the holiday season starting up give these a try for something a little different!


INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup coarsely chopped, unblanched almonds

1½ cups chocolate chunks

1½ cups miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt together.

2. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla.

3. Add in the dry ingredients and mix well. Add almonds, chocolate and marshmallows.

4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a nonstick baking sheet. Press the top of each cookie lightly with a fork dipped in water.

5. Bake at 350ºF for 12-14 minutes or until light brown.

6. Cool on baking sheet for 1 minute and remove to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about  3 dozen cookies

Paradise Cookies

I believe there is room for a cookie or two in everyone’s day. I can rationalize that they are smaller than a piece of cake so therefore  it’s better! I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a favorite cookie. Whether it’s chocolate chip, oatmeal, thin mints, peanut butter or whatever you like, it’s always fun to find a new treat. I found the basics for this recipe and tweaked it to make it a little different. These cookies have a Hawaiian taste with the pineapple, coconut and macadamia nuts. (Leave out the nuts if you are allergic to nuts)

Photo for illustrative purposes only

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well

1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

4. Beat in the flour mixture at low-speed. Stir in the coconut, pineapple and nuts.

5. Place rounded teaspoons of dough about an inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake until the edges are golden, 10-12 minutes. Let cook on a rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Pignoli Cookies (Biscotti di Pinoli)

Of all the Italian cookies this is by far one of my favorites. It is my Dad’s favorite too. Anybody who’s bought these at the Italian bakery knows how expensive they can be!  But the best thing is that you can make them yourself for a fraction of the cost and it’s easy! The most expensive ingredient is of course, pignoli nuts. But keep an eye open when you’re in the grocery store, Walmart, warehouse club of choice, even the dollar stores! You can usually find a package of pignoli nuts for a reasonable price. I always buy as much as I can when I find them on sale too, because you can store them in the freezer or refrigerator to keep them fresh. Plus they’re always good in salads or with other dishes as well! These cookies are so moist and yummy you can’t eat just one!

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup sugar

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1/8 cup teaspoon salt

1 8-ounce can/tube almond paste

2 egg whites, slightly beaten

2 cups pignoli nuts (Pine nuts)

Confectioners’ sugar


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Lightly grease 2 large cookie sheets. Sift sugars with flour and salt, set aside.

2. In medium bowl, break up almond paste with wooden spoon. Add egg whites and beat until well-blended and fairly smooth. Stir in flour mixture until well blended.

3. Take a spoonful of the dough and dip it into a bowl of pine nuts. Slide the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies to rack to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Makes about 30 tasty and delicious cookies. Can be stored in an airtight container or in the freezer up to a month. (Like there would be any left over!!)

Aunt Laura’s Peanut Butter Cookies

Today’s “family” recipe is from my husband’s cousin Ginny. This was her mother’s (Aunt Laura) recipe. I think most people like peanut butter cookies  so give it a try! It makes 8 dozen cookies so share with your friends!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter or shortening

2/3 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream the shortening/butter, peanut butter and sugar together.

2. Add the beaten eggs.

3. Sift the dry ingredients and add to the butter, peanut butter and sugar mixture. Add the vanilla and mix.

4. Roll the dough into little balls and place on cookie sheet. Press with a fork dipped in flour.

5. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes.


** The recipe I got from Ginny did not specify if the cookie sheets should be greased or not. I am thinking that with a cup of butter it is safe not to. But, feel free to grease if you want or place on parchment paper on the cookie sheets.  I am also unsure how large the dough balls should be but I guess if you want big cookies make them big, etc.

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