Baking Cookies

[meowbunny]

Can't believe my daughter talked me into baking anything, but she did. Yesterday was sugar cookies up the ying-yang. Dropped cookies, rolled cookies, cut out cookies, thumb cookies. Did you know that if you put too much raspberry jam in the center of the cookies it will bubble over and go all over the cookie sheet? It's all good, though, very yummy! And if you sprinkle the powder sugar on heavily, it hides the mess on the cookie quite well.

She decided she had to make candy cane cookies. She now has bright red hands and HUGE two-toned cookies with a strange bend in them (those will not be going out the door). The cats and dog shared a stick of butter before I could get it off the floor. Of course, we skated on the floor a bit before I bothered really cleaning it up. That was, um, er, interesting and, dare I admit it, fun.


No crickets here but it would have all been good. Crickets are a good source of protein and have an interesting crunch (or so I've been told by a friend who has actually eaten them). Now, buttery soup is something I'd rather not try.

So, today it is ruggalach (FoodNetwork says "easy" -- I'm not convinced), Andes mint cookies (at least we've made them before) and some chocolate-peppermint rolled and cut cookie. It should be an interesting day in the kitchen. Only took me 4 hours to clean it last night and that was for the EASY cookies!

Wish me luck. Okay, girls, I'M GOING IN ...........

 

[nvts]

Meowbunny:

Butter Soup is quite easy!

1 cup of butter that's hard from the fridge

Microwave on HIGH (not defrost) for 1 min.

Voila! Butter Soup!

:rofl:

Star says to add crickets as a garnish!!!

OK, I want the recipe for the Andes Mint Cookies.

Try using Parchment Paper (grocery store, Target,etc) on your cookies pans. You can re-use them 1 or 2 times and makes clean-up take 1/8th of the time.

Good luck "Baking Queen"! I'm rooting for you!!!

Beth

:rudolph:

 

[busywend]

Sounds yummy without the crickets!

Have fun!

:gingerbread:

 

[meowbunny]

Oh, we used parchment paper -- otherwise those thumb cookies would still be on the cookie sheets. I do listen very carefully when Paula Deen and Emeril talk and they insist on parchment sheets. LOL

And here's the Andes Mint Cookies (these are soooooo good!)

Andes Mint Cookies

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter (not margarine)
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
Andes mints candies, broken in half


Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F.
Over low heat, combine butter, sugar and water.
Heat until melted and add chocolate chips until partly melted.
Remove from heat and stir.
Pour into large mixing bowl.
Let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly.
Beat in eggs one at a time on high speed.
Reduce mixer to low speed and add flour, salt and baking soda.
Beat until well-blended.
Chill one hour (dough is almost liquid before chilling but hardens and is easy to shape after chilling).
Roll into balls, place two inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Place an Andes Mint half on top.
Allow to melt slightly and spread with a spoon.

 

[Hound dog]

So THAT'S what parchment paper is for!!

I'll be darned! See how much I learn here?? :smile:

easy child and I were looking for plain ol' wax paper the other day. All we could find at wallmart was parchment paper. And I kept wondering what the heck it was for. lol

Wax paper on countertops is great for cooling freshly baked cookies with no added mess.

by the way, we're still looking for some. lol Guess we'll have to look at krogers.

Those mint cookies sound yummy. (I know easy child and Nichole would love them) Good luck on the baking today. :thumb:

Hugs

:gingerbread: :forsanta:

 

[Scent of Cedar II]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: meowbunny</div><div class="ubbcode-body">


Wish me luck. Okay, girls, I'M GOING IN ...........

</div></div>

:rofl:


Barbara

 

[hearts and roses]

MB, what an adventure! Everything sounds yummy and you'll always have that shared memory with your daughter to laugh about later. Skating on the kitchen floor actually sounds fun to me because we've done it ourselves quite a few times! lol

I line my entire kitchen table with waxed and use packing tape on the ends to keep it in place paper throughout cookie baking season. It's easy cleanup and I can roll out dough without the sticky mess, great for cooling cookies, etc. I can wipe it clean and throw a table cloth over it for when we want to actually use the table for what's it's meant. I just love the stuff and it's right near the aluminum foil in the grocery store, Lisa. I actually prefer waxed paper to parchment paper - pretty much the same effect without the added cost. It's awesome for lining cake pans as well!

I'm going to add those andes mint cookie to my repetoire this year and see how they go over - they sound yummy.

H has pretty much eaten almost all the cookies I made last weekend and we're making more this weekend after easy child gets home.

 

[meowbunny]

Jo, You're making MORE????? I'm speechless. Truly can't fathom anyone going through cookie making more than once a year and you're making MORE?

 

[hearts and roses]

Haha-YES! I AM MAKING MORE!! We're a family who believes you can never have enough cookies or variety of cookies. We actually enjoy making them. Haha - insane, yes?

Here is our list of baked items for Christmas/New Year's:

4 dz rolled sugar cookies, all hand painted.
5 dz Rum Balls
<span style="color: #CC0000">4 dz Mexican Wedding cakes</span>3 dz Chcolate Florentines
3 dz Choco-Oat-Nut cookies
<span style="color: #CC0000">3 dz Cinn Red & White swirl cookies
2 dz Almond Crescent cookies
8 dz Cinnamon Nut Twirls (which I already made and are all gone.
2 dz Biscotti</span>
2 Date Nut Loaves
<span style="color: #CC0000">1 Cranberry Orange Loaf with orange glaze</span>

*The ones in RED are the ones I have yet to make! There's another one I'm forgetting. It will come to me, I'm sure.

We're nuts, but we give a lot away to neighbors and friends.

 

[meowbunny]

Cinnamon Nut Twirls? oooooohhhhh

I WANT SOME

 

[Star*]

WHAT IS IT WITH THE BUTTER THIS YEAR GALS?????

HOLY COW IN A MANGER !!!!!

Lets see....(taking mental inventory of baked goods coming to SC)

I've got Wynter driving from somewhere up North and due to my puppies will toss a package out on Hwy. 26 -

Now Bunny Britches should dive up to SC and throw a package from the opposite direction

BBK going to send me a bukitt

Got SEVERAL lovely and beautiful cards - (thank you every one)
And that should about cover me -

I put the baby Jesus fire works in the garage -

Set the telescope out on the yard to watch a jolly elf blaze by my house on Dec. 24 - and try to get a picture of it for you all

get my HMJ - and say a prayer for Dude and my family that I can't be with this year.

Yup - good to go- :forsanta:

 

[meowbunny]

First, we need Jo to start driving down from CT. She could use some warmth and sunshine anyway. Jo can stop and get Janet. Then, either Wynter can pick you up (sans doggies, sorry) and all can meet up here. I'll store a big ole tin just to be shared with us CD people. If worse comes to worse, we can always have another baking fest here (did I really say that???)!

Well, only have the Rugelach to do now. The chocolate-peppermint pinwheels are in the oven. The Andes mint cookies are all done (don't ever get the white chocolate/peppermint to put on top -- doesn't melt, looks horrid).

Rugelach gonna have to wait til everything else is done and out of the way -- they need a LOT of room.

And then I'm done baking. DONE, DONE, DONE!!!

Think I'll BBQ tonight. Weather is perfect for it and the idea of cleaning the kitchen for about the fifth time is too much to bear.

Will do a missive on mishaps at some future time. (Wish I could write like Star but I'll do my best.)

 

[meowbunny]

Oh, poop! Just took the pinwheels out -- about half look good, the other half look like the cats got sick.

Worse, I was reminded we still have decorate the sugar cookies! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[Star*]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: meowbunny</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Oh, poop! Just took the pinwheels out -- about half look good, the other half look like the cats got sick.
</div></div>

I think that's pretty close to what I would have written. VERY GOOD!

(puts magazine in front of face and shakes head no to group about having a pinwheel er catsgotsick cookie) LADIES we have our dessert for butter soup with cricket garnish!


NrumNrumNrumNrum.... :spaghetti:

 

[DammitJanet]

Ok...I take it Xmas dinner is butter soup with crickets and assorted cookies for dessert right?

 

[meowbunny]

Janet -- Since you're coming to my house, I promise my dinner will NOT be butter soup with or without crickets. Cookies will be for the ride back. I'm not sure I'll be able to look at a cookie again after finishing this mess!

As I said, I can cook! I just can't bake. I was thinking either a bbqed loin of pork or a standing rib roast. If enough of you come, I'll even do both.

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

Front and center, troops.

First of all, did anyone but me picture MB in a hardhat with a searchlight when she said "I'm going in?"

And MB, when you said BBQ, I hope you weren't planning to BBQ a BBK.

Dammit, Janet, the Christmas entertainment is crickets doing synchronized drowning in butter soup.

Thank you, Nvts, for the recipe.

Jo, I thought I was bad. Holy Moley! I made:
3d meringue cookies
4d sugar cookies
2d potato chip cookies
3d cream cheese cookies
3d apricot bars
and if I have time, I am gonna try to make those buckeyes.

Lisa, Parchment paper has another use. You can write on it with a quill, roll it up, and pretend you are British and have a proclamation to read. Disclaimer: Only for days that you are really fricken bored.

Star, you ain't gettin mah bukkit. Ku-ku-kachoo.

Heather, on your way back, how about you just come straight here.


Dismissed.

 

[flutterbee]

I have to get everywoman, too, then Star.

I can bake, but I can't cook - not well, anyway. So, I'll finish the cookies, MB, and you cook dinner.

Then I'll take a plate back to BBK.



BBK, do you really have a quill? :smile:

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

Not exactly.

But I have a herd of ostriches in the yard. So I have access to quills at a moment's notice.

Oh, one last thing. Whether you use the butter to make soup, or actually use it in your baking, make sure it is butter. Not margarine.

Margarine is one molecule away from being plastic. And my dad calls it oleo.

 

[Hound dog]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">And my dad calls it oleo. </div></div>

Oh, no! So does my mother! :rofl: Everytime she does it we look at her like she just lost a few more marbles. And she's as yet to explain why she refers to margarine as oleo.

Ok. BBK get the quills ready. We have letters to Santa to write, only these letters are for US, not the kids/grandkids. :devil: I believe Santa will be much impressed if we pen our letters with quill and parchment paper.

easy child and I have saved the baking for Sunday. (yes we're putting it off) I think last time I asked we were doing:

Peanut butter cookies

Choc chip cookies

Snickerdoodles

Sugar cookies

Mincemeat cookies

Gingerbread cookies

Pumpkin rolls

And chocolate pudding cake if I can ever find my darn recipe. Aubrey has taken to "shopping" in Nana's cabinets and drawers in the kitchen. Apparently my recipe box facinated her. And I'm still searching for recipes. :slap:

All of this baking will be done at easy child's house since sister in law just bought her a new dishwasher. :smile: