Category: Cookies

Tips and Tricks

SadieLeave a comment

We are on the verge of some big baking months.  As the weather gets crisper, so do the apples, and apple pies are in high demand.  Then we transition to pumpkin season with Thanksgiving (I’ve obviously gotten a head start on that), and finally: dreams of peppermint and gingerbread dance in our heads in December.  Ladies and Gentelmen, start your ovens.

Though I’m not professionally trained, here are some tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way:

1. Read it over.  Make sure you read the entire ingredients list and recipe a couple days before you plan to make it.  I’ve learned this one the hard way, having been caught without a specific piece of equipment, or debating how long the dough really has to rest if I need the cookies to be ready sooner.  Things like extra prep activities, or unfamiliar techniques can catch you off guard espcially if you’re in a time crunch.

2. Less is more.  Though dough is fun to play with, resist the urge to over mix or over work the dough.  Usually you need to mix to combine, but once it looks fairly combined you need to stop because you will over-work it and develope too much gluton.  This will likely make the final product tougher then intended.  And when it comes to rolling out the dough to make cut out cookies or forming drop cookies, as my mom always says: you don’t want the dough to taste like your hands.  Stop touching it and playing with it so much!

3.  Leave it be.  Be stingy about opening the oven.  When the oven has reached the appropriate temperature, open it sparingly.  I will crack it once or twice to sneak a glance, but you need to be careful not to let the temperature drop too much, because it can definitely affect your final product.

4.  Chill out.  Allow baked goods to cool completely on cooling racks after they come out of the oven.  If you pack them up or put them away prematurely, you risk trapping moisture in the container.  This will make baked goods soggy or introduce mold.  So be patient, and think about placing cooling racks in strategic places where you and/or guests won’t be tempted to eat the final product earlier than intended.  Brothers and fathers are particularly good at sneaking tastes.

5.  Test it out.  This is one of Martha’s golden rules.  Don’t make a recipe for the first time when you’re cooking for a crowd.  If you’re trying out new desserts for the holidays, give them a test run a few weeks earlier just to practice and make sure it’s all that you dreamt of.  Answer questions like: how big is the batch?  how difficult is it?  is it really the fudgiest brownie ever, or is my old recipe better?  if I substitute an ingredient will it still work?  In the mean time, find some test subjects.  Co-workers on a Monday always seem to be a willing test audience for me.

Like I said, I’m not professionally trained, so these are tips from my own experience, my mother (who is professionally trained), Martha, and everyone on the Food Network.

Do you have any mishaps from holiday baking extravaganzas?

I have done everything from forgetting to add the sugar, to under baking, to burning, to spilling batter all over the oven, the list goes on…

Vegan Adventures

SadieLeave a comment

I’m constantly trying to justify my sweet tooth by finding recipes and baked goods that provide some healthy attribute, or aren’t completely sinful.  Though vegan recipes are not completely guilt free, they often offer nutritional benefits, and remove some level of guilt.

I found this below recipe when I was surfing through a few blogs online.  It intrigued me because it included some of my favorite ingredients: oats, peanut butter, and bananas.  What could go wrong?

At the end of the day I think these cookies are good snacks but I would not put them in the category of a crave-able treat.  They are not super sweet, and though the PB and banana add to the taste, they aren’t particularly exciting.  I think these would be best enjoyed as an energy booster when you would otherwise grab a granola bar.  And in the future I would also consider adding some mix ins like chocolate chips (obvi not vegan), nuts, or dried fruit.

Vegan Banana Maple Cookies

Adapted from Pumps and Iron

Yields about 20

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole grain rolled oats
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  •  ¼ cup brown sugar (I added this because the batter was not sweet at all)
  • 1 banana
  • ¼ cup apple sauce
  • ¼ cup peanut butter
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp water

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Mix wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls (brown sugar is a wet).
  3. Combine both mixtures.

    I resorted to a pastry cutter to mash it all together
  4. Spoon onto cookie sheets and bake 8-13 minutes.  The dough will not change shape much, so make sure they are the desired shape when they go into the oven.

Keeping It Cool

Sadie3 Comments

I have a little bit of an internal conflict going on right now.  It’s summer time right now, so when it gets hot, who wants to turn on the oven, right?  You’re not looking for extra heat in the kitchen.  And frankly, why bake something sweet when you can just hit the ice cream stand down the road?

I love no bake dessert options, but sometimes it makes me uneasy that something so good could be so easy.  I spend the rest of the year slaving over baked goods with multiple steps and several ingredients, and all of sudden I can combine 3-4 ingredients, throw them in the fridge for an hour, and I have an irresistible dessert.  It makes my typical effort seem completely unnecessary.

These are the stupid things that stress me out…

Anyway, here’s to less thinking, fewer ingredients, and a cool solution for a great summer treat:

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

yields 16-20 bars depending on th size you slice, from Bakerlady

Ingredients

  • 1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup + 4 Tbs Peanut Butter (smooth or chunky)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or one bag (12 oz) which is probably closer to 2 cups

Method

  1. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment.
  2. Combine melted butter, crumbs, sugar, and 1 cup of peanut butter in a bowl.  Mix until the dough is a uniform sandy mixture.
  3. Press mixture evenly into the parchment lined pan.  Spread out with an offset spatula if you have one.
  4. Melt the chocolate chips with the 4 Tbs left of peanut butter.  I typically microwave it for 30 sec at a time until mostly melted then I stir until every chip is melted.
  5. Spread the melted chocolate and peanut butter on top of the peanut butter and crumb mixture.  Again, smooth with an offset spatula.
  6. Allow to cool, slice, and enjoy! (if you cool in a fridge, allow the pan to warm up slightly before trying to slice, otherwise it will be difficult to cut, and likely break into pieces)