Friday, December 2, 2011

COOKIES, COOKIES, AND MORE

"Tis the season" is the popular refrain.  Today is the 2nd of December.  I spent part of yesterday getting together a list of the people I wanted to be the recipients of my kitchen productions.  I love to bake.  I will be making cookies all weekend to get them ready to be shipped out, so they can be enjoyed during the holiday season.  If I come across any other outstanding recipes I will be sure to blog about them.  I will, of course, be making the standard chocolate chip cookies in addition to the pan cookies.  There will be oatmeal cookies (without raisins, too many people disdain them).  The macaroons are a must, and the cookies on my other blogs are top of the list.

 With the abundance of eggs produced by my hens I have to find ways to use them.  (Two people can not consume  2 dozen eggs a day.)  I have been desperate enough to try, LOL. 

I have fixed quiches and souffle's. 
I have found a recipe for baking Challah with a cup of egg yolks (around 13 or so).
Tutorials on making Challah and Cinnamon Rolls, also a blog on making Herb Bread are here:
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2011/05/cinnamon-rolls-from-challah.html
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2011/05/challah-made-easy.html
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2008/09/fantastic-herb-bread.html

 The whites are converted to Angel food cake or several batches of macaroons.  The recipe on the packages of Sweetened flaked Coconut (I use the store brand) is usually great.  I am adding other cookie recipes to the others I have blogged about.  (The Blog addresses are at the end of this blog.) 
My macaroon recipe is so easy.

December 3, 2011, Hints:
I have been baking some of the cookies and it occured to me to pass on some hints which I have remembered during this endeavor. 
If you have a convection oven and are using it in convection mode lower your temps 25 degrees.
Turn your pans at least once during the baking and exchange the shelves they are on.

MY RECIPE FOR MACAROONS:
Pre-heat oven 325degrees F
4 Egg whites, approx 1/2 c. (older eggs and room temperature egg whites fluff more when they are whipped.)
1 tsp.Vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 c Sugar ( I put it in the mini food processor for 2 minutes to make it finer.  It will absorb quicker)
1 (14 oz) pkg coconut (some store brands are better than others, but when in a cookie you can't tell the difference.) 12-3-11  I used the name brand coconut today and personally did not care for the product.  It had hard clumps I had to pick out.
Don't use coconut that is stale, as in, it has become dried out.
Parchment paper to line the cookie sheets (the sheets can be reused a second or third time)

I begin whipping the egg whites, salt, vanilla on slow speed till foamy.  Then increase the speed gradually till the whites are soft peaks.  At this time I start adding the "pulverized" sugar a  tablespoon at a time (you are at full speed) When the whites are stiff and glossy you are done. 

Fold in the Coconut.  Drop by heaping tablespoon (correction 12-3-11 teaspoon, the tablespoon makes too large of macaroon. on your parchment covered sheet. DEC 3 hint.   They are very fragile when hot and after they are cooled you can remove them with a metal spatula. You only need about 1/2  inch between each macaroon.  Bake for about 20 minutes (start checking at 18)  you only want to get a slight coloring of the whites (light golden not brown)


The following site has a good article on producing "Meringues".


CHOCOLATE CHIP PAN COOKIE
This recipe was cut out of a magazine umpteen years ago.  I did not keep the source.  The paper is now growing so yellowed it is hard to read.  It was an ad from Nestle's. 
 I have tried other pan recipes and none come up to this one.

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp.baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter soften (really makes a difference instead of margarine and shortening)
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 eggs
One 6 oz pkg. semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 (if you are using a convection oven lower the temp to 350.)
Combine flour salt and baking soda in a bowl
(I sift after measuring so the ingredients are thoroughly mixed) set aside.

Cream butter, sugars and vanilla together.  Beat in the eggs, gradually add the flour mixture.

Stir in the morsels.  Spread into  an un-greased 15 1/2" X 10 1/2" X 1" baking pan.  (I have used a 1/2 sheet pan successfully but you have to watch the time because the cookies are thinner and will cook quicker.)  The 15 inch pan makes a nicer bar. 

Bake 18-20 minutes, cool then cut into 2" squares.  Makes 35 squares.

When I package them for gifts I wrap 2  bars in a waxed paper sandwich sheet. 
The ones they use in the deli (I cut the sheet in half.)

Two cookie recipes
Brownies and Triple chocolate Cake
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/search/label/BAKING%3A%20Desserts

May your holiday baking be filled with yummy successes.


 New Article on my blog: 
"A MYSTERY IN THE MAKING"
A mystery quilt designed with the novice in mind
First Clue to be presented October 16.
 
Other blog sites by me:
 
Where I have stories of my cats and other pets
a blog about my courtship with my husband,
and a blog about my most embarrassing moment.
A "Soap box" blog where I do air my opinions.
 
blogs about the wildflowers on our farm
Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry,
blogs about Seed sprouting, insects, and garden pictures
Blog about an endangered beneficial beetle
New Blog:
 
All recipes, pictures, and writings are my own.
I give credit for items which belong to other people in my blogs .
Please do not copy without permission