The following recipe for Snickerdoodles is a good example for using butter in cookies. Go ahead and try a test batch. I’ve found that lots of people don’t even know what a Snickerdoodle cookie is, and I’m always a little surprised when I hear that. A cinnamon-sprinkled sugar cookie, they are one of my favorites.
Snickerdoodles
makes 2 1/2 dozen / prep. time: 60-90 minutes / bake time: 12 - 14 minutes
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar - try dark brown sugar, I think it’s even better
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. cream of tartar
Coating:
1/2 c. sugar
1-2 t. cinnamon
First, soften the butter and cream the sugars into it. Next add the egg and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. When it’s all stirred in, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 - 60 minutes. Now, find your kids and have them roll the dough into balls. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and roll those little “cookie balls” in it. When done, place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Important: They should look undercooked when you take them out of the oven. Soft cookies rule!
June 6th, 2011
Yesterday was one of those days when I bustled around the house a lot… got groceries, did laundry, and general housecleaning. Now, even though my pantry, fridge, and freezer were full, well, I didn’t really PLAN supper. No meat thawed - you know the drill.
What I came up with was just about one of the best spaghetti dishes I’ve ever served. Four simple ingredients and it was done in about 20 minutes. I put some prepared chicken and fish in the oven to go along with it and we were set!
So… the Simplest Spaghetti Ever
1 box of spaghetti — my favorite brand is Barilla
4 cups water
1 whole red pepper from my jar of roasted red peppers
1 box of chopped spinach in butter sauce
1 jar prepared Alfredo sauce — no favorite brand
Since I recently got some new cookware, I have this wonderful deep saute pan that can actually hold enough food for my family. I served 8 people last night and there was leftover spaghetti. (Confession: my two youngest ate only a negligible amount of spaghetti. One had pigged out on popcorn, the other has a problem with green foods.)
So, I brought the 4 cups of water - I was guessing on this amount, but it worked perfectly - to a boil in my deep saute pan. (a large frying pan will do) This method is similar to making Hamburger Helper, only it’s going to taste quite a bit better. Once boiling, add the spaghetti. I broke it up so it was shorter — easier to eat and easier to stir. Lower the temperature and put a lid on it. Watch the clock, this will only take about 10 minutes. Next, dice up the red pepper into small bits and throw it into the pan. Next the spinach — it may need a minute in the microwave, then add to the spaghetti. After each addition, I try to replace the lid as quickly as possible. When the 10 minutes are up, remove the lid, stir it up a bit, then add the jar of Alfredo sauce. If it’s a little watery, let it sit with the lid off for a couple of minutes. Stir it up and serve.
I truly wish I had taken pictures for you - it was very appealing visually, with the bright green bits of spinach and tiny pieces of red pepper.
Get inspired — maybe you would rather have onions and bacon bits in yours. Or garlic and cherry tomatoes. Or… mushrooms and artichokes? The possibilities seem endless.
Enjoy!
May 11th, 2011
Last time I posted, I wrote about my broken oven. Ironically, it broke on Thanksgiving. We were all thankful that the turkey was done! For several weeks following this oven failure, I waited on that mystical oven part that would restore my baking abilities. Of course, it never came. Eventually I called repairman #2, who told me the part is no longer available, aka - your oven cannot be fixed.
It spiraled downward even further from there. Short version: Bought a used oven on Craig’s List. Didn’t work. Made plans to return it. Broke the door. Unworking Craig’s list oven ended up on our curb. About this time we realized that one burner on our stove wasn’t working either.
After that, we redirected our attention. Lots of things were bothering us about our kitchen. The sink was stained and yucky. The garbage disposer had been fixed with JB Weld several months prior. My faucet was outdated. The cabinets were low-grade things made of press wood. The counters were tile and I never liked the uneven grout lines.
The result? After a gazillion trips to Lowe’s, we now have (almost) a new kitchen! New cabinets, drywall, extra electrical, and to top it off (literally and figuratively) granite counter tops! Pictures to come — there is still some work to do.
So, after exactly 135 days with no oven, what does one make? Here’s what we’ve done so far:
Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon Raspberry Pie
Lasagna
Toasted Philly Cheese steak Sandwiches
Sweet Potato Fries
Snickerdoodles (made by my son Sam)
and coming up…
Shake And Bake Pork Chops (hubby’s favorite)
Please note that this is just what has been cooked in the last 3 days! More to come… Chicken Pot Pie, Roasted Redskin Potatoes, Cherry Pie, and Crumb-topped Apple Pie, Mint Chocolate Chip cookies.
The only of the above items which is a new creation was the Lemon-Raspberry Pie. The filling is a little complicated, with lots of steps, but not hard to do at all, so stick with me…
Pastry for a double crust 10-inch pie
Filling:
1 1/3 c. sugar
3 T. quick tapioca
dash of salt
1/4 c. butter
3 eggs
one lemon
2/3 c. frozen raspberries
1/3 c. water
Roll out the bottom crust, then prepare filling as follows:
Combine the sugar, tapioca, and salt - Set this aside. Next, separate one of the eggs into two bowls. (Yolk in one bowl, white in the other obviously) Now set the white aside (this will be used for the top crust) and crack both of the other eggs into the bowl with the lonely yolk and beat them all together. Sorry, eggs, for the unjust treatment. Next, melt the butter and add it to these eggs.
Now, turn your attention to the lemon. Zest it, scraping just the brightest yellow off of the peel. Add the lemon zest to your egg yolk mixture. Then, cut all the peel and white pith off of the lemon. Slice it very thinly, remove the seeds, and add the lemon slices to the buttery egg mixture. Toss the raspberries in there, too. Now combine all of this with the sugar mixture that you started with, plus the water. Say “phew” - the worst part is done. This is your pie filling.
Pour the filling into the bottom shell and add the top crust as you would for any normal pie. Crimp the edges to make the crust. Then brush that egg white generously onto the top. Sprinkle with a little sugar.
Bake this lovely masterpiece for an hour at 400 degrees. Cool thoroughly before serving.
This is a delicious summertime pie.
April 13th, 2011