Vintage Nellie Cooks -- Froot Loops Fiestas

Another treasure from Nellie's recipe box!  This one was clipped off the side of Nellie's breakfast cereal (and really, if you look at the sugar content, Froot Loops for dessert is far more appropriate than on the breakfast menu!).  These are light and buttery and the cereal stays crunchy--kids will love them.  The only note I'd add is that you have to push them flat with a fork like a sugar cookie, they won't flatten out on their own.  You could use any kids' cereal that you have on hand (Fruity Pebbles would be perfect).  Happy Monday!

Joyeux Kitchen: Ooooooh Samoa!

Homemade Girl Scout Cookies: Samoas

(Click here for the full recipe and come back here for my notes! :)

Doug posted this recipe to my Facebook page in January; I've been putting it off because it seemed like a bit too much of a project.  Well...it was, sort of, but it was SO worth it.  Don't put it off another second--you must make these cookies.

You'll notice that it's a multi-part recipe.  I made the "cookie" part three or four weeks ago and put them in the freezer, in anticipation of a day when I might have the extra kitchen time to cook the caramel.  I found that time this afternoon and pulled out all my ingredients, then read the recipe.  When I got to this part I was immediately concerned:

No directions for a candy thermometer???  Are you kidding?  I put my panic aside and put my faith in Jaime from The Family Kitchen.  (I have a complex about caramel these days because I botched two batches at Christmas.  Always in a hurry does not a good candy-maker make!) 

It's bubbling.

Starting to look more viscous?  Perhaps...

And then, all at once, too fast for me to even snap a picture, it turned deep amber, begged for the cream, and became luscious, velvety caramel.

The above picture is a bit cryptic, I know, but the spike on the edge of the glass is a piece of the cooked sugar--what it should look like when it's at hard ball stage (like a lollipop) and you drop it in the glass of water.  This is the first time I've done caramel this way and it was a huge success!

I didn't have time for a trip to the health food store for unsweetened coconut (you won't find it at the regular grocery store--I looked) so I used sweetened.  Came out just fine.  I added a cup....

Then I added a third-cup or so more, because it didn't look like enough.

Time for dipping!  Jaime recommends using a fork.  This was a blobby mess for me--I found the finger method to be much easier.

There was a little extra caramel after all the cookies were dipped...I ate it. 8)

This is my pastry bag, which I used to drizzle the chocolate on top rather than fiddling with a fork.  The OCD in me wanted nice even lines of milk chocolate.  I've done the fork thing before--it's a big fat pain in the rear and comes out looking all messy and discombobulated.  If you don't have a pastry bag, pour the melted chocolate into a Ziploc bag, seal it, and cut the very tip off the corner of the bag.  Presto!  :)

These little caramelicious bites of heaven were twice as good as the boxed version, and that's saying somethin'.  Yum-nomnomnomnom. 

It's the Hap - Happiest Season!

We're in the midst of the most wonderful season of all, and one of my favorite days is just around the corner.  Christmas Cookie Delivery Day!

Christmas cookies are a delish way to let someone know you're thankful for their presence in your life.  We take trays of treats to our neighbors, close friends and family, our beloved pediatrician... last year we gave a plate to the mailman and our milkman just to say, "Thanks and Merry Christmas to ya!" 

There's something very special about a homemade tray of goodies around the holidays... knowing that someone lovingly prepared them in their kitchen with you in mind.  Some of my earliest memories of my mom are in the kitchen at Christmas, watching her "fudge" the pistachio fingers and drizzle loaves of cranberry poppyseed bread with to-die-for orange icing, to take around to all our Emporia friends and neighbors.  I haven't nailed down the bread recipe yet but we're working on it.  :) 

I've made all of these recipes multiple times--they're tried and true and dear to my heart.  None are overly time-consuming, aside from the gingerbread men which I've decided to forgo this year in favor of extra sugar cookies.  I make all the doughs ahead of time and pop them in the freezer, and do all the baking the day before Delivery Day (using parchment paper to avoid all the pan-scrubbing).

Ina Garten's Jam Thumbprints (Mom's favorite)
Paula Deen's Ginger Cookies
Paula Deen's White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies
Charlotte's Caramels (If you've never made candy before, this is a delicious way to start.)
Traditional Gingerbread People (I made these two years in a row--totally yummy but a little time-consuming, might still make them with the girls, but not for delivery day.)

And I'll share a couple of our family recipes with you too...

Mom's Christmas Pistachio Fingers
You'll Need:

• 1 cup sugar
• 8 oz (1 brick) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 small package pistachio pudding
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 jar hot fudge ice cream topping

Combine sugar, butter, and cream cheese in mixer; mix until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla.  Combine remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add gradually to mixer.  Stick dough in the fridge for at least an hour.  Grease a cookie sheet (or use parchment paper) and shape dough into  1 1/2 inch fingers.  Bake at 350 for 9-12 minutes.  Cool and drizzle with warmed fudge.  At this point, I stick them in the freezer because otherwise it's impossible to get them on delivery plates in an attractive manner--freezing solidifies the fudge and makes them easy to work with.

Mom's Famous Sugar Cookies
You'll Need:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream

Combine butter and sugar in mixer until fluffy.  Add eggs.  Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and add gradually to mixer.  Add sour cream and vanilla last and mix well.  (Big recipe--use a big bowl!!)  At this point you could do one of two things: form into balls immediately and bake for 10-12 minutes at 375, or stick in the fridge and get the dough nice and cold for rolling out into Christmas shapes.  I'm trying this frosting recipe this year but I'm open to other ideas if you have a favorite--I'm looking for the perfect sugar cookie frosting that dries hard, stays nice and shiny, and tastes delicious. 

Merry Christmas-cookies from my kitchen to yours!!

Christmas Cookie Update:

Done and plated!  The girls "helped" (don't worry, saving the ones they made for Santa Claus).  Didn't end up doing the caramels...well, actually I did make the caramels, but the recipe flopped (must have been the weather, I've made those caramels 10 times with no problems) and I didn't have the heart to start over.

Here's the Sugar Cookie Glaze I ended up using.

Here are some pictures of the finished products:

Joyeux Kitchen: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

"They were delicious.  As far as pumpkin-anything goes, these are the best I've ever had." (said by Doug, after eating a cookie under duress, because he hates pumpkin-anything)

How many desserts can I put pumpkin into before the end of September?  Stay tuned.  This one is incredible, from George Duran on the Food Network.  As a cookie they're a hard 10, but the dough.... oh the dough.  Like heaven.  I would serve it at a party with a spoon and a hot cup of coffee. 

You'll need:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs (room temperature--trust me, all baking ingredients should be room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt (1/4 tsp if you use salted butter)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups (12 oz. bag) milk chocolate chips
• Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Heat the oven to 350.  Spray your cookie sheets with cooking spray or line them with parchment paper (I use parchment paper--no pans to scrub!!).  Beat the butter in your mixer until smooth.  Add both sugars and cream on medium speed until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes).  Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and pumpkin.  Mix all your dry ingredients in a bowl and add slowly to your wet ingredients.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto your cookie sheets and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cookies have browned around the edges.  Remove sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes.  Then take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks. 

These cookies are super soft and gooey.  I made the mistake of putting them in a Ziploc after they cooled, stacking one on top of another.  They're still edible but they aren't pretty anymore.  I'm thinking about crumbling the whole mess up and putting it on top of ice cream (and then going for an 8 mile run).  For storage I'd recommend layering them between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container.

This recipe was from a Food Network special (called Ham on Turkey?).  All the recipes from this episode sound incredible; for a list click here.

Joyeux Kitchen: Laura's No Bake Cookies

Everyone has their own version of this classic recipe, but this one from Doug's mama is our family's favorite.  So easy and fast to whip up!  The only problem is how quickly they disappear. 

You'll need:

• 
  
  1 stick of butter
• 
  
  3 tbsp cocoa
• 
  
  2 cups sugar
• 
  
  1/2 cup milk
• 
  
  1/2 cup peanut butter
• 
  
  1 tsp vanilla
• 
  
  3 cups oats

 Combine the butter, cocoa, sugar and milk in a pot on the stove and bring to a boil for one minute.  Remove from heat.  Add peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal; stir quickly and drop by spoonful onto wax paper.  This sets up fast so don't dawdle.  Enjoy!  [Note: I like to sub a cup of chopped pecans for a cup of the oats, it makes for a crunchier cookie with a nice flavor.]

Love cookies?  Read about The History of The Cookie here.

Joyeux Kitchen: Oooo Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

One of Paula Deen's best...  (You'll see her name come up a lot in my cooking posts.  What can I say?  I love me some butter.)

You'll need:

• 1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the egg, then the vanilla extract.  Add the cake mix and beat until smooth.  The batter is THICK.  Try not to eat it all before you can get the cookies into the oven, it'll be worth the wait.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so you can roll it into balls.  Roll it into tablespoon-sized balls and then roll them in powdered sugar.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.  Bake 12 minutes.  The cookies will remain soft and "gooey."  Cool completely and sprinkle with more powdered sugar, if desired.  (You will desire.)