Oatmeal Cookies with Icing Drizzle

I came across this recipe for Iced Oatmeal Cookies on a favorite food blog of mine, Smitten Kitchen.  The SK blogger adapted a cookie recipe from cookbook Good to the Grain.  After following the recipe exactly the first time, I jotted down these changes.  They tested out to make the cookies exactly as I wanted them.  My changes were to eliminate buttering the cookie sheets--this makes for a more browned, crisp cookie than I prefer to eat--so if you prefer this, slather away with the butter.  I'm warning you, however, to watch cookies baked on buttered sheets very closely.  They can burn in an instant.  Additionally, I eliminated the cinnamon from the icing, and used just whole milk and confectioners sugar.  Lastly, these were made smaller than shown on SK, using the Small Pampered Chef Scoop (appx. 1 tablespoon).

Try these!  They're excellent in most any incarnation!

Soft Molasses Cookies

I posted the recipe for these a few years ago.  I think it's worthy of a repost.  They are a great old-fashioned-cookie addition to anyone's holiday baking arsenal.



Soft Molasses Cookies (King Arthur Flour Recipe)


Ingredients
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 c molasses
1/3 c dark rum
5 tbsps butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c king arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp ginger


Directions
Step #1 Whisk together the flour, spices, salt & baking soda, & set aside.
Step #2 In a large bowl, beat together the butter & sugar, then beat in the molasses.
Step #3 Add the dry ingredients alternately with the rum.
Step #4 Using a cookie or muffin scoop, scoop out round balls of dough somewhere in size between a ping-pong ball & a golf ball, & place the balls on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
Step #5 Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 11 to 12 mins, until they crack on top but haven't yet browned around the edges.

It's that time of year again...PUMPKIN MANIA!!!!!!!!!!

I  have to admit that I'm more a fan of pumpkins as decoration than food.  I'm just not a fan of pumpkin coffee, pumpkin beer or pumpkin muffins stuffed with pumpkin covered in pumpkin icing drizzled with pumpkin glaze.  However, I know I'm outnumbered.  And that's ok!!!  

Today it's difficult to write about fall, with the mercury climbing to about ninety degrees here in lovely Wheeling town.  But it's the time of year when I start thinking about what I'm going to do to decorate pumpkins for the season. 

I don't want to steal anyone's photos, so for now this post is a preview of things to come:

• swiss cheese pumpkins with little mice
• henna 'tattoo' pumpkins
• spiderweb pumpkins
• ribbon pumpkins
• pumpkins decorated with upholstery tacks/hobnails

Now, for those of you who love your pumpkin foodstuffs, here is a link to a pumpkin puree recipe on a TERRIFIC food blog called Annie's Eats.  Even if you have no interest in making pumpkin puree, check out Annie's food blog.  It's really fantastic!

Some pics of my own from a couple autumns ago...

Cherry Almond Cookies

 For some reason, I decided I just had to have cherry almond cookies.  I couldn't find a recipe that was quite what I wanted.  Here's what I've come up with:

Cherry Almond Cookies
makes 6-7 dozen

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup oat flour*
1/4 cup ground flax seed (can be omitted)
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup sliced almonds 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream together butter and sugars until smooth.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
4. Stir in almond extract.
5. Dissolve baking soda in hot water.  Add baking soda/water and salt to batter.
6. Stir in flours, flax seed, cherries and almonds.
7. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven, until cookie edges are lightly browned.

 *  Make oat flour by grinding oatmeal in the blender, then sifting out any leftover large pieces using a mesh colander.

Pecan Pie (aka: the only thing I accomplished today)

I've tried several different pecan pie recipes.  I've doctored, added and subtracted, then scratched my head and started over.  I think this is a good, solid recipe for a classic dessert.  Some things are just best kept pretty simple.  Try it and let me know if you agree!  I made a few tweaks to a recipe that claims to be that of The Camellia Grill in New Orleans. 

Pecan Pie
makes 2-9" deep-dish pies

10 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup cane syrup*
2 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 unbaked pie shells
2 cups pecan halves

1.  Beat eggs with a wire whisk (I use a stand mixer to make the pie filling).
2.  Add salt, butter, syrups, brown sugar and vanilla extract.  Blend well.
3.  Pour filling into pie shells (tip:  don't overfill crusts--leave room for pecan topping and for filling to bubble while baking).  Top with pecan halves.
4.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

*more light corn syrup can be substituted for the cane syrup if unavailable

Holiday Coin Cookies

This is a good, easy holiday cookie. They're similar to shortbread.


Holiday Coins


2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup pecans, finely chopped
2 tbsp. red decorator’s sugar


In small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In medium-size bowl, beat butter until creamy, 1 minute. Beat in sugar until fluffy, 2 minutes. Beat in yolks and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until dough comes together. Divide dough into quarters.


Roll each quarter of dough into a 6-inch log, 1 inch thick. On cutting board, spread pecans in rectangle, 7x5 inches. Roll 2 of the logs in pecans to evenly coat. Wrap each log in waxed paper; refrigerate. Repeat with red sugar and remaining 2 dough logs. Refrigerate for 2 hours (or overnight).


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap logs. Cut each into appx. 16 slices, about ¼ inch thick. Transfer to UNgreased baking sheet.


Bake cookies in 350 degree oven for about 14 minutes or until just golden around edges. Remove cookies from sheet to wire rack; let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.


Recipe from Family Circle. Yields: 6 dozen cookies. Melissa Saville Murray.

Soft Molasses Cookies

These are a great addition to anyone's holiday baking arsenal.



Soft Molasses Cookies (King Arthur Flour Recipe)


Ingredients
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 c molasses
1/3 c dark rum
5 tbsps butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c king arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp ginger


Directions
Step #1 Whisk together the flour, spices, salt & baking soda, & set aside.
Step #2 In a large bowl, beat together the butter & sugar, then beat in the molasses.
Step #3 Add the dry ingredients alternately with the rum.
Step #4 Using a cookie or muffin scoop, scoop out round balls of dough somewhere in size between a ping-pong ball & a golf ball, & place the balls on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
Step #5 Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 11 to 12 mins, until they crack on top but haven't yet browned around the edges.