What keeps you going? Peaking into my kitchen

 For all of my adult life, I have been dreaming of my kitchen. I pictured myself in my cute apron, whipping up batches of cookies and sweets for my husband, who comes in with the paper and sits down at the table just as I place the roast ham down next to the yams.

That will never happen.

First, my husband does not read the paper, as he is technologically inclined to download it instead, or check the online headlines.
Next, he hates ham. I love it. He hates it... a dilemma if ever there was one.
Finally, my husband loves to eat on the couch. True story.... no joke. Go figure!

So, now that I have moved into my dream mansion on the lake, and my kitchen is oodles bigger than before, I get to live only parts of my dreams. At least I can share them with hubby.

December always marks baking season for me. Every year I whip up hundreds (no literally, hundreds) of goodies to give away in tins and boxes to family and friends. The way I see it, people spend lots of money and time making dainties for people who drop in for a visit, so wouldn't it be nice to give out some of those dainties and save them time?
No
They eat them,
They eat them as soon as they are given,
And they are happy,
Which is just as good.

This year I had the pleasure of baking goodies with friends and family in my new home. If you did not know, this was the reason I had sparse posts and uninteresting pictures. I recently moved into my newly-built home on the shores of Rainy Lake. It is a gorgeous paradise. And my kitchen is about 5X bigger, without exaggeration from what I had before.

It is so big, in fact, that I was able to have company over for a cookie decorating party (as seen above) which was super fun! I was also able to bake more than one batch of cookies for the dainty boxes, which is amazing! I have never had two batches baking in my double oven while the third batch chilled... HOW MUCH DID THAT BLOW MY MIND?!

Here's my new paradise:

 It is super hard to believe that it is perfect... except for a valance curtain (teal or yellow... I have yet to decide) the place is perfect. I even had a sign made for above the island.
Je suis la propriétaire d'une patisserie!
N'êtes-vous pas exciter? Non... mais, je suis laide.

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So, from my home to yours, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays.

Movember Moustachioed Macarons

I have been dieing to do something for Movember. I hate when you don't have as much time as you want. But, c'est la vie! It is especially true considering I don't have kids. Most of my friends who do laugh that I get time at all to bake, so I guess I need to have more compassion and patience.

So, this week given my recent baking trend for co-workers, I decided to do something Gluten Free for the two on staff who never get to taste anything I make. The thing is, I wanted it to have a moustache. What is cuter than a Macaron with a Moustache? (maybe one on a stick!)

I have to admit, Macarons are still a struggle for me. The delectable treat tends to get all finicky in my oven. I love how they look and am still trying to perfect them. These Lemon ones, for example, slid a little in their dome. You can JUST make out the crusty bottom of the Macaron, and there are a few pock-marks on the tops. ZUT!
It is my challenge to eventually get it right!

So, I made several Macarons with Moustaches. These were my favorite: The trucker (aka. handlebars), the Undercover Brother and the Connoisseur. Hubbie can't exactly grow a mustache, but beards are his thing... go figure? My friends and I were all sitting around at a Mexican restaurant in town looking at all the moustaches. It is awesome to see, and yet part of me screams in terror at their mere presence. Our server in particular had an amazing 'stache!

Recently we've begun watching old 70s movies, and I don't know how they did it back then... how was that a trend?!


Well, combining two trends: Moustaches for Movember and Macarons for baking, I believe that I'm getting closer to my goal of making a delicious and perfect Macaron. Maybe in time! Until then, I'm going to serve these up and laugh. Maybe I need some more chocolate moustaches too!

Something Evil this way Comes!

ATTENTION~~

Because of the influx of emails asking me which recipe I used to make these cookies, I am posting a like to my sugar Cookie Recipe HERE!

Okay, back to the post:


5 MORE DAYS!

Tomorrow for school, I get my first crack at dress-up; the kindergarten kids who only come on Tuesdays and Thursdays are having their party. I guess I need to get a makeup-check before the big day!
The ghoulies are already stealing my cookies. No, that is not my hand all yuckie with dirt.

Actually, those digits belong to the time-honored traditional Halloween baking known as:

Witchy fingers!

I've always loved the way these simple cookies make Halloween tables look. Honestly, all lined up, or piled into a jar, they look absolutely creepy! That is why I was so excited to make them!

They are the simplest cookie too. Simply roll out some sugar-cookie dough into a thin line (and hes, mine are a little thick, make your cookies thin because they spread), apply an almond shard, score the knuckles, then bake as directed.

I like to brush mine with a little cocoa-powder after baking (with a paint brush) to make the hands look dirty and contrast-like.

Honestly, this is a no-fail treat (unless there are allergies involved). I've got a super awesome treat lined up for Halloween, and it's time to start the pre-baking. It will be awesome. I can't wait!
See you all in a few days!

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

A lot of people have asked 'how did I do this.' The directions are true, and should be right, but if you have certain problems, look below. I will try to add answers as they are asked.

My cookies are flatter than yours: My answer to you is to be cautious of your butter to flour ratio. Oftentimes, doughs react differently at different humidities or temperatures. If you find your dough spreads a little too much, try adding a little flour to the mix before you put in the next batch. I always do a 'test batch' when baking cookies, so I know how they are going to spread.

How thin and long should I roll the dough: As for the thinness of the dough.. I rolled the dough to 3/4 of the width my own fingers, about a bit longer than a real finger. The cookies should spread but stay plump. The bottoms WILL be flat, but the edges are rounded.

Would cinnamon look good in the knuckles?: I would assume Cinnamon work, but a word of caution: Cinnamon is dry! It would be far easier to add more cinnamon to the cookie dough itself before baking than to brush enough cinnamon to make the shaded look. I would still recommend sticking to cocoa, but add more cinnamon in the dough. :)

I used Store-bought dough, and it didn't work. HELP!: I say add more flour. The dough is made to spread and thin... As attested by another baker, it works:
Michelle Junker adds: I used store bought cookie dough today, knowing I had to add flour, I ended up adding 3/4-1 C. of flour and they turned out perfect. Made them extra thin and then made boney knuckles. I also used whole almonds that I cut in half. Very happy with the results! Thanks!

I hope this helps.

BLOG LOVE! Lollypop Cookies

Of all the blogs on the interwebs, Kara's blog, Butter Hearts Sugar is my absolute favorite! Maybe it is the general aesthetic, maybe it is the fact that she has a wicked tattoo! Either way, many of her ideas scream to me! So, with her recent post on these cute lollypop cookies, I freaked. It has been years since I've seen them made (my mom used to make these for us). I just had to borrow the idea!


For a great tutorial, head on down to Kara's blog and check her step-by-step. For mine, I used my sugar cookie recipe and three colors of dough to make lollies. I decided that since my classic sugar cookie recipe is great with icing, but I needed a new flavor for the perfect lolly. So, I pulled out my LorAnn candy oils and added a few drops of the Key Lime into the dough. SO AMAZING! Key-Lime Lolly Cookies!

Of course, these cookies are a dream, and made my students super happy when they got them as a prize! I am very happy that I could be reminded of this great treat, and I can't wait to get back to creating. This is a wonderfully simple design that is great for kids! Or me :)

Thanks Butter Hearts Sugar, for inspiration, icing, and awesomeness~!

IT'S FALL! PUMPKIN TIME! (RECIPE)

Ah Fall! The area around here has already begun to change. The gourds are coming out. We just got back from the farmer's market here. I got some great gourds (Buttercup, Pumpkin, Acorn) and am getting ready to cook it all down for pies, soups, and more! But, I could not wait to cook it... I just had to make myself a favorite recipe: PUMPKIN COOKIES!


These cake-like cookies are the best I've ever had. I love my old pumpkin-white-chocolate cookies, but these cookies are must more subtle, less sweet, and are so scrumptious.
They are not at all dry, and not wet either. Think of a puffy cupcake or a moist muffin; that is the consistency of these cookies!


So, the recipe.... it's not actually mine. I have to give credit where it is due. I found this recipe originally on Allrecipies.com; these cookies on the site are called Iced Pumpkin Cookies (By 'Gina'). I've made a few alterations for me.

So, this would make it a re-post, but I really want to share it because it always gets rave reviews.

ICED PUMPKIN COOKIES
(originally by GINA) - Edited by me :)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla; Beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly; I used a spoon dipped in water.
3. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies.
   
4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add EXTRA milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency, or leave thick to pipe onto cookies as I like (not so sweet). Let icing set.

Seriously, this recipe is a HUGE hit at any time of the year, but something about warm pumpkin on a cool fall day makes life wonderful! I hope you are all enjoying the season and are keeping warm.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin is a comfort food to me. I've always loved it. My favorite way to eat it is in cookie form. The Pumpkin Cookie is, and will always be, my favorite cookie. Why you ask? Well, it is soft, chewy, and can be paired with coffee? You can put cranberries, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, nuts, or any other kind of addition into the recipe, and they still taste amazing! So, I'll share my recipe with you! If you've not already tried making pumpkin cookies, you should try it now!


Pumpkin White Chocolate / Anything Cookies
(you can sub white chocolate chips for anything really)

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter 1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla 1 egg (large)
1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp orange zest (yeah, that's right!)
1 c pumpkin 2 14 c flour
2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon 1 c white chocolate chips (or anything really)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Cream butter and sugar together. Add and stir in salt, egg, vanilla and orange zest.
2. Mix try ingredients: flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and the 1 cup of chips or whatever.
3. Add dry ingredients into wet, alternating the dry with the pumpkin. Stir until incorporated.
4. Spoon 1 tbsp of mix onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 min, or until cooked through.



Yes, if you are wondering, I ate the entire plate of cookies with my coffee. It was delicious, and I promptly went to bed... letting the fat settle in. Pumpkin is a vegetable right? it's healthy? Ah well.

Orange Spice Macaron

Today a rather large storm passed over my place of work. It was amazing! The best part was the smell after the storm, the whole area (which is located in the country) smelled of wet leaves. It's that fall colour you come to associate with love! True, pure love! There were many times in my life when I would go hiking in the fall and that smell would greet me in the morning. Cool and crisp, it's not the smell of decay (even though literally, that is what it is), but rather, the smell of warmth.

I imagine that if orange had a smell, it would smell of the fall leaves.

So, keeping with the theme of fall, I made Orange Spice Macarons!

The idea was a basic orange macaron (colored orange with orange-zest and a little orange extract) filled with a maple-cream cheese buttercream (spiced with a little extra cloves, ginger and cinnamon). To top off the look, I sprinkled a little cocoa powder on top.

I'm still working on the dome top. The problem with this batch is that I added a little too much almond flour, so they were heavy, and did not settle the way I would have liked. But they still remind me of fall, and are still quite delicious! I am my own worst critic!

So, here's the question I pose, what do you know of macarons.

Last April, the Times Online posted an interesting article on the Macaron: Macaroons (edit: STUPID! They even have a picture of a macaron): what that fashionista is eating. Claiming that a rise in popularity for the little cookie has caused it to begin bumping the beloved cupcake.

So, the questions I pose is this: Is the macaon the new cupcake?

Tell me what you think! I'm curious to know!

My house smells like Cinnamon

My house smells like Cinnamon. It's the best smell in the world! There is truly nothing like it!

I am having the girls over tomorrow for a game of crib, and thought that I should have some sweets in the house. I was originally going to make some tarts, but I figured that Snickerdoodles would be best -- they are my favorite! I used My Snickerdoodle Recipe to whip up a quick batch; the recipe is super simple, and only took me about an hour from start to finish.

The result:

Soft, chewy, melt in your mouth cookies. I just got the little flower dish from a second hand store.. SUPER CUTE!


As I said before, these are my favorite cookies. I could not help but to eat a few and read my book. My students are currently going through the Twilight Phase (all students are), and they want to discuss the book. I have to say, I'm not sure which guy Bella should pick. You could either pick a controlling vampire (he follows Bella around and tells her what to do - Emotional Abuse?) or you can pick the violent werewolf (who is like a ticking time-bomb - Physical Abuse?). Either way, I am not feeling very good about these books, even though I'm enjoying them quite a bit. I'm on Team Independent!

The Twilight Series may not be well written (at least not for adults), but they are enjoyable, especially with cinnamon and sugar on the side.

Snickerdoodles: Classy and Simple

When I'm strapped for time, and I need a go-to cookie, Snickerdoodles are usually my choice. This cookie is not only simple to make, but delicious, especially with coffee. The combination of cinnamon and sugar covering, with a slightly-sweet cookie adds elegance and deliciousness!


I have tried this cookie many ways, but find that it is best to add a little hint of maple to make the flavors pop! In a pinch? Here's my recipe:

Snickerdoodles:
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 1/2 Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Margarine
- 1 cup Sugar
- 3 tbsp Maple Syrup (real is best)
- 1 large egg.

(To roll: 1/2 c Sugar, 1/4 cup Cinnamon)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. (set aside).
3. Cream Margarine and Sugar. Beat in eggs and Maple Syrup. Gradually add dry ingredients.
4. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll into the sugar/cinnamon mix. (cookies should be 1 inch apart on the sheet).
5. Bake for 5-8 miutes, or until cracked on top, and slightly brown on bottom. Like so:




Let em' cool, and enjoy! I love how they sparkle! Hopefully you will too!

So, What is a MACARON Exactly?

I don't suppose many people around North Western Ontario know what a Macaron is. MaCaRon, is a fabulously simple, yet rich pastry. Most people praise their delicate nature, but me, I love the colors!


French Macarons are traditional egg-white, almond and sugar pastry dating back to the 18th Century.

Macarons are smooth, domed topped cookies, with a ruffle of almond around the base (middle for the sandwich). Connoisseurs prize a delicate, egg shell-like crust that yields to a moist and airy interior." What's more, is that they can come in various flavors, depending on the tastes (like Truffle, Maple, Vanilla, Raspberry, etc.).

The truth is simple, I ♥ Macarons!

Flavor of the Month... MACARONS!

It is no secret that I LOVE reading Bridget's blog Bake at 350.
After months of browsing through her Flavor of the month, I've decided to give it my own go.

This month, the flavor was Cookies (which is not truly a flavor, but I can overlook that because cookies are fun to make, and I am sure there will be an assortment of different types to browse).

Anyway, being the strange person I am, I decided to make Macarons. I think they are so beautiful, and so perfect, that to resist the opportunity would be foolish!

There was only one problem. I burnt the first batch! :( So we'll just ignore that, and move on to the successful batch.

So, these wonderful Macarons were flavored Chocolate Mint (For the season). The tops of the Macaons were put into a swirl pattern, which I then started to hate. The conventional flat-topped Macaron looked a lot nicer, and sat better together. Still these were cute too.

The Recipe:

1 1/4 cup icing/powered sugar
4oz almond flour
2 lg egg whites
pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
(color)

Directions:
1. Trace 1inch circles on parchment, flip over

2. sift almond flour and icing sugar together. In a dry, clean bowl, whip eggs whites with salt until foamy. Increase speed, add sugar, extract and color. Whip to stiff peaks (should be firm and shiny).

3. With a rubber spatula, fold in the icing sugar mix until incorporated. Make sure to touch the mix only as much as needed to mix together. The mix should 'flow like magma' when ready.

4. Fill piping bag, then fill in 1inch traced circles on parchment. Tap baking sheet to remove air bubbles, then let dry at room temperature for 1/2 an hour.

5. Heat oven to 325 and bake for 8-11 min (depending on oven ).

6. Remove Macarons from oven and transfer parchment to cooling rack. When cool, slide Macarons off with pairing knife. Pipe filling (below).

Filling:

These babies can be filled with all sorts of things. I like using Swiss Meringue found on Martha's webpage. Thanks Martha!

Now, go and enjoy!