new cookies

I am going to be at my mom's for a week. If she is up to it, I will make some cookies. When Christmas is over I am thinking about making tamales. I know that it is traditional for Mexican people to make them for Christmas, all I can say to that is they are amazing that they squeeze that it at the holidays. I have made them before and they were awesome. I will but them on this blog. If anyone wants to join me in making them, they are more then welcome to come over and make some. There will be tequila.

1001 cookie starter recipe pinwheel cookies

1001 Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies
4 cups - Domino® Sugar 1001 Cookie Starter Mix
1½ teaspoons - vanilla extract
¼ cup - Domino® Light Brown Sugar
1 - large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons - unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon - milk
In large bowl, mix together all ingredients except cocoa powder and milk. Divide dough in half. Add cocoa powder and milk to one portion of dough and mix well. Shape each portion of dough into a disk. Wrap doughs separately and chill for approximately 1 hour.
Roll dough separately on floured board into 2 rectangles 13×7-inches each, and about ¼-inch thick. Place the vanilla dough on top of the chocolate, and press together with a rolling pin. Roll up lengthwise, jelly roll fashion. Chill approximately 1 hour, until firm.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease cookie sheets.
Cut rolls into ¼-inch slices and place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack
these are ok I cut them thin and thick and thick is better. They take some time.

Day 10 1001 Cookie Starter Recipe

I had mentioned earlier in my blog that I wanted to do this. So I went ahead and made this starter. I measured out what I need for the first cookie I want to make. I want to make the pinwheels first. This is on the Domino Sugar web sight. I am not doing this cookie today.
• 5 cups - all-purpose flour
• 3 3/4 cups - Domino® Granulated Sugar
• 2 tablespoons - baking powder
• 2 teaspoons - salt
• 1 1/2 cups - plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
In a 4-quart bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir until thoroughly blended. Add butter and use pastry blender or clean hands to work into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Makes 10 cups.
For best results:
• Be sure that your baking powder is less than a month old when putting together the mix.
• If using margarine, do not choose diet, whipped or soft.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Do not press the mix.
• Let Cookie Starter Mix come to room temperature before use.

Day 9 Solo Kolacky Thumb Print Cookies

These are my husbands and sons very favorite cookie. It is on the label of the Solo can's of fillings. My mother-in-law gave this to me when I was first married. They have not changed the recipe.
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. Milk
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Egg Yolk
1.5 cups all purpose flour
.5 Tsp baking powder
1 can Solo filling (any flavor)
Instructions
Pre-heat oven 400-f
Beat Butter, Cream cheese, milk and sugar in medium-size bowl with electric mixer until thoroughly blended. Beat in egg yolk. Sift flour and baking powder and stir into butter mixture to make stiff dough. Cover bowl and refrigerate 7 hours or over-night.
Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to ¼ thickness, Cut Dough with 2” cookie cutter. Place cookies on ungreased baking sheets about 1” apart. Make depression in center with Thumb or back of spoon. Spoon 1 Teaspoon Solo filling into center of cookie. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets and cool completely on wire racks. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar just before serving
I just keep putting my fingers in powder sugar and roll them in small balls then I keep putting my thumb in powder sugar to make the thumbprint. I don't bother rolling them out. I use to but they taste the same so why bother.

Day 8 Sherry's famous Sugar Cookie

1 c butter
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Cream butter and sugar well. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually blend in flour, baking powder, and salt, which have been mixed together.Chill dough at least 3 hours. Roll out to 1/8 to 1/4 in thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 min
Sherry was kind enough to give me this recipe. There is a photo of her tie-dye cookies on this blog. Everyone at work goes crazy for these cookies.

Day 7 Christmas cookie

  Buried Cherry Cookie

1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries (about 48)
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi sweet chocolate pieces
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

Drain cherries and reserve juice. Stir together flour, cocoa, soda, powder and salt. In a large mixer bowl beat butter until soft. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture and blend well.Shape dough into 1" balls. Place about 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press down center of each with your thumb. Place a cherry in each cookie.
In small saucepan combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of the reserved cherry juice. Spoon 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry, swirling to completely cover cherry.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove to racks and cool. Makes about 48.
I forgot to put in the cherry juice. They are okay

Day 6 Bellringer cookies

BELLRINGER COOKIES
2 tsp soft butter or margarine 1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp light brown sugar 1 tsp orange rind
1 tbsp maraschino cherry liquid 2 tsp apricot nectar
½ cup finely minced nuts ¼ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup soft butter or margarine 1/8 tsp baking soda
Quartered maraschino cherries about 6 1 cup all purpose flour
Cream 2 tsps butter and brown sugar, stir n cherry liquid and nuts set aside cream 1/3 cup butter and sugar, stir in orange rind and nectar. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda. Stir into butter-sugar mixture until well blended. Make into 2 balls of dough. Roll out, one at a time on lightly floured pastry cloth to 1/8” thickness, Cut into 3” bells and place on ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon ½ tsp of nut cherry liquid mixture into center place a cherry quarter at wide end for clapper bake at 375 12 to 14 min until golden about 2 dozen cookies
They really don't make 2 dozen. I always use parchment paper. They are one of those cookies that can brake when you try to take them off. Also I always roll out my cookies in powdered sugar instead of flour. They will not get tough if you use sugar.

As you can see from my photo I just cut them in a shape. I could not find my bell cookie cutter. I have tried to double this recipe and it just didn't seem the same. I have always used margarine because that is how my mom made them. These are one of my most favorite cookies. I have never seen this recipe anywhere else. My mom said she got it off of the Domino's sugar box but Domino's does not have it on there website the last time I looked. I hope you enjoy these.

Day 5 Christmas cookie

Peanut Butter Temptations (on the back of the bag of Reeses miniature peanut butter cups)
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
36 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together the brown sugar, white sugar and butter. Stir in the peanut butter, then the egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the peanut butter mixture until the dough comes together. Shape into 1 inch balls and press them into the cups of an unprepared mini muffin pan.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a mini chocolate covered peanut butter cup down into the center of each cookie until only the top is showing. Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing from their pans.
Okay the changes I made were I left out the salt because with all the salt in the butter and peanut butter it seemed like enough. I also put in 1 tsp instead of 1/2 tsp vanilla but that's just because I grabbed the wrong spoon. The cookies take a long time to completely cool off. I was in a hurry to clean up. The tray was cool to the touch so I dumped them out onto the cooling rack and melted chocolate got all over the rack. I hear it is kinda of hard to lick chocolate off a cooling rack. I wouldn't know anything about that personally. There was this guy I use to work with who's wife made a huge batch of a cookie similar to this one. I think hers were better. I will see if I can get that recipe instead. That guy doesn't work with me anymore. I sure do miss his wife.

Day 4 Kiss Cookies

These are my family all time favorite
KISS COOKIES
Ingredients:
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 pkg kisses
powder sugar
Directions:
Beat margarine, sugar, vanilla until light and fluffy add sifted flour and nuts, mix well chill dough 30 min shape 1 level tsp around kiss completely bake at 375 10 min do not let get brown roll in powder
I used half margarine and half butter. For some reason, growing up I don't ever remember my mom using butter. So most of her recipes always say margarine or oleo. My nephews told me that not even flies will land on margarine. I keep dipping my fingers in power sugar when putting the dough around the kiss. It makes it easier and if you use powder sugar instead of flour, the cookies will not get tough. I wrap the least amount of dough around the kiss. These cookies are so good that if people gave them as gifts, there would be peace and joy for Christmas.

Day 3 You might be a redneck if

You make these cookies
Potato Chip Cookies
2 c oleo (I love that) aka margarine
1 c sugar
3 c flour
3 tsp vanilla
2 c crushed potato chips
1 c nuts
Drop by the spoonfuls and flatten with spatula before baking. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 mins. Makes 7 dozen

The changes I made was first I cut in half. I creamed margarine and sugar first. I had another potato chip recipe that said use butter so I did half and half. They do not need to be flattened with a spatula and that didn't really work anyway I didn't add the nuts. The other recipe said to sprinkle with sugar after you take them out of the oven. I think that might be a good idea.

I found this in a recipe in a cookbook my old work had made. The funny thing is two people felt the need to put in this recipe. I just keep thinking about some poor family in the 70's really want cookies but they don't have any money for chocolate chips so the mom says I know I will use potato chips.

Day 2

I had a family emergency so no time to go to the store for ingredients. That's when I seen the recipe in my Better Homes and Garden cookbook for shortbread. I think it turned out pretty good. In fact it is so good, I need to wear some plaid.

1 1/4 c flour

3 tbs sugar

1/2 c butter

Combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Form mixture into a ball and knead until smooth.

To make wedges, on a ungreased cookie sheet pat or roll the dough into a 8 inch circle. they made scalloped in the cook book but I didn't mess around with that. Cut into 16 pie wedges. Leave in the circle shape. Bake 25 to 30 mins or until bottom starts to brown and center is set. Cut into wedges again while warm. Cool on sheet 5 min. Remove from sheet and let cool. I think you could make the dough in a food processor. I seen it on line after I did mine. Oh well live and learn.

day one of cookies

Ok I know I said I would start the cookies after Thanksgiving but that was a dumb idea.  I will now do a cookie everyday of December.  My daughter is crazy for soft cookies.  I made soft chocolate chips.  They turned out pretty good.  I got the recipe from allrecipes.  It was called award winning soft chocolate chips.  I did half it because I thought what if it sucks, then I'm stuck with these bad cookies.  The only changes I made was a TBS of vanallia and one stick butter and one margrine and halft semi sweet chips and half milk chocolate.Also use parchement paper and cook 12 mins no longer. 

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown

Jalapeno stuffing

We had deep fried turkey and Jalapeno stuffing.  I lost my recipe for it so we winged it.  I sautéed some celery and onion with butter and then made 2 boxes of chicken stove top, cooked some Tennessee Pride spicy sausage and dumped in 3 of those small cans of fire roasted Jalapenos  I thought one was enough but my husband is crazy and wanted 3.  I then put on a jellyroll pan and cooked for 30 mins.  It was pretty good

crock-pot

We went to Wal-Mart this weekend looking for one of those small crockpots to put buffalo chicken dip in.  We found a 2 qt one for $4 dollars.  It was not marked $4 dollars but when we scanned it, that's what it came up as.  For that price, you could bring your dip or appetizers to the party and let the hostess keep it.  Or give as a secret Santa gift for that price.

Glitter naipolish

My daughter brought home this nail polish called OPI Mad as a Hatter.  I loved it and tried to find it.  I guess it was a really hot item and was discontinued.  I am always a day late and a dollar short.  I think I have come up with a pretty good knock-off for a lot cheaper.  We had a color called hematite from Charlotte Russe and I bought a glitter called Sand and Stiletto’s at Five Below.  I am happy with it.

margarita's

Ok we went to Dos Reales.  It has been awhile since we went there.  The margaritas were very weak.  We told them "Hey your a little light on the tequila" I drink more tequila then people from Mexico.  This isn't the first time that this has happened to me.  Once when I was let go from a third shift job, I went straight to unemployment.  My husband and I were at a Mexican restaurant by 10am.  It was called Bahia.  The first thing I noticed was an overwhelming pine sol smell.  It always makes me think what are they trying to hide.  We order a pitcher and it is florescent green.  Never a good sign.  I sip mine first and think there is zero booze in here but I say nothing.  I want to wait for hubby's reaction.  He takes a drink and says the same thing.  I'm not in a good mood as it is so I take it up to the bar and say "Hey where is the tequila" and this it the part that really pissed me off.  The bartender smirks.  So now I'm thinking to myself, is this some sort of reverse discrimination.  Just because I'm total wasp, I don't know anything about tequila?  There first clue should have been that I am drinking before lunch.  I'm not going to notice?

Squash soup

I made this soup from the organic sqaush my son brought home from the farm he works at.  Here is the recipe.  I followed it for the most part but since I had so much sqaush, I did add buttermilk only because thats what I had on hand.  I also made some sourdough bread in my bread machine.  That was just so so.  I am going back to doing sourdough bread with my KitchenAid

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
• 1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ground cinnamon to taste (optional)
• fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the squash halves cut side down in a baking dish. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Scoop the pulp from the skins. Discard skins.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender.
3. In a blender or food processor, blend the squash pulp, onion, broth, brown sugar, cream cheese, pepper, and cinnamon until smooth. This may be done in several batches.
4. Transfer the soup to a pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Garnish with parsley, and serve warm.

chocolate chip cookies with malt flavor

My new coworker brought these cookies to work.  The photo does not do them justice

Domino Sugar 1001 cookie starter

They have this starter recipe that you can use to make different cookies.  I am going to give it a try. 

tie dye cookies

A co-worker made these for another co-workers birthday. 

Its already the second week of November!

I can't believe its already the second week of November and my Halloween stuff is still not completely put away.  But here I am doing this blog about baking a cookie everyday of the Christmas season.  I love cookies so much that when I have a really good one, I want to hold it up high and do a little dance with it around the kitchen. I am going to start the day after Thanks Giving.