Cookie Jar
Wednesday, April 22, 2009, by Leigh Anne
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So I thought I was about lemoned out and had shared enough lemon recipes with you but then the Oregonian went and put a recipe for Oatmeal Lemon Cookies in the FoodDay section last week and I knew I had to try it!
I had a group of women from church coming over one evening last week to make these fun headbands and these cute headbands and I figured it was the perfect opportunity to give the cookies a try.
Oatmeal and lemon is not a combination I usually put together but it works! The recipe is similar to a cookie that was available at the Portland Art Museum . The author of the article (sorry I don’t have their name - I cut out the recipe but that was it) had this to say about their experience with the cookies nearly twenty years ago:
“I don’t remember the exhibits, but I’ll never forget those elegant cookies. Their elusive, lemony flavor makes them the ideal accompaniment to an evening’s dessert, such as fresh fruit, ice cream or sorbet.”
The cookie would also make a perfect tea time cookie. It makes a light, crisp delicate cookie.
The recipe tells you to lightly flatten the cookies but I must have made mine too big because this is what happened.
So with the next batch I decided to use my smaller cookie scoop and not flatten them and it worked better.
The cookies were a hit with the women and I will definitely be making them again!
Oatmeal Lemon Cookies
The Oregonian
1 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C unsalted butter ( 2 sticks)
1 1/3 C granulated sugar, divided
1 tsp lemon extract
Grated zest from 1 medium lemon
1 1/2 C old-fashioned oatmeal, uncooked
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Into a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a stand mixer set on low speed, beat the butter and 1 cup sugar until creamy and light in color, 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. On medium speed, add the lemon extract and zest and beat until blended. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating on low until blended. Add the oatmeal and beat until blended.
Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out some dough and roll it between your hands to form a ball (if the dough sticks to your hands, keep a bowl of cold water nearby and occasionally dip your hands in, shaking off the excess) Place the cookies, 2 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Place the reserved 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl alongside another small bowl filled with water.
Lightly dip the bottom of a flat glass in the water and then in sugar. Lightly flatten each cookie, refreshing the glass with every one or two cookies. Bake until the tops are just golden, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies firm and cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Popularity: 18% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Nourish, Recipes
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Monday, February 23, 2009, by Leigh Anne
At the beginning of the year I shared with you that one of my 2008 goals had been to read 100 books in 2008. A rather lofty goal as in 2007 I had only read 28.
As you know, I didn’t make my 2008 goal but I did read 31. I have revamped my goal for 2009 to 50 books. Hopefully a little more doable but still a push!
I figured I would need to read at least 4 books a month with a couple of extra thrown in somewhere. As an update - I did read 4 in January and think I will make 4 in February too!
I have been wanting to share the list of books I read in 2008 with you for a while now but just kept finding other things to post about instead but today you are getting the list.
So here is the list - in order read. I have to say that my favorite book of 2008 was the first one I read - Molokai. My friend Jody had recommended it, her book club read it. I read it, loved it and presented it at my Book Club.
I am a huge historical fiction fan and this book was perfect. It was fascinating learning about the Leper Colony in Hawaii and the history of leprosy.
So what was your favorite read in 2008 - please leave a comment and let me know!
Molokai by Alan Brennert
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - my feeble attempt at reading some classics
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Freakonomics by Levitta Dubner
A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson - another favorite
Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
Belong to Me (the sequel to Love Walked In) by Marisa de los Santos
The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig - another Book Club read that I really enjoyed
An Unfinished Marriage by Joan Anderson
Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom - a re-read that I loved as much this time as the first 3 times!
7 Habits of Effective People by Stephen Covey - another re-read
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
The Holy Secret by James Ferrell
The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith - another fun read in the Ladies Detective Agency series
Just Who Will You Be by Maria Shriver - a fast read
A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen
Being Perfect by Anna Quindlen
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka - about a Japanese Internment Camp
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan - enjoyed this book about Frank Lloyd Wright’s love affair
A Walk on the Beach by Joan Anderson
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - YA fiction we listened to in the car on the way to take Cali to college - enjoyed by all!
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows - loved this book. Our Book Club also read it.
Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah. Takes place at the Oregon Coast.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - another historical fiction that takes place during WWII - YA Fiction. Loved it!
How to be Lovely by Melissa Hellstern - about Audrey Hepburn
An Elegant Spirit, A Son Remembers by Sean Hepburn Ferrer - I got on a little bit of an Audrey Hepburn kick!
The Second Journey by Joan Anderson
and I ended 2008 with
John Adams by David McCullough - I love history!
So out of all the books you read in 2008 - what was your favorite? Let me know by leaving a comment - thanks!
What are some of the first books you are reading in 2009?
Happy reading in 2009
Popularity: 29% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Inspire
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Thursday, December 18, 2008, by Leigh Anne
photo by cakegirl
If your holiday baking is still on your holiday “To Do” list I hope you will find this list of cookies helpful. I have compiled a list of cookie recipes that I have shared over the last year or so.
Many of these will be appearing on my holiday cookie plate. Enjoy!
Lemon Drops - my personal favorite
Snickers Cookies
Snowballs
Almond Sugar Cookie
Lemon-White Chunk
Melting Moments
Minty White Chocolate Cookies
Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies
Sandlake Cookies
Butterscotch Blondies
Chocolate Mountains
Peppermint Cookies
Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting
Key Lime Cookies
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Nordy Bars
Happy Cookie Baking!!
Popularity: 26% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Nourish, Recipes
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Friday, December 5, 2008, by Leigh Anne
I have a lot of baking to do! There are so many yummy sounding cookie recipes being shared as part of our holiday cookie exchange and I want to try them all!! I have tried to respond to everyone who has entered to thank you for sharing. If I missed you, I apologize - please know how much I appreciate you and your fun cookie recipes.
If you haven’t had a chance to join in the fun you can still do so by posting your favorite holiday cookie recipe here. You will also be entered to win one of my “Handmade by Leigh Anne” holiday aprons!! I promise it will be cute!
Today’s cookie recipe is one I have had for years. I can’t remember where it came from but it may have come from my sister in law Tricia - the amazing cookie baker. Years ago when Tricia and David (Jim’s brother) lived in Vancouver she and I both fell in love with these yummy chocolate/marshmallow cookies they sold at the mall. I would drive 30 minutes to the Vancouver mall just to have one of those cookies.
We were both so sad when the store closed down and no more cookies! I think Tricia may have found this recipe so we could make them ourselves at home. Do you remember Tricia?
When Tessa got home from school and sampled the cookies her response was “I could eat 50 of these!”
Beware: they are rich and you may need to climb a few mountains after eating them to burn off the calories but they are worth it and it’s the holidays so calories don’t count!!
I hope you enjoy these yummy little chocolate mountains! Yum!!!
One Year Ago: Connections
Chocolate Mountains
1/2 C shortening
1/2 C evaporated milk
2 Tbsp water
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 C cocoa
1/2 C chopped walnuts, optional (I didn’t put them in)
24 large marshmallows, cut in half
Beat well shortening, milk, water, egg and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients except marshmallows, blend well. Drop by teaspoonful on greased cookie sheet. Bake 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Quickly place marshmallow half (sticky side down) on each cookie. Let cool.
Frosting:
1/3 C soft butter
2 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
About 2 Tbsp milk
6 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp oil
Combine frosting ingredients and beat until smooth. Frost marshmallows like a mountain. Enjoy!
Popularity: 26% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Nourish, Recipes
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Wednesday, December 3, 2008, by Leigh Anne
December is here and believe it or not there are only 22 more days until Christmas. I really feel cheated this year with one less week between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I already feel behind and it’s barely started!!
The college kids and high school girl have all returned to school and Jim was traveling today so I had the house totally to myself! It was so quiet!! I decided to get busy ”decking the halls” and unpacking all those boxes.
I also began making a list - not a list for Santa - but a list of all the yummy cookies I want to make this year for our annual Cookie Baking Day. Each year I try to add a few new recipes to the collection. I usually spend hours looking through magazines, cookbooks and blogs looking for new recipes to try.
This year I decided to ask for your help and to have some fun at the same time!
You are invited to a Holiday Cookie Exchange!
Since I can’t have you all over to my house to actually exchange cookies we will just have to exchange cookie recipes. And guess what?! There is a prize too!
All you have to do is enter one of your favorite holiday cookie recipes into the comment box below. You will then be entered into the giveaway for another one of my “Handmade by Leigh Anne” holiday aprons (fabrics may vary)
Remember if you are reading this in an email update or rss reader you will need to click through to the blog to leave your recipe in the comment box. Do not just reply to the email. Thanks!
The Holiday Cookie Exchange will be open for entries through Sunday, Dec. 7th at midnight PST. I will post the winner on Monday morning.
We will all be winners though because we will have lots of fun new cookie recipes to try.
I will kick off the cookie exchange with a yummy recipe - Peppermint Cookies. This recipe came from my friend Shauna Watts - her sister in law Mitzi came up with it! The recipe calls for mint chocolate chips which I didn’t have so I just used semi-sweet but for an even mintier version they would be wonderful.
If you have one of those great Silphat mats you will definitely want to use it with this recipe. Since the cookies are covered in crushed candy cane the melted candy will permanently adhere to your cookie sheet if you don’t use the mat. If you don’t have a mat be sure and loosen the cookies before the melted candy hardens and move them to a cooling rack.
I will share a few more favorite cookie recipes over the next week or so. I can’t wait to see what you share!!
One Year Ago: Banana Bars
Peppermint Cookies
1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
pink or red food coloring
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 C flour
1 C mint chocolate chips
candy canes, crushed
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheet
Cream together sugar, butter, egg, salt and food coloring. Stir in baking powder, flour and vanilla. Add chocolate chips. Roll dough into ball, dip in crushed candy canes. Bake 10 minutes.
Popularity: 32% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Nourish, Recipes
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008, by Leigh Anne
The last few months I have been on the hunt for the perfect sugar cookie. The perfect sugar cookie would be one that did not need to be rolled out or refrigerated, would have an almond flavor and a yummy almond frosting on top.
You see, I found the perfect sugar cookie at a small little deli in Kalama, Washington. Kalama is about an hour north of Portland, too far away to visit on a regular basis to satisfy my sugar cookie cravings! I love their almond sugar cookies - and I wanted to find a way to create them at home.
I tried numerous recipes - some close but not quite right. I shared my quest with my blogger friend Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe. Melanie sent me several almond sugar cookie recipes and I tried them all and guess what?! One of them was a winner! Another food blogger had shared it with Melanie and then she shared it with me and now I’m sharing it with you! Thank you Melanie.
So today’s recipe is for what I think is the perfect sugar cookie! They don’t need to be refrigerated or rolled out - they have a lovely almond flavor and a yummy almond frosting. They are slightly crisp around the edges and soft in the middle. They are even better the second day!
Almond Glazed Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix butter, sugar and extract in a large bowl. Beat until cream, 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Beat 1 to 2 more minutes. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet and flatten balls to 1/4 inch thickness with the bottom of a buttered glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 400 for 7-9 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Cool 1 minute. Move to a wire rack. Stir together glaze ingredients with a wire whisk. Decorate cooled cookies with glaze and sliced almonds (optional)
Glaze: 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp. almond extract, 4-5 tsp. milk (I used whipping cream)
Popularity: 27% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Nourish, Recipes
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008, by Leigh Anne
I think you know by now how I feel about lemons - I love them! You may have also picked up on the fact that I love white chocolate too and my favorite all time cookie is a chocolate chip cookie - today’s recipe is a twist on the traditional chocolate chip cookie - combining three of my favorite things - lemon, white chocolate and chocolate chip cookies!
The combination of lemon and white chocolate is one I had not tried before - but it did not disappoint. The lemon in this cookie recipe is subtle but it’s there.
I found this recipe on a fun blog I visit on a regular basis - Cookie Madness
I hope you enjoy these as much as my family did. After eating one, my sweet husband came up to my office and said, “These are really good!”
Try them and let me know what you think. Happy cookie baking!
PS - this dough has to be refrigerated so allow yourself some time.
Lemon White Chunk Cookies
1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used salted)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used regular brown sugar)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup plus 1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt (I only used 1/4 tsp. since I used salted butter)
3/8 tsp. baking soda (this is not a typo - it is really 3/8 tsp. - just use slightly less than 1/2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. lemon extract or lemon oil
2 cups white chocolate chunks (You can also use chips. I bought a block of white chocolate at Trader Joes and chopped it up)
Place the butter in a large bowl and cream at high speed until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture at low speed until just combined and add vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl down, until blended. Do not over-mix.
Add white chocolate chunks and mix till thoroughly combined. Refrigerate batter until cold, preferably overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop heaping spoonfuls of batter 2 inches apart on lined baking sheet and bake, turning tray once, until golden brown around edges and soft, about 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Nourish, Recipes
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Thursday, February 28, 2008, by Leigh Anne
I was planning on sharing another Lovely Lemon recipe with you today but we are a divided camp at our house. Half of my children are lemon lovers/mint haters and the other half are mint lovers/lemon haters. I love lemons and mint.
So when the doorbell rang this week and there was my cute little neighbor delivering my Girl Scout cookies (I actually had 3 different Brownies delivering cookies to my house - I can’t say no to them!) I remembered a recipe I have been saving for almost a year now for Thin Mint Pizza Supreme. So in fairness to the mint lovers at my house you will have to wait until next week for another lemon recipe.
Although I love many of the different varieties of Girl Scout cookies (except for Samoas - I don’t do coconut!) my favorite Girl Scout cookie is the Thin Mint -there is nothing better than a frozen thin mint cookie right out of the freezer.
I also love Girl Scouts. I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout growing up and my mom was my leader. Not only was she my troop leader but she was also the President of our Council and my dad was in charge of fund raising for the Council, so you can see why we love our Girl Scout cookies.
Wasn’t I a cute Brownie!
My girls have also been involved in Girl Scouts and I was a Brownie leader too. We have had our share of cookie selling at this house -hundreds of boxes over the years!
I found today’s recipe in a Rachel Ray magazine but after all my Thin Mints were gone so I have been waiting for this year’s delivery of Thin Mints so I could try it. It did not disappoint.
Leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite Girl Scout cookie is!
Thin Mint Pizza Supreme
One roll of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
Half of a box of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies (I used about 16)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. heavy cream or half and half
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12 inch pizza pan or a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper. (I used my Pampered chef pizza stone and did not use parchment paper) using your fingers, press the cookie dough to fit the pan. Break the Thin Mints into quarters and gently press them into the dough. Bake until golden brown 15 minutes or so. Let cool.
Meanwhile, in a double boiler, whisk together the white chocolate chips and cream until the chocolate melts. Remove from the heat. Using a fork, drizzle the topping over the cooled pizza. Cut into slices.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Nourish, Recipes
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Thursday, February 21, 2008, by Leigh Anne
I love lemons!
I love everything about lemons!
I love the taste of lemons, the smell of lemons, the color and shape of lemons!
I purchase lemons by the pound, not individually - last week I bought 5 lbs. of lemons. Wondering what 5 pounds of lemons look like? - see the above photo (you can also see my lemon tablecloth in the picture!).
Over the next few weeks I am going to share with you what I did with 5 lbs. of lemons!
But before I do that I want to tell you about two kitchen tools you are going to need if you are going to work with lemons.
First - the microplaner. I love this tool. It is a long, small grater type tool. You use it to “zest” a lemon which basically means grating the lemon rind. Fresh lemon zest adds great flavor to recipes.
Second - you will need a lemon juicer. I use this handy little hand juicer - it quickly and easily squeezes all the juice out of the lemon. I got mine for a couple of dollars at Ikea but both of these tools can be found at any kitchen shop or even Target.
You are going to want to use fresh lemon juice, not that fake stuff that comes in the green bottle at the grocery store for the recipes I will share with you so get juicing!
One of my favorite lemon recipes is Lemon Bars. Recently a new friend I met through my blog, Rachel, shared with me her recipe for Lemon Cheesecake Bars and promised me they would become my new favorite lemon recipe - she was right. The cheesecake layer makes for a much creamier and yummier lemon bar!
Lemon Cheesecake Bars - you will need 3-4 lemons for this recipe
Crust:
3/4 cup butter, chilled
2 cups flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Cheesecake:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Lemon Layer:
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup flour
Crust: Preheat oven to 325. Cut butter into pieces. In a food processor (or blender on low, pulse setting) Process all ingredients until mixture becomes tiny and fine pieces. Sprinkle mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan and press evenly into bottom of pan. Bake for 12 minutes and remove from oven.
Cheesecake: In medium bowl, blend cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and mix well. Cream together the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Pour cheesecake evenly over hot crust. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300.
Lemon layer: In a bowl whisk together eggs and sugar until combined well. Stir in lemon juice and flour. Pour over semi-baked cheesecake. Bake at 300 for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle powdered sugar over top if desired.
Cool for an hour and then refrigerate. Can be served warm but better after it has chilled. I let it sit out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before I serve it. For families, it will probably be eaten as soon as they are out of the fridge.
Makes 24 bars
Popularity: 27% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Recipes
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Thursday, January 24, 2008, by Leigh Anne
The great debate - what is the best way to eat an Oreo cookie? That debate has been raging since 1912 when the Oreo cookie was introduced and it has been the best selling cookie in America ever since with over 362 billion sold!! We have eaten our share of Oreos here at the Wilkes house (we even named our rabbit Oreo).
So how do you like to eat your Oreo cookie? How you eat your Oreo actually reveals a lot about your personality - or so says this cute online quiz.
Do you eat your Oreo…
1. The whole thing all at once.
2. One bite at a time
3. Slow and methodical nibbles examining the results of each bite afterwards.
4. In little feverous nibbles.
5. Dunked in some liquid (milk, coffee…).
6. Twisted apart, the inside, then the cookie.
7. Twisted apart, the inside, and toss the cookie.
8. Just the cookie, not the inside.
9. I just like to lick them, not eat them.
10. I don’t have a favorite way because I don’t like Oreos.
I’m a dunker (in milk), you’ll have to read the quiz to see what that says about my personality!
This summer I found a recipe for homemade Oreos in our church cookbook. I made them when the Wilkes family was here for our summer reunion and they were a big hit. This version is a “soft” Oreo and yummy! I make them using my smallest cookie scoop because they are pretty rich and I don’t like them too big.
Homemade Oreo Cookies
2 pkgs. Duncan Hines Deluxe Devil’s Food cake mix
1 1/2 cup Crisco
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
Mix together all ingredients and roll into balls the size of large melon balls. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes. Let cool then put frosting between two cookies and stick together like the original Oreo cookie!
Frosting:
1/2 cube butter, room temperature
1 (80z.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Put between two cooled cookies.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Recipes
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