Cookie Jar
Thursday, November 1, 2007, by Leigh Anne
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This time of year I become addicted to holiday baking magazines- especially the cookie ones. I am always looking for new holiday cookie recipes. Well, as soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it -they looked wonderful and I was right. To quote Tessa “they are totally amazing!” Now, of course, mine didn’t look exactly like the picture in the magazine but they tasted wonderful and that is what really counts. The recipe for Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints is from the Land O’ Lakes Holiday Cookie magazine and it says it is one of their most requested recipes - I know why! So here’s another recipe for your holiday cookie collection and your holiday cookie plate. Enjoy!
Cookie: Glaze:
1 cup butter, softened 1 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsps. almond extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract 2 to 3 tsps. water
2 cups flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam
Combine butter, sugar and 1/2 tsp. almond extract in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low, add flour. Beat until well mixed. Cover, refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour)
Heat oven to 350. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Make indentation in center of each cookie with thumb (edges may crack slightly). Fill each indentation with about 1/4 tsp. jam (do not overfill).
Bake for 14-18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute, remove from cookie sheet and cool completely.
Meanwhile, combine powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tsps. almond extract and enough water (I actually used some whipping cream I had in the refrigerator) for desired glazing consistency in small bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies.
Popularity: 28% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Recipes
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Thursday, October 25, 2007, by Leigh Anne
Several of you have asked me why I started a blog. Well - six months ago I had no idea what a blog was until I visited the website of a friend of mine. My friend had started an online yarn store specializing in sock yarn. Now I am not a knitter and didn’t even know there was such a thing as sock yarn but I love visiting Sheri’s website and blog -not because I’m a knitter (but if you are - this is an awesome site) but because I love reading Sheri’s blog where she shares her life, ideas and on Fridays she always shares a recipe! I make sure I always visit on Fridays to check out the newest recipe. So Sheri was my inspiration for starting a blog - and sharing recipes!
One of the recipes she featured on her blog is the one I am sharing with you today for Symphony Brownies (a Paula Deen recipe). Over the last few weeks I have been sharing cookie recipes for your upcoming holiday cookie baking. A well balanced cookie plate is important now isn’t it! So far we have an apple bar, lemon drop cookies, sandlake cookies - so what is missing? - CHOCOLATE! Today you get the chocolate - super fast and easy and so many calories!! Yum!! I made these brownies last weekend for the high school cast party I hosted at our home and they totally DISAPPEARED!! You use Symphony candy bars - I used the one with the toffee bits and almonds but they can also be made with the plain milk chocolate version. 
Symphony Brownies
1 box of brownie mix for 9 x 13 pan
3 Symphony candy bars with almonds and toffee chips
Mix the brownies according to box directions (I use the cakelike brownie instructions). Line a 9 x 13 pan with tinfoil and spray with cooking spray (makes for easy clean-up).
Pour 1/2 the brownie mix into the pan. It is not much. Place the 3 candy bars(wrappers removed of course) side by side on top of the mix. Don’t break or chop up the candy bars - they will be whole. Pour the remainder of the brownie mix over the top.
Bake according to directions. Let cool and lift the tinfoil out of the pan. Cut and serve. Yum!
O.K. Now time for the true confessions. I have been sharing all these yummy homemade cookie recipes with you but I have to admit - I love Pillsbury Ready to Bake Sugar Cookies! I only buy them at holiday time - when they come out with the fun “shape”ones. Right now you can find the pumpkin ones, at Thanksgiving they have one with turkeys and at Christmas they have snowman (they also have them at Valentines, Easter and Fourth of July- so as you can see I buy them quite often!)
I first got hooked on these cookies when I was visiting family in Utah. My nephew, Ryan, also loves these cookies. The trick is though - they are only worth the calories if you eat them warm and soft right out of the oven. They are gross if you let them sit around and get cold! So - there you have it - my true confession! Do you have a true confession? (Food confessions only - please!!)
Popularity: 31% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Recipes
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Thursday, October 18, 2007, by Leigh Anne
Last weekend the girls, Jim and I attended the Apple Tasting Festival at the Portland Nursery , a fun yearly event they do. It will occur again this weekend so check it out if are here in Portland. Unlike the weather today, cold, rain and windy, it was a perfect fall weekend - 65 degrees and sunny! We had a great time tasting all kinds of apples as well as apple strudel, caramel apples, apples and brie - yum! We each picked out some of our favorites (cameo, ambrosia) and brought them home so of course I have lots of apples to play with now. The recipe I am sharing today would be a great one for the holiday cookie plate too.
The Apple Bar recipe was given to me by one of my “Beach Babe’ friends April. April and I have known each other a long time and have had some fun “cooking adventures” including canning peaches and pears (and her giving birth to her 3rd child the next morning), and April is a Candy Making Expert - she taught me everything I know about candy making and we have fun getting together at the holidays to make candy - as long as the refrigerator is stocked with eggnog and Dr. Pepper!!
These Apple Bars might be a little more labor intensive (you have to core, peel and chop the apples) but worth it.
Cookie Layer:
1/2 cup butter; 1/4 cup shortening; 3/4 cups powdered sugar; 1 1/2 cups flour.
Cream butter and sugar. Blend in flour. Pat on bottom of 10 x 15 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until light brown.
Apple Layer:
2 or 3 Golden Delicious Apples; 1/4 cup butter; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1 tsp. grated lemon peel; 1 beaten egg; 1 tsp. vanilla; 1 3/4 cups flour; 1 tsp. baking powder; 1/2 tsp. salt
Core and chop apples to equal 2 cups. Melt butter in saucepan. Blend in brown sugar, apples, lemon peel, beaten egg and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Sir into apple mixture. Spread evenly over cookie layer and bake at 35o for 25 minutes.
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1/4 tsp. cinnamon; 2-3Tbsp. milk ( I used 1/2 and 1/2 I had in the frig)
I also did 1 1/2 batches of the glaze because I like more!
Combine powdered sugar, cinnamon and milk. Blend until smooth. Glaze top of apple layer while still slightly warm and cut into bars. Yum!
Popularity: 31% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Family, Recipes
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Thursday, October 11, 2007, by Leigh Anne
This week’s “Cookie Jar” recipe is another good “Holiday Baking” recipe. It is a fun twist on your traditional chocolate chip cookie with the addition of cinnamon, ginger and craisinets - yum! The dough also needs to be refrigerated so you can make the dough up ahead of time. It’s also a great one for cookie plates or cookie exchange because it makes a lot.
I first tasted these cookies when hubby Jim and I stayed at The Sandlake Country Inn, a quaint bed and breakfast near Pacific City,Oregon -close to the beautiful Oregon Coast. Not only did they serve us a yummy breakfast right in our room we were greeted by a jar of these delicious cookies upon check in. They even gave you a little mini -cookbook of their favorite recipes when you checked out including the recipe for Sandlake Cookies!
2 cups butter (yes 2 cups!)
3 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups nuts (I don’t like nuts in my cookies so leave them out)
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup craisinets
Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate. Roll walnut size balls of dough in powdered sugar. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.
Popularity: 33% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Recipes
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Thursday, October 4, 2007, by Leigh Anne
O.K. so I just can’t help myself. I love food. I love to eat it and cook it. I am also addicted to cooking magazines, the food network, food blogs and I am a recipe collecting addict! My family are foodies too - in fact this summer while home from college Logan made the comment to me “Mom - our family really likes food.” Yep we do. A couple of years ago Cali and my mom put together a cookbook of the “Best Families” favorite recipes. Each of the kids have a copy - Clark even took a copy of it with him on his mission to Chile. Prior to coming home he went through the entire cookbook and marked each of the recipes he wanted me to fix for him when he returned home - Yep, we love food at our house!
So I’ve been thinking ahead to the holidays, I’ve started buying holiday food magazines and have been looking for new holiday baking recipes. Each holiday my mom, my girls and I spend an entire day baking cookies so I am always looking for new “potential” cookie recipes for our big day. A week ago I found a new cookie recipe on a blog I like to visit - How to Be a Domestic Goddess …Lemon Drop Cookies. I tried them this week and they are WONDERFUL so I thought I’d share the recipe with you. It makes a great cookie for the holidays because it makes a TON. Cali took a plate to a party she was going to and we put together plates for Grandma and Grandpa and a friend and we still had plenty for us (and believe me I ate plenty!) If you love lemon like I do you will love these cookies!
Lemon Drop Cookies
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 c butter/shortening (I used 1/2 c butter and 1 c shortening)
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
finely chopped zest of 1 lemon
6 oz. package crushed lemon drops
1 cup powdered sugar (I doubled this)
juice of 1 lemon (double)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and shortening in your mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add eggs and flavoring and blend well. Sift dry ingredients and gradually add to wet mixture. Add lemon zest and crushed lemon drops. Roll in balls, flatten with a fork. Bake on parchment paper for 10-12 minutes. Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a glaze. Cool 1-2 minutes, brush with glaze.
Popularity: 33% [?]
Categories: Cookie Jar, Recipes
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