Holiday cookie mystery
Feathers11
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
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Nut abundance and holiday cookies
Comments (7)Bejay I think pistachios are grown in California, as well as almonds and walnuts. The problem with the pecan is that if we do not get cold enough weather they fall with their husks, instead of opening their husks and then you can harvest the nut. The first year I was here I went around collecting all the little pecans and made a pecan pie. Last year they were lousy. We'll see this year....I wish I could replace that pecan tree with almonds and pistachios....but it is a very large very old tree, and for now the squirrels are very well fed! There is something else I do with almonds that I like a lot, but I could use some suggestions if anyone here does it as well. I have health issues with dairy milk, and soy milk tastes like chalk in my coffee, so I like almond milk. I have been buying it from Trader Joes, but I figured I could try making it at home as well. The problem is that I cannot get it to completely become 'milk' when I filter it I do get a whole lot of solids to filter out. I do use the almond solids in other things (nut loafs, veggie burgers, soups) but I would like more of the almond to go to the milk if you know what I mean. I have tried a food processor (not very good) and an immersion blender works better, but still not perfect. Any suggestions on a better gadget? or method? What I do is let slivered almonds soak in water overnight, and then blend. Let it sit and use a fine colander or sieve to filter solids out. This works, but I get low yield, it seems like I should be able to get more milk out of a cup of almonds. Oh, the ratio I use is about 1:5 almond:water....See MoreCookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies****
Comments (102)I have never read or posted in this section of GW, but the link for Holiday Cookie Recipes appeared at the top of a page I do frequent, and the idea was just too tempting to bypass. Let me preface by saying that I am not the cook in our family. That distinction belongs to my husband, who missed his calling in life... he could have been a famous and well loved chef. So, he generally cooks, and I generally get clean-up duty. :-) Due to health issues we cook almost exclusively from scratch, pouring over product labels to ensure only pure, organic, natural, unprocessed and healthy ingredients are used. If we must, we order products and have them shipped. For example, if a recipe calls for vegetable oil, we would use cold pressed coconut oil instead. Sugars are kept to a minimum, are organic when used, or we substitute raw organic honey. Flour is unbleached and organic. I want to thank you all for sharing your recipes, several of which I've copied and plan to try this season. They all sound and/or look amazing, but my expertise extends as far as simple drop cookies, so that's where I usually concentrate my efforts. Decades ago, my Mother gifted me with a set of recipes from Mary Masters - My Great Recipes. Perhaps some of you have heard of them. My all-time favorite drop cookie recipes from the set are: Haymarket Chocolate Chip Cookies These are thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies that are often found in cookie shops. The edges are browned and crisp but the centers remain pale. * ½ cup soft butter or margarine (must be room temperature) * ½ cup sugar * 1 egg * 1 tsp vanilla extract * ½ cup sifted all-purpose flour * ¼ tsp salt * 1/3 cup chocolate chips * 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts Cream butter and sugar until light. Add egg and beat until creamy. Stir in vanilla, flour and salt until a smooth batter forms. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Line cookie sheets with foil and grease lightly. Drop batter with a teaspoon, well apart on the baking sheets (they will spread out while baking) Bake at 350F for 7-10 minutes until edges are golden and centers are set. They will be soft when hot so remove immediately from baking sheet and cool on racks. They will become crispy as they cool. Makes 24-30 cookies. (Rack placement depends on how your oven cooks... I place mine centered to avoid uneven browning on bottom or top, and I turn the cookie sheets halfway through to obtain even cooking.) Oatmeal Lace Cookies 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 large egg 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups quick cooking or rolled oats (not instant) 1 tbsp all purpose flour 1/4 tsp salt Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, melt the butter and allow to cool slightly, for 2-3 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, egg and vanilla extract. Pour in the cooled, melted butter and whisk to combine. Add in oats, flour and salt, and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until well combined. Allow batter to stand for 5 minutes. Scoop 1 teaspoon sized balls of dough and place onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between cookies to allow room to spread. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Allow cookies to cool for 4-5 minutes on the baking sheet to give them time to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. (I usually put both types of cookies in a container the moment they are cool to help retain a little chewiness in the centers, though the edges will be deliciously crispy. And again, ensure your oven racks are placed for even baking.) Tips: Not only do I allow the butter to come to room temperature before using, I also take the eggs out of the fridge at the same time. All ovens differ, so oven rack placement and turning the cookie sheets halfway through the bake help ensure an evenly baked cookie without burnt bottoms, or a partial sheet darker than the others. Enjoy!...See Morehow do you do holiday cookie trays? freeze them?
Comments (6)If you're baking now, yes, I'd freeze them. Keeping flavors separate, and in very air-tight containers (I'd actually put them in ziplock bags, and then into a plastic box with a tight lid). However, properly stored, cookies will keep very fresh for at least 3-4 weeks. I used to work at a very high end bakery--their cookies were extremely expensive. They didn't use mixes or preservatives. They did their Christmas cookies the Monday after Thanksgiving. The cookies were put in cardboard box bottoms, which were then slid into plastic bags and twist-tied shut, and stored on shelves at room temp. Those cookies were still perfect Christmas week (I can personally vouch for that--I ate plenty of them). So if you aren't baking for another couplel of weeks, your cookies will be fine. Alternatively, what I do, is to make my doughs near the beginning of December, and freeze them. Then I can bake up fresh cookies all through the month. You can even scoop cookie dough from it's frozen state if you have a professional quality scoop....See MoreHoliday Cookie for my Gluten-free CF Friends
Comments (3)Bonnie, thank you! A close friend was just diagnosed with celiac and I've been looking for T&T recipes for sweets to make for her. I can handle cooking gluten free, that's relatively easy. It's the baked goods that had me a bit stymied. I'll give these a try (even if I am scared of all the specialty flours!) Bri...See MoreFeathers11
4 years agoFeathers11
4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
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