Dough for Brains

That pretty much sums up the past month of my cooking adventures.  Pillsbury, Pillsbury and a bit more Pillsbury.  My husband has requested a "Pillsbury Break", since I have been wrapping, stuffing and pretty much baking everything we eat with dough and that is just dinner, don't even ask about the deserts I have churned out this month.  I keep dropping plates of cupcakes on my neighbor's door steps just to get the sweets out of our house.  Of course the neighbor's don't know I am testing recipes so they probably think I am just a bad cook.  Some of my cupcakes have been very dense, but I give them away anyway.

I am enjoying my Pillsbury experiments, however it leaves little time or other topics for blogging.  April 18th is the final due date.  I hope to have some good non-Pillsbury posts over the next few months, but can't promise a large number of posts, we'll see what the future brings.

Till then... I am off to bake some Pillsbury goodness!  Wish me luck!

Contesting Update: Dough Boy Fever

I have Dough Boy Fever.  The blog has been forgotten in the past week as all of my brain power (which is not much since I am not sleeping due to a recent toddler bed upgrade), or what little brain power I have, has all gone to creating Pillsbury recipes.  A few good and a few pretty bad.  The entire bottom shelf of my fridge is full of Pillsbury products; crescent rolls, biscuits, French bread, pizza dough, sugar cookies, peanut butter  cookies and even gingerbread cookies (which incidentally do not qualify for the contest).  Oh and the freezer has 3 boxes of pie crust!  Here is a tip, make sure your Pillsbury tubes don't roll back and stack up along the back of your fridge as they will block the air flow and your salad will freeze.  Just a little something we have learned the hard way with frozen sour cream and other condiments.  As previously stated, I will not share my Pillsbury ideas until I win that million dollars, but I will tell you I have been baking with bananas and having fun!  And I might be the worst mother in the world because I keep making things with peanut butter when I have a peanut allergy kid in the house.  He is not so allergic that he can't be in the house with it, but I feel bad he can't eat any of the things I make so I just slice of a few pieces of that gingerbread dough and make him cookies.

A bit of travel in the next week so I am not actually sure how many blog posts I'll get out.  I should have some fun ones upon my return.  Heading to Seattle for wedding, will definitely have to do a Pike Market post.  Even though I have been all about the Pillsbury Blue & White, there are some other great contests out there right now.  Ritz Crackers has something going, Sun Maid Chocolate Covered Raisins and the big Gilroy Garlic Festival is taking recipes, just to name a few I have interest in and need to make time for.  So that is my update and why I am neglecting the blog.  Hope to have time for a good post this week.  Feel free to share any Dough Boy tips and I'll do the same.

Cookie Week: Italian Anise Cookies

Cookie Week continues with Tammi's Italian Anise Cookies.  I believe this is actually her grandmother's recipe.  When you put an Anise Cookie on the table you either get lovers or haters, there really is no in-between on the licorice-anise flavor.  Maybe it is because I am more on the hater side of the anise cookie that I found it very surprising the kids loved them.  They could not keep their little hands off this tray, they would shove past the Hersey Kiss cookies and every other yummy thing on the table to grab the anise cookies.  Guess we have some little anise lovers here, now I'll have to make them.  I am not a true hater, I can appreciate the anise cookie and I eat them whenever I find a tray of Italian cookies just to try them again to see if I can love them.  I can't love them, but I can eat one or two a year.  Tammi did an excellent job of perfectly executing these little Italian treats.  If you are an anise lover, make Tammi's cookies, you will be very happy indeed.  

Italian Anise Cookies

5 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

2 ½ sticks butter

5-6 teaspoons of anise (depending on preference)

5 ¼ cups of flour

3 teaspoons+ baking powder

Melt butter, then cool

Mix eggs and sugar and beat

Add in baking powder and beat

Add in anise and beat

Sift flour into mixture slowly and beat

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes

Bake one batch at a time

Frosting

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

¼ cup milk

2-4 teaspoons anise, depending on taste

I wish I could add “ish” to the end of everything. This really is just a guideline. I may have added 6 teaspoons of anise or ½ cup of milk to the frosting, it all depends on your desired taste and consistency.

That Tammi is a cool cookie herself.  She showed up with this nifty cookie caddy carrying case.  Good job Tams!

Cookie Week: Pine Cones or Hay Stack Cookies

We learned a little something at the Cookie Exchange, seems it depends on what part of the country you are from as to what you might call these little Chow Mein Noodle delights.  Colleen, the talented cookie attendee that made these, is from Maine; land of the deep woods and as such she made Pine Cone Cookies.  Now my friend Robin and I are from Texas and immediately yelled "You made Hay Stacks!  Yea!"   Who is right?  Who knows or cares, I love these little things.  I was first introduced to this fun little snack when living in the sorority house.  Our house mom made these all the time and I ate nearly a whole tray each time she did.  They are so simple and have my favorite combo of sweet and salty.  Whatever you call them, where ever you are from, this is a simple, fun and yummy treat.  Make some!

Pine Cone Cookies

6 oz. semi-sweet morsels

6 oz. butterscotch morsels

2 cups chow mein noodles

1 cup lightly salted peanuts

Melt morsels in double boiler, remove from heat, mix in noodles and peanuts until evenly covered.  Drop spoon size portions on wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Refrigerate until cooled.

Makes approx. 2 dozen.

Cookie Week & Guest Post: Raspberry Bow Tie Cookies

I am excite to introduce my first guest blog post!  My dear friend Janice hosts the blog Trying to be a Stylish Mom where she discusses fashion, art and her career as a Home Stylist for Stella & Dot Jewelry.  I raid her jewelry box every time I have a special event or want to ad some fun flare to my day.  Janice also attended my Cookie Exchange and brought beautiful little Raspberry Bow Tie Cookies.  Here is her account of the Cookie Event. 

My first entry as a guest blogger!  Very exciting.  Thank you Stephanie for asking me to be here.  Stephanie's cookie exchange party was the first I had ever been to.  I am not much of a baker, so when someone who is a pro asks you to bake cookies and come to her house, it's a little nerve racking!  Sadly, other than chocolate chip cookies, I had never made cookies from scratch before.  My husband's aunt is an expert at Christmas cookies and I decided I wanted to attempt to bake one of her cookies.  I didn't know what they were called and didn't have the slightest idea where to begin.  I just started searching recipe websites for raspberry filled cookies.  I found one that I thought was it, got all the ingredients, and two days before the cookie exchange I read the directions.  Bad idea.  I should have read the entire recipe when I found it.  I realized that they were not the right ones!  I went back to my online search and realized the cookies I wanted to make were raspberry filled bow tie cookies.  Luckily I only had to run out and grab one additional ingredient and I was ready to start.  So for those of you who are not experienced at baking, make sure you read the entire recipe before getting the ingredients.  Also, this recipe calls for a stand mixer.  I do not own one, so I used a hand mixer until the dough was too tough and then I used my hands.  It was time consuming!  I refrigerated my dough overnight and it was pretty stiff in the morning.  I would recommend only refrigerating it for several hours.  This is definitely not a beginner cookie recipe, as I learned the hard way.  Next year I will definitely look for an easier recipe that doesn't call for a stand mixer! 

 Raspberry Bow Tie Cookies

Ingredients
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (in microwave)
8 oz. unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 12 oz. jar of good quality raspberry preserves
1 large egg beaten
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Scrape down the bowl and paddle.  With the mixer on low, gradually mix in the flour until smooth dough forms.
Put the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough gently to form a ball.  Divide the dough into thirds, wrap each in plastic or waxed paper, and flatten into squares.  Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400*F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment.  Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8 inch thick rectangle.  Trim the rough edges of the dough so the sides are straight, and then cut into 2 inch squares.  Spoon about 1/2 tsp of the preserves onto the center of each square.  Fold one corner into the center, dab with the beaten egg, and then bring the opposite corner into the center and pinch firmly together to seal the corners.  Dab with more beaten egg.  Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake one sheet at a time until golden and very lightly browned and puffed, 10 to 12 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely and then dust with confectioners' sugar.  
Can be frozen in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.  

This recipe is from kitchendaily.com.  I substituted raspberry preserves for the apricot preserves.  Here is the link:  http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/bow-tie-cookies-with-apricot-preserves-142221/ 

Janice's pretty Bow Tie Cookies.  She was even good enough to pre-package them in dozens in nice little Christmas tins which definitely scores her an invitation back to the Cookie Exchange. 

Cookie Week: Macaroon Kisses

It only seems appropriate today to honor and share Amanda's Macaroon Kiss Cookies from the Exchange.   In order to understand why I chose Amanda as my honored Cookie Queen for the day, I must share our little sob story with you.  We live in a two family house, or duplex as they are called in other part of the country, and Amanda lives next door.  Today New England is getting hit with a doozy of a Noreaster, we have at least 16 inches of snow now and they say we should get up to 20 inches before it is over.  My husband had his appendix out last week so he can't shovel and Amanda's husband is stuck in California so that leaves Amanda and me to handle all the shoveling, oh and the 5 kids we have between the two of us.  Ugh.  Actually it has not been too bad yet.  So far this morning we got a good start to the shoveling and my husband has been able to keep the kids happy, well mine anyway.  I have been sharing our little sob story with everyone in the neighborhood hoping to find a nice fellow with a plow that might have mercy on us.  Here is my offer to the plow drivers of Woburn - a big heaping plate of fresh cookies and cash if you come plow even just the end of our driveway.  Please!  Ok, self pity over.  Going to finish this post them go shovel some more, back to the cookies.

Amanda made these special macaroons with Hersey's Kisses on top for the Cookie Exchange.  Brilliant!  I love a good macaroon.  My experience with home made macaroons all look like this cookie as opposed to those fancy colorful ones you see on all the blogs these days.  I feel like I should try making some fancy ones as it is all the rage on the blog sites, but I am quite content with the classic mom-made macaroon like this. Amanda's cookies were a hit and I am so glad she joined our little cookie party.  Now I am off to beat on her door with a snow shovel so she can help me dig.  Happy Snow Day!

Macaroon Kiss Cookie


Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 teaspoons orange juice
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups Sweetened Coconut Flakes, divided
• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates

 Directions:

1. Beat butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add egg yolk, almond extract and orange juice; beat well. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in 3 cups coconut.

2. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in remaining 2 cups coconut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; immediately press chocolate on top of each cookie. Cool 1 minute; carefully remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies. 

Cookie Week: German Chocolate Lace Cookies

I hosted my first Cookie Exchange back in December.  Seven of my girlfriends baked up cookies and came over for a little swap.  Seems more wine than cookies were consumed at this affair, but thus is this the norm with this group.  I was a little surprised by some and very impressed with all of the beautiful cookies my friends made.  In an effort give each cookie their due, I would like to declare this week Cookie Week here at Adventures in Contesting.  I will post several of the recipes from our little exchange over the course of this week and maybe even talk someone into becoming the first guest post on my blog.  Hope you enjoy our cookies as much as we did, maybe you should crack open a couple bottles of wine so you may enjoy them as we did.  

German Chocolate Lace Cookies

For the Cookie Exchange, I made German Chocolate Lace Cookies.  My mom loves the Silver Palate Cookbooks and she has made this recipe from the SP Good Times Cookbook a few times.  I remembered it as being good and I love all things German Chocolate so it seemed like a great choice.  These cookies came out very thin, hence the lace title I guess, but I was sort of surprised by how thin they were, I thought I did something wrong.  I was sort of embarrassed that, as the host, I might have the worst cookies.  My husband was really sweet, I had no time to make more as I had over committed myself this week, he offered to make cookies for me so I would have worthy cookies to present at the swap.  That is quite the gesture from a man who's entire cooking experience includes only grilled cheese and Kraft Mac'n Cheese.  I went with the lace cookies and no one complained (to me).

German Chocolate Lace Cookies

Source:  The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons dark rum

1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream

4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cookie sheets.

Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in 1 teaspoon of rum, heat for about 1 minute more.

Heat the cream to boiling in a small saucepan.  Reduce heat and stir in remaining 1 teaspoon of rum.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chunks until melted and well blended.  Beat 1/3 cup of the chocolate mixture into the butter mixture. 

Sift flour, baking soda and salt together.  Stir into the butter mixture.  Fold in the oats, coconut, and nuts.

Drop rounded teaspoons of batter 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes to harden.  Remove cookies to wire racks to cool.

Drizzle remaining chocolate mixture over the cookies in a lacy pattern.

My lacy cookies with a sneak peek at more cookies to share this week.