Matt's Oatmeal Cookies

My hubby is the baker in the family and he's perfected this oatmeal cookie. Be warned, though, because they are very addicting. You can use a walnuts or a mixture of walnuts and pecans. Also, he sometimes uses half cup of raisins and half cup of currants in the batter and the cookies simply come out scrumptious.

INGREDIENTS (makes about 30 cookies)

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup of raisins

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats, nuts and raisins until just blended.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cookies should be at least 2 inches apart.

Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Photo from Kraftfoods.com

These delightful, buttery and flaky cookies are known as Mexican Wedding cookies or Russian Tea Cakes. I was at my friend's wedding last Saturday and she had small favor bags for each guest filled with these cookies. I took 3 and now I wished I would have taken more! These are probably one of my favorite cookies, but I like to receive then rather than bake them only because a couple of years ago I made about 400 of these cookies to give out as favors for my step-dad's retirement party. There are various recipes on the net, but the one below is the one I tried out for the favors and they are so sinfully good, especially when you serve them with tea. Yum!

INGREDIENTS (makes 2 ½ dozen)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped into very small pieces (I usually grind them in my mini-food processor)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed, gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula.

With floured hands, shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place, 1-1/2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets.Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minute, but check them after 30 minutes. My oven cooks very high, so mine were done in 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll the cookies in additional confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.

Ultimate Ginger Cookie

So I was home sick today (okay, not really sick, but with a slight case of the shingles and I must be quarantined from all babies and elderly people) and was watching the Barefoot Contessa when I saw this recipe on her show. I said to myself, "hey, I have all those ingredients already!" How do I have crystallized ginger, you ask? Well, it just so happens I had some leftover crystallized ginger my sister in law gave me when I first started getting morning sickness (btw, to any new preggies out there, crystallized ginger really works when you're feeling nauseous and gross. Just suck on a little piece). The cookie result: spicy, gingery, crunchy, chewy, did I mention spicy? I'm sending my Matthew a batch because he loves spicy cookies...hmm, maybe that's why he married me?

INGREDIENTS (16 cookies)

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups chopped crystallized ginger (6 ounces)
• Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined. Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Hermit Bars

I made these hermit bars for Matthew. I sent them to him in a care package because apparently these bars hold up pretty well when mailing them to far away places. I had never heard of these bars until one day Matt told me about them. I guess these are very popular in care packages sent to the military. These bars are very easy to make and quite flavorful, too. They are a combination of a soft cookie, a fig newton and gingerbread. Usually packages that I send out to Matt tend to get there in a month, so once he gets them we'll see how they hold up and I hope he likes them!

INGREDIENTS (makes 16 bars)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup mild molasses
• 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg white (large)
• 1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1/3 cup raisins, plumped and dried (I used 50% raising and 50% currants)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment (I used foil and greased it with butter).

Thoroughly stir flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and salt together in a medium size mixing bowl. Make a well in center of flour mixture.

In a small bowl, stir together molasses, butter, vanilla and egg white. Pour mixture into well; stir until well mixed. Stir in toasted pecans and raisins.

Divide mixture in half and shape each half into a 10×2 inch rectangle (approximately). Make sure the rectangles are spaced about 4 inches apart or more on cookie sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges seem browned and bars appear set and aromatic. Remove from oven and slide parchment onto a large cutting board. Slice each rectangle cross-wise into 1 ½ inch bars. Let cool completely. Recipe from CookieMadness.net

Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies

During the holidays, I watched a lot of cooking shows on TV because I wanted to learn something new about holiday desserts. I'm not a good baker whatsoever, so I figured I should start learning about how to bake cookies first. And after several shows, some of the cookies they were making were a little elaborate for me. So my husband told me, "why don't you just make chocolate chip cookies?" So this is the original TOLL HOUSE® recipe, which is tried and true and if you follow the directions exactly, you will always have perfect chocolate chip cookies.

INGREDIENTS (makes a butt load of cookies...like 60)

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts, I used pecans that I lightly toasted

DIRECTIONS

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Get a glass of milk and enjoy!

Chocolate Tiramisu

Matthew and I were in NYC on Saturday and we had a slice of pizza at Ray's, which is supposed to be the best pizza in New York City. I don't know if that's true, but it did make me realize that we can't get enough Italian food, especially really good authentic Italian non-Olive Garden dishes. What I love more than a good thin crust, crispy slice of pizza is chocolate tiramisu. It's really difficult to find a good tiramisu here in San Diego. Some restaurants add too much whipped cream; others too much sugar; and some not enough Marsala wine! So the next best tiramisu is this this recipe from Giada. Our friend Leo Vargas made this delectable treat for our cooking club and it was gone before you knew it.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 ounces container mascarpone cheese
• 2/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Chocolate Zabaglione, recipe follows below
• 2 1/2 cups espresso coffee, warmed
• 24 crisp ladyfinger cookies (recommended: Savoiardi)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish
• Dark chocolate shavings, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Place the mascarpone cheese in a large bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the cream and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Then fold in the chilled Chocolate Zabaglione. Cover and refrigerate. Whisk the warmed espresso and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in another medium bowl until blended. Line a 9 1/4 by 5 by 2 3/4-inch metal loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing the plastic to extend over the sides. Working with 1 cookie at a time, dip 8 cookies into the espresso, and arrange in a single layer side by side over the bottom of the prepared pan.

Spoon 1/3 of the mascarpone mixture over the cookies to cover. Repeat dipping 8 of the cookies in the espresso and layering the cookies and remaining mascarpone mixture 2 more times. Dip the remaining 8 cookies in the espresso and arrange side by side atop the tiramisu. Press lightly to compact slightly (the last layer will extend above the pan sides). Cover the tiramisu with plastic and refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Unwrap the plastic from atop the tiramisu. Invert the tiramisu onto a platter. Remove the plastic. Sift the cocoa over the tiramisu, and with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, make dark chocolate shavings and sprinkle over top.

CHOCOLATE ZABAGLIONE

• 2 tablespoons whipping cream, or heavy cream
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
• Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS

Add cream and chocolate to a heavy small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the chocolate chips are melted and smooth. Set aside and keep warm. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, Marsala, and salt in a large glass bowl until blended. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, but do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Whisk the egg mixture over the simmering water until it is thick and creamy, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Using a large rubber spatula, fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate to chill completely.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian

Super Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

As you all know, I'm not a good baker, so when I see recipe that only involves three ingredients I totally have to go for it. I'm not a big peanut butter fan (unless I eat it with bananas), but I did like these cookies. And if you're a fan of the Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey Ice Cream, crumble some of these cookies for a peanut butter kick!

INGREDIENTS (makes about 1 dozen)

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

DIRECTIONS

Combine sugar and egg in mixing bowl, stirring till smooth. Add peanut butter and mix in thoroughly. Roll into walnut-sized balls. Place the balls on ungreased cookie sheets at least 2" apart.

Flatten with the tines of a fork. Turn 90 degrees and use fork again to create cross hatches.

Bake 10 minutes at 375F (or till done). Let cool in pan for 1 minute before removing to cooling rack.

Faux-laches

My husband has been craving poppy-seed kolaches lately, but when I looked up the recipe, it was a bit too much for me. I'm not a big baker, so I shy away from anything that I have to "proof." Anyhoo, I found a simple recipe for a buttery crust and I figured if I fill it with the poppy-seed mixture he likes so much, it'll be a little bit like a kolache. Oh, who am I kidding, but these faux-laches were pretty good.

INGREDIENTS (makes 1 dozen)

Dough

• 3 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup flour

Poppy Seed Filling

• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cups poppy seeds
• 3 oz. whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS

For the dough: cream together cream cheese and butter. Slowly add in flour. Blend and shape into a ball. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

For the filling: Stir together the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside. Grind the poppy seeds in a food processor or blender with about half the milk. Place the poppy seed mixture and the remaining milk in a small, heavy saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the reserved sugar-and-cornstarch mixture and the almond extract. Simmer, stirring often, until very thick, a matter of 3 - 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Assembly: Roll dough out 1/8 inch thick on a floured pastry board. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares and place 1/2 tsp (approx) of poppy-seed filling. Overlap opposite corners and pinch together. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and refrigerate about 10 - 15 minutes.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool. Sprinkle lightly with confectioner's sugar and enjoy.

Easiest Shortbread Recipe Ever!

I'm not a big fan of Martha Stewart's recipes only because mine never seem to come out as good as the pictures in her magazine, but that could be because I tend to tweak my recipes. However, this is a super ridiculously simple recipe that I got from her magazine. It makes 8 yummy wedges of shortbread. Make yourself a pot of Marks & Spencer's extra strong tea and enjoy! For a slightly sweeter shortbread alternative, sprinkle a bit of powder sugar over the top while the shortbread is still warm.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 300°.

In mixing bowl, cream butter. Add flour, sugar and vanilla; mix just to combine (chill 10 minutes in refrigerator).

Pat into an 8-inch round cake pan and with a pairing knife, lightly score into 8 wedges; crimp edge with a floured fork. Bake until firm and slightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes (drape with foil if browning too quickly). Cool completely. Turn out of pan; slice wedges with a serrated knife.

Mint Meringue Cookies

My husband's grandmother, Dot Blaha, makes these delicious mint meringue cookies for Christmas. And how can you not love cookies that are made by a grandma named Dot? However, we didn't have the recipe and Matthew tried duplicating her recipe. After several tries, the recipe below worked pretty well. You just have to be patient when beating your egg whites to stiffen up. Also, it's very important that you leave the cookies in the oven overnight so that they lose all their moisture. If you've ever had Aeros Mint (the British candy) these cookies taste almost similar to that.

INGREDIENTS (makes about 1-1/2 dozen cookies)

• 2 egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. peppermint oil
• Green food color
• 10 oz. mint chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a portable mixer or a stand mixer, beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in pepperment oil and green food coloring (about 5 to 7 drops). Gently stir in chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Put cookies in oven then turn oven off and leave in overnight. Do not open door until morning!