bake more

It is so much fun to bake! This weekend I baked some Cranberry Orange bread and an apple pie.

My friend at the office gave me a peach candle and asked why I hadn’t burned it yet. I told her it would make me crave peaches. I have been burning holiday spiced apple candles at home and couldn’t imagine why I baked an apple pie.

She just laughed. ;-)

This weekend I am planning to bake lots of cookies for the holidays.

I arranged all of my recipes and realized I do not have a rolling pin to roll out my sugar cookie dough. Pennies are tight so I called my mom to see if she has one I can borrow for a few days.

Since she was the one who taught me to bake I bet she can help me.

All of my things are still in storage in Texas. When we broke up I packed in a fog trying to be fair to my ex giving him things he would need right away. In that light I am not even sure what all I have in storage.

I have been putting off buying anything until I am reunited with my treasures but today I couldn’t resist getting a set of cookie cutters. There is an Angel, a Snowman, a girl, a boy, a candy cane, a star, a tree, a stocking and a bell.

The fun thing is they can be used for so much more than cookies. I’ll be making snowman canapes for my friends! ;)

Since I was 5 I have loved baking, creating edible art…it is a passion I had put away when my boys left home.

Yes I let my sophisticated business woman hide from the cookie baking goddess I truly am.

I baked a German Chocolate Cake.
A treat for the people I work with. ;)

This recipe serves: 24
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
nonstick cooking spray
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup applesauce

Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9” loaf pans with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Rehydrate the cranberries by combining them with the apple cider in a microwave safe bowl and microwave them for 1 minute. Leave the cranberries in the hot cider and set them aside.
3. Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is pale yellow and very fluffy.
4. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the cinnamon and allspice.
5. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Drain the cranberries and discard the liquid.
6. Stir in half of the flour mixture. Stir in the applesauce and cranberries. Stir in the rest of the flour mixture.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and set in the center, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 slice
Calories 149
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Protein 2 g
Total Carbohydrate 25 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sodium 191 mg
Percent Calories from Fat 27%
Percent Calories from Protein 5%
Percent Calories from Carbohydrate 68%
Recipe Brought to you by Foodfit

This recipe serves: 36
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
vegetable cooking spray
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 egg whites
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and grated
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins

Cooking Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Spray the baking sheets with vegetable cooking spray.
2. Place the oats and nuts on a separate, unsprayed baking sheet and toast until golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger in a medium bowl.
4. Combine the egg whites, grated apple, applesauce, brown sugar, sugars, oil and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Add the raisins and toasted oats and nuts.
5. Drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets by tablespoonfuls, about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake the cookies one pan at a time until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 3 minutes before removing them from the pan. Cool cookies completely before serving.
These cookies can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 2 cookies
Calories 106
Protein 2 g
Total Carbohydrate 16 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sodium 84 mg
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Percent Calories from Fat 32%
Percent Calories from Protein 9%
Percent Calories from Carbohydrate 58%

Recipe Brought to you by FoodFit

Holiday fun from the Food Network!

Bake some of these favorites from 12 Days of Cookies past and you’ll be ready for any holiday party, cookie swap or Christmas Eve visit from Santa.

Sign up now to receive the new 2006 recipes coming in the 12 Days of Cookies newsletter in December.

This recipe serves: 8
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup 1% milk
1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Spray 8 ramekins with cooking spray and sprinkle them with the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
3. Combine flour and salt in a small saucepan. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and cook until thick, about 3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Whisk in the instant coffee, vanilla and egg yolks. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until it is melted. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
5. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed until the eggs are foamy. Gradually add half of the granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Continue beating and slowly add the remaining sugar.
6. Gently fold 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Spoon the batter into prepared ramekins. Bake for 20 minutes or until puffy and set.
7. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 soufflé
Calories 170
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Protein 4 g
Total Carbohydrate 31 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sodium 71 mg
Percent Calories from Fat 22%
Percent Calories from Protein 8%
Percent Calories from Carbohydrate 69%

A little background: Neiman-Marcus, if you don’t know already, is a very
expensive store; i.e., they sell your typical $8.00 T-shirt for $50.00.
Let’s let them have it! THIS IS A TRUE STORY!

My daughter and I had just finished a salad at a Neiman-Marcus Café in
Dallas, and we decided to have a small dessert. Because both of us are such
cookie lovers, we decided to try the “Neiman-Marcus cookie.”

It was so excellent that I asked if they would give me the recipe, and the
waitress said with a small frown, “I’m afraid not, but you can buy the
recipe.” Well, I asked how much, and she responded; “Only two
fifty-it’s a great deal!” I agreed to that, and told her to just add
it to my tab. Thirty days later, I received my VISA statement, and the
Neiman-Marcus charge was $285.00!

I looked again, and I remembered I had only spent $9.95 for two salads and
about $20.00 for a scarf. As I glanced at the bottom of the statement, it
said, “Cookie Recipe-$250.00”. That was outrageous!

I called Neiman’s Accounting Department and told them the waitress said it
was “two fifty”, which clearly does not mean “two hundred and fifty dollars”
by any reasonable interpretation of the phrase. Neiman-Marcus refused to
budge. They would not refund my money because, according to them, “What the
waitress told you is not our problem. You have already seen the recipe. We
absolutely will not refund your money at this point.”
I
explained to the Accounting Department lady the criminal statutes which
govern fraud in the state of Texas. I threatened to report them to the
Better Business Bureau and the Texas Attorney General’s office for engaging
in fraud. I was basically told, “Do what you want. Don’t bother thinking
of how you can get even, and don’t bother trying to get any of your money
back.”

I just said, Okay, you folks got my $250, and now I’m going to have $250
worth of fun.” I told her that I was going to see to it that every cookie
lover in the United States with an e-mail account has a $250 cookie recipe
from Neiman-Marcus…for free. She replied, “I wish you wouldn’t do this.”
I said, “Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you ripped me
off!” and slammed down the phone. So here it is!

Please, please, please pass it on to everyone you can possibly think of.
I paid $250 for this, and I don’t want Neiman-Marcus to EVER make another
penny off of this recipe!

$250 Neiman Marcus Cookies

• 2 cups butter

• 24 oz chocolate chips

• 4 cups flour
  • 2 cups brown sugar

• 2 tsp. soda
  • 1 tsp. salt

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
  • 5 cups blended oatmeal
    • 4 eggs
    • 2 tsp. baking powder
    • 2 tsp. vanilla
    • 3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the
butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour,
oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add
chocolate chips, Hershey Bar, and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two
inches apart on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies.

PLEASE READ THE RECIPE AND SEND IT TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW WHOHAS AN E-MAIL ADDRESS! THIS IS REALLY TERRIFIC!!

Even if the people on your e-mail list don’t eat sweets send it to them
and ask them to pass it on. Let’s make sure we get these ladies $250.00
worth.

Enjoy the cookies, they are good….