Jam Crumb Bars

AMAZING! PERFECT! DELICIOUS! 

The crust and jam combination is to live for! 

As she ate these, my mom could no hold back expressing her pleasure (picture When Harry met Sally) and we chuckled at what the neighbor's might think (Especially since they saw my dad leave for work a couple of hours earlier!). My seven year old said "THESE you can take to my swim team friends!" (See Cheesecake Thumbprints for reference). Even our yellow lab snatched a piece straight out of my 2 year old's hand (She was not happy about that. Don't worry, she got another piece ( Recipe made about 20 bars).

I used Arrow Mills ground blanched almonds and 3/4C Raspberry and 1C Strawberry Smucker's Jam (I ran out of Raspberry Jam but this is one of those fortunate turn of events). 

The crust baked for 17 minutes and later with the Jam and topping for an additional 23. 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!

165 to Go!

Caramel-Nut Bars

These remind me of Planter's Peanut Brittle bars (My dad always carries one in his car). It takes a lot of nuts (pun intended), Costco size.  I am starting to think Caramel recipes are just not for me (I'm not saying I will avoid them like the plague but maybe like a bad cold).  The crust was easy to make (Though I realized when the timer went off that I had forgotten to turn the oven on.  Admit it has happened to you too!). I used a small fondant roller to flatten it out. 

The caramel never reached the 300F (I felt so professional using my newly bought William and Sonoma Candy thermometer). I was so afraid of burning it (see Coconut-Pecan Caramel cookies for background info) that I might of undercooked it. I baked it for ten minutes and it never hardened (they do harden if you put them in the fridge. A little too hard. Watch out for grandma's' dentures).

Overall, they're salty and gooey (If that's what you're into you'll love them). 

166 to Go!

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

I am filled with both Nostalgia and Relief over moving from cookies on to brownies and bars. It parallels my current experience with my 2 year old outgrowing her highchair and baby stroller.  A phase of life ends and another begins. It made me ponder on all the changes that will occur this year simultaneously with the Baking of the Handbook. By next year, my baby will be turning three and starting preschool. One day my girls will be able to look back and take a peek at what mom was doing during this time in their lives. These memories will forever be intertwined in my Heart with these recipes.

Enough of my Existential Crisis and back to the Brownie. This is SO much easier than cookies!  I'm not a huge brownie fan even though I love chocolate. They are not kidding when they call these "Fudgy". I made them with walnuts (2nd Nut of Choice) as shown in the Nutty Chocolate Variation ( I caught my 7 year old taking the nuts out of her piece).

 I used Guiradelli 60% bittersweet cacao morsels and baked it for 40 minutes. 

167 to Go!

Linzer Hearts

I'm in LOVE! 

These cookies have won my heart. They were well worth the paint fumes I inhaled to bake them (Our house was painted this weekend and we were not allowed in until the paint dried).  A "REAL BAKER" would not let a small thing like hazardous fumes stop her. What's a few brain cells compared to Linzer Hearts,  a small sacrifice for Love. 

The recipe said to "feel free to substitute almonds for the hazelnuts".  Almonds are ALWAYS my NUT of Choice.  I used Arrow Mills blanched ground almonds and Smuckers Raspberry Jam. 

They baked for 14 minutes and made 9 Large and 8 small sandwich hearts. 

168 to Go!

 

Coconut-Pecan-Caramel Sandwich Cookies

I think I burned the caramel filling. The recipe asked for Dark Amber and unless I'm color blind, It looked Dark Amber (But tasted burned). The strong taste overpowered the cookies which were delicious on their own. I was planning on taking them to my 2 years old's last day of Gymboree . I added a teaspoon of condensed milk (What kid does not like condensed milk?)  to balance the caramel. The moms loved them, the kids not so much (good thing it was her last day). 

They baked for 13 minutes and made 30 sandwich cookies. 

169 to Go!

In  Loving Memory of Gymbo the Clown.

Cheesecake Thumbprints

 

 WAY TOO MANY steps for a cookie. Clear your schedule for these ones.

 The end of the wooden spoon worked great to make the indentation for the filling (Only Martha would come up with that. I wonder what else she tried?). It made exactly the stated 30 cookies (all fit on one baking sheet). They baked for 8 minutes, cooled (I had to go to work) then fill  and bake for another 8 minutes.

 The Chocolate variation was not as good. I found out the hard way: My daughter tasted them and said they were delicious so I brought them to give to her swim team friends after practice. As I am handing them out she comes to me with a mortified look and says "What are you doing? The kids are going to hate them!" I say,  "I thought you liked them?" Then she says, "You're my MOM, I HAVE to tell you their good".

170 to Go!

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

 

 "Gourmet Nutter Butters". 

 Love,  Love,  Love these cookies. Easy dough to work with.  Make sure to use Organic Natural Peanut Butter. Made 20 sandwich cookies.  Baked for 18 minutes.  

171 to Go!

Key Lime Tart

Very tart! 

 Easy to make. 

Not in the handbook but perfect for a sweet summer day.

Still 172 to go!

Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies

A Labor of Love (Without the epidural!). This is by far the stickiest dough I have ever worked with. I refrigerated it for 2 hours(Only asked for 30 min) and it was still not firm (I had to put it in the freezer).The contractions came when trying to roll it out. I finally gave up and scooped the dough with a small ice cream scooper and pressed them out with floured hands (apparently flour is the kryptonite of sticky dough). I also refrigerated the grapefruit cream filling before spreading on cookies (Otherwise would have been too runny). 

Of course they were delicious. I told my family and friends to enjoy them because it's the last time I'll ever make them (same words I said after my 1st daughter was born).

172 to Go!

Chocolate Wafer Sandwich Cookies

"Gourmet Oreo Cookies" with the vanilla cream filling. The dough was easy to work with. I used UB flour, Scharffen Berger cocoa, O Butter and O eggs. Made 32 cookies in 2 batches for 12 minutes. My favorite was with the chocolate cream filling which tasted like cocoa-caramel.

 This is one of the reasons why I love baking: Seeing my dad coming down the stairs late at night asking if it's OK if he eats the last cookie. 

172 to Go!

Blueberry Muffins

I know these are not next on the schedule but mom came home with a "bushel" of blueberries from Costco (apparently they are in "season". Those of us who live in Paradise are not familiar with this concept so I'll take their word for it. I might need to check what other fruits are in "season" and make those recipes now). 

These should be called "Blueberry Angel Food Cake Muffins". They are soft bundles of breakfast joy. 

I used Challenge butter, EB flour, O eggs and Nielsen vanilla. They baked for 27 minutes. 

Good Morning!

175 to Go!

Spice Sandwich Cookies

The Little Cookie that Could!

I was completely flabbergasted by the ingredient's list of fresh spices (See for yourself page 105) I told you! Why would Martha do this to us? It felt like a cruel treasure hunt at the grocery store. I refused to pay $14 for Cardamon (ground) and the rest were nowhere to be found. I decided to make it my own "Frankenstein Cookie Experiment". I felt like a mad scientist adding a pinch of cloves, 1/2 tsp of Allspice, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon (All already ground, Safeway brand). It was freeing and liberating. I was certain they would be inedible but at least I was having fun. The dough was so sticky and gooey I could not roll it into balls so I just plopped a spoon full at a time (No rolling in sugar for these freaks of nature).They baked for 20 minutes. As the room filled with the smell of spices I hear the BF say "Who likes Spice Cookies anyway? Only Grandmas!". I then made the apple-cream cheese filling using Smuckers apple butter (all I could think of was how I was wasting all of these ingredients and my time but I was determined to finish this doomed mission).

I filled the cookies and put them in the fridge overnight. 

Let's just say that my "creation" has been Grandma's and EVERYBODY's favorite cookie to date. They are creamy and moist.  The smooth cream cheese with the tart apple butter meld perfectly with the spices in the cookie. 

Life lesson: When you free yourself from expectations, boundaries and the fear of failure, you are able to create at your Best. 

 176 to Go!

Coconut-Macadamia Nut Cookie

Crispy & Coconutty. 

Too salty for my taste. Maybe next time I'll use unsalted macadamias (Used Maunaloa Dry roasted with sea salt). I am ashamed to say that living in paradise and I used store bought sweetened coconut. As much as many of you may think, we do not lay on  hammocks all day long  drinking pineapple juice and climbing coconut trees (OK, maybe just on the weekend and the BF does all the climbing). I used Bleached flour, butter flavored shortening, O eggs, challenge butter and Nielsen Vanilla. 

The dough was too soft to work with. It could have been because I checked my email while waiting for the butter to soften and from then on it felt like playing catchup.  I refrigerated the log for two hours (Needs more).  I gave up on trying to cut the dough and made balls by hand.  They baked for 29 minutes! Almost twice as stated. Might need new oven thermometer. Made 28 cookies (18 short)

Side Note: I made these with the intention to take them to a lecture on Cemeteries by my Mentor/Idol and his wife.

 They were not Yalom worthy.  

177 to Go!

Lime- Glazed Cookies

A Little Piece of Lime Heaven! 

Tart Sweetness. 

Used O Butter, UB flour and only 1 Tbsp of lime zest. Baked them for 13 minutes. Made Total of 21 cookies (15 missing.  Is she using the Martha Metric System?)

The Lime glaze was only enough for 15 cookies.  

Maybe these measurements do not apply to Alaska and Hawaii.

178 to Go!

Ice Box Butter Cookies: Butter/Chocolate Flake/Chopped Pecan

3 in 1! Chocolate Flake was the favorite, then Butter and then Pecan.  I am now obsessed with filling the Freezer with rolls of cookie in case of an Emergency (BF is always telling me I should have a Hurricane Prepared Kit. I think this counts.)

I made them a day in advance and chilled them overnight. They were easy to mold (I was making excuses to use paper towels just to be able to use the rolls. I know it's not GREEN but these cookies are Ozone killing good!) I used rubber bands to tie the ends. It was fun rolling them in sugar and easy to cut. I made the Chocolate and Pecan thicker (1/2 inch) so it only made 20 of each (Great thickness). The Butter were cut thinner and made the stated 30. 

I am now using unbleached flour, O eggs, Challenge butter, Nielsen Vanilla and Guiradelli Bittersweet Chocolate (Which I considered blasphemous to "discard" the dust). Next time I would use Toasted Almonds instead of Pecans. 

The thicker batches baked (Top and lower thirds) rotating at 9 min for a total of 21 min. The thinner butter ones(middle rack) were done in 15 min.

Perfect Tea Time Cookies.

179 to Go!

Torta Sbrisolona

  I am a born again Baker. This delicious Italian Almond shortbread cake/cookie is the perfect start.  It was incredibly easy to make (The hardest part was finding a 10" springform pan: Martha Macys did not have it!!! I would like to thank my BBF (Best Baker Friend) C.G. for letting me borrow her Wilton Nonstick one which worked perfectly). 

I used Challenge butter, preground almond flour and baked it for the stated time (25/10=35)

I'm Back Baby!

182 to go!

Forgive Me Martha for I have Sinned

  

It has been one week since I last baked.  During this time I have committed two Baking Mortal Sins: Made cupcakes from box mix and bought a Costco cake for my daughter's birthday. I was also unfaithful to you with a sugar cookie recipe from kitchengifts.com.  I have  the royal icing stains on my hands. As penitence I will place the Scarlett Letter on my Kitchen Aide, bake an extra recipe this week (Could it be the key lime tart I saw on your show yesterday from "everyday foods"?) and I will deny myself any chocolate for a day.

Bless you Martha for your Loving Kindness and Forgiveness!