Day 277 - Day 6 of the 12 Days of Cookies - Chocolate Peppermint Frosted Cookies

Too much weight gain over the Thanksgiving holiday makes Lynne a not so happy camper.
I haven't been too diligent about updating my Weigh-In page because I've just been lazy.
It had been staying pretty consistent, fluctuating between 119 and 121 lbs.
This week, an entirely different story.
I've hit bottom and I'm not happy about it.
Most people looking at me would say I'm "thin" or at the weight I probably should be.
But to me, my body does not feel the way it's supposed to, and at this point, I'm very uncomfortable with it.
And yes, this is coming from a girl (ok, I am a woman now) who, when she got married over 21 years ago, was underweight at 98 lbs.
Ah yes, it was an amazing time in my life, being able to eat anything without gaining any weight.
And I know, I've had three children, but that's no excuse.
Point blank, I haven't taken care of myself and it's catching up to me.
Long story short, I stood on the scale this morning and it said 123.
If I remember correctly, when I started this blog my weigh was at 124.  So, according to our scale, I'm still a pound less than when I started.
But I did say our scale.
I took about a 3 mile brisk walk with the dog at lunch time and then decided to join Mr. 365 and our son for a trip to the local gym.
We worked out, and then the boys decided they were going to weigh themselves.  I was going to pass, but then at the last minute, changed my mind.
I guess at this point, I'm glad I did because there's no hiding it now.
The gym scale said 126.5, and there was no teetering, either.
I know, some of you are probably thinking I'm making WAY too big a deal about 126.5 lbs. and I know you could be also be thinking, "What I'd GIVE to be 126.5 lbs!!!!"  because I've heard that, too.
When I started this blog, I made a conscious decision to share with all of you things about my cooking/baking, and my life and to be completely honest about both.
This is it, folks.  I'm putting it out there and I'm exposing my feelings.
I have a HUGE desire to throw out all of the cookies that are in the fridge, and I've already done that with some of them, but I know I need to do this in moderation, eating healthier, exercising, and snacking only on "good-for-my-body" stuff.
So, here goes.
I'll still be tasting what I bake because I have to rate it, but only one bite, one cookie, and if it's dinner, a smaller sized portion with a bigger salad.
I am SOOOOOOOO NOT looking forward to this because I LOVE to eat and yes, I LOVE to gorge myself on really.   good.   FOOD.
So join me, won't you, as I begin this next journey?  Don't worry, I'm not going to go changing the blog to be all healthy and all.  I think that would push me over the edge.
Just to let you know that there may be some days where I'm not so happy and go off on a rant, just wanted to warn you all.  ;-)
I do that sometimes now when I'm hormonal, so it actually wouldn't be that much different.
Ok, thank you for listening.  I really needed to vent.
I'm excited and motivated now, even thinking about taking before and after pictures, but...I don't know.

Now onto some REALLY delicious cookies...

I used my Fannie Farmer Cookbook for the chocolate refrigerator cookie recipe then added the frosting and crushed candies.  It is the cookbook's Thirteenth Edition, p.626; author, Marion Cunningham; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 0-394-56788-9.


Chocolate Peppermint Frosted Cookies - makes about 65 cookies

1/4 pound butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate, melted

Cream the butter and vanilla together.

Beat in both the brown and granulated sugars.

Beat in the melted chocolate and the egg until thoroughly combined.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, cream of tartar and salt.
Add to butter mixture and combine well.
Put half of the mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap.

Shape into a roll about 2-inches in diameter.
Wrap completely in plastic wrap, twisting the ends, and place into refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
*Dough will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator and can be frozen.  This makes it convenient to have dough on hand for those cookie emergencies that may come up this time of year.*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove roll from the refreigerator and roll on counter if needed to help reshape into a rounded roll.  I say "rounded" because the bottom had flattened as it sat in the chiller.
Using a sharp knife, slice into rounds 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick

Place dough onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 minutes or until set.
Allow to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Cool completely before frosting.

I used half of the Wilton Buttercream Icing recipe and added 1/2 teaspoon of Peppermint Extract to it.

I frosted the cookies using about 1/2-1 teaspoon of icing for each, depending on the cookie size.
Then I sprinkled crushed peppermint candies on top of each.
You could even make them sandwich cookies by using two cookies.  Spread the frosting on one, cover it with another cookie and then roll it in the crushed peppermints so that the candy sticks to the outside edge of the frosting!
I didn't do that because I don't like when the frosting squirts out the middle of my cookie.  I'm kind of particular that way.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Chocolate Peppermint Frosted Cookies earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.
I have to say that the one that I ate was quite delicious!
It was just chocolatey enough, not too strong in the peppermint department, and had a nice crunch with the crushed candies.
They make a festive holiday cookie!

Thank you for reading!  I love you and you absolutely ROCK!!  I am very grateful that you've found me!  XOXO

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Day 276 - Day 5 of the 12 Days of Cookies - Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

I saw these cookies on the internet when I Googled "Christmas Cookies" and I knew I just had to make them.

They are just WAY too cute!!
If I had little kid, they'd be all over them, but my teenagers liked them, too.
I have to thank Kerry from Bakergirl for this idea.
I used a different peanut butter cookie recipe and other things, but they came out just as cute.
I'm sure the kids in your life will love these, too!

This peanut butter cookie recipe is one that we like the best here at 365 and it came from my New Doubleday Cookbook, p.843; authors, Jean Anderson and Elaine Hanna; publisher, Doubleday, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., an imprint of Random house, Inc.; ISBN 0-385-19577-X.

Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies - makes about 73 (6 dozen)
*I only made about 1/3 of the batch reindeer and the rest I left plain because I ran out of chocolate covered pretzels.*

2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup butter-flavored vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup creamy peanut butter
chocolate covered pretzels
cinnamon red hots
semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Into a medium bowl, sift flour with baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, shortening and sugars til light and fluffy, about 7 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, making sure the first is fully incorporated before adding the next.

Beat in peanut butter.

Slowly add flour mixture, about 1/3 at a time, until just blended.

Chill dough for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls, pinching the bottom to give the reindeer his chin.
Place onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set and just beginning to brown.
Immediately upon removing from oven, place two chocolate-covered pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the antlers, two chocolate morsels for the eyes and a red hot for the nose.

Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a couple of minutes and then gently transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely.

*Dough freezes well if you do not want to bake them right away.*

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies earned 4 rolling pins.
The peanut butter cookie was delicious and the added "extras", especially those chocolate covered pretzels, took the ol' standby to another level.
Plus it's got to be given credit for being the cutest darn cookie I've ever made.
The bag of Hershey's Chocolate-Covered Pretzels was a little pricier than I would have liked and it only came with 46 in a package.
I made 21 reindeer with the chocolate-covered antlers (ok, I admit it, I ate 4 pretzels in the process.  I HAD to find out how they tasted!), before running out and switching to regular mini-pretzels.
Please note that because the cookies are hot, the chocolate will of course, melt.
It won't be dripping off of the pretzels or melting from the morsel into the face, but it will become...
soft.
SO, if you should BUMP into the pretzel or accidentally put your finger into the poor reindeer's eye, you could find yourself with some road-kill-type looking cookies.
I should have taken a picture, but the evidence was eaten before I had the chance.
And I would highly recommend using the chocolate-covered pretzels as opposed to the plain because for 1, they just taste so much better with the chocolate, but 2, Rudolph won't be losing his antlers when you go to move him to his resting place on the wire rack.
The chocolate acts as a pretty darn good antler adhesive.
Kerry used M&M's for her eyes and nose which would help to prevent eye injuries, but I thought they were cute with the morsels.
If you're going to be having the little ones help you out with these, you might want to use the M&M's because they "melt in your mouth, not in your hand", and hopefully not on a reindeer's face.
Then again, maybe you shouldn't have the little ones help because they may burn themselves on the hot cookie sheet.  Well, I'll leave it up to you.
Just make sure you're sticking the parts into the cookie as soon as they come out of the oven because the cookie will start to harden and then it becomes difficult to perform the necessary facial surgery.
The great thing about this recipe, too, is that you can use a sugar cookie or even a snickerdoodle!  AND you can get creative - maybe you have other things you'd like to use as facial parts!
I'm sure Santa would LOVE to see these under the tree this year with his glass of milk, and don't forget that carrot for Rudolph!
I shared these at the Cookie Exchange at Dukes and Duchesses! Take a look to see all the other great cookies people are sharing!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!

Day 275 - Day 4 of the 12 Days of Cookies - Greek Honey-Walnut Cookies

Last night we went to Mexico for some Mexican Wedding Cookies / Polvorones or Vienna for some Crescents, however you choose to refer to them or wherever you choose to mentally visit.

Tonight, we're going to the opposite side of the world (from Mexico) to the lovely land of Greece.  I've always dreamed of going to Greece.
Yes, Greece and Italy are the two places on my Bucket List that I need to go to before I head on up to the kitchen in the sky.

I adapted this from Christmas Cookies.com.

Greek Honey-Walnut Cookies - makes 43 cookies

1/3 cup honey

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/2 cup orange juice, divided

1 2-inch cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

1 cup ground walnuts, plus additional for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature

3 cups flour

2 tablespoons apple juice (original recipe calls for brandy, but you can also substitute white grape juice)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, combine honey, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup orange juice, cinnamon stick and whole cloves.

Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes over low heat.  Watch carefully, and stir occasionally.

Strain syrup, and discard spices.

Remove 1/4 cup of the syrup and set aside the remaining syrup.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the ground walnuts and orange zest.

Mix well.

Stir in the 1/4 cup of syrup and set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon , cloves, and nutmeg. 

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed for about 30 seconds.

Add half of the flour mixture and blend well.

Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 1/4 cup of orange juice, and apple juice.

Blend well.

Add remaining flour mixture and beat just until blended.

Form dough into 1-1/4-inch balls.

Using a finger, press a hole into the center of the ball.

Fill hole with 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground nut filling.

Bring dough up around hole, enclosing completely.

Place seam side down on cookie sheet.

Using a knife, score an "X" onto the top of the ball, scoring only the surface.

Repeat process with remaining dough and filling.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until set.

Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet after removing from oven.

Transfer to wire rack.

Gently reheat remaining syrup over low heat and brush tops of cookies.

Sprinkle each with additional ground walnuts.

Allow to cool completely.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Greek Honey-Walnut Cookies earned 3 rolling pins.

The spices, the honey, the walnuts...ahhhhhh.

Reminded me of everything Greek.

Alright, maybe not everything, but definitely reminded me of some yummy baklava.
They have a nice shortbready (new word) texture on the outside and the soft, sweet, orangey inside.
I think these will be a nice addition to your cookie trays.
Just a note, they are just a little more time consuming than most because you're putting holes in the dough, filling them, and then covering them. And then when they are removed from the oven you are brushing them with syrup and sprinkling.
It's not your typical roll-the-dough-into-a-ball-and-stick-it-on-the-cookie-sheet-and-away-we-go type cookie.
BUT, they are well worth the effort and extra love you'll be putting into them!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Day 274 - Day 3 of 12 Days of Cookies - Mexican Wedding Cookies

Good grief, I've got writer's block.

Perhaps it's because I'm sitting in front of the tv watching a football game that I care nothing about or because my son is sitting here next to me goofing off.

He's pushing our Golden Retriever into me...

Ok, we're done.  

I just got his knee into my left eyebrow.

My son's, not the dog's.

Ouch!

Ok, that'll teach me to wrestle with a 14 year old who's an inch taller than me.

I guess I should focus on finishing this post...

Anywho...

Mexican Wedding Cakes are also known as Polvorones in Mexico, Russian Teacakes or Viennese Crescents.

They can be made with pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds.

These I made with pecans and adapted them from Pati's Mexican Table.

I figured if I'm going to be making these things I should probably go straight to the source.

Ironically, she had never even heard them referred to as Mexican Wedding Cookies until she moved to the States, AND had never eaten them at a wedding, even her own!

Mexican Wedding Cookies - makes about 44

1/2 cup pecans

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar plus additional for dusting

2 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, chilled

1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, finely ground the pecans.

Add confectioners' sugar and mix completely.

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.  Whisk to combine.

Add the butter and shortening to the flour in small pieces.

Using your hands, mix together the butter, shortening, flour, salt until it comes together into a coarse meal.

It is tempting to overwork the dough, especially if you're a tactile person like me, but try not to do so.

Add the pecan/sugar mixture, working it into the coarse meal.

Add the egg, and again working with your hands, blend it in.

In less than a minute, the dough should from into a ball.

If it is too sticky, refrigerate it for 15 minutes or longer before the next step.

Roll the dough into balls about 1-inch or 1 1/2-inches.

Place onto cookie sheet about 1-inch apart.

Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly golden.

Sift additional confectioners sugar over the tops of the cookies.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Mexican Wedding Cookies earned 3 rolling pins.

They were good, with a great nutty taste, very light and not too sweet, even with all that extra confectioners' sugar I put on at the end.

I guess I may have been a little sugar happy when I dusted them.

To be honest, I was mesmerized by the sugar falling from my fine sieve.  It reminded me of snow, so I was kind of lost in the moment and forgot what I was actually doing.

And is it me, or are these usually made into balls?

Well, I formed them into balls and then they collapsed in the oven.

Pati's were shaped like mine, too, so I figured that's what they were supposed to look like, but in past holiday seasons when I've eaten these, I thought they were ball shaped.

I don't know, maybe it was a different cookie.

It's back to a regular week after a four day weekend.

After last week and as busy as I was, I'm REALLY looking forward to getting back into our regular routine and giving the house a good cleaning once the kids are off to school tomorrow.

I didn't want the weekend to end because I thoroughly enjoyed having all of the kids here.  We had a wonderful time.

I am completely blessed and extremely thankful for it.

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!