Hoot Owl Cookies....Hoot! Hoot!

When I was a little girl, my fondest memories are of my mother happily baking in the kitchen. And in the Autumn and Winter, she was baking every chance she could get. I remember once coming home from "trick 'r treating" to the smell of homemade raised donuts. Ooooh if you ever tasted my mother's donuts, it would ruin you for life on the donut shops!

This recipe for Hoot Owl Cookies is a refrigerator cookie. Mom used to make these around Halloween.
It comes from an Old Pillsbury Family cookbook, but I have adjusted the recipe a bit.

2-1/2 cups cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine salt

3/4 cup butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp madagascar vanilla

1/4 teaspoon Caramel Lorann Oil

1-1/2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled

1/4 tsp baking soda

***

For decorating

Semi-sweet or Milk chocolate Chips for eyes

White Chocolate Chips or Cashews for beak

In a bowl, Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Set aside. In mixing bowl, cream butter with electric mixer at med speed , beat until creamy smooth, then gradually add brown sugar, incorporating well. Add egg, vanilla and Lorann Oil and mix well. Stir in flour mixture, adding 1/4 cup at a time until well mixed.

Divide cookie dough into thirds, and remove 1/3 dough. Stir baking soda into chocolate, then add to the 1/3 dough, mixing well. Cover and chill until the dough can be easily handled.

Divide the plain and chocolate dough in half. Return half of the dough to refrigerator.

Roll the plain dough to a 4-1/2 x 10" rectangle on lightly floured wax paper. Roll the chocolate dough into a 10" long roll. Place the chocolate roll on the center of the rectangle

.

Lift the sides of the of the wax paper to roll cover the chocolate roll with the plain dough.

Wrap the wax paper around the dough and chill. Repeat process with remaining cookie dough.

Chill dough well, for at least two hours. I usually prepare the night before and allow to chill overnight for easier handling.

***************

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the firmly chilled roll into 1/8-1/4" slices.

Place two sliced cookies touching in the middle on a greased cookie sheet or Silpat mat.

This creates the owl face with two eyes.

After all the cookies are placed on the cookie sheet, they will have softened. Pinch the top corners of the cookie to make ears.

If you want to make a Menacing Owl, push the top of plain cookie dough forward over chocolate dough eye, as shown.

Place one chocolate chip on each eye. You can place them with the point up, but I also like to push the pointed end of the chocolate chip into the cookie to create a flat pupil to the eye.

The original recipe calls for a cashew nut for the owl's beak. This is quick and easy, and once the cookies are baked and cooled, they will be ready to serve. But because nut allergies have become prevalent, if I am baking for a group other than my family, I wait until the cookies have cooled and add the beak later, using white chocolate.

Bake the cookies in a 350 oven for 8-12 minutes until lightly browned on the sides. Remove from oven and place cookies on a cooling rack.

When the cookies have thoroughly cooled, melt about 1/2 cup of White Chocolate chips. Spoon melted chocolate into a plastic pastry bag with a #8 tip.

Pipe a bead on the left side of bottom center, as shown. Repeat same step on the right side, the pipe over the middle, pulling down to the bottom creating a beak.

Allow the chocolate to completely cool and firm up.

You can make these look like cute Hoot owls, or if I make them look menacing,
my husband calls them Horned Owls.

To each his own.

Hey, it is Halloween after all! We can become anything we want on that day!!

Happy Hauntings!




Note:
The creator of this recipe is Natalie R Riggin

It was the 2nd Grand Prize Winner in the Pillsbury Bakeoff in 1956

The link to the original recipe

Thank you Natalie. This has been a family favorite for years!

Photos by Jacque Benson -2009 all rights reserved.

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

These rich hazelnut shortbread cookies are great with a cup of coffee or a cup of hot cocoa!!

What you will need:

1 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted, divided*

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon double-strength vanilla

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cups Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)

1 square unsweetened chocolate for baking, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper, allowing 1 inch to extend past the sides; set aside.  Grate 3 tablespoons of the hazelnuts with a rotary grater or finely chop in a food processor.  Place butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl, beat on medium speed of electric hand mixer until creamy.  Gradually add flour and grated hazelnuts.  Mix on low speed until dry ingredients begin to blend with butter mixture.  Increase speed to  medium=high and beat just until mixture forms into a dough.

Distribute dough over the bottom of prepared pan.  Roll using a lightly floured rolling pin to create an even thickness.  Bake 43-45 minutes or until deep golden brown.  Remove pan from oven to a cooling rack.  Coll 10 minutes.  Invert pan onto a cutting board and remove parchment and immediately cut warm shortbread lenghtwise into eight rows and crosswise into sixths to make 48 small rectangles using a very long knife.  Spread rectangles apart slightly and cool completely.

Coarsely chop remaining hazelnuts using a food chopper and place in on a plate or tray.  Place hazelnut spread and chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl.  Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 60-70 seconds or until melted and smooth, stirring after 1 minute.  Dip one end of each shortbread rectangle into chocolate mixture and roll in nuts, coating all sides.  Place on parchment-lined surface to set.  If chocolate mixture begins to thicken, return to microwave 10-15 seconds or just until it thins but is not hot.

Store cooled, finished shortbread in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers for up to one week.

*To toast the hazelnuts, spread over a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake at 350 degrees for 8-16 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and fragrant.

Rhonda Christensen
2010
All Rights Reserved

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Autumn Spice Cookies

There is nothing like the smell of cinnamon right out of the oven, especially when

the weather is crisp and cool outside.

And these Autumn Spice Cookies fill the house with a wonderful aroma while baking!

They are easy to bake and very tasty!

 Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 egg

1/2 cup salted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

*Icing to outline cookies
Autumn Leaf Cookie Cutter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, confectioners sugar, cream of tartar and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix egg and brown sugar. Add melted butter. Slowly incorporate flour mixture and add vanilla.  Wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill well for several hours.

Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

 When dough is firm, roll out on a lightly floured board and cut

cookies using a leaf shaped cutter.

 Place cookies on parchment covered cookie sheet.

 Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture over every cookie.

 Place in preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 9 minutes.

Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

 *At this point, you can use buttercream icing, royal icing or melted chocolate to outline the leaves.

I used chocolate/caramel buttercream to outline my cookies and it added a

wonderful layer of flavor to the cinnamon cookies.

These are perfect for the holidays or for a special treat when the kids come in from school. 

Enjoy!

Makes 3 dozen 3" leaf cookies.

Tutorial and Photography by Jacque Benson
2010 All rights reserved

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies!

 

This may very well be our new favorite cookie recipe!

When you bite into it you get the Peanut Butter and Choc Chip flavor right up front then as you chew you get that under laying oatmeal flavor and texture that is so Yummy!It gives you a crisp bite into a soft chewy cookie..Amazing recipe!

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal -Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 20 cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

½ cup rolled oats

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg and beat to combine.

On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined.

Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

4. Drop heaping Tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

NOTE…The cookies will not look “done” when you pull them out of the oven, but they will continue to bake on the hot baking sheets out of the oven. If they are slightly brown, the edges look just set and they are puffy in the middle they are ready to come out!

Do not over cook!

Photography and tutorial contributed by Diane Marks

2009 all rights reserved

Recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker

Mame's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mame's Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Mame Recckio Wolfe

This recipe was the first one I ever received or made. It dates back to 1965.

I'm not sure who the originator is, but these are still the best.

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 pkg. [3.4 oz.] vanilla or chocolate instant pudding

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 pkg. [12 oz.] Nestle Semi- Sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts [walnuts]

Make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature 

 

 Mix flour with baking soda.

 Combine butter, the sugars, pudding and vanilla in a large mixing bowl;

beat until smooth and creamy

 Beat in eggs.

 Gradually add flour mixture; then stir in chips and nuts

 Batter will be stiff

 Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto ungreased baking sheets,

 about 2” apart…I only put 12 cookies per cookie sheet

 Place cookie sheet in middle of oven

 Bake one cookie sheet at a time

 Bake at 375°F for 8 – 10 minutes…9 minutes works best for my oven.

Makes about 7-dozen cookies

Recipe Shared by Mame Recckio Wolfe

Photography by Jacque Benson

2010 all rights reserved
This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

"C is for cookie...."

As I was on my semester break from school, I can honestly say the food item I thought of the most and made most often was a chocolate chip cookie. I didn't always make the same recipe, because I have a tendency to tinker, and try out multiple recipes to see if I can get the flavor and texture that I want. A chocolate chip cookie, to me, is the ultimate comfort food. Chocolate chip cookies are relatively easy to make, and they are quick, unless you want to chill the dough before baking, which is one of my favorite techniques.

I have seen numerous threads on the various forums I belong to, searching for the quintessential chocolate chip cookie. The purpose of this article isn't to tell you the recipe I think is best, but to give tips and pointers on how and why cookies turn out the way they do..

these cookies are the result of The Best, Big Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

COOKIE CHARACTERISTICS

Cookies usually have five basic characteristics. The desired outcome dictates the recipe components.

the characteristics are: Crispness, Softness, Chewiness and Spread

Crisp cookies are low in moisture. Softness is the opposite of crispness. Sometimes we confuse chewiness with softness, HOWEVER, all chewy cookies are soft, but not all soft cookies are chewy. Spread is basically how much the cookie holds it shape.


snickerdoodles (one of my faves)

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR COOKIE CHARACTERISTICS
Crispness
***Most crisp cookies come from a stiff dough. There is a low proportion of liquid compared to other ingredients
***Crisp cookies have a high sugar and fat content
***longer baking time, evaporates more moisture in the recipe
***small size, cookies dries out faster during baking
***proper storage, if cookies are stored where they can absorb moisture they can become soft

Softness
***Hi proportion of liquid compared to other ingredients
***low sugar and fat
***include honey,molasses or corn syrup. these ingredients absorb moisture so they support a softer cookie
***underbaking the cookie will allow it to remain soft. Less moisture is lost
***larger size (also thicker) cookies retain more moisture
***soft cookies should be stored tightly covered or they can dry out

Chewiness
***High sugar/liquid, but low fat
***High proportion of eggs
***strong flour or gluten developed during mixing

Spread
***high sugar increases spread. regular granulated sugar (as compared to confectioners or superfine sugar) increases spread, like little ball bearings
***high leavening content (baking soda and/or powder) encourages spread
***the amount of "creaming" the sugar and fat increases spread. If you cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy your cookies will spread more that if you take the same recipe and creamed those ingredients less
***low oven temp increases spread. Higher temps cause the cookie to "set up" faster before it has a chance to spread
***a thinner batter (high liquid content) spreads more than a stiffer batter
***strong flour or gluten developed decreases spread (using the same recipe with cake or pastry flour instead of all purpose will cause the cookies to spread more)
***heavily greased pans causes cookies to spread more

These tips are not all inclusive to every recipe ever developed, but they can certainly help you determine what a recipe should turn out like. On the recipe linked to above (Big, Fat, Chewy) I can point out 3 things that contribute to its chewiness.
1. one added yolk
2. more brown sugar than white sugar
3. the butter is melted, which caused the butter and sugar to just be mixed and not creamed

In addition, the baking recommendation is for 325 degrees and a 1/4 cup scoop..

Now, I just had the sudden urge to bake chocolate chip cookies! Stay tuned for troubleshooting tips!



Samele Thorner 2010 All rights reserved
This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are my families favorite thing to make. We try to make them for every occasion you can think of. My daughter and I are getting requests for these cookies now because they are so good but no one wants to take the time to make them. So if you have the patience and time, here is how we do our cookies!!

Rhonda's Sugar Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and mix like you would pie crust.

In another bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar and vanilla and beat well. Combine with dry ingredients. The dough will be a little crumbly at this stage. I really like this recipe because you don't have to refrigerate it!! (I don't like waiting!)

This dough can be rolled out or shaped into balls and pressed with a fork or glass that has been dipped in sugar. We like to do both!!

Take some dough and knead it a little before you roll it out. I like to roll mine fairly thick. Thinner for crispy cookies and thicker for cookie bouquets.

I have to show you my "handicapped" rolling pin!! (I have RA). Cut out your cookies as desired and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.


Bake cookies in a 350 degree oven for around 9-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of your cookie. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, I take a fondant smoother, (or any flat, solid object) to make the cookies flat. The reason for doing this is so that the icing will stay on the cookie better and not run down the sides.



Cool the cookies for about 15-20 minutes and put them in an air-tight container.

I like to use this container I found at WalMart. It's a cake taker, but I use it for cookies and cupcakes.

Next comes the icing. I love to use a glaze most of the time but Royal Icing may also be used. Sometimes I do both!! The glaze recipe below is just for a small batch. I usually quadruple it!

Cookie Glaze

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1/4 cup warm water

1-2 teaspoons flavoring (almond, vanilla or your favorite)

3 cups powdered sugar

food coloring (paste)

Dissolve corn syrup in the warm water. Mix in extracts and add sugar until you have a smooth glaze. Add more to thicken or more water to thin. A lot depends on the humidity and where you live. Use the thicker for outlining and thinner for filling in. If you are familiar with color flow, it's the same technique. Your fill-in icing should disappear into itself at the count of 10.

I love to use these squeeze bottles for the thicker outlining part. They are mostly used for candy making or condiments. I then thin out what is left in the bowl with a little water and spoon that onto the cookie. If using different colors, (one for outlining and one for filling in) let the first color dry for an hour or so before decorating with the second color. Otherwise, your colors will bleed. Once dry, you can then decorate on the top of the first layer with more glaze, royal icing or food coloring markers.

Outline first then quickly fill in so that there is no distinguishing outline.

Once you get the hang of it, just have fun being creative!! There are all kinds of possibilities!!

Photos and Tutorial by Rhonda Christensen. 2009. all rights reserved

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.