St. Patrick's Day Cookies

You know, sometimes Hubster is a genius.  It was getting close to 8pm and I knew I had a playgroup tomorrow so I was running through cookie recipes that used the can of pumpkin in my pantry.  I know, I know, pumpkin is 'so last season' but I needed to use it and I needed to make something for play group.  It isn't a requirement to bring cookies, it's more of an excuse to BAKE!

I was throwing around the idea of pumpkin and he vetoed it.  He does end up having to help eat the rest and bring them to work so in his defense he wanting something less Autumn.  I had bookmarked a recipe for Jello playdough that can then be baked into cookies and thought Lime Jello might be a fun and creative cookie to make. He then said two words, "Pistachio pudding?"  Voila!  I searched for pistachio pudding recipes and everything had cranberries or required that I separate eggs.  I DO not separate eggs.  I'm just not that fancy!  Kraft foods came to my rescue.  They are the makers of Jello so I figured I could trust the recipe.

The original recipe called for chocolate pudding and white chocolate chips.  I used pistachio and didn't use any chips.  No biggie!  I did add in a bit of green food coloring to make them more festive.
Here is the link to the recipe: Instant Pudding Cookie

Jello!  And some other stuff

Just like other cookies you blend in the sugar and butter until light and fluffy and oh so yummy!

Scrape it down and spin it again!

I always scrape down the side and spin it again before I add the egg to make sure it's all really mixed well.  This is the part that you can't 'over' mix.  At least not that I've seen!  I've also found that it's easier to clean off the wisk by just beating against the side of the mixer than using the spatula to try to scrape it all off.

Much greener in real life!

After adding all of the ingredients (I usually switch attachments after the wet stuff) I know have a lovely green dough.  I let Hubster taste the mixer attachment.  He had a tiny piece and right before I was about to wash it off he said, "Wait!" and cleaned it off for me... :-)  That's a good sign!

Ice bath for cookie dough?

The recipe didn't call for 'refrigeration' but I noticed after the first batch that they were kind of sticky when I was rolling them into balls  I made an ice bath why the first batch baked and it made a bit of a difference.  Next time I will certainly put them in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm the dough a bit.

They look like Flubber!

I rolled the first batch in powdered sugar but it didn't seem to do anything except make the cookies less green. Next time I'll think again and make green sugar to roll them in.  Mmmmmm sugar.....

I love the perfectly roundness of 'rolled' cookies!

I figured it was better to have a lot of small cookies than a few big ones.  I used a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon for my dough instead of my usual 1 tablespoon.  Instead of baking for 10-12 minutes it was closer to 8 minutes.  Keep in mind that at 9-10 minutes they would be crunchier but more brown and less green.

8 minute cookie! Soooooo pretty too!

I learned from my lemon crinkle cookies that you can 'cook' the cookie a bit longer by leaving it on the cookie sheet for about 3 minutes after taking it out of the oven.  This keeps them nice and green and still chewy.  I found that taking them out of the oven when they were no longer shiny / melty looking they were perfect.  Hubster got the slightly browner batch to take to work.

I love this recipe and will be sure to use it again!  They came out chewy with a good crunch and were so cute!  

What is you favorite flavor of pudding?

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

I couldn't help myself I tell ya!  I had made the plain ole' back of the package chocolate chip cookies for a playgroup I was hosting on Tuesday.  Being the classy lady that I am I was not going to show up for a play group with 'used' cookies!  The weather has been dreary and grey and I had a cute little lemon in a bowl with some other sunny fruits so I thought, why not find a cookie recipe with Lemon?  No good reason came to mind.  So I found this little gem: Lemon Crinkle Cookies .  They reached out to the grey weather and beat it down.  Today the sun is out and it's all blue skies and crisp air.  I think they worked!

These cookies are amazing.  Just a hint of lemon but enough that you KNOW it's there.  No box of cake mix required like other lemon cookie recipes.  These are straight up 'from scratch' and easy as pie..or cake... whichever.

When life hands you lemons zest the crap out of it and squeeze the juice into COOKIES!

I learned how to zest a lemon using a box shredder/slicer/zester.  The internets are amazing when it comes to tidbits of kitchen know how.  I sliced it in half and squeezed out the juice.  Poor little guy!

Why yes, my flour and sugar ARE stored in old Folgers cans.  And yes.  Those ARE two Lone Star Beers....

I set the cream and butter to creamin'.  The wisk is moving so fast it's invisible!

Crazy fast wisk action for ya!

After all the ingredients have been mixed up rill rill good you make cute little balls and roll them in powdered sugar.  The recipe said 1/2 a cup but I had about 1/4 left over that I didn't want to reuse since it had just rolled around in raw egg.  One must be safe in the kitchen!

Serious looking cookies!

After they come out of the oven you leave them to cool for about 3 minutes on the baking sheet.  It's hard to leave them there THAT long but you MUST!

The most amazing lemon cookies you'll ever have!  

I think the rolling of the cookies into balls is what really makes them the prettiest.  I might have to give up the two spoon drop and start rollin'rollin'rolling!  It just seems to make the cookies more uniform.

You must make these.  Make them today.  You will NOT be sorry!

By the way, I have a habit of mailing my cookies to my friends whenever I make them.  I can only fit 2 cookies in an envelope but hey, I'm not a cookie service!  I just want to share yummyess.  If you'd like me to mail cookies to you please email your name and address where I can send them.  I can't guarantee that they'll arrive in perfect condition but they will be in a plastic zip-lock bag so they won't be, you know, tainted.  

What are you favorite Springtime treats?

"Instant" Cookies (Part 1)

When I was trying to nurse Evelyn I tried all kinds of different supplements.  One of them that actually seemed to work made me smell like I'd bathed in maple syrup.  All day.  For 4 months.  There are worse things a person can smell like but after a while it was annoying.  And to this day, 8 months later, I can't stand the taste of maple syrup unless it's mixed in with something like oh, waffles.  Yum.

I bought a box of Quaker High Fiber instant oatmeal hoping to help with the baby weight and to have a filling breakfast.  They only had one flavor.  Maple and Brown Sugar.  After the first packet I couldn't do it.  I had flashbacks to that horrible bitter tasting liquid supplement.  Yuck. But of course I couldn't throw away perfectly good food so there it sat on the top shelf of the pantry until a few weekends ago I was thinking it would be nice to have some oatmeal cookies, and what an easy way to get rid of those oatmeal packets!

So I looked online for "instant oatmeal cookies" and I came across this recipe.  Instant Oatmeal Packet Cookies

Holy oatmeal batman!  They were a little flatish but so chewy and yummy.  I could tolerate the maple flavor because it was mixed with cookie goodness.  They were of course handed out to friends and family and we ate quite a few ourselves!  Hubster liked them and was sad when I told him I probably won't make them again since I don't intend to buy that type of oatmeal.  I'm sure the other box of oatmeal that I bought will end up in a cookie though.  I just don't have the desire to eat oatmeal for breakfast.  I'm a protein in the morning kind of gal!

A little flat but really yummy!

What is your favorite kind of oatmeal cookie?  Traditional?  With nuts or raisins?

"You're Turning Violet, Violet!"

It all started with a playgroup and a sale...

I recently joined a new playgroup in my area and I offered to host a rather large group of ladies and babies (why didn't we name our group that?!)...    I've been trying to bake more often so when Evelyn grows up we can do it together.  The grocery store had giant boxes of blueberries on sale and I had fed so many of them to Evelyn that she was sure to turn blue at some point.  So I decided to make a blueberry cakey cookie with them.  I literally looked up 'cakey cookie recipe' in the Google box.  And this is the recipe that  I found: Chocolate Chip Cookie: The Cakey Version . I know I know, *GASP* why didn't I make them with chocolate chips?  Well you see, I only had about 1/8 cup of chocolate chips and I had about 2 lbs of blueberries....so that's why.  

The cookies were Ah-Mah-Zing!  But my husband made a comment that they needed a little bit of something.  Then he suggested a lemon icing.  He is a genius.  So I make a simple lemon icing with a bit of powdered sugar, lemon juice straight from the bottle shaped like a lemon and half and half.

Just one lonely little cookie...it needs something....

Many happy cookies with a lemon icing!

My playgroup ate them up.  There were only about 4 left after everyone had gone home so it was left to me to eat them all up!

What is your favorite cookie?  Cakey? Chewey? Crunchy?

Earl Grey Tea Cookies!

I have a love affair with Earl Grey Tea.  There's just something about the blend of herbs and black tea that really give me that cozy feeling in the morning and after work!

I was enjoying a cup at work the other day and was inspired to look up a recipe for Earl Grey Tea cookies. My friend Natalie (see her blog here: Soiree Bliss Event Planner Blog ) had an amazing cookie exchange party last year and I'm trying to get a jump on my cookie entry!  I'm shameless!

Speaking of shameless, be sure to subscribe to Fabrycated Mom so you don't miss the "Mac and Cheese Amazon Gift Card Giveaway"!

The cookies are a shortbread style with the tea mixed in.  Very fitting for a High Tea, I would assume! They came out perfectly and I will certainly be making them again.  I told my husband, "Any cookie I can make in the food processor is a cookie I love!"  Very little clean up and super simple for something so delicate!

I cheated a bit, this photo is from Google Images.  BUT mine really looked like this! We ate them before I could take their picture...mmmmmm

Start with: 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey tea leaves (I used 6 bags of the Twinning), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 2 sticks of room temperature butter

Pulse together flour, tea and salt until the tea is just spotted throughout the flour.  

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and butter.  Pulse together just until a dough is formed.

Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log.  You have to work with it a bit but who doesn't love rolling dough into a log? Roll the log about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.  Tightly twist each end and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Use a bag of rice to keep the round shape. Slice the log into 1/3 inch thick disks.  lace on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart.  Bake at 375 degrees until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes.  Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks (or paper towels in my house) and cool to room temperature. 

The best part about these cookies is the crumbly buttery texture and the light Earl Grey flavor.  I had a few, OK four, before bed and didn't notice any effect from the caffeine.   I made about 12 and put the roll into the freezer to make again when I have the desire.

How have I gone my whole life without making shortbread or even 'icebox' style cookies?  So easy and so delicious?  These are certainly a winner and will be made year round.  Is it wrong to dip them into a lovely steaming cup of Earl Grey tea?  Methinks not!

What are you favorite shortbread or icebox style cookies?

Next on Fabrycated Mom: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Perfect Ribs and (hopefully) Swedish Rye Bread

XOXO
-Lisa