Coconut Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

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baking, coconut, cookies, dessert, oatmeal, pecan

I am not normally a baker. It requires too much exactness for my preference. I like to be able to dabble and change and play with the flavors. It changes the chemistry though. Which means cakes flop, caramels are runny, and breads are rock solid. It seems like I can manage cookies, however. These cookies are fantastic! The texture is chewy; the flavor buttery and delicious. The only slight change I might make is to add cinnamon to the next batch. But I won’t have any trouble eating this batch!

Coconut Pecan Oatmeal Cookies (from the Food Network)
2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup unsweetened grated coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together the soda, baking powder, salt, and flour. Mix into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Stir in the oats, pecans, and coconut. Place tablespoonfuls of the dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Allow the cookies to cool for a couple of minutes before removing to cooling racks. Makes 40 cookies.

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Mozzarella Stuffed Buns

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baking, bread, buns, cheese, food, mozzarella, yeast

Bread and cheese are two of the best things in the food world. Combined them together and you have perfection.

Mozzarella Stuffed Buns (a variation of this recipe)

• 1 cup warm water (not too hot or it will kill the yeast)
• 2 tbsp yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 oz of mozzarella cheese in 1 inch cubes
• Melted garlic herb butter

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the yeast and water and let it sit for a couple minutes to proof. In your mixer bowl, combine the sugar, garlic powder, melted butter, and oil. Add the flour a little and a time, mixing in your stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt. Knead for 10 minutes, in the stand mixer. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl for 30 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a floured counter top and kneed until smooth and not too sticky, about 5 times. Divide the dough into 15 to 20 pieces, depending on how large you want the buns. Place a chunk of cheese in the center of each one, making sure to pinch the edges together to completely cover the cheese. Place seam side down onto a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the buns with more cheese and top with some melted garlic herb butter. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Makes approx 20 buns.

Gingerbread Cookies

Tags

baking, cookies, dessert, ginger, gingerbread

These gorgeous cookies are brought to you by Mrs. Myrtle Hicks, the mother of a co-worker and a excellent cook. Some ginger cookies are so light on the ginger you can barely taste it. These go so far they might even be called spicy. I made them this morning to take home for my father’s 50th birthday party. I know he will love them. 

Gingerbread Cookies

• 5 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 5 tbls ground ginger (yes you read this right. Tablespoons it is.)
• 1/2 tsp salt

Sift all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.

• 1 cup of oil
• 2 cups of light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup of molasses
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 cup of lowfat buttermilk

Beat oil and sugar together until well blended; add molasses and beat well (may look somewhat lumpy). Add beaten eggs and mix well. Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the sugar mixture, starting with the dry and ending with the dry, keeping out the last cup of dry to mix in by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula. Chill in refrigerator for 30 mins to make handling easier; scoop out about 1 cup at a time and lightly knead on a piece of floured waxed paper or other surface. Form into a log and pinch off walnut size pieces, roll into a ball, keeping hands and fingers floured. Place on baking pan sprayed with Pam. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel after each use and spray with the baking spray before using again. Bake at 350* for 10 mins. If making larger pieces, you may need to increase baking time. Cool in pan for 3 mins then remove gingerbread from pan and place on cooling racks until room temp. Store in airtight containers or zip lock bags. Enjoy!

Olive and Onion Focaccia

Tags

baking, bread, Dinner, focaccia, Italian, olives, Supper, yeast

I love focaccia! You don’t have to use this exact recipe for the base but at least add the olives and onions to your favorite bread.

Olive and Onion Focaccia

• 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup olives (I used black and purple)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

Combine the warm water and the yeast. Allow to stand for about 5 minutes so the yeast can work. In a mixer bowl, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed with paddle attachment not the bread hook, drizzle in the 1/3 cup olive oil until combined with flour. Add the yeast water slowly while the mixer mixes. The combination will become sticky. In a greased bowl, place the bread ball and allow to sit for an hour or two, allowing the bread to rise.

Prepare the olives and onions. On a lightly floured surface, placed the dough and kneed in the olives and onions (blot them dry).

To make focaccia, blot olives with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Kneed into the dough but be careful not to overwork. Place on a cookie sheet and gently spread out like you would a pizza crust, though not as thin.  Allow to rise for another hour in a warm, draft free location.  Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake on 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Tags

baking, chocolate, chocolate kisses, cookies, dessert, pastries, peanut, peanut butter, sweet and salty

In my next post, I promise I will address my Thanksgiving celebration food. Until then…. Here is a new post about some awesome cookies.

Tomorrow I am going to my in-laws Thanksgiving celebration. Of course you can’t go empty handed. I made these cookies because I know that nearly everyone enjoys the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. And they would make excellent Christmas gifts for your neighbors, the mail man, your beautician, etc.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

• 30 Hershey’s Kisses
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the foil from the kisses. In a mixer combine shortening and peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Combine until mixed well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture. Roll into one inch balls. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Dilly Bread

Tags

baking, bread, dill, Dinner, herbs, Supper

Dilly Bread is a savory bread I remember from my childhood. It is a great use for that last bit of cottage cheese from the fridge as well as the bounty of your herb garden. Now, at the end of the summer season, my herbs are slowing down, including my dill. I love how gardens keep on giving, even in the winter months. No longer is the dill a fine green lacy plant in the back of my garden. The heads have dried up and it is a dying brown, slumped over my basil. This year I harvested nearly a cup of dill seeds. Throughout the cold weather, I will still be able to celebrate the bold flavors of the summer crop.

I have tweaked a few things in this recipe such as subbing fresh chopped onion for minced onion. Minced garlic or cheddar cheese could also be included. Even fresh herbs. I suggest you saute the onion, garlic, or herbs in the butter prior to adding cottage cheese. My husband ate himself nearly sick on this. ENJOY!

Dilly Bread

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 pinch white sugar
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 tablespoon margarine
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 teaspoons dill seed
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped -OR- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon margarine, melted
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Stir the yeast into the warm water, and add a pinch of sugar. Set aside to proof. In a large saucepan, saute any fresh ingredients you are using (except cheddar cheese). Add cottage cheese when onions are clear. Remove from heat, and add sugar, dill seed, salt, and soda. Mix in egg and dissolved yeast. Stir in flour for a stiff dough. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn several times to thoroughly coat. Let rise until double in size in a warm place, usually 50 to 60 minutes. Stir the dough until it is deflated. Place into an 8 inch round, buttered 2 quart casserole. Let rise 30 to 40 minutes in a warm place. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown. Brush top with melted margarine. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Baklava

Tags

baking, baklava, dessert, greek, honey, pecans

Everyone knows someone who is ridiculously talented. I have a friend who is not only an excellent nurse but also a fantastic cook, gardener, photographer, and hostess. Besides being good at all of these things, she is also a beekeeper. Her honey is gorgeous. It tastes pure, light, fresh and unprocessed. I bought some for myself and my grandparents.

In typical old-fashionedness, my grandparents eat their honey with butter on their morning biscuits. Since I rarely make biscuits, I needed a way to celebrate this honey. I started looking for recipes where honey is a prominent ingredient and found this baklava. I had never made baklava before and only eaten it once.  This recipe looks and tastes impressive, like you have spent hours slaving over this traditionally Middle Eastern dessert.

Baklava

• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 pound chopped nuts
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey

     Combine water and sugar in a small pan. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool as you assemble the rest of the dessert.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with butter. In a bowl, toss together the nuts and cinnamon. Set aside. Melt 1 cup of butter. Unroll the phyllo dough gently (it is very fragile). Cut in half with a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Place 2 layers of dough onto the greased bottom. With a basting brush, gently apply a thin layer of melted butter on top of the dough. Repeat layering until the dough is 8 sheets thick. Sprinkle with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture. Top with 2 sheets of dough. Gently spread a thin layer of butter on the dough. Alternate nuts, dough, and butter until the pan is nearly full. After the last layer of nuts, create a top layer of dough 8 sheets thick. Just like the bottom, the top should have butter thinly applied between every 2 sheets.

     Using a sharp knife, cut 4 long rows into the dough. Cuts should stop within 1/2 inch of the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the dough is golden and crispy. Remove from oven and spoon previously made sauce over the dessert. Let cool completely.

     Baklava should be stored without a tight cover or plastic wrap because it tends to get soggy. I just covered with a layer of paper towels so the air could get in.