52 Cookies: Pt 1

In 2011, I made a resolution to bake a new cookie each week in an attempt to become a better cookie baker. I blogged about my experience and successfully completed a year worth of cookies. My blog sadly expired by January 1 of 2012 and Apple said goodbye to iWeb, the software I used for it.

Up until now, I thought I had lost all my blog entries. But today, a small miracle happened in which I was able to access them all! Before I lose them, I'm backing them up on here so I can finally get the recipes for all those 52 cookies (er, maybe minus a couple since they weren't all that great)! And of course share them with you since many of them were so very delicious.

Here's the first few cookies & a link to their recipes!

Christine's Lemon Wreath Cookies

These were hard to make cookies, but were delicious and tasted like they came from an Italian bakery. 

Fudge Puddles

These received rave reviews when I shared them with friends. Who doesn't like peanut butter cups with a chocolate filling? Add a pecan topping for a nice crunch!

Mexican Oatmeal Cookies

I don't remember much about these, except that breaking up the chocolate was a pain (made easier by a good processor). My notes said that some thought they were "amazing." I'll try to remake these around Cinco de Mayo to refresh my memory.

Secret Kiss Cookies

These were a nice cookie since they had a nice treat: a hershey's kiss in the middle! So a wonderful melty surprise!

Chewy Red Velvet Cookies

I love my some red velvet, but I think I'll stick with the cake. These weren't so memorable, though if you're not willing to put the work into making a cake, this is a decent compromise. 

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was expecting these to be beyond words, but they were pretty standard. Oreo's don't bake, so that was an interesting fact to figure out. These cookies came out too large so be cautious if you decide to try them. 

Rum Cookies

These have been a repeat recipe in my kitchen - excellent and a crowd pleaser. Get some good quality rum and enjoy the taste of the tropics!

Knock Your Socks Off Frosting

OK ... it's rare that I'm amazed at a boxed cake, but my sister-in-law made one last weekend and it really wow'd me. This wasn't your average boxed cake. There was something very unique about it. The secret was in the frosting. I never tasted anything like it before and it's no wonder - it's a new product.

Have you seen this in the frozen aisle yet?

You must by this now! It's delicious! Will definitely make people ask you for the recipe for the cake. And according to my sister-in-law, is SUPER easy to use, easier than normal frosting.

Mmmmm!

Removing a Heat Stain from Wood

Ever have this happen to you?:

I have it happen a lot since I use my dining room table to cool cakes or cookies. Sometimes a pan is so hot, it goes right through the pot holder it's sitting on.

I did some research and found that you need 2 things to get rid of this:
1. an iron
2. a cotton sheet

1+2:

 =

Apparently heat removes heat. Genius, amazing, shocking.

My table looks clean again!

Here's a video if you don't believe me:

Afternoon Tea at the Taj Boston & Podunk NYC

I love afternoon tea, especially when someone else is doing it and I can enjoy it more! During a recent visit to Boston, my girlfriends and I went to afternoon tea at the Taj and last week I went to a local tea parlor in the Lower East Side, Podunk. Both were great and I'd highly recommend it. Below are some pictures and a review, of sorts.

Afternoon Tea at the Taj, Boston 

The room was breathtaking, warm, cozy, and elegant. We were seated at a window seat overlooking Newbury Street. The menu was extensive and we wanted to try it all, but settled on The Duchess and Traditional Cheese Tasting. Our teas of choice were: Vanilla Earl Grey, Taj Blend Spicy Chai, and White Blossom. We weren't disappointed with anything and were quite stuffed with everything. The service was attentive and cordial. While we had a leisurely tea, there was another seating at 3:30 so we were politely ushered out around 3:15 to make way for the next round. Totally fine, but sometimes when gals get together, it's disruptive to the conversation! They should tell you at the reservation that the time is limited. But seriously, that didn't damper anything about the tea experience. Here are some photos:

 

Podunk Afternoon Tea 

My friend Mark and I decided to do monthly tea dates and wanted to start from the Lower East Side and make our way to the Upper. We're positive the further uptown you get, the fancier it gets and anticipate having to break out the black ties for our final tea destination! We started at the lovely and cozy Podunk. It felt like I was visiting my mom's kitchen with all the yummy smells and intimate feeling. It was all delicious and completely casual which is a nice break from the 50 different serving platters, tea warmers, chinaware, and 3 tiered silver trays. The downside to Podunk is no bathroom (how's a girl supposed to enjoy multiple cups of tea? I certainly didn't, which I felt defeated the entire purpose of afternoon tea!) and our server explained nothing about what was what on our delicious platter of food. We found out after the fact what everything was, but would've preferred to not spend the entire tea time guessing.  While the place is cozy, the chairs are not so comfortable for an extended tea time. Here are some pics: 

"Fried Rice"

There's nothing better than chinese food takeout, a couch, and a good movie ... except when you're trying to watch your waistline. While I don't believe in depriving yourself from foods you want to eat, there are times you don't want to break your healthy eating habit and order greasy food. For those times, this recipe is for you. 

I found this recipe on pintrest and am obsessed with it. Super tasty, quite healthy, and dare I say comparable to your favorite vegetable fried rice at your local Chinese restaurant! Enjoy! 

Quinoa Veggie “Fried Rice”

Yields 4-6 servings

source

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 large eggs, beaten

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

1 zucchini, chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 carrots, peeled and grated

3 cups cooked quinoa 

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 green onions, sliced

Sriracha, for serving

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Add eggs and fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side, flipping only once. Let cool before dicing into small pieces.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions become translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

Add mushrooms, broccoli and zucchini. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add corn, peas, carrots and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.

Add ginger and soy sauce, and gently toss to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Stir in green onions and eggs.

Serve immediately, drizzled with Sriracha, if desired.

Cookie Success

For the 2 bad baking experiences I had in January, I had 2 really good ones in February! The first I made for Valentine's Day and wow. Excellent, especially for peanut butter fans. The second was a cookie I made during my 52 Cookies experiment and it came out great. Sharing both below! 

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies 

source

• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs (at room temp)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 48 reeses peanut butter cups (hearts for valentines)
• 1/2 cup sugar for rolling the dough into before baking

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. 

Combine butter, peanut butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Blend until combined. 

Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Next add flour and baking soda. Mix just until combined. 

Place 1/2 cup sugar into a small bowl. Roll cookie dough into one inch balls and then roll into sugar. 

Place balls onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. 

Allow cookies to cool on pan for one minute and then place reeses peanut butter lightly on top of each cookie . Remove cookies from pan and allow to cool. Store cookies in Tupperware to keep soft.

Note: lesson learned: the reese's peanut butter cup will melt into the cookie once you press it into each after it cools on the baking sheet. I had to put mine in the fridge to keep it from melting over the whole cookie, so I would recommend that if you're planning on making these in advance. If not, then try to serve as soon as the cookies settle to room temperature. These are quite delicious with a glass of milk!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies 

source

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup salted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300°F.

In medium bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Mix well, set aside.

In a large bowl with a mixer blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix to until it forms a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. 

Add eggs and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until fully combined.

Add the flour mixture, macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips, and blend on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Move immediately to cooling rack.