I made these cookies when Adam and I went to Whistler for the weekend. I wanted to make something different than a regular chocolate chip cookie. I bought an energry mix of nuts and raisins and cranberries from Thrifty’s. It’s perfect. I love buying in the bulk foods section when I bake. The trail mixes of nuts are perfect for tossing into cookie recipes or granola, or granola bars. I looked online for trail mix cookies and was surprised that I didn’t find that many on sites like Tastespotting. So I decided to come up with my own, loosely based on another chocolate chip cookie recipe I had tried before.

These are great to make to take on a picnic or for a little sugar boost inthe afternoon. They keep well in a container for a few days, and are perfectly chewy and crsip.

If your planning a getaway for a weekend, or an afternoon make a batch of these to bring along!

Trail Mix Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• dash nutmeg
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
• 1 1/2 cups energy mix/nut trail mix *

*alternatively, you can add any amount of almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, cranberries, raisins etc.

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350° F.

2) Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla.

3) Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir into butter mixture. Add rolled oats, chocolate chunks, trail mix (or other add in’s). Roll into small balls ( approx. golf ball size), place on an ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet, and flatten slightly.

4) Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are golden, not browned. Cool on pan for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about two dozen cookies

Today is Good Friday. Being catholic, this means no meat. So far I’ve managed to eat no meat. I also have managed to have a diet today which includes granola for breakfast, a cafe latte and Panettone  for lunch with my Nonna, and a snack of Pizzelles, of course. Perhaps I should throw a few veggies in there somewhere..

Anyways, Pizzelles have a long history for me. Ever since I could remember each and every Christmas Eve, again a meatless day for Catholics in which we feast on Seafood, (and I mean feast) I would look forward to eating about 20 Pizzelles while I waited for dinner to be served. My Nonna made them without fail each year and I always thought they were a magical cookies. They are so flat and delicate, with a beautiful imprint on both sides. I had never made them myself before, because you see, you need a special Pizzelle maker to produce them.

As I was having coffee and Panettone with her today, I asked if I could borrow it so I could make this intricate cookie for Easter this weekend. We had been reminiscing about how when she was my age (21) she would had just had my dad. They lived in Italy at the time, and immigrated to Canada when my father was 1. He turned 2 a day after they arrived in Vancouver. I’m sure he would have eaten these by the pile-full as well. She had told me that she never actually had one until now herself, as she and her friend would make them together, and she would borrow her friends maker when she wanted. She just got one for herself, as they were quite expensive before and so I was lucky enough to be able to borrow it for the day. This is my first time ever making them, It seems funny now that I am older that I’m able to do things like this, as I always thought it was so exciting when my Nonna made them, and now I’m the one able to make them. Perhaps I’ll have to get her opinion, just to make sure they’re as authentic as hers.

These little lace cookies are delicious on their own, but you can also use them to make waffles cones, or tubes for Cannoli’s. To do this you need to bend them as soon as they are off the press, as they begin to harden up quite quickly. Alternatively, you can also add cocoa to them to make chocolate ones. But, I say why mess with the original. I’ve also seen them used as the cookies for ice cream sandwiches.

However you choose to make it, I suggest you try them if you have not already. It is difficult to make without a proper press, sorry to say, but if you happen to have one or are able to borrow one I highly recommend it. It takes little effort, and makes large batches.

I hope you all enjoy the long Easter weekend. For now, I’m finding refuge indoors for the day as the high winds and rain have kept us inside all day. A certain little furry friend is not so keen on walking in the storm.

Nonna’s Southern Italian Style Pizzelles

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 2 cups sugar (500 ml)
• 1 cup butter, melted and cooled (250 ml)
• 2 tsp. Vanilla (10 ml)
• 7 cups Flour (1.75 ml)
• 4 tbs. baking powder (20 ml)

Directions:

1. Beat eggs and sugar.
2. Add cooled butter, and vanilla extract.
3. Sift flour and baking powder and add to the egg mixture.
4. The batter will have dough like consistency.
5. 1 inch round balls can be formed, if it is stiff enough.
6. Place dough onto middle of the grids, using a tablespoon if yours is a little more batter like, or place by hand 1 inch dough balls.
7. Press down the lid of the Pizzelle Press and wait a minute or two. You can check it to see if it is slightly browned, you don’t want it to be too dark. Once they are finished cooking, gently lift off to cool with a fork.

Makes about 60 Pizzelles.

I saw these on another website and thought they would be perfect for a quick christmas cookie. They require no butter, and are super easy to make. At first as I made the first batch I thought they weren’t going to turn out at all. I had to convert the measurements and I thought I might have done it wrong, but when I went to get them from the oven 10 minutes later, I was pleasantly surprised to see how great they turned out! I made two batches.

These are super quick and a lighter christmas cookie alternative, crispy and chewy. Their inspired from the Starbucks cookies apparently, which I wouldn’t know as I don’t drink coffee, and rarely visit starbucks. But they are good!

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Of course it’s that time of year again to bake cookies galore!! I baked a ton last year, like Chocolate Thumbprints, my favorite mini-toblerone shortbread, mini chocolate pecan tarts, festive two bite brownies (definitely making these again this year) , and these toasted coconut clusters, which I could eat the entire bowl full.

My aunt also just happened to buy me a new rolling pin! And it was perfect timing, as my old one was falling apart. You see, it had the handle and the metal bar through the middle wooden roller. The one she bought me is a different style than your regular rolling pin with two handles, it’s called a French Rolling Pin. And it’s one large wooden rolling pin with no handles, but slightly larger in the center and slimmer on the sides. It is perfect for rolling out cookie dough, you don’t get those lines or creases in your dough from the handles! I love it!

This one’s similar to mine! If your needing a new rolling pin, get a French pin!

This year we’re having a smaller christmas at home so I’m not going to go overboard with cookies, as i’m sure my mom and I will just end up eating them all!

But I couldn’t resist making these gingerbread men once I bought my cute little mini gingerbread cookie cutter the other day. Along with, a super cute cupcake tree ornament!! I couldn’t help myself.

I don’t overly love gingerbread cookies usually their kinda bland, and seem to always need more icing. But I added a little less spice to these and a dash of cocoa powder to make them a bit sweeter. I made a buttercream type of frosting since i’m not the greatest when it comes to cookie decorating. They make a ton of cookeis, I made them twice and depending on how thick you make them ( for softer men ) or thin ( for a crunchier man ) you can make quite a few, and as well however big your cutter of choice is. You can definitely double the recipe.

I used little sprinkles to decorate with them, and if you don’t want the fuss of icing their already ready when you take them out of the oven!

And, is it just me or was I the only one who didn’t know that gingerbread cookies were made without eggs??  haha, you learn something new everyday!

Give these little guys a try if you starting your holiday baking early. And while you’re here, leave a link to one of your favorite cookies you’ve made for the holidays this year! (more…)

First off – I love my cookie jar. that is all.

Now, As I’ve mentioned before, I have a slight, slight, peanut allergy. Meaning when I was 16 I went for allergy tests and they said I was allergic. Funny, as I had definitely consumed my fair share of peanuts and peanut butter in my 16 years and hadn’t experienced any type of reaction. So I quit it. Cold turkey.  No Pb&J sandwiches, no Reeses Peanut Butter cups, no Oh Henrys. Zilch. I was livin peanut free. Which was good I guess. But a girl can only go so long without peanut butter. So dare devil that I am, I decided It was about time I ate them again, seeing as how I’d lived 16 years with it. So now whenever I have a craving for peanut butter I go right ahead and eat it. In small quantities that is.

And I just purchased some new mixing bowls! I was getting mad the other day as somehow all the bowls seemed to have dissapeared. We moved two years ago, downsized, and I think half of our stuff is still packed up I swear! So I decided it was about time I bought some new ones. So I got a set of glass Pyrex ones. Their great!

Back to the story, yesterday as I was visiting some friends in town at their work, they had kindly requested, for the 1000th time, that I bring them baked goods. I decided this time I’d give in. The boys, as i’ll call them, work at a TV and Stereo store in town and spend the majority of their day “working” and taking time out of their busy day to talk to me whenever I stop by before work or on my break (as I work across the street.) So they requested the following types of cookies: Chocolate Chip, Vanilla Cookies (what are those?? he just likes vanilla), Sugar Cookies, Peanut butter (which I could make because the other guy who works with them who is actually deathly allergic to peanuts wouldn’t be there today.) So I thought of what I could make to satisfy them all. I thought of making a couple different types of cookies, but that takes too much time and quite frankly, I didn’t want to = ). So I thought I would satisfy them all with these Chunky Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Hopefully they’ll like em.

After looking for some recipes online I combined a few ideas and recipes to satisfy their cravings.

Ingredients – in nice little prep bowsl! (that’s a first!)

Mix it up good!

Roll em into ball and dip em in sugar!

Flatten with a fork – and put in oven!

Chunky-Peanut-Butter-Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 Cup Butter, Room Temperature
• 1 1/4 Cups Crunchy Peanut Butter
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tsp. Vanilla
• 1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
3. In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder. Working with a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium until smooth and creamy.
4. Add the peanut butter. Beat on slow and add the sugars.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula or wooden spoon, and on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
6. Mix in the chocolate chips.
7. *Optional* Pour 1/2 cup sugar (fine, granulated or large decorating sugar) into a small bowl. Use a small ice cream scoop or spoon to scoop dough and then roll the dough into small balls and then roll the ball into the small bowl of sugar, coating it evenly.
8. Place on the backing sheet. Using a fork, press it into the top of the cookie, to make the signature criss cross pattern on the cookie, flattening it just slightly.
9. Bake for 12 minutes, until slightly browned and just about set in the center.
10. Carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Make sure they are fully cooled before storing them.

    Note – You can make these in advance, and roll the cookie dough into the little balls, storing them in a container and freezing them until ready to use. When baking from frozen cookie, place them on the sheet and into the oven for a few minutes til they get soft, and then pull them out and make the criss cross pattern with the fork, and then stick em back in the oven to fully bake =) baking time may need to be increased by a minute or two since they are baking from frozen. You can also make these with smooth peanut butter, or if you want crunchy add peanuts to them.

Enjoy = )

So i’ve been stuck inside for the past 5 days, studying. It has been absolutely gorgeous outside this past weekend and I haven’t enjoyed any of it. So at exactly 3:30 today, as I walked out of my first exam I decided two things. 1. I feel like baking. 2. Good god I need to go to the gym! Now, some people may think those two things don’t go together, but I think they go just well. I feel like i’ve been cooped up not doing anything & I need to get moving! And, as long as I’m burning all those extra calories, why not eat some cookies while im at it?? So I decided to buy some white chocolate wafers, and use the macadamia nuts we had at home to make cookies! These are really really really good. I don’t love white chocolate, but I like it in these cookies.

White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

Recipe from Joy Of Cooking, 75th Anniversary Edition.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
• 1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Line or grease cookie sheets.
2. Whisk together flour and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Beat in a large bowl until light and fluffy, butter and both sugars. 
4. Beat in one at a time eggs and vanilla.
5. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in macadamia nuts and white chocolate.
6. Drop by heaping measureing teaspoons 1 1/2 inches apart and bake for 15-18 minutes depending on how large you make them!

Her and I enjoyed a cookie, both macadamia and chicken flavored