{TWD/DC} “Corked” Breton Galettes

It’s Tuesday. That means cookies! At least the 1st and 3rd Tuesday anyway.  This week’s cookie is a “corked” Breton Galette.  I looked at that name and could not figure our what it meant until I read through the blurb about the cookie. She was wandering through Paris and stopped into a pastry shop that was offering filled galettes.  The indention in the middle was made with a CORK rather than the usual thumb.

As soon as the galettes comes out of the oven press a cork into the center of each cookie.

Well, I didn’t have a cork but I did have a utensil with a bottom about the size of a cork and that worked nicely.

I filled them with some lovely cherry preserves.

 I did make a small change.  I halved the sugar, subbed in Splenda and added about 1/8 tsp of Stevia.

Some of mine came out TOO browned and some weren’t brown enough but that was okay. The Man liked them and that was all that mattered.  Unfortunately I couldn’t eat any because I started the Whole30 program two weeks before.  Oh, well, I can always make them again.

The recipe is on page 291 of Dorie’s Cookies.  If you love, or even like, cookies you really need to get Dorie’s  Book.

How did the rest of the TWD group like them?  Visit Tuesdays with Dorie and find out.

 

{TWD/DC} Shortbread Fans

You know what I like about Dorie? Besides all of her delicious recipes? She takes the time to answer questions from the people who bake/cook from her books. Simple questions.  LIke – can I used dried hibuscus flowers in the Rose-Hibiscus Shortbread Fans instead of the called for hibiscus tea leaves?  Within just a few hours she tweeted me back that yes, I could do that but use less than the two teaspoons.  Thank you, Dorie.  You rock!  I crushed the dried flowers and added them into the mix.

I also didn’t have rose extract so I used about 2 tsp of rose water instead.  That also worked quite well.  And the fragrance of the rose was heavenly every time I opened the oven to check on the fans.  UUUuummmm!!

I was excited to make shortbread fans because I had a new pan that I hadn’t used much yet.  Plus I love shortbread.  They came out perfectly.  In fact I may use this recipe and change the flavors because this recipe came out so well.  Soft yet crispy.  AND they didn’t crumble apart like many shortbreads do.  So, thanks again, Dorie!

I admit I couldn’t taste the hibiscus in the cookies but my dried flowers may have been past their prime.  Even the Man liked them which I didn’t expect with those particular flavors in them.  Sometimes he really surprises me.

I also didn’t put icing on the cookies.  Since Dorie said it was optional I just left my cookies plain.

These cookies are on page 101 of Dorie’s Cookies.  I also found the recipe on the Daily Mail Site.

For more Shortbread Fans check in with the bakers at Tuesdays with Dorie .  BTW we’d love to see more of you bake with us.  Just get Dorie’s book and bake away.  You can leave your links with us.

 

{SRC} Visiting with Heather!

The other day I visited with Heather.  It was her fault that I just sat down because she did just invite me to “Join us, Pull up a Chair“. And since she was my ‘assignment’ for SRC I knew she wouldn’t mind a long visit.  Because it was.  It took a while to find the recipes I wanted to make.  Not because I couldn’t find anything but because I found lots of things to chose from.  But I had to narrow it down – a lot – from the 15 recipes I Pinned.

But I did!

I started with dessert.  I mean, why not?

Oatmeal Cream Pies.

With a maple cream filling.  No need to make any changes here.  Except when I went to pull out my treasured jug of REAL GOOD Maple syrup, it wasn’t there!  Bother!  So I added some coconut to the cream filling.   Still tasty!  The Man ate all of them.

After enjoying a sweet treat we moved on to a tasty supper.

I do love pizza.  With lots of cheese.  The more melty the better.  I don’t love crust, not because I don’t love bread, but I don’t need the carbs.  So when I saw Heather’s LOW CARB PIZZA CASSEROLE I knew I had to try it.  All the joys of pizza WITHOUT the crust.  Altho’ I did kinda miss the crust to sop up the juicy goodness in the bottom.  What we have here is mushrooms, Italian seasoning, Mozzarella, and sausage baked in a lovely tomato sauce.  The only change I made was to leave off the turkey pepperoni.  Not a fan.  Definitely a repeat for lunch!

I have two MAJOR fave foods.  A good steak.  Anything with Shrimp. And I also like easy dishes.  This one is basically made in one skillet.  Just one.  Not lots of pots and pans to clean up with this one.  That’s a good thing with these long days and late cooking. So for dinner:

Shrimp Orzo Skillet

…which is just as good as it sounds.  I have two MAJOR fave foods.  A good steak.  Anything with Shrimp. And I also like easy dishes.  This one is basically made in one skillet.  Just one.  Not lots of pots and pans to clean up with this one.  That’s a good thing with these long days and late cooking.  The only change I made – instead of just salt and pepper mixed with the sugar to cook the shrimp I added some Creole seasoning to add some heat!  YUM!!

I’m definitely coming back for Heather’s Upside Down Sausage and ‘hroom Pizza, her Quinoa Mac & Cheese, and her Mad Hatter Salad when I have more than two people to feed.  And THEN after I had my choices and was writing she goes and adds  Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes.  **SIGH** so add those to the list as well.  {She may have a longer visit than she anticipated. 🙂 } And…. the Baked Zucchini Fries just might be on the menu tonight!  And maybe the Apple Pie Empanadas  for dessert?

For more Secret Recipe Treats check out       !

 

{WWDH} Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

We haven’t done sweets in a while with Wednesdays with Donna Hay so this week’s theme – Small Sweet Sensations – was just right.  Course I planned it that way by picking the theme.

Donna’s food-processor cookies were calling my name.  LOUDLY!!

I’d like to say these were some of the best cookies EVAH! but I cannot.

They were easy to make.  All the ingredients, except the chocolate, in the food processor then add the chocolate chips  M&Ms in a separate bowl.  I found them to be rather tasteless except for the M&Ms.  Oh, well.

The recipe is a short order recipe from Donna’s off the shelf.  Page 160.

Want more sweet treats – Small Sweet Sensations – at Wednesdays with Donna Hay.

 

{BCM} Jam Filled Sandwich Cookies

Somehow the whole month of August just slipped by me along with two desserts for Baking Chez Moi. THAT is not happening this month. Last month I missed Cherry Crumb Tart and Bubble Eclairs. Both would have been fun to make. Ah well, REWIND week is only 3 weeks away!

But this week I did make these delightfully crisp and sweet sandwich cookies.

When the recipe name said sandwich cookie I was thinking two separate cookies held together with jam. NOT!! What we have are two cookies baked with jam in the middle. MUCH BETTER!! And the cookie – best sugar cookie ever!!

I filled mine with White Chocolate Strawberry Jam. Perfect!

Want more cookies – Baking Chez Moi. How many different jams will there be?

The recipe is on page 275 of Dorie’s Baking Chez Moi

 

{wwdh} apple slice

I love making slices. Well, that’s the Australian term for it. In the US we call it a bar cookie. A cake made in a square pan and cut into squares. They can be made with just about anything. Fruit. Lemon pudding. Or, as Donna made it, with apples.

And it was delicious. A cookie like base filled with cinnamon-y cooked apples and covered with a lovely crumble on top. Thanks for this one Chaya. Definitely going into the baking rotation.The recipe is on Donna’s Site. Super easy. Super good.

Check with Gaye, Chaya, and Sarah for their ‘slice’.

 

{Baking Chez Moi} Rugelach

The Tuesday Bakers have made Rugelach before. Once for the original TWD and once for Baking with Julia. Both times they were good. And both times they were different. This time we made Rugelach and they were different again. This time they were just as tasty. This time they were gone in no time.

The dough contained cream cheese, butter and flour which means it was rich and flaky. The filling was coconut, pecans, chocolate, and cherries. I almost left the cherries out but am glad I followed Dorie’s recipe. So good!! The dough rolled easily but the rugelach was really hard to cut. Sometimes I had Rugelumps!!–

But they were good, too.

The recipe is on page 301 of Dorie’s new Baking Chez Moi

Did the other Doristas have fun with the rugelach? Check them out HERE!!

ANd if you want to join in just read THE RULES and come on! Lots of tasty treats to come.

 

{SRC} In the Habit of Baking

I have been in a baking funk. I haven’t felt like doing ANY baking. Which is unusual for me. I LOVE to bake. Even when it’s hot. I bake. Until recently. Thank goodness for SRC because the blog assigned to me was so full of goodies to bake I just HAD to get back into the kitchen. In case you are wondering, SRC is the Secret Recipe Club. Each month we are assigned a blog to cook from and, in Group C, we REVEAL on the third Monday of the month. This month’s assignment was a good one because thanks to Jamie at Our Eating Habits I am out of my baking slump!

I usually pick two or three recipes to feature on the SRC post. Usually savory. But this time I went strickly for baking goodies.

We started out with Jamie’s

Blueberry Muffins

This is the first year our Blueberry bushes have yielded enough berries to actually use in something. So exciting to know I will have fresh berries in the freezer.

3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Stevia
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Mix together the milk , oil, and egg. Reserve 1 tbl dry ingredient mix. Add remaining dry ingredients to liguid and stir until just combined. Toss berries with about 1 Tbl flour mixture. Gently fold in blueberries.

2. Line muffin tin with paper liners (or grease) and scoop in batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 22 minutes. Original Recipe

I added a simple Lemon glaze. Perfect for Breakfast. Snack. Dessert. Blueberries!

Then we were completely out of cookies, so…..

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar + 1/2 cup Stevia
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup Eggbeater
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Beat together the butter, peanut butter, sugars and Stevia.
2. Add Eggbeaters and vanilla, beat together again.
3. Add flours, baking soda, and salt, mix until just comes together.
4. Beat in chocolate chips and oats.
5. Bake for 8 minutes at 375 degrees, transfer to cooling rack. Original Recipe

The cookies didn’t last long. Between the Peanut Butter and the Oatmeal in the cookies they made for one perfect cookie.

The Man eats sandwiches most days for lunch so I bake bread every week. This week I used Jamie’s recipe for

French Style Baguettes

Jamie’s recipe made 2 large baguettes but I made 4 by cutting the dough into smaller pieces. I also subbed out some Whole Wheat for some of the flour. These were good and made great sandwiches. Just the right amount of ‘chew’ with the WWF. So much better than ANY store bought bread. You can find the recipe HERE!

So I am out of my Baking Funk. Spending the day with Jamie in the Kitchen was just the therepy I needed. Of course with all the other recipes I pinned there will be more days spent in the kitchen with Jamie.

Discovering new foodie blogs through SRC is always good for one’s baking psyche. Check out the other discoveries from the SRC members below.

 

{Lets Lunch} Eating al fresco aka PICNIC!!!

Why is it when I know I have a month to plan and cook/bake I wait til the last minute to actually do it? Could be because it has been a crazy month. In town. Out town. Even the weather has been crazy. Mid-June and we had Spring. Now it’s HOT! Summer. And of course summer means more time out side {Unless you live in the humid hot deep South} and more picnics and the chance to eat al fresco which happens to be this months LETS LUNCH theme. I didn’t even decide what to do until Thursday afternoon. Sheesh! So if it looks hurried…. But it was fun. And tasty!

Pudding and Cookie Jars

I have seen lots of ‘jarred’ desserts around the internet. Some with cake. Some with Cheesecake {YES PLEASE!} Some with fruit. Some ‘trifled’. I thought that would be a perfect easy to carry dish to bring to the Lets Lunch picnic.

In small pint jars layer your cookies, I used mini Oreos and NutterButters, with pudding. Flavor of your choice. I had some vanilla – NOT what I wanted but what I had – thanks to boxes. And I made some tofu Chocolate pudding from Ellie Krieger.

Using the puddings layer them with cookies, or cookie crumbles in the jars. Top with whipped cream and garnish with cookie bits, mini chocolate chips. It’s all up to your imagination. Go WILD!! Put on the lid. Place in a cooler and everybody gets their own individual dessert. No big bowls. No big spoons. No bowls to mess with. Easy!!

Dark Chocolate Mousse
adapted from Ellie Krieger’s The Food You Crave

1 (12.3 ounce) package silken tofu, drained
3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup water

Puree the silken tofu in a food processor until completely smooth.
Combine the bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, water, and brandy. Microwave on medium until chocolate starts to melt. Stir. Continue until all the chocolate is melted and ingredients are combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar, a little at a time, until smooth.
Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu in the food processor and puree until well-combined and smooth. You may have to stop it a few times to scrape down the sides.
Pour the mousse into individual serving dishes, cover tightly, and refrigerator for at least one hour, up to three days, to set properly. {I let mine partially set and then spooned into the jars in layers.}

Want to enjoy the picnic? This month’s Lets Lunch is hosted by Annabelle at Glass of Fancy and she will have the complete list in case I miss someone here.

Enjoy the Picnic, Y’all!!

Follow us on Twitter: #LetsLunch

Annabelle’s Butterscotch Brownies
Betty Ann’s Adobong Mani or Peanuts in Garlic
Grace’s review of The Great Outdoors Cookbook
Karen’s Watermelon Mint Cocktails
Linda S.’s Spicy Nectarine and Tomato Salad
Lisa’s Spinach and Three-Cheese Coil Pastries
Anne Marie’s Peachy Picnic Sliders
Linda’s Spicy Nectarine and Tomato Salad
Cheryl’s Perfect Summer Pesto

 

{IHCC) Bittman’s Nutty Oatmeal Cookies

It’s PotLuck week at ICHH. And since we can choose any chef/cook we want from previous months I went with Bittman again. This time, something simple – COOKIES.

1/2 cup peanut oil or vegetable oil, 8 Tbl unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar Stevia
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce, or 2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup (about 3 ounces) chopped dried apples, or other fruit
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup almond milk, rice milk, or oat milk, or cow’s milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Blend butter (or oil) with sugars. Add in the applesauce (or eggs) and mix until well blended.
Mix the dry ingredients. Alternating with the milk add to the sugar/oil/applesauce mix.
Stir in the vanilla.
Drop tablespoon sized mounds of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on a rack. About 40 cookies. {Original Recipe}

These were pretty good. They are not very sweet but the pecans add a nice crunch and the apples add a little sweetness. They would also be good with dried cranberries. I think I would try and add a little PB next time for sweetness and fiber.

{Nutritional info: (each cookie) 106 calories, 7 g fat, Less than 1 g cholesterol, 11 carbs, less than 1 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 1 g protein.}
The recipe is from Bittman’s Food Matters page 290.