Z is for Zebra Cookies!

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Before becoming a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) I taught for 7 years (mostly 4^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade). I really miss teaching kids and seeing them come alive when they learn new things, so when my brother and sister-in-law asked me to teach their 4-year-old how to read, I jumped at the opportunity!

We started by learning the alphabet; both the letter names and their sounds. Everyday we’d learn a new letter of the alphabet by first doing some workbook pages and then came the fun part, singing! I had 2 wonderful resources for this portion:

1-     I used the YouTube videos below from www.havefunteaching.com. They’re great videos that are exciting and super fun to jam to (my niece and I jammed to each one J).

2-     We sang a song the Kindergarten teachers at my last school had their students sing to get them to learn the letter sounds. It’s called “Who Let the Alphabet Out” to the tune of “Who Let the Dogs Out”:

“Who let the A out!?! /a/ /a/-/a/ /a/-/a/ “

“Who let the B out!?! /b/ /b/-/b/ /b/-/b/ “

… so on and so forth (you get the idea)

So, to celebrate the end of learning the alphabet & letter sounds we made zebra cookies! I thought this was the perfect activity to celebrate out accomplishment…and we totally sang “Who Let the Alphabet Out” while making the cookies! J

Sydney enjoying her Zebra Cookie

Sydney & Mia

Cook’s Note: I get a lot of questions from readers about what kitchen equipment and specific ingredients I use in recipes. I will try to list any specific ingredients & specific/super helpful kitchen equipment before each recipe. I hope this helps! J

Here’s specific equipment and/or ingredients I used in this recipe:
Pastry Mat for patting the dough out to the instructed dimensions
Bench/Dough Scraper I like this one in particular because it’s sturdy & has a ruler on it, bonus!
Silpat Non-stick Baking Mat
Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder

Zebra Cookies

Ingredients:

For the Vanilla Dough:
2 3/4 C  cake flour
1 C plus 2 T  powdered sugar
1/4 t salt
1 C butter, at room temperature
1 t vanilla

For the Chocolate Dough:
2 1/4 C cake flour
1 C plus 2 T powdered sugar
1/2 C plus 1 T natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 t salt
1 C butter, at room temperature
1 t vanilla

2 C (about 15 ounces)nonpareil sprinkles for decoration (optional)

Directions:

For the Vanilla Dough:
Combine flour, sugar and salt and mix on low speed until combined.

Add the butter and mix on low until the mixture appears to be lumpy.

Add the vanilla and mix on low until combined.  

Transfer dough to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

For the Chocolate Dough:
Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt and mix on low speed until combined.

Add the butter and mix on low until the mixture appears to be lumpy.

Add the vanilla and mix on low until combined.  

Transfer dough to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

To form into logs:
Divide the Vanilla Dough into thirds, with each piece weighing about 7 1/2 ounces. Divide the Chocolate Dough the same way. You will work with a third of each dough at a time.

On a piece of parchment paper or a pastry mat, flatten one piece of Vanilla Dough into a 7" x 5" rectangle. Repeat this with a piece of the Chocolate Dough. Place the chocolate rectangle on top of the vanilla rectangle, then cut the stack in half crosswise to create 2 pieces, each about 3 1/2" x 5". Place a chocolate rectangle on top of a vanilla to create 4 layers. You may need a bench/dough scraper to help with this. Press or roll the stack into a 9" x 4" rectangle. Cut the stack in half lengthwise to create two 9" x 2" pieces. Place one piece on top of the other to create a long narrow stack with 8 layers.

Carefully twist each end of the dough once or twice, gently working toward the center. Use your hands to twist the pattern and shape the swirled dough into a log about 8 1/2 ” x 2”. Set aside. Repeat this process with the remaining pieces of dough to form two more logs. Compress each log with your hands so it is compact, gently rolling back and forth until the log is round and uniformly shaped.

Place the sprinkles in a shallow pie dish and roll each log in the sprinkles to coat. If the dough is soft, set the coated logs on a baking sheet and refrigerate for about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator for 2 hours to chill thoroughly.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Use a sharp knife to cut generous 1/4” slices and arrange 1/2" apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.

Bake one sheet at a time just until they are no longer shiny on top and are lightly golden on the bottom, about 10 - 12 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.

Makes about 12 dozen cookies

Source: Adapted from Pret a Gourmet

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog

Cake Batter Cookies

YUM-O is what I have to say about these cookies! They really do taste like luscious cake batter, and the exteriors are a little crispy and the centers are nice and soft. These cookies can easily change with the seasons/celebrations depending on the sprinkles you use! These would also be a great alternative to cupcakes for birthday celebrations at school!

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Cook’s Note: I get a lot of questions from readers about what kitchen equipment and specific ingredients I use in recipes. I will try to list any specific ingredients & specific/super helpful kitchen equipment before each recipe. I hope this helps! J

Here's the specific equipment and ingredients I used in this recipe:

Jello 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding mix

2.5 oz container “Be Mine Confetti” sprinkles from Target

3 Tablespoon (or 50mm) Scoop

Silicone Slipat Non-Stick Baking Mat

Cake Batter Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 C butter (1 ½ sticks)

3/4 C light brown sugar

1/4 C sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

3/4 C yellow cake mix

2 C flour

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

½ C or a 2.5 oz container of sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F and prepare 2 cookies sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.

Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars together on high speed for about 2 minutes, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth, and then beat on high for about 1 minute.

Add in pudding mix and cake mix and beat until well thoroughly blended.

Add the flour mixture and beat on low until well incorporated.

Add the sprinkles and mix until just combined.

Using a 3 tablespoon scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans half-way through cooking.

Makes 24 cookies

Source: adapted from Chef in Training

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog

Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

A little over a week ago I had to have “emergency” eye surgery because of a detached retina in my left eye (if you get flashes of light or little black floaters in your vision, be sure to get them checked out ASAP by your eye doctor!). Since surgery I’ve been under doctor’s orders to “take it easy” and be on bed rest, but not today…I am going stir-crazy to say the least and I needed to get into the kitchen!

Luckily I had my daughter, Mia and niece, Sydney to keep me company in the kitchen today while I made these cookies.

My little helpers in the kitchen today: Sydney (front) & Mia (back).

Mia donning her chef's hat and the apron her grandma made her.

I call Mia my little Cookie Monster because she is frequently asking for a cookie; she says it so incredibly cute that it makes me laugh and she now asks with increasing frequency because of my amused reactions (as a matter of fact she’s asked for a cookie in her cute little way 3 times while I’ve been writing this post)!

Mia, my little Cookie Monster with her baby 'fro. :)

In any event, I didn’t want to turn to my go-to recipes for chocolate chip cookies from ATK (America’s Test Kitchen) because I wanted to turn my over-due return to the kitchen into a blog post! I’ve made 2 out 3 chocolate chip cookie recipes from ATK so I thought today would be the perfect day to try the third one.

Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

While this isn’t my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, it is definitely a keeper! Each of ATK’s recipes is so different from one another: one is thick and chewy, one is rich with a crisp exterior and chewy interior, and this one is just as the name suggests, thin and crispy.

From left to right: Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (my personal fav), and Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cook’s  Note: When wrapped well, the dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month. Be sure to bring it to room temperature before baking.

Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)

1/4 t table salt

3/4 t baking soda

8 T unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/3 C packed light brown sugar

3 T light corn syrup

1 large egg yolk

2 T milk

1 T vanilla extract

3/4 C semisweet chocolate chips (about 4 1/2 ounces)

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda onto large sheet of parchment paper; set aside.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup at low speed until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Add yolk, milk, and vanilla; mix until fully incorporated and smooth, about 1 minute, scraping bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula as necessary. With mixer running on low speed, fold up 3 edges of parchment around dry ingredients to form a pouch (see illustrations below) and slowly shake dry ingredients into bowl; mix on low speed until just combined, about 2 minutes. Do not overbeat. Add chips and mix on low speed until distributed evenly throughout batter, about 5 seconds.

Leaving about 2 inches between each ball, scoop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets with 1 1/4-inch (1 tablespoon capacity) ice cream scoop. Bake 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are deep golden brown and flat, about 12 minutes.

Ready for the oven!

Cool cookies on baking sheet 3 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and let sit until crisped and cooled to room temperature. (Can be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week.)

Hot from the oven, yum!

Makes about 4 dozen 2-inch cookies

Source: America’s Test Kitchen

Day 7 of 12 Days of Christmas Fun: Christmas Cookie Round-Up

♪♫ On the 7^th day of Christmas Food, Folks, and Fun gave to me…♪♫

Christmas Cookie Round-Up

Jingle All the Way Shadow Box Tutorial

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting & a GIVEAWAY!

Cranberry-Pecan Chicken Salad

CHRISTmas Subway Art Printable

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Christmas To-Do List Printables

When I think about Thanksgiving desserts I think of pies, and when I think of Christmas desserts I think of COOKIES! Here I have a compiled a few of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes. Each recipe is wonderful, so you won’t be disappointed if you try any!

Gingerbread Cookies: Classic—soft, chewy, and delicious!

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies: I think they’re a real show-stopper, especially once someone bites into one.

Peppermint Bark Cookies: A nice variation to Peppermint Bark, and they’re pretty “low maintenance” to make!

Coconut Macaroons: These cookies are irresistible, and you only need 5 ingredients to make them!

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog

Day 2 of 12 Days of Christmas Fun: Thick & Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

♪♫ On the 2^nd day of Christmas Food, Folks, and Fun gave to me…♪♫

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Christmas To-Do List Printables

These cookies are now amongst my favorites and I don’t even like chocolate! They’re, chewy and fudge-brownie like, so delish! Now, what makes these cookies so good is the quality of ingredients. Please, please, please use good-quality chocolate and cocoa powder in these (Nestles, Bakes, and Hershey’s need not apply—I used Ghirardelli cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips for the recipe)!

Cook’s Note:  To melt the chocolate in a microwave, heat at 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stir, then continue heating at 50 percent power for 1 more minute. If not completely melted, heat an additional 30 to 45 seconds at 50 percent power. Resist the urge to bake the cookies longer than indicated; they may appear underbaked at first but will firm up as they cool.

Feel free to substitute the Peppermint Baking Chips with ones of your preference. I have made this recipe with mint chips but don’t think they taste as good as the peppermint ones.

Same recipe,but I used mint chips instead of peppermint ones

Thick & Chewy Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies

Ingredients:

2 C unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 C cocoa powder

2 t baking powder

1 t table salt

16 ozs semisweet chocolate , chopped

4 large eggs

2 t vanilla extract

10 T unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), softened but still firm

1 1/2 C light brown sugar

1/2 C granulated sugar

1 10oz bag Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips (I found them at Walmart)

Directions:

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate in medium heatproof bowl set over pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth; remove from heat. Beat eggs and vanilla lightly with fork and set aside.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or with hand mixer), beat butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds (15 seconds with hand mixer). Beat in sugars until combined, about 45 seconds (1 1/2 minutes with hand mixer); mixture will look granular. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds (1 1/2 minutes with hand mixer). Add chocolate in steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds (1 minute with hand mixer). Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture and mix until combined, about 40 seconds (1 minute with hand mixer). Do not overbeat. Stir in the peppermint chips until blended. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until consistency is scoopable and fudgelike, about 30 minutes (DON’T skip this step).

Meanwhile, adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Leaving about 1 1/2-inches between each ball, scoop dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets with 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop.

Bake cookies until edges have just begun to set but centers are still very soft, about 10 minutes, turning cookie sheets from front to back and switching from top to bottom racks halfway through baking.

Cool cookies on sheets about 10 minutes, slide parchment with cookies onto wire rack and cool to room temperature; remove with wide metal spatula.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Source: Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

I’m linking this post up at:

Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog

Fireworks Cookies

Happy Independence Day! The Fourth of July is seriously my favorite holiday ever! As a former history teacher I’m a self-proclaimed history buff…so of course I love this holiday! Other reasons why I love this holiday: you don’t have to buy anyone a gift, you get to have a barbeque with your friends and family, and to top it all off there’s a marvelous fireworks display at the end of the day! Seriously, which holiday could possibly be better?!?

This year we kicked off the July 4^th week with a little parade around a lake in our community. The parade started at 10:00 A.M. and by that point it was already a blistering 105°F! In spite of this Mia did great, she was her happy and chipper self. We ended the weekend with swimming, a family barbeque, and fireworks.

Mia ready for the parade.

The parade starts!

Mia workin' the 4th of July hat.

I love this shot...so cute!!!

More of the parade making its way around the lake.

Mia commandeering a police motorcycle.

Fireworks Cookies

I always love how sugar cookies decorated with royal icing looks, but I’ve never been crazy about how they taste or the time needed to execute them. While these cookies look amazing, I’m still not a fan of how they tasted or the amount of time (about 3 ½ hours from start to finish, aside from the dough chilling) it took to make them.

For the recipe, head on over to Martha Stewart’s website.

I’m linking this post up at:

Metamorphosis Monday

Menu Plan Monday

Skip to My Lou

Tip Me Tuesday

Today’s Creative Blog

Salty-Sweet Butter Pecan Cookies

I recently made these cookies for a family reunion at Lake Powell (talk about one of our countries beautiful landscapes! I could go on and on about our trip, but I’ll leave that for another post coming soon!). Everyone absolutely loved them! The Salty-Sweet combination is spectacular…seriously…you just can’t go wrong with it! I believe my dad even said you could use these cookies as currency because they’re so good! Anyhow, you should try them…they’re awesome!

Salty-Sweet Butter Pecan Cookies

Want the recipe to these luscious cookies? Head over to King Arthur Flour!

I’m linking this post up at:

Metamorphosis Monday

Menu Plan Monday

Skip to My Lou

Tip Me Tuesday

Today’s Creative Blog

Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

Ok, these are SO much better than the ever-popular peanut butter blossoms (the PB cookies with the Hershey Kisses on them)! They’re bigger, chewer, and full of more peanut butter goodness with all of the Reese’s Pieces and mini Peanut Butter Cups tucked inside them.

To make all that scooping of cookie dough a little easier, I used my favorite scoop.

If you’re going to make the full recipe, make sure you use a HUGE bowl, other wards the dough won’t fit! This recipe can easily be halved.

Look how lovely!

Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

5 C all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 1/2 C butter, room temp
1/2 C shortening, room temp
2 C granulated sugar
2 C brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 t vanilla extract
Peanut butter mixture (see below)
1 ½ C Reese's Pieces

1 ½ C mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (I found them at Target)

Peanut Butter Mixture

16 oz peanut butter
4 oz (1 stick) butter, room temp
4 oz honey

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Make the peanut butter mixture by creaming the peanut butter, butter, and honey, then set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside.

In a mixer, cream 1 1/2 cups of butter, shortening and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla and the peanut butter mixture and mix until well incorporated.

Gradually add in the flour mixture and beat on low speed until fully incorporated.

Place cookie dough about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. I used my favorite scoop that holds about 4 tablespoons of dough (or 1/4 cup).  

The dough before it went into the oven.

Bake for 11-12 minutes, rotating pans half-way through baking. 

DO NOT over bake the cookies!  The cookies will just start to look a little golden around the edges. Remove cookies from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes. Then remove them from the cookie sheets and place them on a cooling rack. Cool the cookies completely, and store them in an airtight container.

Makes about 50-60, large cookies

Source: Adapted from Elle’s New England Kitchen

I’m linking this post up at:

Metamorphosis Monday

Menu Planning Monday

Black and White Cookies

How can you have one of these cookies and not think of the Seinfeld episode?!? “Look to the cookie Elaine…Look to the cookie!” Watch the classic Black & White Cookie clip from Seinfeld here.

These cookies are divine! They’re actually more like little cakes than cookies, but nonetheless equally as yummy! These cookies are a bit time-intensive, but to make the job a little easier I used a ¼ cup scoop.

Black and White Cookies

Ingredients:

FOR THE COOKIES
2 C cake flour
2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 C unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 C sugar
3 eggs
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t finely grated lemon zest or 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 C milk

FOR THE ICING
3 ounces bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 C water
3 T honey
5 C confectioners’ sugar
1/2 t vanilla

Directions:

To make the cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar until well combined and light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time (scraping the bowl between additions, as needed), until fully incorporated. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until just combined, followed by half of the milk, mixing until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk, ending with the final 1/3 of the flour mixture. Stir in the lemon zest (or extract) and vanilla extract until combined, being careful not to over mix.

Drop the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies.

Batter ready to go into the oven.

Bake until centers are firm and edges just begin to brown, 15-18 minutes.

Cookies straight from the oven.

Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before icing. Once the cookies are completely cooled, flip them over.

To make the icing: Melt the chocolate in a small bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan set over medium high heat, bring the water and honey to a boil. Remove from heat and add half of the mixture into the sugar. Whisk until fully incorporated and smooth, adding more of the honey mixture, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add extra liquid very slowly to be sure that the icing doesn’t get runny.

Fill a decorating bag with a small amount of icing and snip off the end. Draw a straight line directly across the center of the bottom of each cookie. Return any extra icing to the bowl.

Using a small offset spatula, spread vanilla icing over half of each cookie, filling it in up to the line.

Once all of the cookies have vanilla icing, stir the melted chocolate into the remaining vanilla icing. If needed, stir in any remaining honey mixture, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Again using a small offset spatula, fill in the other half of the cookie with chocolate icing.

Makes about 24 large cookies

Source: Bakingdom

 

I’m linking this post up at:

Metamorphosis Monday

Menu Planning Monday

Skip to My Lou