Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Alfajores

(alpha-whore-eez) sounds like top dog at the cat house, doesnt it.

I have no idea where I found this recipe, but I tried them
in California a couple of years ago, and loved em.

Oven 350

1 can sweetened condensed milk -- (14-ounce)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar -- plus more to
sprinkle on cookies
1/2 cup margarine or butter -- (1 stick) softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

To make dulce de leche filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shake can of condensed milk well; pour milk into large pie plate. Bake for 1 hour or until the milk is as caramelized as you prefer. Set aside to let cool.

To prepare cookies: In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and 1/4 cup sugar. Add margarine and shortening; blend with a fork. Add egg yolks, milk and lemon zest. Mix until well blended.

Divide dough into 4 portions. Put one portion between 2 sheets of waxed paper; roll it out until dough is 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick, depending on taste. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Cut dough with a 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter. Place each circle on lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining dough.

When the cookies have cooled, spread dulce de leche on one cookie and top it with another cookie, making a sandwich. Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

My Mom Called, All Excited.

Get yer bundt pan out! Spray it with Pam.

She took a package of Grands® refrigerator biscuits, opened it up, and took the rolls apart, cut each biscuit in half. She cubed up a package of cream cheese, and placed a cube of cream cheese on top of each biscuit half, and folded the dough up around it and sealed it. She then brushed each lump of filled balls with butter, then rolled it in sugar, and placed the balls seam up evenly around the bundt pan, and sprinkled any leftover sugar and butter on top, and baked it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

When it came out of the oven, she up-ended it onto a large plate, and served it with fresh sugared strawberries on top, and everybody went crazy.

She added that you could also make it with cinnamon sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon or afterwards drizzle powdered sugar mixed with a little milk on top.

Monday, August 6, 2007

OMG Click on this and Look What I Found!

These Chocolate Espresso Cookies look gooooood.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Ohhhh Look!! Chocolate Chip Scones!

Cooking spray

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter or margarine

4 eggs

1/2 cup non-fat milk

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, chocolate chips, baking powder, and salt. With pastry blender, cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. In medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Add egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir only until dry ingredients cling together.

On floured surface, with lightly floured hands, pat dough to 3/4-inch thickness. With 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough. Reuse scraps. Place scones on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Rasins look like bunny poop.....And they are in these Scones

'K, my daughter loves scones. And raisins. And Tea. Together. *sigh*
These are for Erica:)

Oh, they are also for all of you who have been biting your nails , pacing, and wondering aloud.."When will they get to the scones???" :p Your wait is over! I am posting 2..yes.. 2!! recipes for scones. Break out the butter and the jam, sistahs!
Let me say that it pains me to post this first one...I detest raisins and oatmeal; that said..here goes. I got this recipe from our newspaper; the heading is 'Desperation Meals'.

Oh and:
Parchment paper is readily available and can even be found in the 12 x 16 measure perfect for the standard cookie sheet. I am telling you this because it is recommended for this recipe. Carry on!

Oatmeal-Raisin Spoon 'Scones'
about 22 minutes from start to finish

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup skim/whole milk or half and half
1 egg
2 cups biscuit mix ( like Jiffy or good old Bisquick)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the oats evenly over sheet; while oven is preheating, place the oats on the center rack and toast for 5 minutes or unitl lightly toasted and fragrant. Do not allow them to burn! Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine milk and egg, whisking well; set aside 3 TBS. of milk mixture. Add biscuit mix, sugar, toasted oats, and raisins to remaining milk mixture in the large bowl. Stir together until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Lightly flour parchment paper lined baking sheet and spoon the dough by 1/4 cupfuls onto the sheet. Gently brush the tops of scones with reserved milk/egg mixture..discard any remaining mix.

Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.