despite a minor set-back of catching a head cold, I am almost back on my feet. Having missed the last two days of work for the year (and feeling horrible for it), I spend the last two days holed up in bed, with our iTouch, the remote control and gallons of home-made chicken stock (thanks JT) and drugs, of course! I spent all of Tuesday hooked on a stupid show called Paranormal States which one main character goes from one forlorn to another searching paranormal occupations (be it in someone, or in someone’s house). After about 15 episodes, only one minor thing seemed like it was true, and even that could be dis-proven. So the moral of this story is TV is stupid. There I said it.

Today, I am feeling much better. I finally packaged up my baking and set out my JT to begin deliveries. To recap, I have baked the following:

• Mexican Macaroons
• Anzac Biscuits
• Bargain Basement Barb’s Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Squares
• Nanaimo Bars
• Old Fashion Date Filled Aatmeal Cookies
• Two Bite Brownies All the Goodies
• Chocolate Krinkle Kisses

All the Goodies

Baking gIfts all bundled up

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and colleagues and we wish you health and happiness for the coming year.

I was introduced to these cookies about 28 year’s ago when I visited my BFF at her parent’s home in Owen Sound. Her mom bought these cookies from a local bakery and I literally ate them all, could not believe how good they were (carbs were not my enemy in those days). I have made them from time to time, and they always bring back fond memories of those university days. I found this particular recipe in my second favorite cookbook, The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, first published in 1896, my version in it’s 12th edition. I did not alter this recipe.

Date Filled Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups oatmeal

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a small saucepan, put the dates, sugar and water and gently cook until thick and smooth. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
3. Cream butter and sugars well.
4. Sift flour, baking soda and salt and add to the butter sugar mixture.
5. Add the oatmeal, mixing thoroughly and adding 2-4 tbsp water to make a dough that can be rolled.
6. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
7. Roll to 1/8 inch thick, and cut with a 2″ cookie cutter. Place a teaspoon of the date paste into the centre and fold the two half edges together to make a crescent. Repeat until all the dough is used.
8. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from one of my old faithful cookbooks,  Five Roses Guide to Good Cooking, page 117. Published in it’s 25th edition in 1983!

Peanut Butter Cookies

• 3cups all purpose flour (Five Roses, of course) (if using regular peanut butter, reduce to about 2 cups)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine (room temperature)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 ggs
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter (I prefer Compliments Just Peanuts, crunchy – note that this pb is rather wet, so I’ve increased the flour for this recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 375•F
2. Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.
3. Cream butter; add sugars beating well with each addition.
4. Add eggs and beat well. Add peanut butter and mix well.
5. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
6. Shape into walnut-sized balls, flatten with the palm of your hand slightly and using the tines of a fork, press down.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until edges are golden. Allow to cool.
8. Enjoy!
9. Makes about 50 cookies, 2-3″ diametre

I am starting my Christmas baking a bit late this year. Partly because I didn’t want sweets in the house and partly because I just couldn’t be bothered. That’s sad. But Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas if I didn’t share the sweets. JT just had one request, Nanaimo Bars, so it’s on the list again this year, but this time, I shall actually make them. I am also mixing it up a bit for variety.

• Bargain Basement Barb’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Mexican Macroons (chocolate spicey coconut macroons)
• Chocolate Mint Hershey Kiss Cookies
• Date filled Oatmeal Cookies
• Namaimo Bars
• Anzac Biscuits
• Butterscotchy Almond Bars

Adapted From Martha Stewart

Makes 16.

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup bran cereal, ground
• 1/4 ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup natural crunchy peanut butter or almond butter
• 1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with 2 crisscrossed rectangles of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang at 2 opposite ends. In a large bowl, combine oats, ground bran, flax seed, wheat germ, almonds and cranberries.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk together oil, brown sugar, peanut butter, cinnamon, allspice, salt and 1 tablespoon water over low heat until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly; whisk in egg whites. Pour over at mixture; stir until moistened. Spread evenly in bottom of pan; smooth top.
3. Bake until top is firm, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Lift out of pan, using paper as handles. Let cool completely, cut into bars with serrated knife.

I found this cool site that can calculate the nutritional facts of your recipes. I will try to do this for all of mine going forward. This is not as healthy as it seemed.

*Note that all nutritionl facts may not be accurate and are a guideline ONLY.

From the Five Roses Flour cookbook (Yield: 16-5 cm (2″) squares or about 30 mini muffin blondies). These are chewy and tasty, although not low in calories, but then again, it IS Christmas!

Ingredients

• ¾ cup(s) Five Roses All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp alt
• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 150ºC (300ºF).
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
   
3. Melt butter and brown sugar over low heat. Remove from heat.
4. Add slightly beaten egg, be careful not to cook the egg, make sure the mixture is not too hot.
5. Blend in dry ingredients.
   
6. Add vanilla and nuts; stir well.
7. Spread mixture into a prepared 20 cm (8″) square pan or mini muffin cups. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into squares while still warm and cool completely in pan before serving. Cool mini muffins in pan completely before turning out.

This recipe dates back to the mid-nineties from the Toronto Star. My mom found it, tried it and loved it back then, and I have been making them ever since! They are relatively low in fat, but high in sugar (well, they ARE brownies, what did you think?) I believe the article states they are from the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre’s Heart and Soul Cuisine

Chewy Chocolate Brownies

Makes about 3 dozen two bite mini muffin brownies – about 70 calories each!

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 4 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 oz (45g) semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites

1. Sift flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder.
2. Melt butter or margarine with brown sugar, add vanilla, corn syrup and water.
3. Beat in the egg whites.
4. Add dry ingredients and stir well.
5. Pour into a prepared 9″ x 9″ pan, or mini muffin cups (I generally just use Pam). Bake for 12-15 minutes until firm.

*Note that all nutritionl facts may not be accurate and are a guideline ONLY.

From Epicurious.com Gourmet | February 1990
by Lauren J. Diamond: Mt. Vernon, New York

These are lovely chewy cookies truly reminiscent of pumpkin pie.

Preparation

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together the oil, the molasses, 1 cup of the sugar, and the eggs until the mixture is smooth.
2. In another bowl sift together the flour, the baking soda, the cinnamon, the ginger, the cloves, and the mace and then add the mixture to the molasses mixture.
3. Beat the mixture until it is combined well and chill the dough, covered, overnight.
4. Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll the balls in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar to coat them well.
5. Bake the balls 3 inches apart on buttered baking sheets in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops crack. Transfer the cookies to racks and let them cool.

These are delicious, simple as that. And they are easy to make. Recipe from Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

Makes 1 pan

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) all purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
2 cups (500 mL) packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) vanilla
1 square semi-sweet chocolate

Nutty Topping

• 1/4 cup (50 mL) butter
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) sugar
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) corn syrup
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) water 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) sliced almonds

Preparation:

1. Combine flour and baking powder; set aside.
   
2. Melt butter in large saucepan. Remove from heat; blend in sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Spread batter in a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch (3.5 L) cake pan.
3. Bake in 350ºF (180ºC) oven 20 minutes. Spread Nutty Topping evenly over surface. Bake 15 minutes longer.
4. Cool. Melt chocolate; drizzle over pan. Cut into bars.

Nutty Topping:

1. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add and mix in sugar, corn syrup, water and salt.
2. Bring mixture to boil; boil 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in sliced almonds.

These babies are best with the milk and dark chocolate chunks as below, but as we all know, pure chocolate chips will suffice in a pinch! It does seem like a lot of chocolate, but it’s well worth it. The beauty of these cookies is that they are thick, and riddled with chocolate all the way through, so every bite has some chocolate!

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into chunks
• 8 oz milk chocolate, chopped into chunks

1. Prehaeat the oven to 350° F.
2. Line two heavy baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or by hand), cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
5. Beat in the vanilla.
6. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together into a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing until just combined.
7. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
8. Using your hands, shape knobs of dough about the size of a large walnut into balls and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets (I prefer to use a 1/2 oz dual handle ice cream scooper which is about a size 60). Stagger the rows of cookies to ensure even baking.
   
9. Bake 12 to 15 minutes for smaller cookies, 14 to 17 minutes for larger cookies, or until the tops are light golden brown. If the cookies are neither firm nor dark when they are removed from the oven, they will cool chewy and soft. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Can be stored in air-tight container for 1 week or freeze in a zip lock bag and defrost as required!