More Macaroons

Hi,

Today I tried more macaroons.  They turned out well the last time, so I thought they would be good this time.

They tasted a little too sweet to me today.  This recipe calls for 3 Tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk.  It also adds sugar.  The next time, I will either cut way back on the sugar or try a recipe that doesn't use the condensed milk. 

I sprayed Pam on the parchment paper, and that allowed the cookies to lift off.  It took just a wee little bit of chocolate to drizzle on the cookies and make them look nice.

I had a bag of 14 oz coconut and a 12 oz bag of coconut.  It seemed like so much coconut, so I didn't include all of it.

When they were done, they seemed a little "meringuey."  What a word.  Next time, I will use all the coconut.  I used a teaspoon size ice cream scoop, but the cookies get big.  The meringue really fluffs them up.  I would prefer to get them smaller next time.  This recipe still needs work.

Nutella Biscotti

I had a biscotti cookbook, but I can't find it, and surprisingly, there aren't a lot of sites with a wide variety of biscotti recipes on the internet.  I hope I can find the book soon.  In the meantime, I tried Nutella Biscotti today.  The recipe can be found here.  I think I like the flavor of these better than the biscotti I tried the other day.  The chocolate is nice and rich, with cocoa powder, nutella, and chocolate chips.

Here they are:

Biscotti always look good, don't they?

Wassail

I know, it's not holiday time.  So what's up with this recipe?  On this snowy day, I looked for more cookie recipes.  As I was going through drawers, I realized my recipes are so disorganized.  The blog helps me stay organized for some reason, and I am going to copy some of the recipes that are just lying around on here.

I remember we enjoyed this on Christmas Day a few years ago.


Wassail

1/2 gallon cider
12 cinnamon sticks
1 t cloves
1 t whole allspice
(wrap the cloves and allspice in cheesecloth)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 c lemon juice
1 1/2 c bourbon
sugar to taste

This will help you stay warm through the winter.

Time Schedule

Tomorrow will be February 1.  I think that by the end of February, the recipes should be selected and perfected.

During March, all of the display trays should be collected, and a layout designed.

In April, I should purchase a freezer and the materials for freezing and transport.

This sounds good, and allows time for the cookies to be baked in July and August.

More Lemon Cookies

The Land of Lakes Lemon Bar recipe gets great reviews online, so I knew I had to try it.  It is for Lemon Shortbread strips.  I have tried Lemon Shortbread before, from Nancy Baggett.  I loved the taste of hers, but the bars fell apart easily when I sliced them, and they didn't look pretty.

These taste good, but not quite as tangy as the Nancy Baggett bars.  However, they held together better when cut.  I like the look of the glaze--it is white and shiny and looks good with sparkle sugar on top.  These still fell apart a little when I sliced them.  Maybe they need chilled before cutting.  I've been using a pizza cutter to cut them, and it slices right through.

You can see that they look nice, but some have still fallen apart:

And we have a thumbs down on the taste of these from my DH.  Not that they're bad, they're not as good as others we've tried.

Lemon Tea Cookies

I have tried so many lemon cookies.  All of them have tasted great, but I haven't had much luck with the looks.  I have a good lemon bar, but I am still searching for a lemon cookie.  Today I tried the Lemon Tea Cookie from Betty Crocker.  They turned out pretty, and they taste good.

I think I would try them in a mini muffin pan the next time to make them closer in size to each other.  They were easy, though, and taste good.  I got 3 dozen out of one try.

Here is how they looked:

My neighbor is a great cook!

My neighbor is a really good cook and baker.  She shares food and invites us over frequently.  She does what I do, and searches the internet until she finds the perfect recipe.  When I told her I needed the recipe for Italian Knots, she shared hers.  It is perfect.  The cookies have the traditional texture and are not too dry.  Here is the recipe:

Italian Knots

1/2 c butter
3/4 c sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t almond extract
1/4 c milk
1/4 c vegetable oil
3 3/4 c flour
5 t baking powder


Icing:

4 c confectioners' sugar
1/2 c softened butter
1 t vanilla
1 t almond extract
3 T milk
food coloring


Preheat oven to 350.  Grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment.
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Stir in liquids.
Combine the flour and baking powder.
Stir into wet mixture.
Roll into 1" balls.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the balls into ropes about 5 inches long.
Tie into knots or twists and place 1" apart on cookie sheet.
Bake 5 minutes on bottom shelf, then 5 on top.

Dip into icing when cool.