A bad bad thing

My cookie project has led me to do a bad bad thing - I'm a thief.

But first:

#57 Mock Apple Pie Bars 11/9/12
My sister got married - all four of us Larson kids are now married.  Good news for Dad - no more weddings to throw.  The gift opening party was held the day after and my Mom did all the baking and cooking for it (she bakes when she's nervous) except that she did ask me to contribute (you know the worry every good Swedish woman gets - that there won't be enough food).  Even the morning after the wedding I almost made another batch of bars to bring just in case.
These are mock apple pie bars because though they taste just like apple pie, they're actually made with zucchini.  I of course didn't tell anyone that until they already loved the bar.  Mike even rated it four out of five, but once he found out it was made with zucchini, he didn't eat anymore, what's up with that?

#58 Butter Pecan Cookies 11/9/12
Though it was the wedding weekend, this was also mother-in-law's birthday weekend.  Awhile back Mike saw this recipe in the book and reserved it for his mom, because he remembers that she used to buy butter pecan ice cream when he was little.  Unfortunately, after making this batch is when I started to come to the realization that my oven is bad.  Though I set the oven for the temperature called for, and I baked the cookies for less time than was called for, they were still burnt on the bottom.  Fortunately my mother-in-law is a person who realizes it's the thought that counts.  I did send them even though they were black on the bottom (though Mike thought I should throw them out).  Sorry Patsy - Happy Birthday.

During the week I began to test my oven with an oven thermometer.  It seems that the oven is always 25 degrees more than what it is set at.  That I can deal with, but just as I have it figured out... I set the oven dial at 350 to bake my dinner at 375.  My dinner got burned : (  The oven thermometer read 400, what!!?

#59 Cream Cheese Brownies 11/16/12
Old lady game night!  I baked these brownies to accompany the cookies that I deem as truly old lady cookies.  Old lady cookies are small cookies that are of course rather plain - wouldn't want to disturb the old digestive track.  My goal with the brownies was to go for the wow factor - because though the old lady cookies look impressive, they are indeed old lady cookies.  The brownies though good, did not get a wow.  They're made with of course cream cheese, but there's hot chocolate mix in them as well.

I managed to get my oven to cook at 350 for these brownies.  The 375 for the following cookies though proved challenging.  I nudged the oven dial ever so slightly earlier (before the brownies) to experiment and the temp went from 350 to 375 - perfect - I can handle this.  However, after the brownies baked, I nudged it again and it stayed at 350.  Nudged it a little more - still 350.  Turned it just a bit more and it jumped to 400.  Time for a new oven.

#60 Raspberry Treasures 11/16/12
This cookie is why I've done a bad bad thing.  I was at the grocery store this morning (I refuse to name the store as I don't want them to come and prosecute me) picking up my baking supplies, Thanksgiving supplies, etc.  I also picked up a circle cookie cutter as needed for this recipe.  I checked out, paid and began to bag my groceries, that's when I saw it.  My metal - same material and color as the grocery cart - cookie cutter was still in the cart.  I looked up, the clerk was already ringing up the next person in line and there were two more people behind that person.  Keep in mind I was exhausted - the type of exhausted that only someone who has been pregnant understands (26 weeks now) - I did not have the energy to go back in line to pay for a .65 cookie cutter; I stuck it in my bag and walked out.  I felt bad, I feel guilty, did I even out my karma by putting a dollar into the bell ringer's red kettle, I hope so.  But alas, it is done.

 
After these cookies, I think I know how fortune cookies are made.  These cookies were labor intensive.  I made the dough, refrigerated it, rolled it out, cookie cut it, filled it with raspberry pastry filling, folded it into triads and pinched the three parts together, brushed it with an egg/water mixture and then baked it in my non-functioning 50+ year old oven.  I think the only difference between this and the fortune cookie, replace the raspberry filling with paper and instead of triads - fold it in half and pinch the center together.

Normally I would be excited to do another project and get a new oven out of the deal, but in the last two months I have moved, replaced all the light fixtures, painted all the rooms, found a place for everything in the house, oh and have been growing a human - I'm exhausted.  This oven project is not as simple as replacing an old oven for a new oven either.  The oven I have is the 1960's small oven kind that is built into the cabinetry with the range on the countertop beside it.  Getting a new oven means tearing out that whole area and losing cabinetry - I cannot fathom a new kitchen design at the moment.  On the bright side, my new brother in law will be losing his house in the next few weeks and apparently will have a high end stove, dishwasher and refrigerator to "get rid of".  I think I could store that for him : )

How?

I want to know, how in the world do I match the quantity that the recipe calls for.  I'm almost always 1-2 dozen below the quantity that these different recipes call for.  You would think, I must be making the cookies too big.  However, I follow the guidelines.  Well, I follow them to the best that I can given the vague directions.  Often it says: "Drop by tablespoonfuls" - so I take a 1 tbsp measuring spoon and fill it twice (because that would be plural) and make the cookies that size - still, I'm short.

Today's batch came from the big batch bonanza chapter - supposed to make 12 dozen - it made 6 1/2 dozen.  Really?!

But I digress, I need to catch up and rewind a little bit.

#54 Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies 10/24/2012
I had a wonderful relaxing weekend last weekend - it was my crafty women retreat.  I went up to a camp on Thursday night, didn't return until Sunday night and sewed and scrapbooked all weekend with my mom, sister-in-law and a bunch of other women.  The women loved the cookies, they were gone rather quickly.
Mike?  He stayed home and did absolutely everything I left for him on a list.  Before you label me too quickly as "that kind of wife - the one who leaves lists", I very clearly told Mike he did not have to do anything on the list.  I knew he had already made plans to work on tearing out the trees, overgrown plants and shrubs and all sorts of other junk in our yard.  I was very clear that the things on the list were only if he needed a break from the yard, or if he found time to do it, and that I would be perfectly fine if he didn't get to anything on the list.  However, I do also know that Mike tends to like to try to impress me when he knows I won't be home for a while and tries to do a lot so that when I come home, I'll make a big deal of it; so I suspected he might try to do the whole list.  This trait of his is of course very nice, but it really would be fabulous if he just tried to impress me on a daily basis and not always have to wait until I leave so he can "surprise" me.  Anyways,  I walked in on Sunday night around 6:30 to a cooked lasagna dinner (it was just a frozen one, but still...) and everything on that list totally complete. I of course then had to hear about how it was done more efficient than I would've done, but again ..., just being supportive and grateful.  I thanked him profusely and told him how great everything looked (as soon as I walked in the door) and continued to be appreciative as I ate dinner.  He went on to point out each and every thing he did so that I could acknowledge it - then he commented on how he practically had to drag the thanks out of me : ) (somewhat teasingly I think).  Of course I find this hugely ironic because normally it's me doing all this work day in and day out after I teach for 8 hours a day, etc, etc - and I have been telling him that I feel it all goes unappreciated, so...  maybe now I'll get some thanks?

#55 Oatmeal Chip Cookies 10/25/2012
I so wish I hadn't forgot my camera in my desk for this batch.
I teach ELL (english to language learners) to 5th graders.  Most of my students are pretty fluent in English - I work in the mainstream classroom with all students and I push the use of academic language (see the previous blog in which my team led the professional development on academic language).  However, I had two students who are new to the country; 1 from Ecuador and 1 from Mexico.  Then this week, I got one more brand new student - he has been in the country for less than a week, he's also from Ecuador - he's defiantly a character.  What I find hilarious is that my two 5th grade girls are rather mature and motivated - this little one is not.  The girls give him looks and are chastising him for me; they're trying to get him in shape and to start working.  It's great!
This last week, we read a book called We Bake Cookies.  We talked about the ingredients and the steps.  So I decided, baking cookies at school would be a great hands on activity.  We would list the steps we needed to take using ordinal numbers like first, second, using the words then, next, last and the sentence frame "We need".  On Wednesday we wrote out our directions (using that language) and on Thursday we made our batch that they had chosen.  It was amazing how alive these three became and how much language they were using. They read through the recipe, used directions to tell another what we need next, etc.  They were so proud of their cookies.  Even my little new boy was very involved in the lesson and using the English (which as I mentioned, he normally needs to be pushed to do); he actually took a leadership role because as he described (in Spanish) he made cookies with Grandma a lot back in Ecuador.

Oh - and these cookies were amazing - they got a 5 from both Mike, myself and the few ladies who got to have a few at the crafty women retreat (it only made a dozen and a half batch).  I think it's the molasses in the cookie that actually made it so good; that and a  bit of cinnamon with the oatmeal and chocolate chips - pretty gooey irresistible.

#56 Today's so called 12 dozen batch -
Toffee Chip Cookies
I had high hopes for this batch - I thought it would receive a 5 from Mike (it only got a 4), because of the Heath toffee bits in it - Mike loves toffee.
This one combines a whole lot of things into one cookie.  After you make the basic dough, you add rice krispie cereal, oatmeal, coconut, pecans and the toffee.  But 12 dozen, I think not.  There was maybe 1 dozen I could have made smaller and split in 1/2 - but then I still would've only got to 7 dozen.

Anyways, I made this batch for my nephews' schools bake sale.  My sister who is ultra organized and is making each school just a little bit better both as a Minneapolis school board member and as a parent to her three boys.  She is helping coordinate the Northeast Middle School parent group; so they're having a bake sale on election day.  So if you are in the neighborhood, and you want to try one of my 623 creations, stop by and buy a batch. I'm sorry I have no details of time or where - just Tuesday.

Oh, and don't forget to vote on Tuesday.  I try not to discuss politics in general or post how I feel on facebook, but Minnesotans, please consider other people when you vote on Tuesday.  Do not assume we know how our children and children's children will feel about issues.  I ask you to do as our founding fathers did and separate your religious beliefs from our government practices, not everyone believes as you necessarily do.  I'll be proud to tell my children and my grandchildren that I was on the side that voted no against inequality.