Brrr part 2

The last blog post inspired me to bake a batch.  I whipped up a small batch of coconut chocolate chip cookies - batch #134.  It made 1 1/2 dozen, nothing complicated - a perfect batch to have just a few cookies around the house.  

This batch brought two questions to mind:

#1: What's with extracts?  What exactly is an extract and why does there seem to be extracts for everything - and why do they smell so strong?  I could make this batch today because I had coconut extract lying (or is it laying - it isn't telling lies, but then again, it's not laying down - I think it is lying) around my house.  Along with coconut extract I have lemon extract, imitation rum (is it just pretending), imitation maple extract, orange extract, peppermint extract, almond and of course vanilla.  What is it?

#2 - What's with this whole "air bake technology".  My sister-in-law gave me air bake cookie sheets.  What exactly is the "technology" that goes into them?  All I know is that my cookies tend to turn out way softer, which isn't always a good thing.  I have to let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before trying to remove them because they're so soft they squish up if I try to remove them.  Anybody know tricks for using this "new technology", because I don't trust them.  I don't think cookie baking needs any technology - except for my Kitchenaid Mixer - that's a god send.  

Brrr...

You would think with all these cold days of ours in MN I would have made a few batches.  I've only made two batches this whole month of January.  I had time.  I've only had to work eight days this entire month - we've had 5 days of no school due to unbearably cold weather.  Instead of baking Joey and I have been hanging around the house in sweats building forts, playing blocks - me reading and scrapbooking - and no baking.
Partly, I haven't done any baking because I still had christmas cookies I was trying to get rid of - we did not need any more sweets in this house.  We're now to the point where we're down to just a couple kinds of Christmas cookies left; and frankly, those are stale - so they're being tossed out.  I may bake a small batch today - if I can tear myself away from reading and scrapbooking - I really am content just doing that.

#132 Oaty Cereal Treats
We had our daycare Christmas party - having kids really does increase the number of opportunities I have to make cookies.  I look at it as opportunities - I suppose normal people look at it as another thing we have to go to and I need to bring something.  Maybe not.
Mike described these as rice krispie bars - but they're not.  They're Cheerio bars - with peanut butter and M & M's.   Great for a kidtogether.

#133 Honey-peanut butter Cookie
I owed some thank yous to some co-workers who gave Joey some hand-me downs - a box (a large box - we're talking Costco size box) full of board books, and a Leapfrog learning table.  I wanted to wait till a little bit after the holidays - as I'm sure they had plenty of sweets at their house.  They are pretty much as described in the title - a honey/peanut butter cookie.