A very good Snickerdoodle

For years I have not enjoyed baking cookies.  One batch would always turn out too dark for sure.  It also took me years to figure out what was going on.  It was my darn frugality that was stopping the show. 

A couple of weeks ago, The Trout and I went to a restaurant supply store to "check it out."  I found beautiful, heavy baking sheets for under 8 dollars.  I feel they are of a much better quality than what you can buy in the typical baking department of a store.  I immediately went home and threw those old sheets out.  I have plans to go back and get more of these beautiful baking sheets. 

Then another item I have wanted for a long time is a "Silpat."  It is a remarkable sheet made in France that is placed on the bottom of a baking sheet.  It is made of silicone with fiberglass mesh.  Nothing sticks to it and nothing BURNS!!  No greasing of the pan is needed.  I am so happy!!!  I just might have to get another one to fit the second baking sheet I plan to buy.  I am slow to change, but I am so happy I did.

And on that note, I was ready to start baking cookies.  Velva at "Tomatoes on the Vine" had a Snickerdoodle cookie recipe that sounded very different from all others.  I remember tasting very bitter cream of tartar years ago in these cookies.  Velva had the same ingredients but in different portions.  They taste out of this world!  In fact, The Trout thought they tasted like cinnamon custard.  Here is Velva's recipe and "I approve this recipe!"

Snickerdoodles

Makes 24 (I got 36 cookies 2" diameter)

2 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine 1/2 cups sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs.  Mix well.

Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.  Blend well.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.  Roll dough in sugar-cinnamon mixture and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until the cookie is set.  Immediately remove from cookie sheets and cool.  

Smell those cinnamon rolls

In 2002, my three female cousins got together and compiled a "family cookbook." It was a lot of work and I think they had fun. The outcome is a fantastic cookbook with many comments from the contributors, making this a fun, fun book for the family.

My cousin Harriet, known as an 'awesome baker' by her children, contributed a Cinnamon Roll recipe that is simply wonderful. It works every time and each time it seems to taste better. I have made a few minor changes like changing the margarine for unsalted butter, but I follow it otherwise. Below you see some of the cinnamon rolls formed after the first rising.

And then this wonderful smell comes out of the kitchen as the baking starts. If you have never tried to make cinnamon rolls, I really hope you will try this recipe as it is almost fail proof.

Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkgs dry yeast ( I use SAF instant yeast)
1 cup lukewarm water (120 degrees)
2 sticks unsalted butter (melted)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup cold water
2 unbeaten eggs
6 cups flour (I really like King Arthur Flour)
Cinnamon (I use Penzey's Vietnamese cinnamon) mixed with sugar to your liking

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Place melted butter, sugar, salt and cold water and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add flour and mix well. You may need to use your dough hook as you begin adding flour. Put dough in a large bowl and cover and let rise until it is double (about 1 1/2 hours) in size. Divide into 3 clumps. Roll each clump on a floured board and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle dough with cinnamon and sugar combination. Roll the dough up into a long roll and cut into individual rolls. I get 12 rolls out of each clump of dough. Place into greased pans, round or square. Let rise again, 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. During this time, cover with a clean cotton towel while rising. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Frost with your favorite recipe when cooled.

I put these in the freezer and then pull out and thaw and add frosting just before serving. My oldest grandson told his mom he was looking forward to eating grandma's cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, and, he will get his wish. What are grandma's for?

Well, finally!

This posting is for my children. I can bake bread, and most of the time it is outstanding. Dinner rolls have always been tricky for me. Hard, dry and hockey puck-like. Sorry, but I have tried. But, since I found Debby at A Feast for the Eyes , I have actually accomplished something.

Take a look at these rolls. Debby gives the recipe of the Pioneer Woman who uses frozen bread dough. That sounded simple enough. Then Debby gave her own recipe and it sounded great. I made these with a cup of whole wheat flour in addition to the white flour. I think the instant yeast I bought at King Arthur Flour this spring has something to do with it also. The recipe says it makes 9 rolls, but I got 12 large rolls. They also fit beautifully into my new cast iron skillet. I have been wanting this size skillet for quite a while and have used it a lot since.

So girls, this one is a keeper and I hope you can visit and partake of these fabulous dinner rolls very soon.

Blueberry Cobbler for Dad

Father's Day started last night around here. The Trout grilled a perfect steak and we had a marvelous salad using the 1905 salad dressing we bought at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. But the dessert--which is not common at our house--was the 'icing on the cake'.

My blogging friend, Mary, at "One Perfect Bite" always has the best recipes and we try 9 out of 10 and are always happy with the results. She gave the recipe for Blackberry Cobbler and it sounded wonderful. So, when I saw blueberries at the grocer this morning at a very good price, I knew I had to try it.

The Trout was very happy and said, "keep this recipe. I like the crunchy top." Mary said to follow the directions to a tee and I will admit, the topping sounded a little strange to me, but I followed orders as a good little soldier. No other cobbler recipes need be tried. This is the best and I can just imagine it will all sorts of fruit. I will admit that I forgot the buttermilk at the grocery store, but substituted one cup milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar which I let set for a few minutes. It worked just fine. As Mary says, throw away all other cobbler recipes and I have to agree 100%. After this, you need not look further.

Thank you, blogger friend, Mary, for making Father's Day weekend extra special around here.

Is it bread yet?

In January, I wrote about a book I had just purchased, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Since that time, I have baked a lot of bread. There has not been a time when the dough was not rising in my refrigerator. I have not baked frequently, because it would be just too overwhelming to the waistline. Bread and ice cream are my favorite foods. I do not keep ice cream in the house because I could not leave it alone. Bread is something else. It needs to be baked which takes time.

Today, before dinner, The Trout asked if we were having bread. I told him I need 1 hour and 10 minutes to get the bread formed, raised, baked and out of the oven. Timing was perfect. You see, making bread this way is so very convenient. The author of the book describes the bread as having a "custard crumb." That is the perfect description. It is not a dry bread, although the crust gives a wonderful loud crunch as you bite into it. The center of the bread is almost creamy like. Not exactly like Italy or France, but we do enjoy it. Sure beats store-bought bread.

The Trout has not tried to make this bread yet, but it is so very simple, anyone can do it. If you love bread as we do, buying this book and trying it will be so worth it.

Artisan Bread at Home

As I have mentioned many times, The Trout and I love bread. My mother-in-law baked wonderful bread, and I grew up with a brick oven that was heated by burning wood in the oven and then removing it before putting in the loaves of bread. This was in one of our community towns. The best darn bread...until I lived in Europe. Actually, we try all breads when we travel overseas and just love them. At home, we don't eat bread very often because we try to keep the carbs down.

I have never been an excellent bread baker and I will admit it, but I do make a fairly decent baguette, actually 4 at a time. It does take time though. So, when I saw that "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" was on sale at Amazon, I waited frantically until it arrived. Within 1 1/2 hours, had the the bread dough in the refrigerator. It was so simple. This morning, I took out enough dough to make one boule. It worked great! I have been holding off cutting into it because it really is best to let it cool, but I did want to share the picture with you.

And yes, even my daughters could do this if they were so inclined. Maybe next time we get together, I'll give a lesson....