Showing posts with label Cookies. Show all posts
An easy no-bake dessert made with Galletas María, dried cranberries, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk, with a subtle hint of orange.

No-Bake Coconut Cranberry Cookie Bars - lacocinadeleslie.com

Hi friends! It's the first Monday of the month, which means it's time once again for The Secret Recipe Club. My assignment this month was Chit Chat Chomp, written by Melbourne based blogger Leigh, who loves to cook, loves pots of tea, twinkling Christmas lights, and all things French. That latter part explains the chic, French vibe I got while reading through Leigh's blog. One thing that I really caught my attention was her 2013 Cookbook Challenge that she started to motivate herself to cook more recipes from the books in her collection. I for one need to really consider starting my own cookbook challenge, because my cookbooks have been long neglected and could use some love and attention.

Secret Recipe Club: No-Bake Coconut Cranberry Bars (with Galletas Maria)

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Who am I trying to kid? Once I get something stuck in my head, there's just no convincing me otherwise. For the last couple of weeks I have tried not to think about the upcoming fall season. I have really tried to enjoy the last precious few weeks of summer, and not think about fall, but I'm fighting a losing battle. I am ready for fall. To me the beginning of September and Labor Day weekend will always be the unofficial beginning of  the fall season. That's how it was for the first 26 years of my life that I lived in the US, and it's still the same way now that I'm about to turn 40 and have been living in Mexico for almost 14 years. I want apples, pumpkins (I bought my first pumpkin of the season on Friday), rich spices, cooler days and warm bevvies. So, when trying to decide which recipe to make this month for The Secret Recipe Club, I was looking for something fall inspired.

My blog assignment this month was Food Ramblings, written by Elizabeth, who loves to cook, travel, and eat. (A woman after my own heart!) Elizabeth's blog has plenty of fall inspired recipes to choose from like Apple Cinnamon Pancakes, Pumpkin Apple Muffins, and Pumpkin Butter Swirled Blondies (swoon!). Ultimately I ended up choosing to make her Oatmeal Craisin Cookies, because I thought not only would they taste like fall, but they'd also make for a great lunchbox treat for my kiddies. And because Jack, my youngest, absolutely LOVES dried cranberries.

I was not disappointed. I've always loved the combination of oats and cinnamon, and the ruby red dried cranberries added a slight tartness that made these Oatmeal Cranberry Bars hard to resist. My kiddies requested these in their lunch boxes every day last week. And on Saturday, my girls and I whipped up another batch for the coming week, but they disappeared before the end of the day. And I'm pretty sure that

Oatmeal Cranberry Bars - lacocinadeleslie.com


Secret Recipe Club: Oatmeal Cranberry Bars

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While making my favorite pan dulce (Mexican pastry) earlier this week for She Made/Ella Hace, my kiddies suggested that I also make their favorite pan dulce: Polvorones.  Polvorones are Mexican shortbread cookies that are available in many different varieties: pink, chocolate, vanilla, tricolor, and topped with chocolate chips, chopped pecans, and/or powdered sugar, etc.  But the polvorones my kiddies always look for first at the panaderia (Mexican bakery) are the ones with lots and lots of rainbow sprinkles.

So yesterday, as a special after-school treat to celebrate surviving the first week of school, the kiddies and I made Polvorones with extra rainbow sprinkles.  Actually the kiddies did most of the work.  I just helped them roll out the dough, handled the oven, and took lots of pictures.



Polvorones
(recipe from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt 
  • Rainbow sprinkles (grageas in Spanish) 


Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.  Using a potato masher, combine the butter into the flour mixture until no big pieces of butter are visible.  Continue to work the dough with your hands until the dough forms a ball.  Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Preheat oven to 350F.  Roll out the dough, between two sheets of plastic wrap, to 1/4-inch thickness.



Peel off the top layer of plastic wrap and cut out cookies with a 3-inch cookie cutter.  (You can use any shape cookie cutter you want. My kiddies chose to use the round cookie cutter so that their polvorones resembled the ones from the panaderia.) 

Spoon desired amount of sprinkles on top of cookies.  (We believe that you can never have too many sprinkles!)  

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Gently press down on the sprinkles so that they stick to the cookie.


Carefully transfer the cookies to an ungreased baking sheet, placing the cookies about 1 to 2-inches apart.  Bake at 350F for 15 to 17 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet once, after 10 minutes.  Let the cookies cool for about 2 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.


Enjoy!!!


*Recipe yields about 24 3-inch cookies. 


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I Heart Cooking Clubs theme: August Potluck


Pan Dulce: Polvorones {Mexican Shortbread Cookies w/ Rainbow Sprinkles}

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My game plan for baking at El Rancho yesterday was to make the easiest cookies I knew how...Sugar Cookies and my Mexican Chocolate Chunk Cookies.  But as I was gathering all of the ingredients from my kitchen, I spied an unopened jar of cajeta sitting on top of my fridge.  Suddenly I was reminded of the gorgeous Alfajores de Maicena I featured in yesterday's Christmas Cookie Round-Up and thought they'd make for the perfect treat to serve at our pre-Christmas Eve family gathering.  So I grabbed the jar of cajeta and my container of shredded coconut and threw them into the box of ingredients I was taking to the ranch.  You know, just in case.

As I was preparing the sugar cookie dough, I couldn't get the Alfajores out of my head.  So, as soon as the cookies came out of the oven, I topped them with a little cajeta and they disappeared before I could even taste one.  (But at least I was able to snap a few pics.)

My kiddies liked them so much, they want me to bake another batch tonight for Santa Claus.  I think Mr. and Mrs. Claus will both be very happy with these Sugar Cookie Alfajores.

Alfajores cookies


Sugar Cookie Alfajores 
(Sugar Cookie recipe from Wilton)

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup cajeta
  • 1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.  Cream together the butter and sugar with a wire whisk or electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, until completely combined.  Stir in the vanilla.  Gradually add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing well until blended.

Wrap the cookie dough in plastic and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours.  (This step is completely optional.  I didn't refrigerate the dough and the cookies turned out perfect.)

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls.  Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet about 2-inches apart.  (The kiddies can help with this part.)  Flatten the cookies with the tips of your fingers or the bottom of a glass dipped in flour to prevent sticking.

sugar cookie prep


Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack for one minute.  Turn cookies over.  Spoon 1 teaspoon of cajeta onto the flat side of one cookie and top with another cookie, forming a sandwich.  Press the cookies together gently so that a little cajeta oozes out the sides.  Using your index finger, spread the cajeta along the sides.  Dip sides in shredded coconut.

Enjoy! 

Alfajores Christmas Tree


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Sugar Cookie Alfajores

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Today is a very special day at my house.  It's Christmas Adam.  (The day before Christmas Eve.)  It's a day of baking all kinds of goodies to share with our family and friends, and of course, a couple of cookies for Santa Claus.


Because Christmas cookies are meant to be shared, I thought I'd share some of my favorite cookie recipes from some very good friends of mine.  (I'll be baking a few of these myself today.) 

Happy baking and Merry Christmas Adam to all!

Christmas Adam Cookie Round-Up 2011:
(In no particular order...)

Dark Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies from Heather at Girlichef 

photo courtesy of Girlichef

Oatmeal Cream Pies from Monica at Lick the Bowl Good

Photo courtesy of Lick the Bowl Good


Tortilla Snowflakes with Cajeta by Vianney from Sweet Life

Photo credit Vianney @ Sweet Life


Icebox Cookies from Jenna at Newlyweds Blog 

Photo credit Jenna @ Newlyweds Blog

Peanut Butter and Jam Cookies from Nicole at Presley's Pantry

Photo courtesy of Nicole @ Presley's Pantry


Merry Berry Cookies w/ Pisco from Peru Delights
(The recipe is available on their free ebook.)



Choco-Mint Christmas Cookies from Ericka at Nibbles & Feasts

Photo courtesy of Ericka @ Nibbles & Feasts


Biscochos from Muy Bueno Cookbook



Macaroons with White Chocolate Peppermint Ganache
from Gerry at Foodness Gracious

Photo courtesy of Foodness Gracious

And for my Spanish speaking friends...

Galletitas de Bastoncitos de Menta con Dulce de Leche
from Mamá Contemporanea

Foto cortesia de Mamá Contemporanea

Alfajores de Maicena from Latin Food Lovers New York

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Foto cortesia de Latin Food Lovers New York


Galletas para Regalar from Sazon Boricua

Foto cortesia de Sazon Boricua


What kind of cookies will you be baking this year?


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Christmas Adam Cookie Round-Up 2011

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This week marks my kiddies' second week of Summer vacation and to celebrate I baked them a batch of my Mexican Chocolate Chunk cookies that kiddies of all ages love.

These cookies are special for two reasons.  One, is that I use Mexican Chocolate tablets in place of baking chocolate or chocolate chips.  This adds just a hint of cinnamon to the cookies.  The other reason that makes these cookies so special is that I use another traditional Mexican ingredient...Piloncillo.  It's what gives these cookies their unique flavor.

Piloncillo is unrefined sugar that is shaped into cones.  Piloncillo has a distinct molasses flavor and can be grated or melted to use in a number of recipes as a delicious substitute for brown sugar or molasses.  But please note that Piloncillo can be very hard.  Grating can take quite a while, but it's well worth the effort.  An easier way to grate piloncillo is to carefully and finely chop it with a large kitchen knife.  Don't worry if some pieces are bigger than others.  They'll melt once they're in the oven. 

I like my chocolate chip cookies with chopped pecans, but my kiddies aren't too nuts about them.  With or without nuts, these are absolutely delicious.  

Mexican Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:
  • 2-1/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cups butter (at room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup grated piloncillo (packed)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 3 tablets Mexican chocolate, cut in small chunks (I use Abuelita or Ibarra)
  • 1 cups coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to about 375F.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.




 In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and grated piloncillo until well combined. 




 Add eggs, one at a time, scraping sides of bowl after each addition.

Farm-fresh eggs really intensify the color of the cookie dough! :P


 Add vanilla.  Set electric mixer aside.



 Stir in flour with a wooden or metal spoon until well combined.



Stir in Mexican chocolate chunks and pecans, if desired.



Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet.



Bake at 375F for 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute.  Transfer to heat proof plate.



Serve with a glass of ice cold milk.  Enjoy!!! 


*Note: Someone is using a new camera!  (On loan indefinitely from my most awesome brother-in-law.  Muchisimas gracias, Gerry!) 

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Mexican Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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Tap. Tap. Tap.  Is anyone there?

I apologize for my extended absence.  Life got very busy with Thanksgiving, visiting in-laws, getting the house ready for the holidays and festivities, my in-laws 45th anniversary and of course, Christmas and New Years.

But it's a new year and I'm back to share more of my favorite recipes with you.

As promised, today is Cinnamon Twosday.  I love Cinnamon!  It's so festive and rich.  Perfect for the holidays and cold winter afternoons. 


Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Cinnamon Sugar


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a medium bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla and salt until the mixture forms a ball of dough.



Place dough on lightly floured surface.



Extend dough until 1/4-inch thick.



Dip a 2-inch round cookie cutter in flour, then cut out circles of dough.



Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 6 to 8 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges.



While the cookies are baking, prepare the Cinnamon Sugar by combining 1 cup of sugar with 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon.



When the cookies are done baking, gently remove them from the cookie sheet.  Dip the cookies in the Cinnamon Sugar while still warm, making sure both sides are well coated.




Enjoy!!!



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If you're going to bake cookies, you might as well make some tea!

Te de Canela (Cinnamon tea) is my favorite.  It's comforting, soothing and when you sit down to enjoy a cup, all of your worries and cares just slip away.

Te de Canela is also one of the easiest teas to prepare.  If you have a few cinnamon sticks in the pantry, then you are minutes away from enjoying this heavenly cup of tea.

Te de Canela (Cinnamon Tea)

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups water
  • 2 - 3 cinnamon sticks


Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat the water and cinnamon sticks over medium-low heat, until the water turns a golden amber color.



Remove the cinnamon sticks.  Pour into cups.  Sweeten with sugar (if desired). Serve with Cinnamon Shortbread.  Enjoy!!!



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(P.S.)  I apologize for the blurry pics.  I'm a little out of practice! :)

Cinnamon Tea & Shortbread Cookies

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