friday trail ride

happy weekend.

goodbye november. you've been good to us! xo

52 cookies :: week 41 :: coconut thumbprint cookies with salted caramel

I love this time of year. And all the baking memories that come with it. Now, with Thanksgiving in our pocket, I am in full-on holiday mode. We have parties to attend and trips to take. I've purused blogs and magazine articles, drooling over holiday cookie baking lists. With less than a month until Christmas and only 10 weeks left in our challenge I'm a little obsessed with baking. I've even got a pinboard for the 52 cookies - as well as one with a dedicated ho-ho-holiday theme.

This cookie felt like the season to me. And in our favor, the temps have dipped and the rain clouds arrived. A perfect day for a coconut covered shortbread with a taste of salted caramel and a cup of tea.



Coconut Thumbprint Cookies with Salted Caramel
MSL February 2012

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
table salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
12 oz sweetened flaked coconut
44 small soft caramel candies (12 ounces)
6 tblsp heavy cream
large, flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and beat to combine. Press dough together in plastic wrap, then roll into 1 1/4-inch balls. Dip each ball in beaten egg, and roll in coconut. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, and press an indentation into each with your thumb. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove sheets from oven, and re-press indentations (I used a metal 1/4 tsp for this round). Bake cookies until golden, 9 to 10 minutes more. Let cool on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place caramels and heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the caramels are melted and mixture is smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Spoon into indentations in cookies, and sprinkle with sea salt*. Rewarm caramel if it hardens before all cookies are filled.

*I salted half - and left half unsalted for the salt sensitive amongst us.



* * * * *

K: These cookies are so good. The caramel is so tasty in the coconutty cup. I don't really like it with salt - I like it plain. But some other people like it with salt.

E: I ::heart:: the caramel. These cookies are good for the holidays. They aren't really an every day cookie. Delicious.

D: These gooey little buddies got gobbled up in one minute at my work holiday potluck. They were like "shafts of golden light" that we fellow hunchbacks devoured as we sat on the palace floor. Dirty hands and clean minds,.. Er... Clean hands and dirty minds, softly gripped the fragile coconut pastry and then tore into its warm center with their sharpened beaks. Only crumbs and satisfaction were left to contemplate their existence on the cold grey travertine.

outtake

trying to get a good picture for our holiday card.



this is not it.

Thanksgiving

family: (from Latin: familia) a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence

thankful

for so very much.





socal sunshine in november.
helpers in the kitchen.
this sure-fire pastry recipe.
my family.
my friends.
(and as cliche as it may be) my health.

i hope you have a joyous thanksgiving.

52 cookies :: week 40 :: chocolate sugar cookies

Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies
via sweetapolita

6 c all-purpose flour, sifted
1-1/4 c dark cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 c unsalted butter, softened
2 c granulated sugar
1 c light brown sugar
3 eggs, cold
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

In mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs until just combined.

Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Add vanilla and blend.

Remove 1/2 of dough from bowl, make a ball, and place on a large piece of plastic wrap on counter. Wrap the sides of wrap over the ball, then press down with the palm of your hand and make a disc about 2" thick. Finish wrapping the disc with the plastic wrap. Repeat with 2nd half of dough. Chill both discs of dough for about 45 minutes.

Remove one disc and remove plastic wrap. Place on top of a large piece of parchment paper with silicone rolling mat underneath to ensure it doesn't slip while rolling.

*good trick* Place two 1/4" wooden dowels on either side of your dough, then another sheet of parchment paper. Roll dough so it's flush with dowels to ensure dough is even thickness.

Preheat your oven to 325° F. Slide parchment paper and dough onto a board, then place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Remove from fridge, and cut shapes. Place them on a baker's half sheet lined with silpat, with 2" clearance around each one and the edge of sheet. Place sheet with cookies into freezer for 15 minutes before baking. Bake until cookie edges are just crisp, about 16 minutes.

Cool sheets on wire racks for 10 minutes, then gently remove cookies and place on wire racks to finish cooling.

Makes 3 dozen cookies. (We made leaves and stars - the leaves are in an airtight container in the freezer waiting for Thursday! The stars are in the cookie jar - and disappearing quickly.)




* * * * *



K: Awesome with milk!!! All you can taste is yummy choklte. I <3 thse cookies.

E: Mmmm... Crispy, crunchy wonderful-ness. These cookies R GR8 with milk!

D: What can I say that the kids haven't said? Except that they are a perfect match for bringing in the holidays. Happy American Thanksgiving Uncle Don! See you soon.

this week

with the news that the mom of two of e's classmates (twins) has passed away the sharp awareness that I need to let go of the "small stuff".

we are blessed.













{cookies to come}

::13::

i'm a very lucky girl.

run

we said we'd do it, and today we did!



after training since august, my first 5K. but certainly not my last. so much fun! (and so lucky to do it with these two.)



off we go...

you know the drill...

Frank







Kiawa








i just can't get enough.

happy friday.

52 cookies :: week 39 :: candy cookies

The girls made a deal with us this year: Halloween was Wednesday. They had Thursday through Sunday to eat as much of their candy as they wished. (With the caveat that they were not allowed to take any candy to school on Friday.) And Monday morning I would throw whatever was left out.

E - who normally would ration her candy out so that she'd still be taking a piece a day in February wasn't thrilled - but agreed. K's eyes went wide. A dream come true for this kid. And I was happy with the thought of not having to say "No". It worked out really well. They did not eat as much as I thought they would - though K came pretty close - and come Monday they still had quite full treat bags remaining. E's school was collecting leftover candy (sans chocolate) to send to troops overseas. We sorted and that was that. I was left with a bag of chocolate bits and bobs, and instead of throwing all of it into the trash, I decided to incorporate some of it into this week's cookie using a standard chocolate chip cookie recipe from a forgotten source...



I couldn't decide what to call these...

Leftover Cookies or Garbage Cookies or

Candy Cookies
makes about a dozen large cookies

1 stick butter at room temperature
1/4 c white sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 c flour
1 c chopped up Halloween candy

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix together butter and sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to butter mixture until just combined. Fold in candy.

Scoop dough onto silpat prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes - or until golden.

(They turned out larger than I wanted, so I ended up cutting them in half to get them out of the cookie jar!)

* * * * *

K: These cookies are so good!!!!!!!!! The cookies are made out Halloween candy like Twix and Milky way and M&Ms!!! I think this might be #1 on my top 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

E: Mmmmmmm... Sooooo good! Never thought giving away Halloween candy would come back so sweet.

D: If these are garbage cookies then I must be Oscar the Grouch, " cuz I love (this) trash!" Great way to send Halloween away for another year, and hopefully return the children to us. I don't even know who the two sugar freaks are restlessly sleeping in the next room.

Anyways... I'm wondering now about cookies and garbage and all those other bits that didn't make the contents list. What would it taste like with bits of Twizzler, probably gross. What about Abazaba? Probably awesome! Mounds,!., Almond Joy?!?,! Hey why don't you bring back that bountiful bag of sweets. I'm not quite done....gotta take me a ride on that big rock candy mountain! Woohoo!!!

do it.

by the amazing lisa congdon, via govote#

4 years ago...

Please, 4 more! (and Yes! on 30)

{I can not do it. So I hope you will! I am not a U.S. citizen and every 4 yrs I kick myself for not being so. And then I volunteer as much as I can to get out the vote. And in support of those who promise a better future for our kids.}


update...
sigh of relief. and GREAT BIG SMILE. It is a good day.

hello november.