Because these are too cute not to share...

I used to make cookies, cupcakes and bake all the time. I've cut back on it a little bit, mostly because of my tendency to want to sample and eat what I've created! So, I was excited to get back into the swing of things and make some cookies for a co-worker's baby shower. It was a little tricky since we don't know if Baby S is a boy or girl! This little onesie cookie is one of my favorites to make and decorate...probably because it's hard not to do a big awwwww over them.

Holiday Tradition #2...

Now that the tree has been chopped down and decorated...in came another weekend and more fun little traditions. Yesterday was cookie baking day! usually I love to make a million different kinds and fill tins with an assortment of treats to deliver to friends. But, I went a different route this year..and instead made all sugar cookies and decorated them with royal icing.

Decorating sugar cookies takes a lot of patience..something I don't have. It's somewhat of a long process as well...since I jammed it into one day, the morning was spent making and chilling the dough, the afternoon was baking and cooling the cookies, and night time was set aside to get them decorated so they could dry overnight. My husband probably heard more four letter words come out of my mouth during the icing process...royal icing can be messy and is sometimes like glue, since it hardens up pretty quickly. But, once you get to the end result..it's all worth it!

Lemon Whoopie Pies!

I'll admit it. I was stir crazy this week. I didn't realize how much entertainment Mr. Allan provides. I wasn't really taken with this season's Dancing With the Stars Cast..so there was nothing to watch on tv Monday, I cleared out Tivo, watched more Netflix than I ever have in a weeks time and went to the gym a lot. There are lots of things I do enjoy about being alone..like sleeping smack in the middle of the bed and not having to share the bathroom sink counter and being able to leave my make up spread out for days on end. But, I got bored. So, I decided to test run some recipes I've wanted to try, keep looking at, and have been dying to see what they taste like. So, one night last week, I gave these Lemon Whoopie Pies a whirl. I saw them on the site Joy the Baker. So..my night shaped up to be running, yoga, grocery store to buy lemons, home to watch the Back Up Plan while I made batter, ate dinner while these baked, watched the rest of the Back Up Plan while I made the filling and put them together during the American Idol Results show and then I groaned when the judges used the save on Casey..not my cup of tea and I liked the whole upset of the judges' favorite.

Back to the Lemon Whoopie Pies...Fun to make, the work peeps seemed to really enjoy them..so I'm calling them a grand success...something I'll make again and figure out how to do a mini version of.

Lemon Whoopie Pies

(from http://www.joythebaker.com/)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk.

Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during the mixing. Add the egg, lemon juice and vanilla, mixing until blended, about 1 minute. The batter may look curdled. On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the buttermilk. Mix in the remaining flour mixture just until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth again.
Drop heaping tablespoons (about 3 level Tablespoons each for a giant cookie) of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops feel firm, about 12 minutes. With the exception of a time line at the edges, the tops of the cookies should not brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the filling-
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice until thoroughly blended and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. If the filling is too soft to hold its shape, chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Turn half of the cookies bottom side up. Leaving a 1/4-inch plain edge, use a thin metal spatula to spread each one with about 1/4 up of filling. Gently press the flat bottoms of the remaining cookies onto the fillings.

Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve cold. The wrapped cookies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
 
Just a couple notes from me...
* one lemon was enough to get all the zest and juice I needed. I bought three for some reason, so I figured I'd save you the extra expense of buying too many!
 
*I used my OXO medium cookie scoop for the batter. This made a top and bottom for the whoopie pie that was about the size of my palm. These cookies spread big time, so keep that in mind. I was aiming for smaller whoopie pies so I'd have plenty for people at work and they came out much bigger than I anticipated. Also, on my large Chicago Metallic jellyroll pan, I put batter for 8 cookies and I really cut it close and almost had them bake into one another
 

here's the OXO medium cookie scoop. Love this bad boy! using a cookie scoop = nice uniform sized cookies!

 

*Take the advice and wrap them in plastic wrap. I left some in a tupperware container and they kind of stuck to the bottom a bit. My mom also suggested to dust them with some powdered sugar to get rid of the tackiness and sticky nature of the cookie part.
 
*just be careful when you're removing them from the cookie sheet. I always use my Silpat. I also use a wilton metal cookie spatula. I still had to do it quite gingerly to keep them in one piece.
 

I love this Wilton spatula. It has a somewhat sharp flat metal edge to the spatula. It's awesome for getting under that cookie and sliding the spatula underneath. Just be careful..if you don't use Silpats or parchment, I'd imagine you could really scratch up your cookie sheets

Enjoy!

Cookies!

I haven't made a cookie order in a couple months. The past couple years I've done orders for showers, birthdays, and other parties on the side. It's fun, but they're a lot of work and time, and sometimes the compensation for an order wasn't worth the time it took me. But, I still do them for friends and family, and when you have someone that really appreciates your handy work, it's always worth it!

So...here are some cookies for my friend, C, for her girls weekend...I thought it would be fun to show how the cookies go from a blank slate dough to the finished product!

Here are the rolled sugar cookies ready for the oven..

here are my naked cookies fresh out of the oven!

 First step, I outline them in royal icing. These outlines act as a little bridge for when I fill the cookies in

 A quick little tip...royal icing, the icing that hardens once it dries, can be tricky to handle. I like to set up my decorating bags, put the tips in them, and then put them in pint glasses. It makes it soooo much easier to fill the bags and gives me a place to rest them if I'm switching colors.

 One the black outlines dried for a few minutes...I filled in some pink royal icing...

Then, to finish them off, I filled in the rest with some white royal icing

Once they're dry, they get bagged and tied with a ribbon for the final product

here's a shot of the final product...

Cookie Questions...

So, after I posted about my Day O Baking...

Day O Baking Post

I got a couple emails and questions about my reviews of the different cookies and what was a hit and what was a miss.

So, here are some more details and reactions to the cookies I blogged about, baked, and ate.

Rolo Cookies- these cookies are always a hit. People want to know how you got the caramel in there. When you tell them it's a Rolo candy, they usually ask if you smooshed it in there or cut it in half. These cookies are a hit with me because they have a little wow, how did you do that reaction and are super easy to make on the baking scale of difficult. They also last for a good amount of time. So they're a great cookie swap choice.

Espresso Thumbprints- These also get alot of wow, those are good, what's in the middle? One thing I add to this recipe is a tablespoon of Starbucks liquor. I'm an espresso martini and coffee lover, so I love these. They're not too difficult to make. The recipe may seem a bit involved, but it's do-able.

Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies- this recipe is from Martha Stewart's Cookie cookbook. I like this recipe for a number of reasons. It's a nice twist on a chocolate chip cookie. Most chocolate chip cookies are flat, thinner cookies. This cookie, with the oats and whole wheat flour, is a very cakey cookie. It doesn't flatten out like your average chocolate chip cookie. The banana keeps the batter nice and moist. I always add the nuts, along with the banana and chocolate, it makes the cookie.

Gingerbread Blondies- I loved these. I love the smell of this cookie. When I think of gingerbread, I think of a hard gingersnap or a gingerbread man cookie which is typically a really hard cookie. These blondies were the opposite, cakelike and buttery. I almost think this recipe was a little too heavy handed on the butter, next time I might cut it down a bit. These aren't an impressive looking cookie/bar. They're the least prettiest of the cookies and typically were the last ones left in the tins. I'm basing it on their looks alone, since I thought the taste was awesome!

PB Kisses- these are okay cookies. I think it's the novelty of the cookie that keeps me making it every year. It's not overly decadent or delicious, it just reminds me of school Christmas parties when I was little in the 2nd grade and reminds me of childhood. I think most generally enjoy the cookies and eat them.

Cranberry Orange Cookies- I wanted to try something new. I'm always heavy handed on the chocolate ones, so I tried to find something else. I've made the White Chocolate Craisin cookies before (the recipe on the back of the Craisin package). They're okay, but I wanted something a little fancier. I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com. It looked pretty involved, but when you get down to it, it's basically a dough with some orange juice and zest. The icing was easy to make with juice and powdered sugar and I think they added a different taste to the cookie tins.

Enjoy..any questions, shoot me an email at becomingmrsallan@gmail.com

A Day O Baking...

besides dragging Mr. Allan all over creation looking for the perfect tree and chopping it down....my Day O Baking is my second favorite little tradition. In past years, I'd take a day off of work, wake up, pour my coffee, throw on an apron, pump up the Christmas tunes and bakes from dawn til dark.

This year I didn't quite have the luxury of the day off, and since a trip to Mexico is in my not so distant future, and when I bake Mr. Allan can't keep his mitts off the cookies, I was going to forgo the cookie baking extravaganza. But, we went to a Christmas party this past weekend. There was a towering plate of homemade Christmas cookies. They looked so nice..but they were terribly overbaked and really didn't taste well. I thought....they obviously baked these bad boys too long and they were hard crunchy messes...then I thought, I'm not even baking this year, who am I to insult someone else's cookies...then I thought, I could do better, why aren't I baking and sharing treats with everyone..and thus, the Day O Baking came back.

Here are some shots from the Day O Baking in the Allan household.....

who can't love a cookie with peanut butter and some kisses...

 then add a bit o butter

 I always have some frozen bananas on hand...I have a thing with bananas with spots on them..I just can't eat them..so I throw them in the freezer, defrost them, and they're perfect for baking

Martha's Cookie cookbook in my recipe holder ready to go with my notes in the margin

cookie sheets loaded and ready for the oven

some finished products...my favorite cookie I remember as a kiddo

Every spare inch of counter had a cookie sheet, potholder or cookbook out

 More cookies waiting in line for the oven

My kitchen island was cookie prep land



One of my favorite cookies, an espresso thumbprint, cool and wait to be filled with espresso goodness

The finished product...

Here's a shot of the brownie covered oreos...they're a hefty treat, fun to make, but decadent and requires a mandatory glass of milk

Here's the final product in my office this morning waiting for our workplace potluck...from the top, starting with the espresso thumbprints and going clockwise we have Espresso Thumbprints, Cranberry Orange Cookies with an orange icing, Gingerbread Blondies, Rolo Cookies, Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies, and PB Kisses

I gained weight just writing this post. Here are recipes for all the cookies shown!

Rolo Cookie Recipe
Espresso Thumbprints
Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cranberry Orange Cookies
Gingerbread Blondies
PB Kisses



Swap this

Cookie swaps seem to be the new trend for the holiday season. I used to take a day out of work, wake up, sip my coffee, throw on an apron and bake like a maniac for 5-6 hours making 6-7 different Christmas cookie recipes. I'd let them cool all spread out on the dining room table as I admired the bounty of sweets I just produced. Then, I'd throw them in tins, make a huge impressive platter for the holidays and share them with everyone. Sounds great, doesn't it? Unfortunately, this year I don't have that kind of time of my hands. I feel flat out busy with work (unfortunately crime is up since it's the holidays...hey, tis the season!) and stuff going on at home, I have no baking marathon day planned.

So, when my sister threw out the idea of a cookie swap, I jumped at the chance. Sometimes I don't like cookie swaps. I put alot of effort into picking a somewhat unique cookie, take the time to buy quality ingredients and produce a good product. If you get someone who's a little half ass...you get stuck with 6 of your cookies, and then weird crumbly over baked disasters you don't want to give as a gift or put your name on...so while they sometimes seem like a good idea, be sure you're swapping with those that will carry their weight and make a decent cookie!

Luck for me..we had people who delivered!

Here's the apps and picky food on display...notice my sun dried tomato elephant ears :)

I made Rolo cookies...and in some of then I experimented with a mint Hershey kiss vs. the rolo filling...I think I secretly liked the rolo filling better...for the Rolo cookie recipe go here

Here was my contribution to the swap

My sister's Mexican tea cookies waiting for the oven. For this recipe from Whole Foods, go here

My sister, Heather, has a gorgeous kitchen and a Kitchen Aid Pro Mixer that I think I need. Here was a snapshot of our workspace..not too shabby

Some Chocolate Chip cookies fresh out of the oven

Mexican Tea Cookies getting their powdered sugar bath

Our cookies neatly lined up waiting to be swapped. We're very organized Tye A personality women in my family

This is me striking my Martha pose. Eat that Martha!

All the ladies baking up a storm

Not only did we swap cookies, but we also celebrated my Mom's birthday, which is this weekend!

My mom enjoying her birthday present, her new Kindle. Yeah for having a mom who embraces technology!