Spritz Cookies for V-Day!

Ah me! I have no story for you all today, in a rush to get this post published.

 A couple of months I invested in a cookie press and have experimented with it a bit! And while I am still  looking the perfect recipe, let me share with you the one I made just yesterday for my son's V-day party at school.

Source : Butter snow flakes

I followed the recipe mostly, except for a small change, I skipped the zest.

Original Recipe Yield 6 dozen

 

Here is the recipe as on the site and is linked above.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup butter
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and egg yolk; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and orange zest. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Fill a cookie press or pastry bag with dough, and form cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. 
3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the cookies are golden brown on the peaks and on the bottoms. Remove from cookie sheets at once to cool on wire racks.

* Notes:

1.  The next time I will increase the amount of Cinnamon powder and add the zest as well.
2. Continue my search for the perfect spritz cookie.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

There was a phase in my life when biscuits ( as we call then in India) or cookies  were a large part of my diet. In fact there were many phases like that. My parents were working and so I had the house key round my neck and  after school I could do as I chose for a couple of hours. 

My schedule did not change, I'd come from school , enter the house, fling off my shoes, throw my school bag, head right into the kitchen, gulp a huge glass of water, hunt for something to eat (though my Mother used to keep healthy and filling snacks on the dining table, I never bothered about them) open  all containers, find the biscuits - eat a few , head to the bedroom, change into fresh set of clothes ( leave the school uniform on the floor), slip on flip-flops and go straight to play with friends. 

Sometimes my friends would come home and  I was a pretty good hostess, I'd serve them water first and then  after a while I'd bring out a platter of snacks ( mainly cookies ) and most unusually, a bottle of pickles... yes, pickles. If that sounds unusual, let me give you the logic behind it. It's like this, if you eat sweet 'X' and  then sweet 'Y', it (Y) wouldn't taste as good, so in order to enjoy every variety, a bite of something spicy or salty was necessary in between  and hence, the pickles. 

Then came my MMS days, my friend ( from Delhi) had rented an apartment close to the college and I parked  myself there during exam time. There was a 'convenience' store opened in the first floor apartment , they would sell biscuits, chocolates, tea, coffee, notebooks, pen, pencil and similar stuff. We would pop down, grab packets of biscuits ( there was a Kellogg- Chocos biscuit brand we favored) and have those  for breakfast and lunch.  After exams we would grab a couple of Vada paav and rush home to prepare for the next days test paper. 

Coming to the USA opened up a world of cookies for me, there was a sea of cookies in so many flavors and I fell in love all over again. Chocolate chip cookies were my favorite and I'd pick every opportunity and reason to eat 'just one'. 

I wanted to make  them at home, I was reminded of Martha Wilson , I was addicted to comic books (still am) and loved Dennis the Menace and thought it very nice of Mrs. Wilson to bake cookies . I had never used a oven mitten and held a tray of cookies  and to me it was almost out of a fairy tale, cookies at home, unlimited supply! And now that I enjoy baking I decided to go ahead and bake cookies. It was natural that I go for chocolate chip cookies. I love them ( who doesn't!?) and my Son loves them. I can get him to do anything for a 'kiikoo', as he first called them.  M says it's hereditary, like mother- like son. Huumph! 

Source: Nestle Toll House Chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 (the original recipe calls for 2 ) cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1/2 (the original recipe calls for 1) cup chopped nuts

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.


Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. 

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until  


creamy. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Gradually beat in flour mixture. 

Stir in morsels and nuts. 

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.


BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. 

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

* Notes:

I made a few changes , I used regular granulated sugar, I did not have brown sugar on hand. 

Reduced the quantity of sugar to 1 cup + 2 tbsp.

I used 1 cup chocolate chips , M likes just a 'sprinkling' of chocolate, not an overload  :(

I used just 1/2 cup of chopped nuts for fear that little S may not chew them and then have a 

choking fit ( I was wrong, I might as well add, he can chew cookies and chips  and the like very 

well, odd how he has trouble with rice and vegetables and roti.... "heredity" M whispers)

The cookies that were in the oven for 11 mins were crisp, very enjoyable, however 

the 9 minute ones were perfect, crisp on the border, chewy on the inside . This was for my 


oven, I am not sure if oven temps. vary, but I'd suggest you check at the 9 minute mark and 


if required go to the 10 or 11 minutes

Have a Great Weekend!!! 

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