tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59785767915888545272024-03-12T19:13:40.561-04:00Just 1 more cookie...because life's what you bake it.Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978576791588854527.post-90001717996960892212014-01-23T14:19:00.000-05:002014-01-24T16:57:08.021-05:00If You Like It Then You Shoulda Put a Label on It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkiA7c35t_Dqyh7m1s7ZsiCW0j-264YY6PH_qgd5jF6u0rnxLbv332b9gp_G67WA8yUywsumtJTkGBZxQjqdwZCPAw11IpNndpFfh2cQijzIlgwFN7voPA-cBnusIRzJWXNV9CUULdkV_/s1600/IMG_2785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkiA7c35t_Dqyh7m1s7ZsiCW0j-264YY6PH_qgd5jF6u0rnxLbv332b9gp_G67WA8yUywsumtJTkGBZxQjqdwZCPAw11IpNndpFfh2cQijzIlgwFN7voPA-cBnusIRzJWXNV9CUULdkV_/s1600/IMG_2785.jpg" height="200" width="192" /></a></div>
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Now that we are almost a month into 2014, you should have had plenty of time to come up with a brilliant New Year's Resolution, and you have likely spent time and money pursuing it. Bravo! As of this week, you have probably let yourself off the hook and settled back into being you, for which you get an even bigger and more heartfelt "Bravo!" I've been waiting for you. Welcome back!</div>
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I am many things, but I am not a Resolutioner. God knows over the years I tried. I came up with good ideas--read more, learn to play the piano, check my bank balance daily--and I never did them. NEVER. Because I don't like being told what to do, even by myself. I get ornery. And rebellious. Any why resolutions only now, at the beginning of the year? Why can't I have a resolution in April? So I stopped resolutions altogether. </div>
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That doesn't mean I don't have a New Year's ritual. Actually, it's a year-round thing, but it kicks into high gear every January. I <i>love</i> to organize. I tell myself it's not in an obsessive and perfect Martha Stewart kind of way, though I confess to one of the addictions most organizers have: labels. </div>
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Come with me, if you dare, to witness the January 2014 "This is <i>NOT </i>a resolution; this is my life" organizational frenzy....(Fear not: NO label makers appear in this blogpost).</div>
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This season, it all started in November with a cookie jar--two months <i>before</i> my annual organizational frenzy. A very special cookie jar from <a href="http://www.capitalkitchenvt.com/" target="_blank">Capital Kitchen</a> in Montpelier, Vermont:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IsPiaoDsdhet3tFnvSvnyq5dTDcvb5POlUSBje2jo0K85y5ySBGUBx3UyGwsbPbDOyHMaYbB81YVVIs8TskvTIyxarmbnqUvC1MTgXnQr9UUQ3Ruc_JAUNaeCAMFwY8rUdxKmnygtraP/s1600/New+Cookie+Jar!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IsPiaoDsdhet3tFnvSvnyq5dTDcvb5POlUSBje2jo0K85y5ySBGUBx3UyGwsbPbDOyHMaYbB81YVVIs8TskvTIyxarmbnqUvC1MTgXnQr9UUQ3Ruc_JAUNaeCAMFwY8rUdxKmnygtraP/s1600/New+Cookie+Jar!.jpg" height="340" width="400" /> </a></div>
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A cookie jar with a chalkboard: <i>BRILLIANT!</i> Like so many other things in life, I didn't realize how much I needed it until the moment I saw it. And then I was all weak in the knees and longing to run straight home with it (a 4+ hour drive) and bake cookies and fill it and write on it. So, I took a deep breath, which did absolutely nothing, because I was completely giddy over a cookie jar with a chalk board on it. It was, I realized, irrational. So, I called over Kelly and Lori, who were shopping with me. Kelly and Lori both work in the mental health field. Kelly and Lori could help calm me down.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxTdye2zg55zIrI9mdzqgMyjWBwvfXLGjdM7iCs8sGpizzsX2ClbzSSKIIrNX-XDPHgtDbw8og86bYnQUXqmXNOMt0gN5LXXqU9NIwnrLlWl6U7uDnzwnf3ac1Eh7r5PScHCPu5kIoxr9/s1600/Kelly+&+Lori.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxTdye2zg55zIrI9mdzqgMyjWBwvfXLGjdM7iCs8sGpizzsX2ClbzSSKIIrNX-XDPHgtDbw8og86bYnQUXqmXNOMt0gN5LXXqU9NIwnrLlWl6U7uDnzwnf3ac1Eh7r5PScHCPu5kIoxr9/s1600/Kelly+&+Lori.JPG" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aren't they the picture of mental health?</td></tr>
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They were brilliantly useless: "Buy it! It's great!" The best friends are the ones who enable your healthiest habits. Having satisfied my need to label cookies, I felt calm and safe in the world. Until the next day, when I encountered these:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinS63v_1MgI0kEeZiSxhHHezI2Dp27oD5wceUjwY3u4siHkV79Cve2IdqwYnvmqLw6UA309cb4AH2V1Hz2G_J86dpTkQEymaT5U3OnaGL5M8LQc7fEmnJqReDbi9j9-I3P-xIENJTQ1Obt/s1600/chalboard+labels+big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinS63v_1MgI0kEeZiSxhHHezI2Dp27oD5wceUjwY3u4siHkV79Cve2IdqwYnvmqLw6UA309cb4AH2V1Hz2G_J86dpTkQEymaT5U3OnaGL5M8LQc7fEmnJqReDbi9j9-I3P-xIENJTQ1Obt/s1600/chalboard+labels+big.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's that? Chalkboard LABELS!? </td></tr>
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OhmydearsweetJesus. <i>ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? </i>How is it possible that I did not know that such things exist in the world? (I realize that Martha has probably been selling them for years, but I was blissfully unaware.) I felt like President Bush The First, who walked into a grocery store and was fascinated by the high tech world of check-out scanners. Except that chalkboard labels are decidedly low tech. I was on a slippery slope...a few weeks later, my kitchen cupboards looked like this (and it wasn't even January yet):</div>
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Aren't they lovely? In a fugue state, I attacked every possible canister in my house with labels and chalk. I couldn't move fast enough. When I was done, I sat back and surveyed the labeled, organized wonder that was my kitchen. Then I cooked dinner and noticed this:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reality bites.</td></tr>
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No. I am not simply showing you a picture of my disorganized shelves. I am showing what happens as soon as you use your brilliantly labeled canister--in this case my glass milk bottle full of jasmine rice. How do I know it has jasmine rice in it? Clearly NOT because of the chalk label, which was completely erased as soon as I carefully plucked it from the shelf. I know what's in it, because I put it in there! Which made me realize something essential: I don't really need the labels. They aren't telling me a damn thing. But here's the thing: I still love them! Completely irrational, I know. </div>
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Facing an existential crisis, I sat down with my (unlabeled) glass of Cabernet and started thinking...what does a label really tell you?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90N2racCrYjsXsVYA-2YY_oDdFTDmFqy0HSPjJ82sfC5YUd8nm9yOrz2Tor3b1lWVrLVNpEKlG7qt6wE1ckuJbJFu1gy3LNKc9P-so4PHW0dqkN1SOskL6H_x90h0NNx759jXTJpkaGSw/s1600/images-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90N2racCrYjsXsVYA-2YY_oDdFTDmFqy0HSPjJ82sfC5YUd8nm9yOrz2Tor3b1lWVrLVNpEKlG7qt6wE1ckuJbJFu1gy3LNKc9P-so4PHW0dqkN1SOskL6H_x90h0NNx759jXTJpkaGSw/s1600/images-2.jpg" height="155" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbHlrgte6U1w2-E5-8y-0I5wlNmppUEKcgdJjhyQxcQjDdbaWnGzlLdATaoTF-q451n1yzDTyN6AzvCyQljakaLqkQH_Mq0XrX7ciyVAoobZyAvGqr7BNehQWbtbkQ331etLwUl_qCCJ3/s1600/nutritionIndex.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbHlrgte6U1w2-E5-8y-0I5wlNmppUEKcgdJjhyQxcQjDdbaWnGzlLdATaoTF-q451n1yzDTyN6AzvCyQljakaLqkQH_Mq0XrX7ciyVAoobZyAvGqr7BNehQWbtbkQ331etLwUl_qCCJ3/s1600/nutritionIndex.gif" height="200" width="125" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIF-pqaRrK2LXigPCG6bVuVKLavFSKP7c6VN3vYBjLovL9CJsjHAOlRijhrtcGFXAJ2i-_wEHmdeK7FpGT1wo_oVORJrm3q64nol22Xto9Cs1xmCQE4Ke6wi2X5T-pjUBuRzWgWLba5vfk/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIF-pqaRrK2LXigPCG6bVuVKLavFSKP7c6VN3vYBjLovL9CJsjHAOlRijhrtcGFXAJ2i-_wEHmdeK7FpGT1wo_oVORJrm3q64nol22Xto9Cs1xmCQE4Ke6wi2X5T-pjUBuRzWgWLba5vfk/s1600/images.jpg" height="199" width="200" /></a></div>
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Maybe it was the wine or the harpy in my brain who regularly screams "Organize! Now!", but the bottom line was this realization: I love labels, useless or otherwise. Apparently labels that I make have a curious, dopamine-like effect, which calms my soul and the harpy. Especially when they are cute and they don't rub off like chalk:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZj0nnKX4mkMkCmqhNc3rYnZ0IFUbCUeyXykZlqPngjhbBpEdEBHm8iKrfCeBZHm3L6BrpEcxyvwNLajBqtHxyMcj8z67gLsNgs2wUS8ery7OaFbyQh8YVc_vQFFYgmS4krsceJ2qzdjv/s1600/1400302_471325586317723_418265363_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZj0nnKX4mkMkCmqhNc3rYnZ0IFUbCUeyXykZlqPngjhbBpEdEBHm8iKrfCeBZHm3L6BrpEcxyvwNLajBqtHxyMcj8z67gLsNgs2wUS8ery7OaFbyQh8YVc_vQFFYgmS4krsceJ2qzdjv/s1600/1400302_471325586317723_418265363_o.jpg" height="400" width="242" /></a></div>
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A label may or may not tell you exactly what is inside--it just needs to look good and sell. </div>
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January was approaching quickly, and my label-loving need to organize kicked into high gear, which explains these: </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PPxr-fpSK1Ss_GPfPBA5j7Dpaf75hu9pcSYKIpUspjVp3MqYCaOTvXrNgJYPtSkco90HewIXTyGUTt_T3sYrkZ9M_HocRuPUU_49y0Y7mEwRw5-l-G8rSXQvBzdloipqu_YV2_o_nRPL/s1600/08815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PPxr-fpSK1Ss_GPfPBA5j7Dpaf75hu9pcSYKIpUspjVp3MqYCaOTvXrNgJYPtSkco90HewIXTyGUTt_T3sYrkZ9M_HocRuPUU_49y0Y7mEwRw5-l-G8rSXQvBzdloipqu_YV2_o_nRPL/s1600/08815.jpg" height="304" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Find these babies at <a href="http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Produce_Crates_-_Set_of_4/810/" target="_blank">Home Decorators Collection</a></td></tr>
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I know. I know. More chalkboards. But these are different. They are on <i>crates.</i> Crates are useful, even when the labels are not. So now my chalkboarded canisters are in good company:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqvSiB7UyAjKtDRx1FAZgpqrPVpJaei4SUQj3P-4w1WWyh6pzw8AKN6tUY_8Y6V75mPkf3Zp9cwLqLIrG6b3tI9lAbkYcRoAcesDMDoFlBrkzt54rrQEGD86OgVo8Uo6fyUls0lZTDmba/s1600/P1020444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqvSiB7UyAjKtDRx1FAZgpqrPVpJaei4SUQj3P-4w1WWyh6pzw8AKN6tUY_8Y6V75mPkf3Zp9cwLqLIrG6b3tI9lAbkYcRoAcesDMDoFlBrkzt54rrQEGD86OgVo8Uo6fyUls0lZTDmba/s1600/P1020444.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hungry? Snacks are here!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUty2-tup04HMUMCfet0-TlSIWWAZmd2IekSXQTJpBN39ZSO4xZgsaipPa9cel6-tu1t4VT3AnCQw_xwqGhqAXL-sF3U3_mZtyPZLv9VEjnsaaKZzlZpX0j4D7snf3A9-oFHxK758Gj_0i/s1600/P1020446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUty2-tup04HMUMCfet0-TlSIWWAZmd2IekSXQTJpBN39ZSO4xZgsaipPa9cel6-tu1t4VT3AnCQw_xwqGhqAXL-sF3U3_mZtyPZLv9VEjnsaaKZzlZpX0j4D7snf3A9-oFHxK758Gj_0i/s1600/P1020446.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need a cookie cutter? Of course you do!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC94TfhU3vZf_WjfTplJKOzsZvg8Z2Ski39NTnX9MLz3Dw99yX6LraijlnwUZaHeL3AJvBz-zIU5Bi02YlTtkeLU1pVu-mV1E_HVstIxIqj-Ib43Mj8ShKLV6MY2HyRjabexV2QP29u3ri/s1600/P1020447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC94TfhU3vZf_WjfTplJKOzsZvg8Z2Ski39NTnX9MLz3Dw99yX6LraijlnwUZaHeL3AJvBz-zIU5Bi02YlTtkeLU1pVu-mV1E_HVstIxIqj-Ib43Mj8ShKLV6MY2HyRjabexV2QP29u3ri/s1600/P1020447.jpg" height="258" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surely you are not surprised I need two bins for all my cookie cutters.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvmYzMDobGPLxHt7zsJieOH9gmfuSXGIJI5xb3AqAfH_2238ZJjAVg3iGshFRQhL4Hu702cEVv-HcMLD2Gg2MkNc4WwRjlXxpnOjVRWGMd8AcVFUea5n3W68qJAZJAmII0GAAUnuYOOcX/s1600/P1020461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvmYzMDobGPLxHt7zsJieOH9gmfuSXGIJI5xb3AqAfH_2238ZJjAVg3iGshFRQhL4Hu702cEVv-HcMLD2Gg2MkNc4WwRjlXxpnOjVRWGMd8AcVFUea5n3W68qJAZJAmII0GAAUnuYOOcX/s1600/P1020461.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This makes me incredibly happy--a home for all my sprinkles! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSzEi2OR1_GhRoO_JHIFZfPvGFn08zPF43hhE1_sX4jujo6AOCobkGkjmyNNVUOHmiKBOkDp_TnzuYnN33okOztJsf8OTENcTQdppzZU0k4CXQkrZVIUfCiCnVZupRPLVpou8GS9j832I/s1600/P1020469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSzEi2OR1_GhRoO_JHIFZfPvGFn08zPF43hhE1_sX4jujo6AOCobkGkjmyNNVUOHmiKBOkDp_TnzuYnN33okOztJsf8OTENcTQdppzZU0k4CXQkrZVIUfCiCnVZupRPLVpou8GS9j832I/s1600/P1020469.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Admission: I spent far too much time on this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So here I am in January, organizing and compartmentalizing my life to my heart's desire. Labeling everything in site with chalk, digging through the crap on my desk so I can see the bottom again, and finally--now that I am organized--baking. What's in the cookie jar this week? So happy you asked! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsQFDQfnfpQ88ECQlBjQF7XgKZ8KmXRhqi0p6kChGWJRerJqtQxzoP0uURSKqtzI0CX3IGUK-gR-HgnaJ70Opx2jdCcX1wgCWLni0D0equintgBgikbfXCMWicUVzPNmm9m1RjJi2BS7X/s1600/Cookies&jar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsQFDQfnfpQ88ECQlBjQF7XgKZ8KmXRhqi0p6kChGWJRerJqtQxzoP0uURSKqtzI0CX3IGUK-gR-HgnaJ70Opx2jdCcX1wgCWLni0D0equintgBgikbfXCMWicUVzPNmm9m1RjJi2BS7X/s1600/Cookies&jar.jpg" height="400" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Empirically proven (by me) sustain you through any organizing project.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chocolate Sugar Cookies</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">For this recipe, I take the traditional sugar cookie recipe from Judy Rosenberg's</span><b><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rosies-Chocolate-Packed-Jam-Filled-Butter-Rich-No-Holds-Barred-ebook/dp/B00796LH8C/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390502636&sr=1-1&keywords=Rosie%27s+Bakery+Chocolate-Packed%2C+Jam-Filled%2C+Butter-Rich%2C+No-Holds-Barred+Cookie+Book" target="_blank">Rosie's Bakery Chocolate-Packed, Jam-Filled, Butter-Rich, No-Holds-Barred Cookie Book</a></span></b></span> and kick it up a notch with chocolate. The dog cookie cutters (like my chocolate lab above) are not required, but I do highly recommend them. For cookie cutters, I love <a href="http://www.annclark.com/" target="_blank">Ann Clark, Ltd. </a>They make an excellent product in many shapes and sizes (like this precious <a href="http://www.annclark.com/product/Dog-Cookie-Cutter/traditional-cookie-cutters" target="_blank">dog)</a>, and they are located in Vermont.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><b>The Cookie</b></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 c. flour</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
¼ c. Dutch-processed cocoa </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ c. granulated sugar</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ c. confectioner’s sugar</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/8 tea. Baking soda</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/8 tea. Cream of tartar</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ tea. Salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
12 ½ tbs. (1 and ½ sticks plus ½ tbs.) unsalted butter,
cold, cut into 12 pieces</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 ounces melted and cooled semi-sweet chocolate </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 lg. egg</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 tbs. vanilla</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><b>The Glaze</b></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 cup minus 2 tbs confectioner’s sugar</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
¼ c. heavy (whipping) cream</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
food coloring (optional)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Directions:</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rosie's cookbook suggest using a food processor with the dough
attachment for all the mixing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not
necessary—you can use your standing mixer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I like to use the food processor, though—it is really fast.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Place the flour, cocoa, both sugars, the baking soda,
cream of tartar, and salt in a food processor and process for 5 seconds.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Distribute the butter over the flour mixture,
and process until the dough resembles coarse meal, about 30 seconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scrape it down from the sides as needed.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Stir the cooled semi-sweet chocolate, egg and vanilla together in a cup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the processor running, pour this mixture
through the feed tube and process until the dough comes together, about 35
seconds.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Remove the dough from the processor, place it on
a work surface, and knead it for several seconds.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Divide the dough into two slabs, wrap each in
plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1-2 hours.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat
the oven to 375 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Line several baking
sheets with parchment paper.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Remove one slab of dough from the refrigerator
and place it between two fresh pieces of plastic wrap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roll it out 1/8 of an inch thick.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Remove the top piece of plastic wrap and cut out
your cookies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gather scraps and
refrigerate for re-rolling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Repeat with
second slab of dough.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Bake the cookies until firm with lightly golden
edges, usually<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> 8-10 minutes.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>The
glaze is wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whisk the
confectioner’s sugar and cream in a medium-sized bowl until smooth and creamy with a consistency you like. However, the chocolate cookie is delicious on its own.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Oatmeal Chocolate Chip</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
This recipe is the one I use after years of tinkering. It's a "cakey" oatmeal cookie.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Cream:</b></u><br />
1 stick unsalted butter <br />
1/2 c. brown sugar (packed) <br />
1/2 c. white sugar <br />
<br />
<u><b>Add: </b></u><br />
2 eggs <br />
<br />
<u><b>Combine: </b></u><br />
1 1/4 c. flour<br />
2 1/2 c. quick oats <br />
1 tea. baking soda <br />
1 tea. salt <br />
1 ½ tea. vanilla <br />
1 c. semi-sweet choc. chips <br />
1 c. dark chocolate chips <br />
½-3/4 c. milk chocolate chips <br />
<br />
Drop cookies by the teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 min. or less, depending on your oven. Makes about 1 1/2 doz. to 2 doz., depending on how big you make the cookies. <br />
<br />
<i><b>Happy 2014! Resolutioners and other useless labels welcome here. Just be sure to share the love! </b></i>Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978576791588854527.post-85522727123612035612013-12-09T11:19:00.000-05:002013-12-09T11:19:03.137-05:00The Most Wonderful Time of the YearLadies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it's time to get your Holidays on! I'm starting off the season with a photo montage...it was a very busy weekend at Just 1 More Cookie...dozens of cookies were baked and decorated. Here are a few of my favorite things!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIc1rVpEW8aiKciTlAwi5-vCVfUpdR0oxiHyecBdA2lDirL3rmlYSjFIeaMJdKwhXKF0P1XfsAECJnJlcT8gAbCsqn6itTukk-s5XlbMzSD_9mm0a77SolmGHRzxJHdfJnQyIzCoJGdsQ/s1600/IMG_2373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIc1rVpEW8aiKciTlAwi5-vCVfUpdR0oxiHyecBdA2lDirL3rmlYSjFIeaMJdKwhXKF0P1XfsAECJnJlcT8gAbCsqn6itTukk-s5XlbMzSD_9mm0a77SolmGHRzxJHdfJnQyIzCoJGdsQ/s400/IMG_2373.JPG" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A perfect little present just for you...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DGwWjr80n0CXbXqw2tr_3tsET0prLM_5arTzsBxa2QteOVGt_Ng_1X_-OeJRefyy7VVuuD7KTVU2xEJEyXgxkC1MtuBAO9-eaN0RVnX5NNA7sOxjyCuEZBuSJraiHxux-sXJFblH94_F/s1600/IMG_2359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DGwWjr80n0CXbXqw2tr_3tsET0prLM_5arTzsBxa2QteOVGt_Ng_1X_-OeJRefyy7VVuuD7KTVU2xEJEyXgxkC1MtuBAO9-eaN0RVnX5NNA7sOxjyCuEZBuSJraiHxux-sXJFblH94_F/s400/IMG_2359.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polar Bear kiss under the mistletoe...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKSU6o5JKGULehXPchwp_lbXyL1t6exG3y5wxTRRjh2QWU0MF2igU8pRomYzlFq4R8HNKf5WGwg9VtP35rnzqORLlqPJlQBSuOfwGj_IxsRi_od4PSlNlx2CjATK8eXHhtyBkcmZZAh20/s1600/IMG_2360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKSU6o5JKGULehXPchwp_lbXyL1t6exG3y5wxTRRjh2QWU0MF2igU8pRomYzlFq4R8HNKf5WGwg9VtP35rnzqORLlqPJlQBSuOfwGj_IxsRi_od4PSlNlx2CjATK8eXHhtyBkcmZZAh20/s400/IMG_2360.jpg" width="345" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's just not winter without a cute little penguin to brighten your day. Everybody needs a little <a href="http://www.myamazingearth.com/2012/12/the-happiest-penguin-ever/" target="_blank">peguin</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSxUdNvgFSTRODKyCy4qIDWN8JEExK90syKWpalebj6W-pCIdJls9zo4xrYT2Lph7NA7cqQQcnnVweBFoltZg7CWcgYMXJXD3s-o0I9wOAC7iZPkwWqQWHELi4DZVX7wagc_YclvpIZxp/s1600/IMG_2362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSxUdNvgFSTRODKyCy4qIDWN8JEExK90syKWpalebj6W-pCIdJls9zo4xrYT2Lph7NA7cqQQcnnVweBFoltZg7CWcgYMXJXD3s-o0I9wOAC7iZPkwWqQWHELi4DZVX7wagc_YclvpIZxp/s320/IMG_2362.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes plain and simple is the best. Snowflakes are my favorite cookie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYjhkYe7osq56NrL1iHUWKhVSagQssWA6Gj8EjqcNZbCMVsGe3l8ibiNzy_4eYkCJfrAgVPlcHclDYH2dotFyI6G9ylMYWI1lPYQH5id5hFG33Osk5ehyfsMnRjnWipPYgzZVagFxjfJn/s1600/IMG_2370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYjhkYe7osq56NrL1iHUWKhVSagQssWA6Gj8EjqcNZbCMVsGe3l8ibiNzy_4eYkCJfrAgVPlcHclDYH2dotFyI6G9ylMYWI1lPYQH5id5hFG33Osk5ehyfsMnRjnWipPYgzZVagFxjfJn/s320/IMG_2370.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best of the weekend. I think he just looks so sweet and friendly. AND chocolate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Polar bear party! Most of these are iced CHOCOLATE sugar cookies.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggt6YJnO08PoNUraqgjl3Iku7BHlIY0bgzbv0NddDfo5OVAgGoU55Xx9AW4SYU-fnx0nl2zTXv3Jh-lZE_mpnHDCTPC8tlIZIvwJvTfpc4VZKiY6r1YC_9J9-G4PPx1-iAyTt_vL2w-7Mx/s1600/IMG_2371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggt6YJnO08PoNUraqgjl3Iku7BHlIY0bgzbv0NddDfo5OVAgGoU55Xx9AW4SYU-fnx0nl2zTXv3Jh-lZE_mpnHDCTPC8tlIZIvwJvTfpc4VZKiY6r1YC_9J9-G4PPx1-iAyTt_vL2w-7Mx/s320/IMG_2371.JPG" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fancy city gift.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNmRPU9wucT39aAtAxMB3ZDyI1jS9Fw1ht0Yzy9Gfn48W1Kml8smF-bt1iy_u9lOlJP-Vq2w95qTR61bRq_CJwCr9b7sFQNWIh2i74Q9eo0xtgw3hq2-awFQIIeBMudePq6koOPZv1yHx/s1600/IMG_2372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNmRPU9wucT39aAtAxMB3ZDyI1jS9Fw1ht0Yzy9Gfn48W1Kml8smF-bt1iy_u9lOlJP-Vq2w95qTR61bRq_CJwCr9b7sFQNWIh2i74Q9eo0xtgw3hq2-awFQIIeBMudePq6koOPZv1yHx/s320/IMG_2372.JPG" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frosty!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vvZzY9HrObPupPv8TRl6KfE2CDuDqpLn04WB9YlP8Uo_0LocPkEfht3ISs7L8REvAgAazx8sNgpwb2Ie8D7ikO_8zYcrtCq8wdUgTVklHXPS9XZKzr0zDgKvs_jR6VSj_cfQgrAPpw4X/s1600/IMG_2374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vvZzY9HrObPupPv8TRl6KfE2CDuDqpLn04WB9YlP8Uo_0LocPkEfht3ISs7L8REvAgAazx8sNgpwb2Ie8D7ikO_8zYcrtCq8wdUgTVklHXPS9XZKzr0zDgKvs_jR6VSj_cfQgrAPpw4X/s320/IMG_2374.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Holiday mittens</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />It takes an hour to decorate a dozen sugar cookies. I promise to post recipes and details soon, until then...share the love!<br />
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<br />Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978576791588854527.post-33179866073250141532013-11-22T16:19:00.000-05:002013-11-22T18:50:27.533-05:00Camelot and King Arthur (Flour): Part the First<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #76a5af;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">or Field Trips and Special Guests #3: </span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #76a5af;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">A Pilgrimage to King Arthur Flour!</span></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></b><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's that time of year again...thoughts turn to Camelot, Dallas and JFK in the weeks before Thanksgiving's official start to the holiday season. In an effort to right the cultural wrong that is this country's morbid fascination with JFK, as well as to reclaim the meaning of Camelot (I have an MA in English and American Literature to justify), I am taking it upon myself to remind us all of the true meaning of Camelot this holiday season: Flour. <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/" target="_blank">King Arthur Flour</a>. And you know what that means? ROAD TRIP!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HqWUHbpY7NDya6Sut-68O34ECNZd-RxqvsYlLVK1E2BWhYU7VEHxck5AEDqez2GxH0LaNl933-0cRQXFoX8gEdq2zXQgrloBWtSV-8BJpoBHa4P3Skm5x8gijmH-H7razeUdFLEBB-4_/s1600/IMG_2186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HqWUHbpY7NDya6Sut-68O34ECNZd-RxqvsYlLVK1E2BWhYU7VEHxck5AEDqez2GxH0LaNl933-0cRQXFoX8gEdq2zXQgrloBWtSV-8BJpoBHa4P3Skm5x8gijmH-H7razeUdFLEBB-4_/s320/IMG_2186.jpg" width="239" /><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></b></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">King Arthur Flour in Norwich, VT</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-size: small;">Adventure is best faced with an exceptionally good friend. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Why yes, I do count a road trip in a Prius to bake cookies in Vermont as an adventure.) It's recommended that you pick someone you</span> can talk with for hours and hours and hours on the trip up, and then all weekend, and then for hours and hours and hours on the trip home. (Also, it's good if that someone does not snore.) And, if you are me, and you are driving from NY to VT, and you head through Springfield, MA, it's best if that person is totally and completely okay with driving by the <a href="http://www.hoophall.com/" target="_blank">Basketball Hall of Fame</a> with me giving no more than a wave and an "OH, I didn't even know that existed!" Happily, I knew just the friend: </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2I-jS46noJdhkPjD07YwhmDQDE0ckC0WgoE7dadWsehqMzXnBcX4xGwT2TGTNKbe95RhqadWM_umzcBJV66AERPhEqCAQmyp167Yuk3CXklvYD1UROKgKor8mdV7K6b0S4fwio-Onmdu/s1600/LoriLicksBatter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2I-jS46noJdhkPjD07YwhmDQDE0ckC0WgoE7dadWsehqMzXnBcX4xGwT2TGTNKbe95RhqadWM_umzcBJV66AERPhEqCAQmyp167Yuk3CXklvYD1UROKgKor8mdV7K6b0S4fwio-Onmdu/s320/LoriLicksBatter.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">LORI!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-size: small;">You may remember that Lori was the star of the very first installation of <a href="http://just1morecookie.blogspot.com/2013/09/field-trip-101as-simple-as-black-and.html" target="_blank">Field Trips and Special Guests,</a> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">where she taught me everything there is to know about baking Black and White cookies. It was during that first Field Trips and Special Guests post that I learned that Lori and I share a love of King Arthur Flour. More importantly, we both had a secret dream to travel to Camelot, shop in the store, and take a class or two. This, my friends, is our story:</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCW2pV-hPxqSJJndMENEJAvcHyRrv8Co4vdI4SCuuLgQZhY4wCiJkla_JvzYQwto6qOTnEECOql1Y3XP-VH3sEMrvjvntU7PM0N9R3BafHA-OTmYnrvltR-I8FzeVuSbBNk-kQll0mY_9/s1600/P1020412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCW2pV-hPxqSJJndMENEJAvcHyRrv8Co4vdI4SCuuLgQZhY4wCiJkla_JvzYQwto6qOTnEECOql1Y3XP-VH3sEMrvjvntU7PM0N9R3BafHA-OTmYnrvltR-I8FzeVuSbBNk-kQll0mY_9/s320/P1020412.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Nah, it's not in MN, but they had this cool old sign, and I liked it.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">King Arthur Flour was founded in 1790 in Boston, which means it is at least as American as apple pie and baseball. Really. I mean it. The earliest historical note about baseball comes from a bylaw in Pittsfield, MA, and is dated 1791, making King Arthur Flour as old as--and as much a part of our collective history as--baseball. (You can read more about the origins of baseball in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Garden-Eden-John-Thorn/dp/0743294033" target="_blank">Baseball in the Garden of Eden</a>.) King Arthur Flour <i>is</i> our American Camelot. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">We left mid-day on Friday in mid-fall. If Lori and I had not been so busy talking, talking, talking and drinking Dr. Pepper and cherry seltzer and 'road testing' cookies, </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YMWzz8tn_xHOkiMPi3R6S1BHGo-EczRKI9cjzYnNnCpXSlDQuS8tbeS6DHMIl6ZzfBaD1B-MLaasKalbHjUG-HlTbSzwEAipw9Il0tQb4S2xqR5oLF_LBuzCtpywukczqMlwL2MkrE03/s1600/RoadTestCookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YMWzz8tn_xHOkiMPi3R6S1BHGo-EczRKI9cjzYnNnCpXSlDQuS8tbeS6DHMIl6ZzfBaD1B-MLaasKalbHjUG-HlTbSzwEAipw9Il0tQb4S2xqR5oLF_LBuzCtpywukczqMlwL2MkrE03/s320/RoadTestCookies.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road testing a few new creations for Thanksgiving...Pumpkin Tartlet, Chocolate-Pecan Tartlet, and the <a href="http://just1morecookie.blogspot.com/2013/11/font-definitions-font-face-font-family.html" target="_blank">Apple Tartlet</a>. <a href="http://just1morecookie.blogspot.com/2013/09/caramel-dreams-can-come-true.html" target="_blank">Caramel Dreams</a> kept them company.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">we would have taken pictures of the gorgeous New England foliage. Instead, I have only the one I took in New York (but it is nice):</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeEsIX65eLgFnGNS3kAzv12zvAT5VyfZ-1FMbUcyC3Th5OjyO_e_VdndiN9PB7FeHs6vThM1GzU_xjHK8wvgURo-Sclr97bTVvRzo3Ytrvywa-kNUaaPNdChLyvb4Bug54VHThyphenhyphennh6Uhp/s1600/Foliage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeEsIX65eLgFnGNS3kAzv12zvAT5VyfZ-1FMbUcyC3Th5OjyO_e_VdndiN9PB7FeHs6vThM1GzU_xjHK8wvgURo-Sclr97bTVvRzo3Ytrvywa-kNUaaPNdChLyvb4Bug54VHThyphenhyphennh6Uhp/s320/Foliage.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Technically, you are looking at the Hudson River and NJ. But I was standing in NY when I took it.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Just as the sun was setting, we arrived. Contrary to what you may have believed, Camelot is in Norwich, Vermont, and 'tis <i>not</i> a silly place. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEtCtmjsvNmlnJtFFcK5EkaWUlJArGHcC2R7BusWlP34rdGJmsQVpoZgoliUiFbEazDoko0TEvEaz-q7edAFhwIVpNaI5gJKtIQtJpPmGj97-SEAhdkIGEEsstLYaI-2DIxuo1NjI9afs/s1600/IMG_2156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEtCtmjsvNmlnJtFFcK5EkaWUlJArGHcC2R7BusWlP34rdGJmsQVpoZgoliUiFbEazDoko0TEvEaz-q7edAFhwIVpNaI5gJKtIQtJpPmGj97-SEAhdkIGEEsstLYaI-2DIxuo1NjI9afs/s320/IMG_2156.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;">With little time to spare, we headed inside. We had a 5:00 class to make but <i>absolutely </i>had to visit <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop-home/" target="_blank">the store</a> before class. <i>Had to. </i>But we didn't get far, before I saw him:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWyil1T8nbjOmR8lr293hZBHpG4EoYx-dDP-PcNmVzbFeSBHj4dJzjjYVrlJPU-LU703DzaFXfDOSCUeZ6drUvbWUN1ojZY3CLMJdIzF1SDzuu0cMhkiPiWY1VQvej2g-4KhmB8HSTSbT/s1600/P1020408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWyil1T8nbjOmR8lr293hZBHpG4EoYx-dDP-PcNmVzbFeSBHj4dJzjjYVrlJPU-LU703DzaFXfDOSCUeZ6drUvbWUN1ojZY3CLMJdIzF1SDzuu0cMhkiPiWY1VQvej2g-4KhmB8HSTSbT/s320/P1020408.jpg" width="213" /> </a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I <i>realize </i>you have a soft spot for Guinevere, but <i>everybody </i>but you knows about her and Lancelot. And besides, I bake <i>and</i> I like horses <i>and</i> I'll teach you how to play baseball. So what if you are short and empty...."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzz4tnLZIWm-FXM1okW8Cb02t1Ufnvx4fsyrF_zXPLfXlzKCOCxTCBidlH4iWOyjU_LJUBiUdW3OMbpNdfwER-FAip9WKf6qv8GpJ50k7it7HxOMXT1SPlFpK6X5je3ffCMrxrubHWyoui/s320/P1020410.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="230" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something has come between Lori and me. </td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;">We
would have been completely distracted during the entire class had we
not stopped in the store first. Yet another thing to consider when
choosing a road-trip companion: make sure he or she shares your
priorities. We said so-long to our king-knight, and headed to the main attraction:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJYvAIbqcY9zTlmKoijxTXYrOsWuG2cOhP0eQ-TgERDPg612WyJBPKYkwtAo_8xXSj0PVdF3oD_5J3XmNpUXQwChyJWHIbfqQ62NE4XKXHo35F0qyNzv1cjUQivsO7VFmWpYQg4fXUohM/s1600/IMG_2160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJYvAIbqcY9zTlmKoijxTXYrOsWuG2cOhP0eQ-TgERDPg612WyJBPKYkwtAo_8xXSj0PVdF3oD_5J3XmNpUXQwChyJWHIbfqQ62NE4XKXHo35F0qyNzv1cjUQivsO7VFmWpYQg4fXUohM/s400/IMG_2160.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suddenly I wondered: "Do I really <i>need</i> to go to class?"</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;">My dilemma: I no longer had any interest in going to class. I have not taken a class--any class--in decades, and here I was, ready to skip my first class without batting an eye. To shop. BUT JUST LOOK at what they had:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IVajdx0wENJH2Lvw1ULGlRvTRy72QQIgLPCVjlbm-lfw3QZ4bMId3b60i0mvL_20r1ILolBtrDgBrIu1VMR3McA6NQt0MmdR3cqxisYi2siVd7yaCjh7iA6Oew8f_7qy1W0f_mPMix9O/s1600/IMG_2161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IVajdx0wENJH2Lvw1ULGlRvTRy72QQIgLPCVjlbm-lfw3QZ4bMId3b60i0mvL_20r1ILolBtrDgBrIu1VMR3McA6NQt0MmdR3cqxisYi2siVd7yaCjh7iA6Oew8f_7qy1W0f_mPMix9O/s320/IMG_2161.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who <i>wouldn't</i> want The Big Bag of flour? Sure, you <i>think</i> you don't now, but when you are there and you see it in person, it seems infinitely reasonable.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WFkCXnkD1EcR5v3IL-fnl3LwLKeD_R4v4WCYAgRBmLDXMwsGs1yIJW7ZcVqqSfUhkwUYBWM2Dat43GnxqldwOmndXgc9C6u7BM6JyxbZGnDlenxDoK1pEEByat4qs-OUX99MKgbBhhi8/s1600/IMG_2162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WFkCXnkD1EcR5v3IL-fnl3LwLKeD_R4v4WCYAgRBmLDXMwsGs1yIJW7ZcVqqSfUhkwUYBWM2Dat43GnxqldwOmndXgc9C6u7BM6JyxbZGnDlenxDoK1pEEByat4qs-OUX99MKgbBhhi8/s320/IMG_2162.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THEY NAME THE FLOUR AFTER KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE!!! It's worth noting that Sir Galahad was the bastard son of Sir Lancelot and Lady Elaine, and he was known for purity. There's <i>meaning</i> to the name, folks. If you want pure, unbleached, artisan flour, then Galahad is for you. (I told you I have a graduate degree in English and American Literature, and I'm going to use it!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVGA0-o3ezqqxSsE6_eOZxUCx7s7eZchfRnZBbMmqUAuBmlHlvj6I-afjRIZyb-qc0GYe74IOJdqU-Ixbo9eXZtoQwgLIP5dRQkIQBvEj1LRyW62mkkV4S_kTO008j_ymc1eotjixEQpi/s1600/IMG_2169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVGA0-o3ezqqxSsE6_eOZxUCx7s7eZchfRnZBbMmqUAuBmlHlvj6I-afjRIZyb-qc0GYe74IOJdqU-Ixbo9eXZtoQwgLIP5dRQkIQBvEj1LRyW62mkkV4S_kTO008j_ymc1eotjixEQpi/s320/IMG_2169.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry; I bought plenty.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6GdjV44udB93znMl_fDO1EZ2Gmcti-EcO1onBGwzNoTdkMPlxUKSX4eivpsSC709QUwv7YUBImKASacsyXLQqaVFoVHgCvcScOlpKxN3CQbl79pdNl5t0JQTph72sNtdPFrgR-dlJh8_/s1600/IMG_2172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6GdjV44udB93znMl_fDO1EZ2Gmcti-EcO1onBGwzNoTdkMPlxUKSX4eivpsSC709QUwv7YUBImKASacsyXLQqaVFoVHgCvcScOlpKxN3CQbl79pdNl5t0JQTph72sNtdPFrgR-dlJh8_/s320/IMG_2172.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caramel <i>by the block.</i> My arms hurt just thinking about how to cut into it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xMLrwlblqxoh_2AS5wZbk38Et2skVfvHtkeTsK-63aJ8H1g43ejnhTBrflIORXsTBhhEfx78sAW56RPHr6alF1vUTSR6-5YNbNyOJt2WWoHd1yQllT-sNokKilh5IlwfmWb7PIPzZKdG/s1600/IMG_2165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xMLrwlblqxoh_2AS5wZbk38Et2skVfvHtkeTsK-63aJ8H1g43ejnhTBrflIORXsTBhhEfx78sAW56RPHr6alF1vUTSR6-5YNbNyOJt2WWoHd1yQllT-sNokKilh5IlwfmWb7PIPzZKdG/s320/IMG_2165.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Vietnamese </i>Cinnamon. Lots of it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcFutgbJYoVWLtDYRYqPInsWHhGHyOwxxQt1eRsjTVj5UfqDx7ve9YT6HDhl871OtzY3Pu8cF71GNz5FXiKU8tsLAetUkq9iFvCYq4GPxmrv5ASPmiSkO4YTiKyYYh5vc7_UIz0cJCchs/s1600/IMG_2166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcFutgbJYoVWLtDYRYqPInsWHhGHyOwxxQt1eRsjTVj5UfqDx7ve9YT6HDhl871OtzY3Pu8cF71GNz5FXiKU8tsLAetUkq9iFvCYq4GPxmrv5ASPmiSkO4YTiKyYYh5vc7_UIz0cJCchs/s320/IMG_2166.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More exciting than the perfume counter at Nordstrom. <i>Fiori di Sicilia. </i>That's my new thing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQyaYNC5vEw8BJBlUECHJ4qa8NvahSMvp5xk_-ZSgYeVMn_oVI3YdHj7Is7HBCEnoQ90xXaAF8W9B6b1raLUjMQJcd0Eh9eUa-asBGz81TSJ-NLiKj07M-vwirEBtYFVyKBhqp_xKcQ4_/s1600/IMG_2168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQyaYNC5vEw8BJBlUECHJ4qa8NvahSMvp5xk_-ZSgYeVMn_oVI3YdHj7Is7HBCEnoQ90xXaAF8W9B6b1raLUjMQJcd0Eh9eUa-asBGz81TSJ-NLiKj07M-vwirEBtYFVyKBhqp_xKcQ4_/s320/IMG_2168.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whole nutmeg, anyone? I am quite sure I need it for something.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tG3R2YDmkSowe07GPOHprYNM0_KacnM-3kCF-oKmLJfjqG7NwZvrpsBtCAe8YhqfTTWkG0jg2CNgrfp19Vtw5OEhKvCEWEDawII-yJmW9s99mukDjBb4KxCt7ZCduUwGWjkh_NVuX8Db/s1600/IMG_2163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tG3R2YDmkSowe07GPOHprYNM0_KacnM-3kCF-oKmLJfjqG7NwZvrpsBtCAe8YhqfTTWkG0jg2CNgrfp19Vtw5OEhKvCEWEDawII-yJmW9s99mukDjBb4KxCt7ZCduUwGWjkh_NVuX8Db/s320/IMG_2163.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a canister for your sourdough starter. Or King Arthur Flour. Or cookies. (Do you see where I am going with this? You. need. one.)</td></tr>
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I was overwhelmed and <i>completely</i> distracted. Happily, Lori was there to snap me out of my reverie and get me back on task: class! However, here is where I will note that Lori and I signed up for these classes back in September, and neither of us had much of an idea of what we were doing. We remembered that the Friday class would be about cakes, and the Sunday one would be about cookies. Other than that, we were clueless.<br />
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We made our way down the hall to class...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXk9wlrwVhQMXuBejBkxRjzMqvioY-jodleHl8rYuqCW17uFINWcZ6zoO62H6ZE74NN6aMoSUOv6fM4zD1RpqLWCVyJX280GRg15iemDPZqKfA9c6IgTmRGfZ3Cir10AeGnKYiXptFOizW/s1600/IMG_2187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXk9wlrwVhQMXuBejBkxRjzMqvioY-jodleHl8rYuqCW17uFINWcZ6zoO62H6ZE74NN6aMoSUOv6fM4zD1RpqLWCVyJX280GRg15iemDPZqKfA9c6IgTmRGfZ3Cir10AeGnKYiXptFOizW/s320/IMG_2187.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something <i>is</i> the matter! Few things delight me more than a perfectly placed literary reference, but the editor in me is dismayed to point out a chink in the armor: <i>Sendak</i> is misspelled as <i>Sendal.</i> <i>How the hell did that happen?</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGD2wzh9lqAjzT3mwx9DD19RcV4-VvtHXLwXtgxFwGWMzkODyvItLjpFz9jQjQ6qOrunCwLmlyZ6cQD2J6DDdNZ2c8klf5k_4Ei0yqu5A1jhejy-ycSOxAMVQ-rwzj4J0F2ObAXXAK1PVP/s1600/IMG_2177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGD2wzh9lqAjzT3mwx9DD19RcV4-VvtHXLwXtgxFwGWMzkODyvItLjpFz9jQjQ6qOrunCwLmlyZ6cQD2J6DDdNZ2c8klf5k_4Ei0yqu5A1jhejy-ycSOxAMVQ-rwzj4J0F2ObAXXAK1PVP/s320/IMG_2177.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
We arrived late and last, but we made it just in time for class: Autumn Cake Decoration. Immediately I panicked and started repeating over and over in my head: "Please don't make me bake a cake. Please don't make me bake a cake." Can I bake a cake? Yes. Do I enjoy it? No. Not at all. Not one little bit. Too much detail. Too many ways to go wrong. "Please don't make me bake a cake." I looked over at Lori. She was decidedly uneffected. She knows her stuff. She was undaunted.<br />
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I was feeling fussy, but then I noticed two things: 1. COUPON for 15% off in the store, and 2. The class was a <i>demonstration</i> only. NO BAKING! I began to relax. This was going to be fun after all!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8z2sEmbKamOB9LDDAY-s3CVmq7VvNYivIC9KVyVbIgwi6lAtSMtOOdzlM-CjQMEqAF3ALcSCJA4W3drSaiI70vxgrlwUorD6QzlqR0QcS_HaWWCp2ORzfb0459D9UKrG63XCTMReaWpG/s1600/IMG_2176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8z2sEmbKamOB9LDDAY-s3CVmq7VvNYivIC9KVyVbIgwi6lAtSMtOOdzlM-CjQMEqAF3ALcSCJA4W3drSaiI70vxgrlwUorD6QzlqR0QcS_HaWWCp2ORzfb0459D9UKrG63XCTMReaWpG/s200/IMG_2176.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TwMgvCDwuXZZuofQw-RZsnKNd9_rz4_uj6AGrzWD4_LvIsSd1S6Kz-eNAs-j2TxTetUMsMKoVLOgSbyn5HFq8h2ZQzXuJumWJi2F6_UglPLnN-IGTSZiG6f2Iagcy_wgolTPVbN3xnqS/s1600/IMG_2181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TwMgvCDwuXZZuofQw-RZsnKNd9_rz4_uj6AGrzWD4_LvIsSd1S6Kz-eNAs-j2TxTetUMsMKoVLOgSbyn5HFq8h2ZQzXuJumWJi2F6_UglPLnN-IGTSZiG6f2Iagcy_wgolTPVbN3xnqS/s200/IMG_2181.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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Our fearless leader for this demonstration was none other than the witty and charming <a href="http://www.gesine.com/gesine-contact.html" target="_blank">Gesine Bullock-Prado</a>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bake-It-Like-You-Mean/dp/1617690139" target="_blank">Bake It Like You Mean It</a> and other titles:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLJy4V1zh42wvheZXJWWH9xYZbVMKUloiBGY-YyQT5fzVoaMWVtCG1Xbixy0OvG-pspAzy1FzFV4sC2rF8sBzeApWhTBTUfHcUpz5CgexUlzfqla6BvTjwe8mGdFWKamT0L4volY31d1w/s1600/IMG_2183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLJy4V1zh42wvheZXJWWH9xYZbVMKUloiBGY-YyQT5fzVoaMWVtCG1Xbixy0OvG-pspAzy1FzFV4sC2rF8sBzeApWhTBTUfHcUpz5CgexUlzfqla6BvTjwe8mGdFWKamT0L4volY31d1w/s320/IMG_2183.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gesine's personality is infectious, and yes, she bakes it like she means it!</td></tr>
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So here's the deal: In two hours, Gesine took us through the intricacies of baking a <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Buche-de-Noel-with-Marzipan-Mushrooms-104507" target="_blank">Buche de Noel</a>--the traditional French Christmas cake that looks like a log with mushrooms (made of meringue or marzipan) on top. A cake I would <i>never </i>in a million years attempt--the mere name fills me with fear. A cake that <i>Lori actually made </i>back when she had a baking business. Lori was in heaven, and I was thanking my lucky stars that all I had to do was watch.<br />
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Prepared to sit back and pretend I was watching it all on TV, I suddenly realized: I'm interested. This is kind of cool. She's showing us how to bake a cake imprinted on a cake. That's how you get the look of wood on the chocolate cake. You basically put a thin layer of white cake in a pattern over the chocolate cake. <i>It's fascinating. (</i>Especially when you don't have to do it yourself.) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zWl_MxjeYU0jlldYcIKx_3sxgm_Bn8vQsFHlSPPs3XwL2dwOOxtR9bMj2W33fk4rzgMyc7pyec7tseQvJsbahoM9SjkNrgmbUfIWP9nI1ai9NRyWzzSy0c0bazMTRAKlIEwADQSg45vo/s1600/IMG_2174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zWl_MxjeYU0jlldYcIKx_3sxgm_Bn8vQsFHlSPPs3XwL2dwOOxtR9bMj2W33fk4rzgMyc7pyec7tseQvJsbahoM9SjkNrgmbUfIWP9nI1ai9NRyWzzSy0c0bazMTRAKlIEwADQSg45vo/s320/IMG_2174.jpg" width="174" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing the batter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfd8_JYcWdHkhPNTMQlJNXSehz_xhdfu7z5D_ecjIO2WaQzqa84cplv5DOVfwB_Jhubt80xL70D_jPNJrNqEGdSZucFTfZp2uUIm2QP1bvCz6BdKG_n8NaKfbvt7e1UY7ztRKKmFVu1Vc/s1600/IMG_2178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfd8_JYcWdHkhPNTMQlJNXSehz_xhdfu7z5D_ecjIO2WaQzqa84cplv5DOVfwB_Jhubt80xL70D_jPNJrNqEGdSZucFTfZp2uUIm2QP1bvCz6BdKG_n8NaKfbvt7e1UY7ztRKKmFVu1Vc/s400/IMG_2178.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning to make the white batter look like wood grain for the "log" cake in the Buche de Noel.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5p8hlQZIIEAfDGVXwUyy6G2yB9LCiNpyS1QPpVIz7rEb8XaAF8v9jVxvb5pq5gJ3Z9ZjVVignnPaYX3HOvYW-ZbEziKp3m0nALy4oNrOABCccWqxzt9PkKvvhzmrDbNsmSeVipp3TcaY/s1600/IMG_2180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5p8hlQZIIEAfDGVXwUyy6G2yB9LCiNpyS1QPpVIz7rEb8XaAF8v9jVxvb5pq5gJ3Z9ZjVVignnPaYX3HOvYW-ZbEziKp3m0nALy4oNrOABCccWqxzt9PkKvvhzmrDbNsmSeVipp3TcaY/s320/IMG_2180.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four different volunteers got to try their hand at making the wood grain. (No, I did not volunteer.)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMKlhS-lfM34Y-B3jUqTEToDFTUyJazPgmZrMQWomrUHFFhgByKyazjs54XvQqffAXH1D8r8l1BexgDJ_K_LMSOyEeMrv176dd99yd02_72UJxSP8JxC5A88eihsXvqaheDi1LzcYatk3/s1600/IMG_2182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMKlhS-lfM34Y-B3jUqTEToDFTUyJazPgmZrMQWomrUHFFhgByKyazjs54XvQqffAXH1D8r8l1BexgDJ_K_LMSOyEeMrv176dd99yd02_72UJxSP8JxC5A88eihsXvqaheDi1LzcYatk3/s400/IMG_2182.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product--pretty cool!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Never mind that I want my sweets to look and taste like sweets. (The idea of eating a cake that looks like a log and has mushrooms on it is particularly unappealing to me.) The process is cool. Then Gesine blew my mind. You can do even cooler things with this technique:</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmNW3m4l5jSMP_p3L18v714yDecl_HktN7Wsr7eNDTQIVubm-i58iGe5z1JhLnRQhcruQdmWDtQFIsAIyepLGgeVotGL04cOwMlrga2LzzWiLZLtpvsMPpDKpBDcdEB-AVZ_Cq517t56m/s1600/IMG_2179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmNW3m4l5jSMP_p3L18v714yDecl_HktN7Wsr7eNDTQIVubm-i58iGe5z1JhLnRQhcruQdmWDtQFIsAIyepLGgeVotGL04cOwMlrga2LzzWiLZLtpvsMPpDKpBDcdEB-AVZ_Cq517t56m/s400/IMG_2179.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spider Webs? Giraffe? You decide.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-fs1dcrECQdgf1kz0G_h3_GjMXFyxkMRyalvWBMcE6Vdm0rqmLNC7SqQNvDZw3gPwGIGMmR2w1YrgR03UeP-Afbxa_F4f3VMi6b0vEHHiIakU8gqlMarcebCWmfU73Co_tlAmUbptmpm/s1600/IMG_2185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-fs1dcrECQdgf1kz0G_h3_GjMXFyxkMRyalvWBMcE6Vdm0rqmLNC7SqQNvDZw3gPwGIGMmR2w1YrgR03UeP-Afbxa_F4f3VMi6b0vEHHiIakU8gqlMarcebCWmfU73Co_tlAmUbptmpm/s320/IMG_2185.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let it snow...not entirely out of the question in Vermont in November.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And just like that, the demonstration class was over. Gesine invited us to tear off pieces of the cake for a tasty treat, and then we all said goodbye. Lori and I headed out the door and straight to the store with our coupons, only to find...it was <i>closed.</i> There was nothing left to do but head to The <a href="http://www.norwichinn.com/" target="_blank">Norwich Inn</a> to debrief after a whirlwind afternoon over a hamburger and glass of wine.<br />
<br />
What have we learned?<br />
<br />
<i>• Camelot is real, </i>and it's in Norwich, Vermont.<br />
• Sometimes our heroes (whether presidents or kings) are disappointing (e.g., short, empty, poor spellers) and we must question whether we are drawn to the myth more than the reality. <br />
• Sometimes things aren't what they're baked up to be--sometimes they are <i>even better, </i>like the Autumn Cake Decoration class with Gesine Bullock-Prado.<br />
<br />
But surely you don't think this is the end of the Camelot road trip, do you? I've still got the shopping and cookie baking class (One Cookie Three Ways) to tell you about. But not now. Right now, I need a cookie. Come to think of it, so do you. Here's a peek at what's to come in Camelot and King Arthur (Flour): Part the Second....<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8zeBW6UHPhbVFosL8leUM8165noRDNV5jDq4_l_H_3QwV4o94QomAJXK3kmGeymzL1i4mNQ1sVFv-0tkuT5LT2RCT_CPefNzeWXSwScwVVLvI0tFPgMTvXWhLKXK5L3C0kBby-4uouas/s1600/ChocolatePinwheels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8zeBW6UHPhbVFosL8leUM8165noRDNV5jDq4_l_H_3QwV4o94QomAJXK3kmGeymzL1i4mNQ1sVFv-0tkuT5LT2RCT_CPefNzeWXSwScwVVLvI0tFPgMTvXWhLKXK5L3C0kBby-4uouas/s320/ChocolatePinwheels.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_1536672654"></span><span id="goog_1536672655"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtMXD9otn3UprT_xlfyC4xLrVzBL_9I8R8PMom6U-oLfZgqDQB4FEx9K6wYJ-2I13nrDq9OiGHIApCAHCn4Wtnq3yDpO7QX-RP96PfESiJ5QsGCFPGZXC9H-NkJDETz_qDGmgVMKoBw6n/s1600/Chocolate-Nutella.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtMXD9otn3UprT_xlfyC4xLrVzBL_9I8R8PMom6U-oLfZgqDQB4FEx9K6wYJ-2I13nrDq9OiGHIApCAHCn4Wtnq3yDpO7QX-RP96PfESiJ5QsGCFPGZXC9H-NkJDETz_qDGmgVMKoBw6n/s320/Chocolate-Nutella.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate-Nutella Sandwich Cookies!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQtj5E4UWUn1F9rYctZONbAx3gI5dWI73XdEG21U7ekrBmbXL3mAXAdC7roRJ-Lf6h_4RDNgtvtckyhT6M6MzeYF__XS7DEt6O-0umvpStJTaKL0AYadSg-aeRWiOwMhb4dh8M40sVLJT/s1600/LemonCustard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQtj5E4UWUn1F9rYctZONbAx3gI5dWI73XdEG21U7ekrBmbXL3mAXAdC7roRJ-Lf6h_4RDNgtvtckyhT6M6MzeYF__XS7DEt6O-0umvpStJTaKL0AYadSg-aeRWiOwMhb4dh8M40sVLJT/s320/LemonCustard.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon Custard Cookies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978576791588854527.post-28832515750564327652013-11-02T16:44:00.000-04:002013-11-03T07:09:49.508-05:00Who You Calling a Tartlet?<style>
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So, remember that <a href="http://just1morecookie.blogspot.com/2013/10/shes-got-some-nerve.html" target="_blank">spiced thumbprint cookie</a> for <a href="http://pattychanganker.com/" target="_blank">Patty Chang Anker</a> and the launch of her new book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Some-Nerve-Lessons-Learned-Becoming/dp/1594486050" target="_blank">Some Nerve</a></i>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74aFJdXdmqrwkFoMLG8EHue1f8lgQBUWfWNOnjtacLJINdkQlNIGrVod7iAIHCf3j2lGTRT0_cOTTi1kdbVkofL9cTQYh0Glx_7cVJ7Rtv2VxczeNVFrsCEGdzrOl7alnubK95ZdsnrUT/s1600/Some+Nerve+Cookies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74aFJdXdmqrwkFoMLG8EHue1f8lgQBUWfWNOnjtacLJINdkQlNIGrVod7iAIHCf3j2lGTRT0_cOTTi1kdbVkofL9cTQYh0Glx_7cVJ7Rtv2VxczeNVFrsCEGdzrOl7alnubK95ZdsnrUT/s320/Some+Nerve+Cookies.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The one filled with dark
chocolate and crystallized ginger?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was a hit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I realized pretty quickly that the cookie part itself would probably
make a good crust for a tart, and my thoughts turned to apples…soon I had these
little apple tartlets dancing in my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why bake a whole tart when you can make dozens of cute, delicious little
ones? Like this:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_jbUlp-dPJG6iA5DBA3Q1oZtJ1YN-imMWSr7Mqdmb0z1U-usiOKH1e98xHdreTEYW1deT7Lk08G3PTDiZGpbVMIRIxYDoWSYMAEux7Dm4MpQTniVp5Lee4X3-V6ViVVlK1vYnxN1tHEJ/s1600/tartlet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_jbUlp-dPJG6iA5DBA3Q1oZtJ1YN-imMWSr7Mqdmb0z1U-usiOKH1e98xHdreTEYW1deT7Lk08G3PTDiZGpbVMIRIxYDoWSYMAEux7Dm4MpQTniVp5Lee4X3-V6ViVVlK1vYnxN1tHEJ/s320/tartlet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just in time for Thanksgiving and all things fall, I put
together this cookie and entered it in the <a href="http://hastingsfarmersmarket.org/" target="_blank">Hasting's Farmer's Market</a> annual pie
contest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever outside the box, I had to
improvise…couldn’t call it a cookie if it was going to be in a pie contest,
right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, it’s a tartlet.*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friend, Marty,
pointed out that maybe I should spell it “tartlette” instead of “tartlet,” to
avoid confusion with a certain disreputable kind of woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I considered his advice for .50 seconds
before deciding that such confusion is even better!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s get tarted up, my friends!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tartlet Crust:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1.5 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 teaspoons vanilla extract</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 tablespoon ground ginger</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
¼ teaspoon ground cloves</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
¼ teaspoon salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 ¼ cups quick-cooking oats</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First things first:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line your baking sheets with
parchment paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Cream:</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Butter sugar, and vanilla</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let the mix with a high-speed mixer on medium-to-high for
about 2 minutes, until the ingredients are fluffy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Add:</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Slow the mixer and add the flour, spices, and salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After these are folded together, turn the
mixer to a high speed and beat until well mixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides
of the bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next, turn the mixer to a
low speed and add the oats until completely folded into the dough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now you’re ready to form the tartlets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using a teaspoon, scoop out the dough and
form it into a ball by rolling it between the palms of your hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Place the balls of dough 1.5 to 2 inches
apart on the baking sheet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the
baking sheet is full, use the backside of a ¼ teaspoon measure and make an
indentation into the middle of each cookie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You are making a bowl in the dough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While baking, it will flatten out significantly, but still leave enough
of a rim to hold in the apple filling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2JzhCFUiXCby3d73rGDoCxEuwvOebcpS1MiQM1Wpg_cT0WFbaSMF7u6m9wnCmll01w4fZyYlsj3sl5gEHB_nukSIMvygALGBAZa4hSBOvBzhnfAcoCRPeoWFsDE-2pbweVwKnnoRT1Rgr/s1600/Makingindent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2JzhCFUiXCby3d73rGDoCxEuwvOebcpS1MiQM1Wpg_cT0WFbaSMF7u6m9wnCmll01w4fZyYlsj3sl5gEHB_nukSIMvygALGBAZa4hSBOvBzhnfAcoCRPeoWFsDE-2pbweVwKnnoRT1Rgr/s320/Makingindent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bake the tartlets for 13 minutes—they should be just turning
golden on the edges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6LyzabETUo1eq7uRu95EQDWpCpv67f-vrOfycMxZt1I92y0yCb6leXX8wYglrW_-BiKxTxjMFdiizJdGCcD2dM9Id3-eRDIyal681IVawQq7BujbFjHmqENoN85G4vtBQ5jFY1K0Iml8/s1600/Thumbprints.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6LyzabETUo1eq7uRu95EQDWpCpv67f-vrOfycMxZt1I92y0yCb6leXX8wYglrW_-BiKxTxjMFdiizJdGCcD2dM9Id3-eRDIyal681IVawQq7BujbFjHmqENoN85G4vtBQ5jFY1K0Iml8/s320/Thumbprints.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the tartlets
are baking, start the apple filling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once the tartlets are done baking, let them cook for about 5 minutes
before filling with the apple mixture. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Apple filling</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(This filling is based on the Apple Gallette recipe in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cook’s Illustrated</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve modified it to work with my tartlet
crust instead of the traditional French gallette crust.)
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -1.0in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">≅</span> 3 apples (about 1 pound).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I used Cortland, Empire, and McIntosh from a
local orchard, <br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Orchards-of-Concklin/111163468897423?rf=105416919522686" target="_blank">The Orchards of Concklin</a>.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/8 cup sugar</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 tablespoons apple jelly from Wright’s Farm (<a href="http://www.eatapples.com/">www.eatapples.com</a>)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
crème fraîche or whipped cream</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Core and peel the apples, and then slice them into
quarters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dlz5tusjYvZ5804m-KAvxTy5cnW-TIK2Ivk_Qy8o9k48AOrEy2iG-aZ2mgq97uPqeTnAA2e-s-5WWEcwRlJEnu0710IQJghAkJxD31dPE_Mx_zuS0-kxnNqiRWQtwdzfzWXPsVnZOCB8/s1600/AppleCorer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dlz5tusjYvZ5804m-KAvxTy5cnW-TIK2Ivk_Qy8o9k48AOrEy2iG-aZ2mgq97uPqeTnAA2e-s-5WWEcwRlJEnu0710IQJghAkJxD31dPE_Mx_zuS0-kxnNqiRWQtwdzfzWXPsVnZOCB8/s320/AppleCorer.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Simmer the apples for about 20
min. in a sauce pan with the butter, sugar, and apple jelly, until the mixture
has thickened and the apples are softened but <i>not</i> gooey or translucent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXehGjOlq3_XJ8ynzZamTDaHW6kDcmw-KGL6J7a51S_EJDr9t1I8vhIxLs_0Y1pkd3ldZ_uDzUwVNGIsrkTMQzX8PEbaFAC4EWYaIThoh20XdpiSBn_wahdZu-HO7r21udRQ3zz31g1cW0/s1600/Apple+Jelly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXehGjOlq3_XJ8ynzZamTDaHW6kDcmw-KGL6J7a51S_EJDr9t1I8vhIxLs_0Y1pkd3ldZ_uDzUwVNGIsrkTMQzX8PEbaFAC4EWYaIThoh20XdpiSBn_wahdZu-HO7r21udRQ3zz31g1cW0/s320/Apple+Jelly.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">MMMMmmmm....apple jelly from Wright's Farm</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Spoon the apple filling into the tartlets by
the teaspoonful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let the tartlets cool
for about 10 minutes, and if you’re feeling fancy (and who isn’t?), top each
tartlet with a little fresh whipped cream or crème fraîche. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Enjoy. Share. Repeat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P.S.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanksgiving trifecta coming soon…pumpkin pie cookie and
chocolate pecan pie cookie to complete the set…<br />
P.P.S<br />
My "tartlets" (ok, ok, they were cookies) didn't win the pie contest, BUT, Pascale Le Draoulec, who runs the <a href="http://hastingsfarmersmarket.org/" target="_blank">Hastings Farmer's Market</a>, said this: "The judges LOVED your cookies, Adrian, and said they would have def. won a cookie competition, but not a pie competition." Good enough for me! Can't blame the judges for picking a pie to win the pie contest. At least I didn't enter a cat in a dog show. Yet. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978576791588854527.post-80703108003103252972013-10-18T13:29:00.000-04:002013-10-18T13:29:29.796-04:00Whatever Gets You To The Cookie<div style="text-align: justify;">
Let's talk a little bit about acceptance. I have an uncontrolled, guilt-free weakness for cookie mix. I don't just accept it. I embrace it. Every now and then (whether I am short on time or just want to change things up a bit), I find myself reaching into my cupboard for a little help from my best girl, Betty:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKVf7ZCHO11d3V8K4NLFx9Se0w_cAMg0Q_NuVE0K9qgyFvBb670pPag6unSLdKOea2sZw2_aGFjl5WxywhPO-uzYQ6N89zsVyzAn5TJ_B8OGWIW9OYQPJ5MatPrd4qH_X0BN9jiGFdQxs/s1600/P1020158+-+Version+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKVf7ZCHO11d3V8K4NLFx9Se0w_cAMg0Q_NuVE0K9qgyFvBb670pPag6unSLdKOea2sZw2_aGFjl5WxywhPO-uzYQ6N89zsVyzAn5TJ_B8OGWIW9OYQPJ5MatPrd4qH_X0BN9jiGFdQxs/s320/P1020158+-+Version+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ain't she sweet?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Betty has a recipe for a terrific little oatmeal chocolate chip cookie*, if you don't mind preservatives now and then (I don't): <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCCMisp92HdSRPfrWny6J_ffI7Lv9MVJfkHAE8asqQbOG0H55yVHXwZBSsM8ePLkW-tdd1w_FumHukAduDoyCQZTTVN8z8JokU06AuFn_z_RHa2Z51GoTtiLALgvk5mH3g9f6FwbOPBxw/s1600/P1020271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCCMisp92HdSRPfrWny6J_ffI7Lv9MVJfkHAE8asqQbOG0H55yVHXwZBSsM8ePLkW-tdd1w_FumHukAduDoyCQZTTVN8z8JokU06AuFn_z_RHa2Z51GoTtiLALgvk5mH3g9f6FwbOPBxw/s320/P1020271.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Look at that--a BoxTop, too! A whole .10 for your child's school. Hope they don't spend it all in one place.) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
*Caveat: The next step in acceptance is to acknowledge that although Betty makes a good mix, you have to help her out a little. You can make it exceptional. Let's start with the instructions on the back of the mix: </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcpBl7Qk4wq1Abab7exZ7uXaqPZ2I2b8ZHRDtH71LacpRJjEFMEF1SV_JpjCXVWTE2ZQN13n_NGL82CzIfpOdsinpwjAYkzJkdZ2anHfpaLTo_Z1GF_ihzmZqWQ-CHdVixg7daSrCGvS2/s1600/P1020272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcpBl7Qk4wq1Abab7exZ7uXaqPZ2I2b8ZHRDtH71LacpRJjEFMEF1SV_JpjCXVWTE2ZQN13n_NGL82CzIfpOdsinpwjAYkzJkdZ2anHfpaLTo_Z1GF_ihzmZqWQ-CHdVixg7daSrCGvS2/s320/P1020272.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
First of all, I don't care what the back of the package says; <i>don't you dare</i> use margarine or spread or (Heaven forbid!) vegetable oil. Stay with unsalted butter. Accept that butter is the best way to the cookie.<br />
<br />
Following the the instructions on the back of the package, add the butter and eggs. I use two medium or large eggs, not one. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhaKEWnc9XZ8jASnwLkLWeA-Xdl_0ztw2xAGaet9mS-JrquCkv44q0IoX4iyTlMs7IC2-M9zL6pU-AwuNxaYM9q4AHvwIjPpxR_xZnZhEI3UBuS9_zp-_R64qZTdJxE9tEsVJWb4islIe/s1600/eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhaKEWnc9XZ8jASnwLkLWeA-Xdl_0ztw2xAGaet9mS-JrquCkv44q0IoX4iyTlMs7IC2-M9zL6pU-AwuNxaYM9q4AHvwIjPpxR_xZnZhEI3UBuS9_zp-_R64qZTdJxE9tEsVJWb4islIe/s320/eggs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Today I've got large, so that's what's going in. However, if you use extra large
or jumbo eggs, you might only want to use one. Two of those
super-sized eggs will add too much liquid to the mix.<br />
<br />
The batter will look like this:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1QRJgRWInjlVJ_ULnj9nRxmdCNuv02YqHDtqmu-z9hzvSnERUaHKeZiplowp8d_2Zf0VXO00dZLvuWY0JMRGnpoy6UTDWF5sd4DITH-YX45qlCCwNtM3apoyvL5EgHZVMwGSFBiYbKQ5/s1600/goo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1QRJgRWInjlVJ_ULnj9nRxmdCNuv02YqHDtqmu-z9hzvSnERUaHKeZiplowp8d_2Zf0VXO00dZLvuWY0JMRGnpoy6UTDWF5sd4DITH-YX45qlCCwNtM3apoyvL5EgHZVMwGSFBiYbKQ5/s320/goo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit gooey for now, but we'll fix that soon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is where I get a little crazy, but stay with me. Embrace it. Add one teaspoon of vanilla. Vanilla is the key to the baking universe--it just makes everything better. (Okay, vanilla and butter. And chocolate.) But for the love of God, only use pure vanilla extract. If I catch you using imitation vanilla, I'll take your spatula away for good.<br />
<br />
Once you've added the vanilla and mixed everything together, you will want to add 1 to 2 cups of quick oats. You can use regular oatmeal, but if you do, I suggest you chop it up in a food processor first. Otherwise the texture of the cookie is too chunky. It's like chewing chunks of newspaper. When the mix starts to look like dough instead of a bowl of oatmeal, you've added enough oatmeal.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXQYOcBUKwoDgxRjx-uGbyOqN1ivCEL6y8LF3D6LUCgmuxdIJtiieDo6flOpb7yH5rX1YxsL7iILePPYC1RZxtIwau9qAO7q32o3ya8AQaJbJmk3MXuFh_TpHKwX1un1Z_yuROx_xGB8T/s1600/P1020295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXQYOcBUKwoDgxRjx-uGbyOqN1ivCEL6y8LF3D6LUCgmuxdIJtiieDo6flOpb7yH5rX1YxsL7iILePPYC1RZxtIwau9qAO7q32o3ya8AQaJbJmk3MXuFh_TpHKwX1un1Z_yuROx_xGB8T/s320/P1020295.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dough! I added 2 cups of oatmeal to this batch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Finally, the most important part: chocolate chips. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboULhtGoUAipuYxChgqBPeouwd04-IIgz5LDXsqdwtAswvuyIQ10zDWKOD5cgTCTmgTnN9y1nfQ-_3z8qb93OlcdoAqxQlDx6SGUT6lO3RsYjcSpq61G_Bp1jJviuv1iCzRPaEyfk8FdV/s1600/3waychips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboULhtGoUAipuYxChgqBPeouwd04-IIgz5LDXsqdwtAswvuyIQ10zDWKOD5cgTCTmgTnN9y1nfQ-_3z8qb93OlcdoAqxQlDx6SGUT6lO3RsYjcSpq61G_Bp1jJviuv1iCzRPaEyfk8FdV/s320/3waychips.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet the Larry, Mo, and Curly of my kitchen. The wiseguys making everything better.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The chips included with the mix are small and few. (Sorry, Betty, but it's true. Acceptance.) I usually add at least 2 cups of chocolate chips when using this mix. Let's review:</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Lz9gvDwr3a6KIWy_CIIeIfhJZRhjmOIKxsdFuukmXSmzd7j9lUdw-dBjMettajeUcQMG64SxgaSPWk9iqkoKdKAq0XXSED-jQsTiaLrNyPuPyfYXI26G0BVprWRZVmA_vrT5NH5tMPK4/s1600/Chips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Lz9gvDwr3a6KIWy_CIIeIfhJZRhjmOIKxsdFuukmXSmzd7j9lUdw-dBjMettajeUcQMG64SxgaSPWk9iqkoKdKAq0XXSED-jQsTiaLrNyPuPyfYXI26G0BVprWRZVmA_vrT5NH5tMPK4/s320/Chips.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper left: milk chocolate; Upper right: semisweet chocolate;Lower left: chips included with mix; Lower left: dark chocolate </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The chips included in the mix are semisweet. You may use any combination of chips that you like, but I added: 1 cup dark chocolate, 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate, and 1/2 cup milk chocolate.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You can also add 1/2 to 1 cup of unsalted pecans to give it a nice nutty balance. (Generally speaking, if you're nutty, I do think it's best to be balanced.) When adding chips, my philosophy is simple: the dough is just the glue to hold the chips together. It's all about the chips. When done adding the chips, it should look something like this:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5LO2y3YIQqNpv1O8GjwNxR0UVzn73OHC6JwsZ53ngKADZktoKXtJTJT_Z51z2fGqxHWy681ltjgiv5eG-EzO8mkNYPGw-JH3-W8HShCoDnSg890DfNLgnC9urw2W5z9jh_IRz34GHzDI/s1600/dough.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5LO2y3YIQqNpv1O8GjwNxR0UVzn73OHC6JwsZ53ngKADZktoKXtJTJT_Z51z2fGqxHWy681ltjgiv5eG-EzO8mkNYPGw-JH3-W8HShCoDnSg890DfNLgnC9urw2W5z9jh_IRz34GHzDI/s320/dough.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No nuts added today...just wasn't in the mood.</td></tr>
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Follow the remaining steps on the back of package and soon enough, you'll have a delicious cookie waiting for you:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRbEiXS2NEyED0cIqRYTQ1ooa3yhuTcH7VlDWPigLYm2R9NOMH_GuQGgIgu5njz8R_zo3nE9gCs3rpG6K18zuccJxJo8km5xK1rIw1VXi7VGdMDeSSRjUcF7GxC4_7JyyPa7VByeEx_Kw/s1600/CookiesNMilk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRbEiXS2NEyED0cIqRYTQ1ooa3yhuTcH7VlDWPigLYm2R9NOMH_GuQGgIgu5njz8R_zo3nE9gCs3rpG6K18zuccJxJo8km5xK1rIw1VXi7VGdMDeSSRjUcF7GxC4_7JyyPa7VByeEx_Kw/s320/CookiesNMilk.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5RnJ9pLG6y2t67lYUOGRfCDWqwWK6Bn2AU-rfV8yVW8LQ_wJCNGt1ah7hBogFV3wRDxqq8zQiIhCB1IFNaArwNRnkAHbX84Ninyr3duRMKpwp4-kFhyEc4OEdfAhZlAS691Y5v9GxT3p/s1600/COokies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5RnJ9pLG6y2t67lYUOGRfCDWqwWK6Bn2AU-rfV8yVW8LQ_wJCNGt1ah7hBogFV3wRDxqq8zQiIhCB1IFNaArwNRnkAHbX84Ninyr3duRMKpwp4-kFhyEc4OEdfAhZlAS691Y5v9GxT3p/s320/COokies.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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No guilt about not starting from scratch. No hipster philosophical discussions about "authenticity." Whatever gets you to the cookie. Have a seat. Pat yourself on the back. Acceptance is a delicious thing--especially with a glass of milk. <br />
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<br />Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978576791588854527.post-55962291254504248382013-10-11T12:57:00.003-04:002013-10-11T17:04:18.821-04:00She's Got Some Nerve! <style>
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<span style="background-color: #76a5af;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Field Trips and Special Guests No. 2:</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #76a5af;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://pattychanganker.com/" target="_blank">Patty Chang Anker</a> has </b></span></i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Patty-Chang-Anker/e/B00CJIY71E" target="_blank">Some Nerve</a></b></span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9RK0KnvJim0B4pwufRn89X75vIeNFJcA9wB1an10mhypzqCKdn3twDD4OtNdYilnb2GdKc9BtPuvEItIgnnb2YADHjoxxRXAyxmuXp16n34xoQcVFfgqP1RHAAUUUUwFbnZ5goFwR-Yj/s1600/PattyPlateo3cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9RK0KnvJim0B4pwufRn89X75vIeNFJcA9wB1an10mhypzqCKdn3twDD4OtNdYilnb2GdKc9BtPuvEItIgnnb2YADHjoxxRXAyxmuXp16n34xoQcVFfgqP1RHAAUUUUwFbnZ5goFwR-Yj/s320/PattyPlateo3cookies.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patty Chang Anker...she's one tough cookie!</td></tr>
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On a crisp fall day not so long ago, my not-so-new new friend, Patty, and I were sitting in Antoinette's, our favorite café, talking about her uplifting new book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Patty-Chang-Anker/e/B00CJIY71E" target="_blank">Some Nerve: Lessons Learned While Becoming Brave</a>. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-QDlyYt9tqdiRKEOWXFKs9k5TQ7b43z-wxNOWatwJihCXA6raLikZJU6hppPMxlBrwuDoolWS-NsQVZ3ypFoz43iF2-0Dy-U7gjbVjon4wFJbXJSFcZVdhlATWRvvyAbEFJtw_FUU63m/s1600/41sdZuZIuML._AA220_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-QDlyYt9tqdiRKEOWXFKs9k5TQ7b43z-wxNOWatwJihCXA6raLikZJU6hppPMxlBrwuDoolWS-NsQVZ3ypFoz43iF2-0Dy-U7gjbVjon4wFJbXJSFcZVdhlATWRvvyAbEFJtw_FUU63m/s1600/41sdZuZIuML._AA220_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's Patty on the cover...diving in!</td></tr>
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Four years ago, Patty had begun a blog, <a href="http://pattychanganker.com/category/facing-forty-upside-down/" target="_blank">Facing Forty Upside Down,</a> chronicling her journey to take charge of her fears (and life) by doggedly facing down one fear at a time. Patty's personal quest soon blossomed into a group effort, as her loyal blog followers joined her and started facing fears of their own. (Including me...I faced down a fear of needles by having acupuncture, but <i>that</i> is another story.) </div>
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So, there we were sipping lattes and talking about her upcoming publication date. It was a few weeks away, and she was planning a "pub. date" celebration, but there was one problem: "I need a <i>Some Nerve</i> cookie!" she confided. Because, of course, no celebration is complete without the perfect treat. </div>
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How could I resist?! "Just tell me what you want," I said, though inside I was already making a list of ingredients. "Something with nerve...with kick," she confided. "And chocolate," I said. I knew just the thing...</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Baking is funny: few failures are beyond redemption. (Unless they involve salt. There is just no way to resuscitate something after over salting.) Many years ago (think 1990s), I stumbled across one recipe--Oatmeal Thumbprints--in my favorite cookie cookbook that was an absolute failure:</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beloved <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rosies-Chocolate-Packed-Jam-Filled-Butter-Rich-No-Holds-Barred/dp/1563055066/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381502670&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=rosie%27s+bakery+all+butter+fresh+cream+sugar+packed+no+holds+barred+baking+book" target="_blank">Rosie's cookbook</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wjErTrfqvOaPobW0lWdEFjbM1PAZw3FSJc8SPGVzG5QDZmKFjJxCJk8lkksHONI0B2IKJRDgth2FRrFS1v4QCrcKqtb20Sw4l6mAR1O7hRBG163lIaG2mfXsDl3yQjYv6svFHCTfFbhi/s1600/OpenBook.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wjErTrfqvOaPobW0lWdEFjbM1PAZw3FSJc8SPGVzG5QDZmKFjJxCJk8lkksHONI0B2IKJRDgth2FRrFS1v4QCrcKqtb20Sw4l6mAR1O7hRBG163lIaG2mfXsDl3yQjYv6svFHCTfFbhi/s320/OpenBook.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oatmeal Thumbprints that were not. See that big X? That's my note to myself: these don't work!</td></tr>
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The problem? The cookies tasted great, but they were flat. Absolutely, positively flat. No thumbprint remained after baking....no matter how many times I made them. I place the blame squarely on the copy editor and proofreader. I am quite sure the recipe was correct when Rosie gave it to them, but somewhere along the line, something went wrong. But the cookie tasted pretty good anyway, and all these years I've thought to myself: "I should do something with that little cookie. Fix it up somehow." Turns out all I needed was some nerve....</div>
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I started with Rosie's Oatmeal Thumbprint That Is Not, and tried a few things to give it a little kick...like this:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to get your ginger on....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-pdqS4y_bkqC3vBbQBlkxV1_4zR52PVPQejmfLVqI6_58xZ2433oh3cwcm4KzC_vgRwHeJ5cOeDL1pY2ibkzSq0Ie467-zJPeWSlVYyvACSsoqKcoOAkIl6cnO0MDoFxEYjxzEzJUgc_/s1600/P1020213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-pdqS4y_bkqC3vBbQBlkxV1_4zR52PVPQejmfLVqI6_58xZ2433oh3cwcm4KzC_vgRwHeJ5cOeDL1pY2ibkzSq0Ie467-zJPeWSlVYyvACSsoqKcoOAkIl6cnO0MDoFxEYjxzEzJUgc_/s200/P1020213.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surely a little Chili Powder would add some kick!</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Suddenly I had plates full of cookies: </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6WpaE8XnswTrj0ACdnvLStie6l4Nt4Z87zdeEmjFweZ6sboF5Wf3rpVumJFwcVTVAY3BQC4FOKYZEy3kvfxsxQDCyJJ_CE8X66AKq2hy3-W4yZSb02YVu86yKeuRBdhNpp9OQ7PxueSI/s1600/3cookiestotry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6WpaE8XnswTrj0ACdnvLStie6l4Nt4Z87zdeEmjFweZ6sboF5Wf3rpVumJFwcVTVAY3BQC4FOKYZEy3kvfxsxQDCyJJ_CE8X66AKq2hy3-W4yZSb02YVu86yKeuRBdhNpp9OQ7PxueSI/s320/3cookiestotry.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many choices: 1/2 dark chocolate & ginger; 1/2 dark chocolate
& ginger & chili powder; covered in dark chocolate with ginger
and chili powder</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">many were half-covered in dark chocolate with ginger and chili powder ("Some Nerve"); a few were fully covered ("Alotta Nerve"). Time to call in the expert...Patty came over to give them a taste...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrvneU9PQcXhtYY8kwfFEvE7MQWarlOgIdDotI97LzBnoPvKoh-rsxSFU8X0-iCkJiT_-fysSStr50c75xSRx8kQMFO74eG2Oj8aj6GSTLKqUHwTQJAQe-d76f6qyERV3tXAeJPGD1U4g/s1600/PattyPlateo3cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrvneU9PQcXhtYY8kwfFEvE7MQWarlOgIdDotI97LzBnoPvKoh-rsxSFU8X0-iCkJiT_-fysSStr50c75xSRx8kQMFO74eG2Oj8aj6GSTLKqUHwTQJAQe-d76f6qyERV3tXAeJPGD1U4g/s320/PattyPlateo3cookies.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Nerve or Alotta Nerve?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Kick!</b></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We agreed that all three were <i>good,</i> but life's too short to eat cookies that are just <i>good.</i> I want a cookie that makes me <i>beg</i> for just 1 more. Something was missing: spice. Pepper? Allspice? Maybe spice in the cookie itself? I was not sure. Time to bring out the big guns: </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeo5-Mj483qW2PSli6sr721hK-Yzwqn0RKqM0DM_djGKZdjptYEyaEbHJCeeQIzLkwJ5oqtIsJl24NnuQuSnDn1WZCHV9M2PmG4I8B7ouyIWHRuvlhCbptnfjcYIzvm-LpzMIgPcS1w05/s1600/MoreResearchNeeded.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeo5-Mj483qW2PSli6sr721hK-Yzwqn0RKqM0DM_djGKZdjptYEyaEbHJCeeQIzLkwJ5oqtIsJl24NnuQuSnDn1WZCHV9M2PmG4I8B7ouyIWHRuvlhCbptnfjcYIzvm-LpzMIgPcS1w05/s320/MoreResearchNeeded.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Dame of my kitchen: <a href="http://americastestkitchen.buysub.com/best-sellers/cook-s-illustrated-cookbook-bks.html" target="_blank">Cook's Illustrated Cookbook</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">After reading a few ginger bread recipes, I decided to add ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to the dough. I nixed the chili powder entirely. But most important of all: I followed a hunch and cut back on the butter from 2 sticks to 1.5. Lord Have Mercy! </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Half a stick of butter: That, my friends, is the difference between success and failure in a thumbprint cookie. Suddenly I had an oatmeal spice thumbprint cookie with more kick than a Rockette in the Macy's Parade. </span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I ran over to Patty's house for a new tasting...she was thrilled! </span></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjja09_npdyE_tqw5IgYivYxyAeK8rzj5DRPcJBdRwKATlAP249c9oiXr3sSStOtwRm5pcOhVMZ1s394JLNZimhja3jqXXq6lEvUgILY3nxdXzVwNTBeHEUhhFitFOoLULgVZW8lgrpwkNZ/s1600/cookies+on+plate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjja09_npdyE_tqw5IgYivYxyAeK8rzj5DRPcJBdRwKATlAP249c9oiXr3sSStOtwRm5pcOhVMZ1s394JLNZimhja3jqXXq6lEvUgILY3nxdXzVwNTBeHEUhhFitFOoLULgVZW8lgrpwkNZ/s320/cookies+on+plate.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>They look so unassuming, but they pack a punch!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlecVYkJ1u8F73h26tM8LAIHk5Q8K3zwHgPoKU-WbuX6kDeXA2i2O2h1JXhe0I6zh9iHYPGJW6JeHJZss8g6_tbMBybaNsZ59W2zcKFnvqIuy5orhzVGPPG6RuGqFJ91UD-OnHVgYzm-uT/s1600/PattyPicksWinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlecVYkJ1u8F73h26tM8LAIHk5Q8K3zwHgPoKU-WbuX6kDeXA2i2O2h1JXhe0I6zh9iHYPGJW6JeHJZss8g6_tbMBybaNsZ59W2zcKFnvqIuy5orhzVGPPG6RuGqFJ91UD-OnHVgYzm-uT/s320/PattyPicksWinner.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Patty even added pepper to hers!</b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="background-color: #76a5af;">It takes Some Nerve to make success out of failure...are you up for the challenge? If so, give these cookies a go!</span></b></span></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>Some Nerve</i> cookie: Oatmeal Spice
Thumbprint Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This glorious little thumbprint cookie looks unassuming but packs a sophisticated punch. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I use dark chocolate with
crystallized ginger to fill in the thumbprint (instead of the traditional jam
filling).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are perfect with a spot of tea
on a crisp fall afternoon or cozied up by the fire with a glass of red wine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1.5 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 teaspoons vanilla extract</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 tablespoon ground ginger</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
¼ teaspoon ground cloves</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
¼ teaspoon salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 ¼ cups quick-cooking oats</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3.5 ounces dark chocolate with crystallized ginger*</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
* <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">You can buy dark chocolate with
crystallized ginger already in it, or you can buy the chocolate and
crystallized ginger separately and make your own by mincing or chopping the
crystallized ginger and adding it to the melted chocolate. </span></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> <br />
<u>First things first</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line your baking sheets with
parchment paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<u>Cream:</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Butter sugar, and vanilla</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mix with a high-speed mixer on medium-to-high for
about 2 minutes, until the ingredients are fluffy.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpyU27L6MvT51DzyT2QMUDNEQrKgn_Md-7csnMnardtNiZE7QEbYnmgLtj84qmy1V1-4K-mwhg2YtN1oCr-XW1RN0HTbiILYp8opU04GZScwAo2fBjfWvhjQYY7Z7Pa3xR3FsBU912lIE/s1600/FluffyBatter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpyU27L6MvT51DzyT2QMUDNEQrKgn_Md-7csnMnardtNiZE7QEbYnmgLtj84qmy1V1-4K-mwhg2YtN1oCr-XW1RN0HTbiILYp8opU04GZScwAo2fBjfWvhjQYY7Z7Pa3xR3FsBU912lIE/s320/FluffyBatter.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fluff, please</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Add:</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Slow the mixer and add the flour, spices, and salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After these are folded together, turn the
mixer to a high speed and beat until well mixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides
of the bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next, turn the mixer to a
low speed and add the oats until completely folded into the dough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now you’re ready to form the cookies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using a teaspoon, scoop out the dough and
form it into a ball by rolling it between the palms of your hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-H89jGSC2L1vt97W6MOQTqqZ_awpFqSGAVv2UNVeAd7hD7Nyt8d4wVrze4Vcg6MwE20KkoNrqJwUc2Br_33wtUPMmHtgQ6N__RrIX3tjUuHk3nigBB84qMCUTNiRZ0Fj3L6SMiYzMybmQ/s1600/BalloDough.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-H89jGSC2L1vt97W6MOQTqqZ_awpFqSGAVv2UNVeAd7hD7Nyt8d4wVrze4Vcg6MwE20KkoNrqJwUc2Br_33wtUPMmHtgQ6N__RrIX3tjUuHk3nigBB84qMCUTNiRZ0Fj3L6SMiYzMybmQ/s200/BalloDough.JPG" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small, round and full of kick!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Place the balls of dough 1.5 to 2 inches
apart on the baking sheet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the
baking sheet is full, use the backside of a ¼ teaspoon measure and make an
indentation into the middle of each cookie:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNffCd8wZb3M1GhGmxoBd2ZAKmS-IuClqQ4xvULehnI3pYYfDSWAKudyNi1BG-iyGDyWkJEQCZnNrF07peM44HBGHq9gOkYDDCNHFbK5nCQGmMEU3DAyp-7p806_TL0SDk-lS9_YtyIjZQ/s1600/1Thumbprint.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNffCd8wZb3M1GhGmxoBd2ZAKmS-IuClqQ4xvULehnI3pYYfDSWAKudyNi1BG-iyGDyWkJEQCZnNrF07peM44HBGHq9gOkYDDCNHFbK5nCQGmMEU3DAyp-7p806_TL0SDk-lS9_YtyIjZQ/s320/1Thumbprint.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be patient. This takes time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Basically, you are making a bowl in the dough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, technically you can use your thumb, but when I do that, I always end up with dough under my nails, a big mess on my hands (literally), and a wonky-looking hole in the cookie. Trust me: the measuring spoon trick is much better. While baking, the cookie will flatten out significantly, but still leave enough
of a rim to hold in the dark chocolate/ginger filling.</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPntVgM1cdIqdrk6pdvcctBiTrK1IIyUb-NLMUiRtE7m0jF7z2jvvTtsF6UY8HQxBq8QHCg-OogkN-knMODVxk2sTAt1bBrqtCKE35cTLXGm5a_DkbOwheadf_CicIZadf2z5ipaWulip5/s1600/MakingTheThumbprint.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPntVgM1cdIqdrk6pdvcctBiTrK1IIyUb-NLMUiRtE7m0jF7z2jvvTtsF6UY8HQxBq8QHCg-OogkN-knMODVxk2sTAt1bBrqtCKE35cTLXGm5a_DkbOwheadf_CicIZadf2z5ipaWulip5/s200/MakingTheThumbprint.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Press gently...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbfEs0WBFYSTa-cJjd6tedWW8HyobhI5dWXrsjNeltDTpbaF2rkbH_KD0W5nOpEZ1vV5LXAlYxJTI5qAx6gsymiEpIy17bNTHKEGO3pfip_M3mEQEyAE7wPu-4UDx_B4TbUEo6dYAVTZh/s1600/MoreThmprints.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbfEs0WBFYSTa-cJjd6tedWW8HyobhI5dWXrsjNeltDTpbaF2rkbH_KD0W5nOpEZ1vV5LXAlYxJTI5qAx6gsymiEpIy17bNTHKEGO3pfip_M3mEQEyAE7wPu-4UDx_B4TbUEo6dYAVTZh/s200/MoreThmprints.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">work patiently...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyypZ4TZC3ffV-tHXDoq_BYviWfgmGXpUuDqZB-sAN8Arni8g4TZyVB1JdZAfTu9djkNO-OsrU9i81mggalb7A3ZPq8SHjagS7DyDuuUsQFUVcyKNvpy9GvFIf5rHItblxWgiiQitID_3/s1600/Most+Thmbprints.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyypZ4TZC3ffV-tHXDoq_BYviWfgmGXpUuDqZB-sAN8Arni8g4TZyVB1JdZAfTu9djkNO-OsrU9i81mggalb7A3ZPq8SHjagS7DyDuuUsQFUVcyKNvpy9GvFIf5rHItblxWgiiQitID_3/s200/Most+Thmbprints.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">almost done!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bake the cookies for 13 minutes—they should be just turning
golden on the edges, like this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqK9uwG8adbinlhAXuLABnkwnp6D_IGaDQVsbcW9EYbbDdyqJamKxthZqoov9mJphQLMFDAS7ECpA_UMPjX5Tzh0DGe1xsnqP2mQyNCX-q84SzD9E7JD5TiRzGWEkZwfq779kFxRO0XkFY/s1600/SuccessfulThumbprintCookies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqK9uwG8adbinlhAXuLABnkwnp6D_IGaDQVsbcW9EYbbDdyqJamKxthZqoov9mJphQLMFDAS7ECpA_UMPjX5Tzh0DGe1xsnqP2mQyNCX-q84SzD9E7JD5TiRzGWEkZwfq779kFxRO0XkFY/s320/SuccessfulThumbprintCookies.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While the cookies
are baking, melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do not have a double boiler (I don’t),
take a medium saucepan and put about 1.5 inches of water in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVwKbsvCJ6-1Fu2Z3ovmJG_yv0nzxDLECHnwOsm6kFd47IDcQ4xtnEHYaKxUTHdPraxDKiHi6Ro0E1gkzM8_XLOSzQytAisI69hXyCVWitu7wQEDOH21hwLPOuOedJWeczKjbaoNkzCtZ/s1600/My+Double+Boiler.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVwKbsvCJ6-1Fu2Z3ovmJG_yv0nzxDLECHnwOsm6kFd47IDcQ4xtnEHYaKxUTHdPraxDKiHi6Ro0E1gkzM8_XLOSzQytAisI69hXyCVWitu7wQEDOH21hwLPOuOedJWeczKjbaoNkzCtZ/s320/My+Double+Boiler.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bring the water to a boil over medium-high
heat, then turn it down to low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put a second, smaller saucepan on
top of the one with the water in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Break the chocolate with crystallized ginger into the smaller saucepan
and stir while it melts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ginger
crystals will not melt, and that it fine.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Once the cookies are done, let them cool for about 5 minutes
before filling with the melted chocolate mixture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scoop about 1/4 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture into each cookie. Once the chocolate has cooled a little
(about 10 minutes or so), you can put the cookies in the fridge or freezer to
help the chocolate set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, you can eat
them straightaway savoring the gooey chocolate center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if you are storing them--whether for
a few days in a cookie jar or a few weeks in the freezer--you want to set the
chocolate first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, they will be
a mess. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And there you have it: small pools of chocolate wonderfulness just waiting to be devoured.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLLnroZsVtu61uln7mRiPBRd5LSz0ecdpbMNAyrErIfZYnDMjdAhwOYP2JyjiN5b3D4KdqiXNVHXHr7CUJLmeOsbxrQVemR9HcvL3awlQQLON7NdxroYOY9flRbUZqynKn44kYq1qp2XX/s1600/WineandCookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLLnroZsVtu61uln7mRiPBRd5LSz0ecdpbMNAyrErIfZYnDMjdAhwOYP2JyjiN5b3D4KdqiXNVHXHr7CUJLmeOsbxrQVemR9HcvL3awlQQLON7NdxroYOY9flRbUZqynKn44kYq1qp2XX/s320/WineandCookies.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who drank all that wine? Oh yeah...oops.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But what I really want to know is this: What failure (or fear) will <i>you</i> turn into sweet success? Let me and <a href="http://pattychanganker.com/category/facing-forty-upside-down/" target="_blank">Patty</a> know! Because surely by now you know: Life's what you bake it!</div>
<br /></div>
Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978576791588854527.post-33064112597835952452013-09-28T12:19:00.001-04:002013-09-28T20:13:50.844-04:00(Caramel) Dreams Can Come True<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some might say it was a bad sign that it was raining. I had to take a cab through the city to get to the airport, and as luck would have it, the cab I was in had a flat tire. The cabby pulled into the parking lot of an office building to ask for help, and to my delight, the office building was dry and warm and (best of all) had cookies. An unattended plate of home-made caramel chocolate chip cookies. Without hesitation or permission, I reached out and chose one--the best one--just for me. It was the most incredible cookie I've ever tasted. Then I woke up. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was the best bad dream ever, and it sent me straight to the kitchen. Before long, I had come up with my Caramel Dream cookie. They take a little more prep time than the average chocolate chip cookie, but <i>I promise</i> they are worth it!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b>Caramel Dream </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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Prepare ahead:</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP-5BMTlPvj680WEjydcwWBeZ5xyjhP7bdiag1aU1NJKiVnIoEOyOiOQ5BGe4Jc2NMYyMd3CXnLhdxgpB1CFk_2x9lmdqMzD_Dib4mLrYaE0r9UJqI93QrtXiGNkBfmuwZtYIwSCtAfUs/s1600/Choc%2526Vanillacaramelswrapped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP-5BMTlPvj680WEjydcwWBeZ5xyjhP7bdiag1aU1NJKiVnIoEOyOiOQ5BGe4Jc2NMYyMd3CXnLhdxgpB1CFk_2x9lmdqMzD_Dib4mLrYaE0r9UJqI93QrtXiGNkBfmuwZtYIwSCtAfUs/s320/Choc%2526Vanillacaramelswrapped.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup chocolate caramels and 1/2 cup vanilla caramels, all cut into quarters</td></tr>
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Make sure the caramels are room temperature when you quarter them. There are many flavors of caramel, but I like chocolate and vanilla the best. Use what you prefer. When the chocolate caramels are quartered, they're going to make a mess:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAP4Qil23OBnD3pAAxyP6qHl2KKH1LYEaXypsoJanFpuCH4A1Ztj7Wg4VsksqYUROghulsAzx3Bj_QGdzj06RWUcLLAWqNNN55vrN-6EpZ-2wkNE1FlObguWFtpgdRcsX89CAwi-JWPPU/s1600/quartered+choco..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAP4Qil23OBnD3pAAxyP6qHl2KKH1LYEaXypsoJanFpuCH4A1Ztj7Wg4VsksqYUROghulsAzx3Bj_QGdzj06RWUcLLAWqNNN55vrN-6EpZ-2wkNE1FlObguWFtpgdRcsX89CAwi-JWPPU/s320/quartered+choco..JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have a choice: eat the crumbs or toss them into the mixing bowl. Big decisions, folks. Big decisions.</td></tr>
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Despite my best efforts, I've become addicted to Riesen chocolate caramels. I am sure there are other brands, but Riesen is all I can seem to think about. They will be my downfall. Once you have quartered the chocolates and measured them, they need to be frozen for at least 30 minutes. (You can skip this step, but you will be awash in a sea of melted caramel when you are done.)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_thouig3bDcbrGS-DpqxQwjOOg0BKfwUuiayty-pZTf2-DOlEuany9SatEWeKq277wqT_1DNJ72bPPJrd96tUU_LbACiMSBlp7sbH42L4nHEYl5f9prVkxrWYs7V4c9sy6xPT1yhhbyn/s1600/quartered+van+caramels.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_thouig3bDcbrGS-DpqxQwjOOg0BKfwUuiayty-pZTf2-DOlEuany9SatEWeKq277wqT_1DNJ72bPPJrd96tUU_LbACiMSBlp7sbH42L4nHEYl5f9prVkxrWYs7V4c9sy6xPT1yhhbyn/s320/quartered+van+caramels.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know the recipe only calls for 1/2 cup of vanilla caramels, but a little more can't hurt, can it?</td></tr>
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Once your caramels are in the fridge, fire up your oven to 350 degrees and <i>get those cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. </i> Seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t, the
melted caramel will be a killer to clean up after baking and even worse if you skip the freezing step. I can prove it:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNRy7mrCkJZVFvT-Mrej6MHoFZVvtrq6JALbGc-WKk1xO56Xq54qk1gutzFoskLZifuGv4zj7O_8s7ndDeMJn9ghvCwiBLF3fbdf7gTaMJoZ7M4tDQzV4z87D0yGGpifWGNCMxJIJdgCv/s1600/lined+pan+mess.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNRy7mrCkJZVFvT-Mrej6MHoFZVvtrq6JALbGc-WKk1xO56Xq54qk1gutzFoskLZifuGv4zj7O_8s7ndDeMJn9ghvCwiBLF3fbdf7gTaMJoZ7M4tDQzV4z87D0yGGpifWGNCMxJIJdgCv/s320/lined+pan+mess.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Best case scenario: the caramels were frozen for 30 minutes before baking.</span></td></tr>
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The vanilla caramels tend to behave better than the chocolate when baking. Regardless, the caramels that end up on the edge of the cookie will melt away from it. You can try to make sure the caramels are somewhat hidden within the dough before baking, but as the cookie spreads during baking, some of the caramels inevitably end up on the edge and seep out onto the pan. (What can I say? If you want tidy baking, go visit with <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/" target="_blank">Martha</a>.) </div>
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Speaking of Martha, I have issues with parchment paper. I love it, but it drives me nuts. It's too stiff and never fits the pan right, etc. One day when I have free time (two weeks after never), I will go to a specialty store and buy parchment paper sheets, instead of rolls. Yes, I know silicone baking sheets are an option, but those have to be cleaned. I <i>love </i>crumpling and tossing the parchment paper when I'm done.</div>
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Those 30 minutes are ticking by....time to get going on the dough:</div>
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<b>Cream:</b></div>
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1 stick unsalted butter
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½ cup packed brown sugar</div>
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½ cup granulated sugar</div>
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<b>Add:</b></div>
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2 eggs (one at a time)</div>
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2 ¾ c. flour</div>
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1 tsp. soda</div>
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1 tsp. salt</div>
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1 ½ tsp. vanilla</div>
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<b>Slowly add:</b></div>
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1 to 1 ½ cups dark chocolate chips</div>
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1 cup semisweet chocolate chips</div>
your quartered and frozen caramels<br />
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Once everything thing is mixed well, ferret out your sea salt. <br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Drop cookies onto your lined cookie sheet by the teaspoonful, placing them <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>about two inches apart. Salt
<i>lightly </i>with sea salt before baking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly brown on top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as the cookies are done, salt the tops
<i>lightly</i> again with sea salt. Don’t even think about removing them from the pan
until they’ve cooled for at least 5 minutes; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they’ll fall apart
if you do.
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Once the cookies have cooled for at least 5 minutes, pick them up one at a time and trim the mess with kitchen scissors:</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd77saoQL9bySh0p2SMvPm1QwzSEw3dbYg1KSjAlX-mGQCJpH9fPtT8ZuWawavBM97T2Q9R4XhhfO6jV6TuO0lZwe2Djemio8IUpfPKxkuh4-QmmNKjClGK-OdNOkG6XxiwESB7wlcEabC/s1600/Mess.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd77saoQL9bySh0p2SMvPm1QwzSEw3dbYg1KSjAlX-mGQCJpH9fPtT8ZuWawavBM97T2Q9R4XhhfO6jV6TuO0lZwe2Djemio8IUpfPKxkuh4-QmmNKjClGK-OdNOkG6XxiwESB7wlcEabC/s320/Mess.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit of a mess? Maybe...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYVMmzUGlHkCTe6-X460u7meoboo_OCP6JEKSRhDSIOaDCToUqlO6fpmIOF7_XaQsOfhyzN6ccStlZm1jwb5-18zCQFVmjQoGyUpUnnL2RnQHVHlEOxmXi097-6VZv73a6774BkwqLY5n/s1600/Trim+the+mess.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYVMmzUGlHkCTe6-X460u7meoboo_OCP6JEKSRhDSIOaDCToUqlO6fpmIOF7_XaQsOfhyzN6ccStlZm1jwb5-18zCQFVmjQoGyUpUnnL2RnQHVHlEOxmXi097-6VZv73a6774BkwqLY5n/s320/Trim+the+mess.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...but we can fix that.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you're lucky enough to have a cooling rack, place the trimmed cookies on them to finish cooling. If not, wing it. I just got my first cooling racks last week (thanks Mom!), so I promise they will not make or break the recipe. However, I <i>do </i>love them now that I have them. </div>
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Collect all the caramel trimmings and feed them to people who will love you for it (or yourself). Or toss them. When all is said and done, you'll have these beauties waiting for you:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSzEbzA1L7xI6xrSoiXSs4ZHk-I2jYNKQeyRt5oXGLfUNxrXCEc1obn38wEkj6p4bk_1u8bbM_pWCNOG8w2MkmYrFLQERLMpRdvvH0VwaAh9iO3WK8m30HLBaoJwHDM0R7INcBcwEZURX/s1600/A+beautiful+batch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSzEbzA1L7xI6xrSoiXSs4ZHk-I2jYNKQeyRt5oXGLfUNxrXCEc1obn38wEkj6p4bk_1u8bbM_pWCNOG8w2MkmYrFLQERLMpRdvvH0VwaAh9iO3WK8m30HLBaoJwHDM0R7INcBcwEZURX/s320/A+beautiful+batch.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's the milk? Do not tell me you forgot the milk!?</td></tr>
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So, that's it. Except for one thing: How will you make <i>your</i> dream come true? Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978576791588854527.post-6660510497512421352013-09-27T16:16:00.001-04:002013-09-27T16:16:33.267-04:00A Welcome Diversion (or two or three)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Few things start a weekend better than a fresh batch of cookies. The craving? <b>Caramel Dream,</b> my very own cookie recipe, which I dreamed up over the summer. But first, some details:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvT8YOdhog3DH5rsoathslS2dRuTGy_f8EQYMJ1bE-Pik1Ae1KO2Hi0ginYCTyHpPAoBmQCmZfhpT4MQceLHWavEL4hMFUOXYYUk4nT9pUcKE9WYat50ueNl-AYOja9tJMu7nEbzqeTjm/s1600/papertowel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvT8YOdhog3DH5rsoathslS2dRuTGy_f8EQYMJ1bE-Pik1Ae1KO2Hi0ginYCTyHpPAoBmQCmZfhpT4MQceLHWavEL4hMFUOXYYUk4nT9pUcKE9WYat50ueNl-AYOja9tJMu7nEbzqeTjm/s200/papertowel.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wet paper towel...yum!</td></tr>
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Wet a paper towel. Just trust me on this one. I am going to teach you a trick that my friend, Chef Jason (Nejberger) taught me. (I admit I was completely embarrassed that I did not know it already. I comforted myself with: <i>That's why he's the chef.)</i> If you are going to use a cutting board (and to make the Caramel Dream cookies, you are), first wet a paper towel and put it on the counter and then put the cutting board on top of it. Viola! Your cutting board won't slip. Your fingers and thumb will thank you. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, let's get down to business. After you fix up your cutting board, you'll need chocolate and vanilla caramels:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bWOjSl01ZH4ERhSMO7-TSg-Tu66YF__XwNtISyJDC8XMpFZ_SNh_TobSyFl9joPuvv77oxhfb6JwN4L388SMI3nBGJlJgUbCokVt3wyMhWWvUWFzj5h_xTcfbjSvcAkTnzmUA3_lhgyR/s1600/Caramel%2526Coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bWOjSl01ZH4ERhSMO7-TSg-Tu66YF__XwNtISyJDC8XMpFZ_SNh_TobSyFl9joPuvv77oxhfb6JwN4L388SMI3nBGJlJgUbCokVt3wyMhWWvUWFzj5h_xTcfbjSvcAkTnzmUA3_lhgyR/s400/Caramel%2526Coffee.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caramels for now...<a href="http://www.giacobean.com/" target="_blank">Giacobean</a> coffee for later</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Each of these little beauties needs to be unwrapped...you may eat two (2) of each flavor. No more. No less.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP-5BMTlPvj680WEjydcwWBeZ5xyjhP7bdiag1aU1NJKiVnIoEOyOiOQ5BGe4Jc2NMYyMd3CXnLhdxgpB1CFk_2x9lmdqMzD_Dib4mLrYaE0r9UJqI93QrtXiGNkBfmuwZtYIwSCtAfUs/s1600/Choc%2526Vanillacaramelswrapped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP-5BMTlPvj680WEjydcwWBeZ5xyjhP7bdiag1aU1NJKiVnIoEOyOiOQ5BGe4Jc2NMYyMd3CXnLhdxgpB1CFk_2x9lmdqMzD_Dib4mLrYaE0r9UJqI93QrtXiGNkBfmuwZtYIwSCtAfUs/s200/Choc%2526Vanillacaramelswrapped.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So modest in their wrappers...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MOm6C5FEfiClXohwWoa0A7_UCGM-U5RSjQt9nSsz_r5cwtL1mE7fCNrYg_xA07L3z0t17zKn6gOK8tpuA4fdOK3pVZHsiodGgmIA5WNoBtVoqXTyk9Ur8a1Ei4KglrGllOe4YCVOq6Qq/s1600/caramelsunwrapped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MOm6C5FEfiClXohwWoa0A7_UCGM-U5RSjQt9nSsz_r5cwtL1mE7fCNrYg_xA07L3z0t17zKn6gOK8tpuA4fdOK3pVZHsiodGgmIA5WNoBtVoqXTyk9Ur8a1Ei4KglrGllOe4YCVOq6Qq/s200/caramelsunwrapped.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...yet oh so irresistible</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAP4Qil23OBnD3pAAxyP6qHl2KKH1LYEaXypsoJanFpuCH4A1Ztj7Wg4VsksqYUROghulsAzx3Bj_QGdzj06RWUcLLAWqNNN55vrN-6EpZ-2wkNE1FlObguWFtpgdRcsX89CAwi-JWPPU/s1600/quartered+choco..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAP4Qil23OBnD3pAAxyP6qHl2KKH1LYEaXypsoJanFpuCH4A1Ztj7Wg4VsksqYUROghulsAzx3Bj_QGdzj06RWUcLLAWqNNN55vrN-6EpZ-2wkNE1FlObguWFtpgdRcsX89CAwi-JWPPU/s200/quartered+choco..JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, the chocolate ones will be messy. You <i>must</i> eat the crumbs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now get out the big knife (and if you are not thinking of Nicolas Cage in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7yK8cuP1Bw" target="_blank">Moonstruck</a>,
you should be), and quarter all of them. Yes, it takes a little time,
but it's so very worth it. I promise. It's not hard...You'll need 1/2 cup of the chocolate caramels and 1/2 cup of the vanilla ones. Once the little morsels of delight are quartered, put them in the freezer for 30 minutes. You'll be tempted not to, I know. You'll want to forge ahead, moving straight to the baking. Patience, my friend. Patience. If you do not freeze the caramels now, then when you bake them, the mess will be much greater than you ever imagined possible. Freezing the caramels makes them behave better during the baking. I learned this the hard way. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrybzX-Yx-I0ZIaEf4RIVCkQfneHtCHgUhBLFRJo7hEkTRz9y53R-ntMvVninG_2UC1kn8h2JrbuVc7H_5kgIcCjC3hFzANUHPR2vb2sxNrIb8L7yP-JiOpSVlrso46aXVrROQ-FJI8sHO/s1600/quartered+van+caramels.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrybzX-Yx-I0ZIaEf4RIVCkQfneHtCHgUhBLFRJo7hEkTRz9y53R-ntMvVninG_2UC1kn8h2JrbuVc7H_5kgIcCjC3hFzANUHPR2vb2sxNrIb8L7yP-JiOpSVlrso46aXVrROQ-FJI8sHO/s200/quartered+van+caramels.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh no! You quartered more than 1/2 cup!? You may eat the difference. You're welcome. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had just put the caramels in the freezer, and things were humming along nicely in the kitchen, when the doorbell rang. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was Frank and Omar, the delivery guys. They had driven up from Texas with 9 boxes (9!) of irreplaceable treasure from my parents. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhencLpXmI5NcoowqmbRYeCgZLrx6Lwe24QKiMHQlNFkeZd3EGR5AncQ2zXYOSX__TqETtXP-UKAzQqo4wfPPgSemPk2U5i_gPDCnri4DkSD4oGuIRh6B2eoW19fsE9fkA3BKycvhTG0a76/s1600/BOXES.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhencLpXmI5NcoowqmbRYeCgZLrx6Lwe24QKiMHQlNFkeZd3EGR5AncQ2zXYOSX__TqETtXP-UKAzQqo4wfPPgSemPk2U5i_gPDCnri4DkSD4oGuIRh6B2eoW19fsE9fkA3BKycvhTG0a76/s320/BOXES.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I was no longer Betty Crocker. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmxAVvwDqEZFjkdH2FKgODv8oWx0Q8FDaD3bUBYLfkoJ4huJWEZZ25lO1GP06MVUaPxUBPRPyGWz6qfgbIYOnPbM3ORwfOQhZdZDs4WZN0-_q6zoYaFw9fladTOZTWgpoDGnVN9mkudRW/s1600/P1020158+-+Version+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmxAVvwDqEZFjkdH2FKgODv8oWx0Q8FDaD3bUBYLfkoJ4huJWEZZ25lO1GP06MVUaPxUBPRPyGWz6qfgbIYOnPbM3ORwfOQhZdZDs4WZN0-_q6zoYaFw9fladTOZTWgpoDGnVN9mkudRW/s320/P1020158+-+Version+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AicN2vezy_k" target="_blank">Ralph Phillips</a> in Looney Tunes, </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjIE51eArYo227cRV4d3rQEosMYgUfalXW43HhXDtk8t6Gk23SO5mHsG2C2kHmdP7yrI-f_c7JulZkufmjj4lF00lrxQY9hZCXXjcErw2NhEgvKZW0i4t_19pmXwp9C_vfOu1SioFStVG/s1600/ralph030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjIE51eArYo227cRV4d3rQEosMYgUfalXW43HhXDtk8t6Gk23SO5mHsG2C2kHmdP7yrI-f_c7JulZkufmjj4lF00lrxQY9hZCXXjcErw2NhEgvKZW0i4t_19pmXwp9C_vfOu1SioFStVG/s320/ralph030.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ralph Phillips in <i>From A to Z-Z-Z-Z</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but instead of daydreaming about being a bird, I was daydreaming about the boxes. Full of treasure. I should have known perfectly well what was in those boxes (I packed them a few months ago), but I can't remember what I had for breakfast, much less what I did months ago. I knew it was good stuff, but I just couldn't remember exactly what all the good stuff (NINE BOXES!) was. Looking at these boxes made me realize:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I could go for what is behind Door #1 (bake cookies) <i>or</i> go for what is behind Boxes #1-9. BOXES! I totally went for the boxes and forgot all about those caramels in the freezer. Did I mention there were 9 boxes? I was a little excited. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here is what I promise: I will <i>not </i>include photos and lists of all the treasure I found. However, I will delight you with important cookie treasure from my mom, to wit:</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-MzoI9gZCYlToju7OM8lWbEfAGGjCVAXJIc4lxJiyXSV4ar2zgSiRGb_QpTtv2J2Gp-jaHRkZFw00G5txYgxdGFpqVK4pj1niDkBJgUx-AC86bmJdSEQsh-JgTk-0MnF1sIJ-UmRckRg/s1600/Peanuts%2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-MzoI9gZCYlToju7OM8lWbEfAGGjCVAXJIc4lxJiyXSV4ar2zgSiRGb_QpTtv2J2Gp-jaHRkZFw00G5txYgxdGFpqVK4pj1niDkBJgUx-AC86bmJdSEQsh-JgTk-0MnF1sIJ-UmRckRg/s320/Peanuts%2521.JPG" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peanuts! (hypo-allergenic)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSODwIlDLhabcNJnvxtbim8GO8N6KENXzCpA5fY7TfmFJIH7c4nO8p2zS_xdzqVpCVyLjR14TatE7_j2lk3m5eWxsRApYNga54Qxuk2kNh9DazDvX6oFuSTFt_RRvtUjD9lid8RU8pst7/s1600/Bridge+Anyone%253F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSODwIlDLhabcNJnvxtbim8GO8N6KENXzCpA5fY7TfmFJIH7c4nO8p2zS_xdzqVpCVyLjR14TatE7_j2lk3m5eWxsRApYNga54Qxuk2kNh9DazDvX6oFuSTFt_RRvtUjD9lid8RU8pst7/s200/Bridge+Anyone%253F.JPG" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hosting bridge club this week? Surely you'll want to make sugar cookies that are perfectly suited to the occasion.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIVEEeinY6DFEsg16zDA65gG7EAB9alKymFjzORKhZUEJP5FWs0WhQ99qt-3W-t-cvwxNv1BAnWeZ_tu9GYmw0yzYtU3NajNtCIi8GYVAz1L5VddDX8A9BXqEEZC0CXlbiPktsqq1h9Kd/s1600/CookieCuttersfromTX.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIVEEeinY6DFEsg16zDA65gG7EAB9alKymFjzORKhZUEJP5FWs0WhQ99qt-3W-t-cvwxNv1BAnWeZ_tu9GYmw0yzYtU3NajNtCIi8GYVAz1L5VddDX8A9BXqEEZC0CXlbiPktsqq1h9Kd/s400/CookieCuttersfromTX.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No less than 3 (THREE!) vintage cookie decorating presses.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My well-planned cookie baking was way off track. I was in deep and not likely to correct course anytime soon. (Other people, like <a href="http://victoriaelizabethbarnes.com/" target="_blank">Victoria Elizabeth Barnes</a>, welcome diversion as well. It's not to be confused with <i>distraction,</i> an entirely different thing.) </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Suddenly, a little voice in my head was saying, "You know, you have a pretty big collection of cookie cutters." And I was saying back to myself, "No, I don't. I don't collect cookie cutters." And the voice said, "Yes, you do. I dare you to take them all out." And just like the 4th grade boy on the back of the bus who can't say no to being dared to aim a spitball at the back of the cute girl's head, I say to myself: "Fine. I'll do it!" Which is how I found myself taking a picture of these:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0xPO94e8UndIlNBxoX7HZdMHITFhczRCDtUxpR7Kl8WmPbUp7DnP_Hoz866rWZ7BYNmC6LjJWUiodVuONBRhgH4zOhn_5zLFlB5JJBW4jILLvi8tFhP0jMDNqTXmJLxYR8Np1EImNDVf/s1600/Collection+Above.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0xPO94e8UndIlNBxoX7HZdMHITFhczRCDtUxpR7Kl8WmPbUp7DnP_Hoz866rWZ7BYNmC6LjJWUiodVuONBRhgH4zOhn_5zLFlB5JJBW4jILLvi8tFhP0jMDNqTXmJLxYR8Np1EImNDVf/s400/Collection+Above.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All my cookie cutter friends</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I bet you don't have one of these:</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRihvmKIySx-zQs-EFcfVvv7YKNtcA9uj-nvvLxNfok2hnBmHuuuXDZms4wXgIPySvlwoNZ5djiZA13IwvG_vo6d47xmpl4Ay_quB9wSyNuE9NVjNfdwyXiazJSwr_f_d0gCSI_t8ICJ3/s1600/Cassini+cutter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRihvmKIySx-zQs-EFcfVvv7YKNtcA9uj-nvvLxNfok2hnBmHuuuXDZms4wXgIPySvlwoNZ5djiZA13IwvG_vo6d47xmpl4Ay_quB9wSyNuE9NVjNfdwyXiazJSwr_f_d0gCSI_t8ICJ3/s200/Cassini+cutter.JPG" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the Cassini satellite. Space cookies!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Here are the best in show:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlMI2g2ZvpQ2fPw0iisWLZs6VlLqj3ZhZMjoJxGK8bCerJkCoz45BkKoyCaUGCorkdPnzPHka39omzxfE_yxX4Lig74rvr35dOwrqA_rx6-gzbN-Vyq0o45x5kEjFDFIKPa0ITw4JNZzM/s1600/elephantcutter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlMI2g2ZvpQ2fPw0iisWLZs6VlLqj3ZhZMjoJxGK8bCerJkCoz45BkKoyCaUGCorkdPnzPHka39omzxfE_yxX4Lig74rvr35dOwrqA_rx6-gzbN-Vyq0o45x5kEjFDFIKPa0ITw4JNZzM/s320/elephantcutter.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My elephant, plain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR36pr-w7K37R54FopL8SlBc7Ak_PggcbWobR_aWA3JQDeiClNyjyWjasjHvkMVwtEiKMNenD0bBr9PS5478CnOBRQtXDqO3bpgoy2rYU1gHWxai8jkY_BZLU21ZbNqJt9-x0EJWMP75Ig/s1600/elephantcookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR36pr-w7K37R54FopL8SlBc7Ak_PggcbWobR_aWA3JQDeiClNyjyWjasjHvkMVwtEiKMNenD0bBr9PS5478CnOBRQtXDqO3bpgoy2rYU1gHWxai8jkY_BZLU21ZbNqJt9-x0EJWMP75Ig/s320/elephantcookie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My elephant, pink <i>and </i>sparkly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyqVAJVAMPJSKwUejK2launfU3VV3aSp0RjJpX1W3eKEo2ETq675n6iNmv6o44BBjOQGt2iv_AC_Jw487Lk7kAomZujV-tDWYDuzLit6VvZ_3aHDRdqQUVBy3iKX2ugeGj7PxZ1qcJu6c/s1600/teapotcutter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyqVAJVAMPJSKwUejK2launfU3VV3aSp0RjJpX1W3eKEo2ETq675n6iNmv6o44BBjOQGt2iv_AC_Jw487Lk7kAomZujV-tDWYDuzLit6VvZ_3aHDRdqQUVBy3iKX2ugeGj7PxZ1qcJu6c/s320/teapotcutter.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm a little tea pot...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUnjMTaS2HbUm5QQkkRFReUATeeEgUl13KfMAOYRVQldB0PUC6gavG-ya4Ro_XKM4Al4REKZG6uuBpgCMXAXgTYIJC3CZhoxuv3avyTI-MvVPG9rnUwM7kK3KpBhho4-VVn5oPBmfYA0-/s1600/teapotcookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUnjMTaS2HbUm5QQkkRFReUATeeEgUl13KfMAOYRVQldB0PUC6gavG-ya4Ro_XKM4Al4REKZG6uuBpgCMXAXgTYIJC3CZhoxuv3avyTI-MvVPG9rnUwM7kK3KpBhho4-VVn5oPBmfYA0-/s320/teapotcookie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm a little tea pot all gussied up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Then I stopped and took a deep breath and thought: <i> I do have a lot of cookie cutters. </i> <i>Funny how that happened. I could make sugar cookies now that they are all out. </i>But sugar cookies don't have chocolate, and I really wanted chocolate. And chocolate means caramel chocolate chip, which means: I needed to check on the caramels, which had been in the freezer for <i>hours. </i>Which makes me realize: some days are about the diversions. If you are lucky enough to have one, go with it. The cookies can wait.</div>
Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978576791588854527.post-33937633963934681302013-09-19T17:04:00.000-04:002013-10-02T12:08:22.310-04:00Field Trip 101...as Simple as Black and White<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Welcome to the inaugural edition of <b>Field Trips and Special Guests, </b>in which I bake with a friend and solve the world's problems. (All in a day's blog.)</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLVZe4NZ-46f7A5cUq6KV_kvmy-52vzPA3TaLgPQ4smcX5pF3rneSPh1hEZSeh9L5uA5mfH2Ew-Y5HoiSpLGyQyAIKaIsZUFUVH8klgnmW0drYOJ2Nv3MXlmVJpw6naN96oq_G7W4oSli/s1600/Black%2526Whitechicken.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLVZe4NZ-46f7A5cUq6KV_kvmy-52vzPA3TaLgPQ4smcX5pF3rneSPh1hEZSeh9L5uA5mfH2Ew-Y5HoiSpLGyQyAIKaIsZUFUVH8klgnmW0drYOJ2Nv3MXlmVJpw6naN96oq_G7W4oSli/s320/Black%2526Whitechicken.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City chick: Alfonso</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Perhaps with the exception of Alfonso, an incredibly sophisticated Barred Rock chicken, few things in life are black and white. Everywhere we turn, we are faced with partisanship. City or country? Republican or Democrat? Chocolate or Vanilla? What's more, I learned this week that partisanship actually <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marty-kaplan/most-depressing-brain-fin_b_3932273.html" target="_blank">makes you stupid.</a> (Thanks for the heads up, <a href="http://www.sistersgrimm.com/" target="_blank">Michael Buckley</a>.) Suddenly this conundrum was keeping me up at night, so I decided to get professional help to put things in perspective. I went straight to Lori--she's one of my dearest friends AND a psychologist. (A two-fer!) <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfuDdJwnhQUH4rJ6-PZU6n0LvjSFRESW7pzf71DU16GlYEQHiqVKnq5VO2Dfj9SmrwIJzbkGjDoA_gtu6h5g49jsOlGIFT28CJWl9yoHmjTSVVuDQKS_SBSvnMVQJ7zTjDha3nVdk9rPu/s1600/baseballcookie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfuDdJwnhQUH4rJ6-PZU6n0LvjSFRESW7pzf71DU16GlYEQHiqVKnq5VO2Dfj9SmrwIJzbkGjDoA_gtu6h5g49jsOlGIFT28CJWl9yoHmjTSVVuDQKS_SBSvnMVQJ7zTjDha3nVdk9rPu/s320/baseballcookie.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Lori! She's the best.</td></tr>
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Lori was happy to help me through my crisis, and just like that, I'm sitting at her kitchen table solving the world's problems (you're welcome). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyOx7mhvLPnr3GhudLDaInvd2j5YTMef7O9FZR0QGsoFH0IrN2YW-TdpVOEAeE6bsQhxEEbMuNrNWqCZrmqVm5GONJaJji2SqRm0ITxA457Svpkizg07EgcuEw28-u0YFs0e4jAFL4hMx/s1600/Lori'skitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyOx7mhvLPnr3GhudLDaInvd2j5YTMef7O9FZR0QGsoFH0IrN2YW-TdpVOEAeE6bsQhxEEbMuNrNWqCZrmqVm5GONJaJji2SqRm0ITxA457Svpkizg07EgcuEw28-u0YFs0e4jAFL4hMx/s320/Lori'skitchen.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ohhhh...that's a professional Kitchen Aid MixMaster.</td></tr>
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Sure, Lori's PhD means she's
great in a crisis, but what really counts is that she's a baker par
excellence. (She's even had her own baking business.) Somehow we would bake our way out of this conundrum together. Like any good
therapist baker, she sat me down, and we attacked the problem by consulting the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders" target="_blank">DSM-V</a> of baking: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Illustrated-Cooks-Magazine-Editors/dp/0936184752/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379538685&sr=1-1&keywords=baker%27s+illustrated" target="_blank">Baking Illustrated.</a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeq9lZc7BvnOdbMcuyU_KXecYk4AdtKnfZGiS2OM8qlkek2R7ErBj8L6xUILhyKjzzbDA7Krlu3xPKt1Wko4UH0_X1VAbA-tVNPgb3CgtW4u_itdr3rsIPmQcfrltPdGzr1w0TOIUR7xl/s320/Baker%2527s+illustrated.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="307" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The well-loved keeper of all things sweet.</td></tr>
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The key to answering the partisan problems began on page 448: <i>Black and White Cookies.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFDB5f0gQtTYkDIXB87VXyfgRX8n57HfC5eQvSFmRdzKmwI0pbx4U_RFDLEVO3XORhNOORQeGKDjZz7sLJASsT3SU98K3CLDyasVJzfoRAI2jeW60DSsAwL9H3EsUdfRqlZ3pDHtfGaPj/s1600/Black%2526WhiteCookieRecipe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFDB5f0gQtTYkDIXB87VXyfgRX8n57HfC5eQvSFmRdzKmwI0pbx4U_RFDLEVO3XORhNOORQeGKDjZz7sLJASsT3SU98K3CLDyasVJzfoRAI2jeW60DSsAwL9H3EsUdfRqlZ3pDHtfGaPj/s320/Black%2526WhiteCookieRecipe.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best thing about Baking Illustrated? The helpful hints! (NO lemon flavor! What <i>were</i> you thinking?!)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeq9lZc7BvnOdbMcuyU_KXecYk4AdtKnfZGiS2OM8qlkek2R7ErBj8L6xUILhyKjzzbDA7Krlu3xPKt1Wko4UH0_X1VAbA-tVNPgb3CgtW4u_itdr3rsIPmQcfrltPdGzr1w0TOIUR7xl/s1600/Baker%2527s+illustrated.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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There are those (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlLPAIrmqvE" target="_blank">Jerry Seinfeld</a>) who take one look at the Black and White cookie and think of racial harmony. Or yin and yang. If you are from New York City, you instantly recognize the Black and White at the city's signature cookie. But not everyone concurs. Note that if you go to Boston, it's known as the "Half Moon." (Thanks, Red Sox Nation.) But I am troubled. How can it represent all that is right if the chocolate and vanilla are separate? How can it be the cookie of harmony if we can't even agree on its name? Again with the partisanship. Undaunted, Lori and I persevered. First, the cookie ingredients:</div>
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<b>The Cookie</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah, King Arthur Flour, my love. My one and only.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">4 cups (16 oz.) plain cake four</span></div>
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This is a serious recipe. When a recipe gives measurements in more than one way (cups <i>and </i>ounces!) and gives lengthy descriptions of butter and egg temperatures, you are in the presence of greatness. It also means you better pay attention to the details:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what room temperature organic eggs and butter look like. Wait! They look just like regular eggs and butter. (The kettle is on for tea.)</td></tr>
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Lori has incredibly high standards, which is why eating at her house is sublime and baking with her makes me feel slightly lazy. Everything she uses (from equipment to ingredients) is top notch--that's what being a pro will do to you. It's awesome. But it's also awesome to be the schleppy home baker (me) who is perfectly happy baking up a batch with whatever is in the cupboard. Mix and match, my cookie-loving friends. Whatever gets you to the cookie. </div>
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These little pockets of wonderfulness are going to bake at 375 degrees, so Lori gets the oven going and moves the racks to the lower and upper middle of her oven. Folks, do yourself a favor: know your oven. Know how it heats (Evenly? I doubt it.). Know how they run (20 degrees hot or cold)? With baking, <i>it matters.</i> And for the love of god, buy some parchment paper. Life's too short to wash cookie sheets.</div>
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I watch, mesmerized, as Lori gets to work. Yeah, yeah, I know how to bake, but Lori's a pro. She combines the dry stuff and sets it aside (boring), but then she gets to work creaming the butter and adding the sugar. She sets her awesome MixMaster to work, and we realize we have a few minutes to wait while the butter and sugar get fluffier and fluffier. The perfect time to visit Lori's chickens! A few steps out the door, and here we are chatting with the ladies:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like to call them the Kitchen Chickens--it's just fun to say.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLVZe4NZ-46f7A5cUq6KV_kvmy-52vzPA3TaLgPQ4smcX5pF3rneSPh1hEZSeh9L5uA5mfH2Ew-Y5HoiSpLGyQyAIKaIsZUFUVH8klgnmW0drYOJ2Nv3MXlmVJpw6naN96oq_G7W4oSli/s1600/Black%2526Whitechicken.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLVZe4NZ-46f7A5cUq6KV_kvmy-52vzPA3TaLgPQ4smcX5pF3rneSPh1hEZSeh9L5uA5mfH2Ew-Y5HoiSpLGyQyAIKaIsZUFUVH8klgnmW0drYOJ2Nv3MXlmVJpw6naN96oq_G7W4oSli/s200/Black%2526Whitechicken.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's Alfonso (again)...of course the black & white chicken is Lori's! </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The butter and sugar are ready when they look like this:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWpX4fAAZaKR9Zo5svT3qz_j4lMGwoyCoDVWINA_rPn9Jex9T7KGiisDzNrQJG4oonU8piPrD52F88tNFxssJyk7ix_9WMYyVnd-C5pNZpotOyxlXVwqql1dIhUtiKcAOxvrcVRTQXv8P/s1600/Fluffy+butter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWpX4fAAZaKR9Zo5svT3qz_j4lMGwoyCoDVWINA_rPn9Jex9T7KGiisDzNrQJG4oonU8piPrD52F88tNFxssJyk7ix_9WMYyVnd-C5pNZpotOyxlXVwqql1dIhUtiKcAOxvrcVRTQXv8P/s320/Fluffy+butter.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It takes time to get this kind of fluff...be patient!</td></tr>
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Now it's time to add the eggs, vanilla and lemon extract. Make sure you scrape down the sides and the bottom so that it is all mixed very well. The mixer won't just do it all for you. If the butter isn't mixed evenly, the cookies will not bake evenly. Period. Set the mixer on low and add a little of the flour mixture. Then the milk. Then the flour. Then the milk. Then the flour. Then the milk. Then the flour. (You should be done now.) </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOt2IIDBptROEUGkGS5gTlbyoQilmiMka0dzCLdKVWSf-iTIIrmKEz7TVa3DTCUtrX8qKZCriNli7OlurFImyNZjDVjNGahsCqw2uo9E1w9sZf1hGwuGlwQxUKmv-DWTn825AMXMlKiYd7/s1600/Loripours.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOt2IIDBptROEUGkGS5gTlbyoQilmiMka0dzCLdKVWSf-iTIIrmKEz7TVa3DTCUtrX8qKZCriNli7OlurFImyNZjDVjNGahsCqw2uo9E1w9sZf1hGwuGlwQxUKmv-DWTn825AMXMlKiYd7/s400/Loripours.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's a pro, but you <i>can</i> and <i>should</i> attempt this at home.</td></tr>
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Now comes the tricky part. These cookies, as Lori pointed out, are really little cupcake tops. This means that you need to treat them accordingly. You're baking a cake. (And here you thought it was just a blog about cookies--try to stay with me, because we're <i>way</i> outside the box today.) To follow proper cake protocol, you must taste the batter to make sure it is good. (YES, you must!)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2I-jS46noJdhkPjD07YwhmDQDE0ckC0WgoE7dadWsehqMzXnBcX4xGwT2TGTNKbe95RhqadWM_umzcBJV66AERPhEqCAQmyp167Yuk3CXklvYD1UROKgKor8mdV7K6b0S4fwio-Onmdu/s1600/LoriLicksBatter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2I-jS46noJdhkPjD07YwhmDQDE0ckC0WgoE7dadWsehqMzXnBcX4xGwT2TGTNKbe95RhqadWM_umzcBJV66AERPhEqCAQmyp167Yuk3CXklvYD1UROKgKor8mdV7K6b0S4fwio-Onmdu/s400/LoriLicksBatter.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YUM! Raw eggs are GOOD!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To get the cookies onto the cookie sheets (which you have lined with parchment already, right?) you will need a 1/4 cup measure and a spoon (like I have) <i>or</i> one of these nifty measuring cup scoopers (like Lori has):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtylGO6Wx-bzORxLaKbvREXz_I8ligpxtr4Euw9giTgcXH3LDRhPFs726mnx8vxT3ZecMFByI6e6APUJmTZRrW9J3Sm5m0ODK7jnP4H0wgsvuRCUopyoLLnZSkmaLQilhPyXdqtD-upoU/s1600/BowlofDough.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtylGO6Wx-bzORxLaKbvREXz_I8ligpxtr4Euw9giTgcXH3LDRhPFs726mnx8vxT3ZecMFByI6e6APUJmTZRrW9J3Sm5m0ODK7jnP4H0wgsvuRCUopyoLLnZSkmaLQilhPyXdqtD-upoU/s320/BowlofDough.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scoop out 1/4 cup balls of dough onto the parchment paper and place them 2 inches apart, like this: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_kdLGRXySOOiV0Ais20kspvetjJM50FDfNTlsiMAj_MicvZooBN_vyu8VEu_PNfYY7puerLkqRTabKRUaPQshECeXLebKSS3SKIdCHIDU6lA6_h-tucieXObKjn2wltv04k6WngVS9XC/s1600/CookieDoughPlacement.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_kdLGRXySOOiV0Ais20kspvetjJM50FDfNTlsiMAj_MicvZooBN_vyu8VEu_PNfYY7puerLkqRTabKRUaPQshECeXLebKSS3SKIdCHIDU6lA6_h-tucieXObKjn2wltv04k6WngVS9XC/s320/CookieDoughPlacement.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next, wet your index and middle fingers with a little water and then gently pat the cookies down, like this, until they are about 2 1/2 inches wide:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBrZcDj00NFxYn-50gSnF-oQIkC70TrY_LUzWDVUKaaRwYBj3jYqZGU5PgXCCbdNaHSRiETNzgvX1rL14Q4P1qgvsluy53NqwOsAygKzbUfoMBHepR7gn65iMB_Xv21fJjlmrPfvR1baZ/s1600/readytobake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBrZcDj00NFxYn-50gSnF-oQIkC70TrY_LUzWDVUKaaRwYBj3jYqZGU5PgXCCbdNaHSRiETNzgvX1rL14Q4P1qgvsluy53NqwOsAygKzbUfoMBHepR7gn65iMB_Xv21fJjlmrPfvR1baZ/s320/readytobake.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So shiny!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bake these little pat-a-cakes for 20 minutes, rotating the pans in the oven after 10 minutes. They are done when they are light golden brown on the edges. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZyHMZV4CFRQnyAWeU_bjW8wWOIs_h64nu5UxHPmrXobIXzw5X5U7YRCjojWjQ0QJWaEtdRFMxRO_teB29bKaW55KFXPdHo3uBrjhrIMekcq7d8cGxhaIZRUUb3XwWUWn5LkgVJyH0IHz/s1600/NotYetBlackandWhite.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZyHMZV4CFRQnyAWeU_bjW8wWOIs_h64nu5UxHPmrXobIXzw5X5U7YRCjojWjQ0QJWaEtdRFMxRO_teB29bKaW55KFXPdHo3uBrjhrIMekcq7d8cGxhaIZRUUb3XwWUWn5LkgVJyH0IHz/s320/NotYetBlackandWhite.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beauties!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After baking, let them cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. "OH NO!" you say, "My cookies turned out like THIS:"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0vQXatnwsbXaYrpzheZhMVwrZswZQ4tzMgzI06Od6hHaQekEfcrpad3bQTs-jDE9ThSKkh9K9_1OTjzOHWRvI2arNNtJ2MHsIkAav2YIDzTRw2koWeD0Nz5psdmishXu9wSpR8DN6FHv/s1600/Take1fortheTeam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0vQXatnwsbXaYrpzheZhMVwrZswZQ4tzMgzI06Od6hHaQekEfcrpad3bQTs-jDE9ThSKkh9K9_1OTjzOHWRvI2arNNtJ2MHsIkAav2YIDzTRw2koWeD0Nz5psdmishXu9wSpR8DN6FHv/s320/Take1fortheTeam.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfectly imperfect</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lori, veteran of many batches of Black and Whites, says the edges get all smushy like this when you don't scrape down the edges of the bowl and stir them back in enough when doling out the dough. The good news is, you can just trim them up with a knife and make them look as round as the moon. They'll be iced, so no one (but you) will know!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now...The Icing! This is where the Black and Whites come into being. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Icing</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGM4buBP-0Di0azKsrwBkZ41NGcmnQxey42BTuRPILSQcz2ERxMWigSrXnc70sFreFTVcTMDayaKMZoCIg_hmchRqSdofxDWFYOp3C_a7qAhDxx01Sr6zBeRU46CME4qiP64P8l5Lfk-B/s1600/stirchocolate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGM4buBP-0Di0azKsrwBkZ41NGcmnQxey42BTuRPILSQcz2ERxMWigSrXnc70sFreFTVcTMDayaKMZoCIg_hmchRqSdofxDWFYOp3C_a7qAhDxx01Sr6zBeRU46CME4qiP64P8l5Lfk-B/s200/stirchocolate.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/4 cup light corn syrup</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/3 cup water</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5 cups (20 oz.) confectioners' sugar</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFy83i1OD37Z7Q__8GkwU_OSwJAfkiuc_y66KFC6KijXqMS84au2qMq8RrRD8Z1L9XhbaX3wFbFSR-yP8ICRaNLW2_QMjqpd-oPiwgobVucFHak62nySkK9b79nLqr1Sk-pVwFS4xMXrj/s1600/shinyvanilla.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFy83i1OD37Z7Q__8GkwU_OSwJAfkiuc_y66KFC6KijXqMS84au2qMq8RrRD8Z1L9XhbaX3wFbFSR-yP8ICRaNLW2_QMjqpd-oPiwgobVucFHak62nySkK9b79nLqr1Sk-pVwFS4xMXrj/s200/shinyvanilla.JPG" width="200" /></a>Melt the chocolate (either in the microwave or on the stove over water; either is perfectly fine with me) and set it aside. In a separate pan, bring the corn syrup and water to a boil and then remove the pan from the stove. Immediately pour in the confectioner's sugar and vanilla into the corn syrup mixture and stir until combined. Transfer 3/4 of the vanilla mixture into the melted chocolate and stir until combined. <b><i>(Yes, you heard it here first: vanilla and chocolate are combined! SEE, it's NOT simply black and white! The revolution--or is it revelation?--begins.)</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From here, you set to work icing. The first big decision: do you start with the vanilla or the chocolate? We divided and conquered. Lori took vanilla, and I took chocolate. Or was it the other way around?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbqk6uXljc_kQfZOpVpmlkOaSPGvf0rPvNli0f15njSaspAbFKwjbvHFwZFPVQfaFLzjobnZ1IRWHayeBcGyFN1W3myxC4fdIhB9-bbbYkOuayqR26kVaZCJ569KPqNi8C85sRkIPi_hj/s1600/ShinyversusMatte.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbqk6uXljc_kQfZOpVpmlkOaSPGvf0rPvNli0f15njSaspAbFKwjbvHFwZFPVQfaFLzjobnZ1IRWHayeBcGyFN1W3myxC4fdIhB9-bbbYkOuayqR26kVaZCJ569KPqNi8C85sRkIPi_hj/s320/ShinyversusMatte.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look closely...what do you see?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now it's Lori's turn to be dismayed--the chocolate has gone matte. She likes her icing nice and shiny. (See photo above for examples of both.) The problem? The chocolate icing cooled too much. The solution? Either reheat it ever-so-slightly or add a few drops--drops!--of hot water. As soon as the chocolate looks glossy again, you are ready to go. Same thing with the vanilla. Of course, some of us don't care if our icing is glossy or matte (those are lipstick terms as far as I am concerned), but for those of you who <i>do</i> care, you now know what to do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we're working, working, working, and it's entirely possible I was licking my fingers <i>and </i>icing cookies <i>at the same time</i>, but this batch was for us, so I didn't care. I was throwing caution into the wind. The next thing I knew, I was questioning the whole notion of Black and Whites. <i>Why</i> I asked Lori <i>are the chocolate and vanilla kept separate?</i> The separation is a false choice. They taste the same when mixed together. My chef pal, Patty, recently pointed out "No one really messes with Black and Whites." But I am a Native Texan. I mess. I looked at Lori and said <i>Let's go crazy. Let's blur some lines. Mix ALL the chocolate and vanilla together!</i> And we did, ladies and gentlemen, we did. (Actually, Lori did.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qn04rNHzLG080yjrrLb1aVVo8mgBrOwe3dwkAZGZtECBiMqXbDKBtWZK9YnKnpvyvzF86VswjZYN5pzqNLlII2L-hFo6R2yxVgFFqTC2OWykp6-zLTBmM4E96TEGdZT59KbTruN1k0Ty/s1600/chocolatevanillaheresy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qn04rNHzLG080yjrrLb1aVVo8mgBrOwe3dwkAZGZtECBiMqXbDKBtWZK9YnKnpvyvzF86VswjZYN5pzqNLlII2L-hFo6R2yxVgFFqTC2OWykp6-zLTBmM4E96TEGdZT59KbTruN1k0Ty/s320/chocolatevanillaheresy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blurred lines.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, we were cautious. We made a few brown and whites. Then, we felt brave and went for the full brown:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMbSF7aeHCF774_-HYNeGTUI262wbbtfNIcKQu9_9SVDEn0rHSUx441zxjwSYaWW5mY4m_eZXAVRjIXFRA1IjmPkJq-YyAcbLpkBvry6hlmSZuzWt9xQ3di69HZBrtUKE5BHhI8guewMY/s1600/BROWN.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMbSF7aeHCF774_-HYNeGTUI262wbbtfNIcKQu9_9SVDEn0rHSUx441zxjwSYaWW5mY4m_eZXAVRjIXFRA1IjmPkJq-YyAcbLpkBvry6hlmSZuzWt9xQ3di69HZBrtUKE5BHhI8guewMY/s320/BROWN.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at those bad boys.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And you know what? They were delicious. All of the them. The traditional Black and Whites, the Brown and Whites and the Browns. By the time we sat down and had a few, I was feeling much better. Thanks to Lori, I had a made it through my crisis of partisan stupidity. Black and White? Maybe--if I feel like it. But really, I like Brown, and I think the world would be a better place if more people did, too. </div>
Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978576791588854527.post-43381417287984188432013-09-15T22:00:00.000-04:002013-09-16T08:50:05.346-04:00Just a Smackerel of Something<style>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaujVBxAOP6eSr_9D-a2RTmDEpYcqrXgq6NS0yi1pyTwKj3Nf_pPKZpd16duMdSvhZDvEVqo3FB28IMp9A8WboIWGM57thDxpvFIBYGA-NW80iqmADJZ5o1FPiczgHPhg5wG_RNSUZuucQ/s1600/AnimalCrackersProject.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaujVBxAOP6eSr_9D-a2RTmDEpYcqrXgq6NS0yi1pyTwKj3Nf_pPKZpd16duMdSvhZDvEVqo3FB28IMp9A8WboIWGM57thDxpvFIBYGA-NW80iqmADJZ5o1FPiczgHPhg5wG_RNSUZuucQ/s320/AnimalCrackersProject.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
It was the kind of day—with a crisp fall breeze and
cloudless sky—that demands a particular type of appreciation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sit
still and remember </i>kind of day, and (to take a phrase from A. A. Milne) I needed
"just a smackerel of something" to help me get the remembering right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something
rich and satisfying was in order, and I knew just the thing: <i>The Bumper Book.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_G-nuHmjIEvro7Ivk-5QQC4LdffvrSkbBvu7aLloNLoiIHOtZZ_bkf2BRCzAV4YvnJWgN7ooqkz1pkUklLsHNonidsFpEyHQmXcaEuqyhwJof_enVPJSgXL6yR8RJRMUfPyeWGBrj2D2/s1600/BumperBookCover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_G-nuHmjIEvro7Ivk-5QQC4LdffvrSkbBvu7aLloNLoiIHOtZZ_bkf2BRCzAV4YvnJWgN7ooqkz1pkUklLsHNonidsFpEyHQmXcaEuqyhwJof_enVPJSgXL6yR8RJRMUfPyeWGBrj2D2/s320/BumperBookCover.JPG" width="244" /></a>Edited by "Watty Piper" (who is apparently not a real person, but that's <a href="http://tigger.uic.edu/%7Eplotnick/littleng.htm" target="_blank">another story</a>), <i>The Bumper Book </i>is full of fair-to-middling 20th century children's literature. What makes it great, however, is the art, by a woman known simply as <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-eulalie-banks-1128694.html" target="_blank">Eulalie</a>. As children, we all have those things—a book or a letter; a trinket or photo—that make us feel magical. For me, it was this book, and I poured over the pages again and again hoping to somehow make it <i>real.</i> <br />
<br />
<br />
And so it was, on this particular <i>sit still and remember </i>day, that I found myself remembering how badly I wanted the book's world to be real. I slowly turned the pages until I came to "Animal Crackers" by Christopher Morley. Suddenly I was dreaming of the kitchen Christopher and Eulalie imagined for me:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZxCwc-QMAzanNcyjjtqF81eJRO5XfK6lqlgxiteKquT8vwQvvS75G37ItA8_kJBtgh1GC0g6BYNIHlDUJkWvssfYCSfMc_jiHJ211j0ZL_wCD62MfRdZlXvGdktkeCJicfsog7qu7HVR/s1600/AnimalCrackers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZxCwc-QMAzanNcyjjtqF81eJRO5XfK6lqlgxiteKquT8vwQvvS75G37ItA8_kJBtgh1GC0g6BYNIHlDUJkWvssfYCSfMc_jiHJ211j0ZL_wCD62MfRdZlXvGdktkeCJicfsog7qu7HVR/s320/AnimalCrackers.JPG" width="256" /></a></div>
Animal crackers and cocoa to drink, <br />
That is the finest of suppers, I think; <br />
When I'm grown up and can have what I please <br />
I think I shall always insist upon these.<br />
<br />
What do you choose when you're offered a treat? <br />
When Mother says, "What would you like best to eat?" <br />
Is it waffles and syrup, or cinnamon toast? <br />
It's cocoa and animals that I love the most!<br />
<br />
The kitchen's the coziest place that I know: <br />
The kettle is singing, the stove is aglow, <br />
And there in the twilight, how jolly to see <br />
The cocoa and animals waiting for me. <br />
<br />
Daddy and Mother dine later in state, <br />
With Mary to cook for them, Susan to wait; <br />
But they don't have nearly as much fun as I <br />
Who eat in the kitchen with Nurse standing by; <br />
And Daddy once said he would like to be me <br />
Having cocoa and animals once more for tea! <br />
_________________________________________<br />
<br />
I have a black cat like the one on the photo, and there's a kettle on my stove. The kitchen <i>is </i>the coziest place that I know, and I love having tea. But one line had me panicked: <i> What do you choose when you're offered a treat?</i><br />
<br />
Suddenly tea time had become an existential crisis. What <i>do</i> I choose!? With that, I shut the book and headed straight to the kitchen. Faster than you can say "Eulalie" I was preheating the oven, fishing out cookie cutters, and searching for my best animal cracker recipe. <br />
<br />
In truth, there aren't that many good animal cracker recipes. Oprah has <a href="http://www.oprah.com/food/Animal-Cookies-Recipe-Making-Your-Own-Animal-Crackers" target="_blank">one</a>, but I don't trust it. (It included frosting and sprinkles. Too fussy.) I found another that listed allspice, mace, and ginger in the ingredients, which all sound completely unnecessary. William and Sonoma's recipe...well...I just refuse to believe their recipes are real. In the end, King Arthur Flour has the best <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/animal-cookies-recipe" target="_blank">animal cookie </a>recipe. (King Arthur's Flour is my one and only; I don't bake with anything else.) <br />
<br />
And yes, the recipe is important, but let's be honest: What you really need are stellar cookie cutters. Though I don't have an entire zoo, I do have a few animals to choose from:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrggZ5Y-IU63oq25WXnCTAuIBm9wWaiU13sNQ2PR-XEozEeWR-X-kxPjroC-9n5tYnDZeEktz2mxrTvfoUGSKGxycln6YHcE2sHMeBV31V-Lkkq3vEdAgtGEL2gmpEp0cSeB0czsKUM7W/s1600/TopofAnimalCrackersTin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrggZ5Y-IU63oq25WXnCTAuIBm9wWaiU13sNQ2PR-XEozEeWR-X-kxPjroC-9n5tYnDZeEktz2mxrTvfoUGSKGxycln6YHcE2sHMeBV31V-Lkkq3vEdAgtGEL2gmpEp0cSeB0czsKUM7W/s320/TopofAnimalCrackersTin.JPG" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lions and elephants and giraffes...oh my!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The list of ingredients is brief:<br />
<span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet"></span></span></span><br />
<ul class="ingredient-list">
<li id="IngredientLine">3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) soft butter</li>
<li id="IngredientLine">1/4 cup sugar</li>
<li id="IngredientLine">3 tablespoons honey</li>
<li id="IngredientLine">1/2 teaspoon salt </li>
<li id="IngredientLine">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</li>
<li id="IngredientLine">1 teaspoon <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/princess-cake-and-cookie-flavor-4-oz">Princess Cake and Cookie Flavor</a>, or flavor of your choice </li>
<li id="IngredientLine">1 1/2 cups <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/king-arthur-unbleached-all-purpose-flour">King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour</a></li>
<li id="IngredientLine">1 cup <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/king-arthur-organic-oat-flour-2-lb">oat flour</a> or finely ground rolled oats </li>
</ul>
<br />
<span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet">A few caveats: I hope to never cook with anything that has the word "Princess" in it. I am assuming this is a play on the whole "King Arthur" thing. I skipped the special "Princess Cake and Cookie Flavor" and just used vanilla extract. The results were terrific. Next time I will use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, just because I am crazy like that. Also, I did not have any oat flour. I did have plain oats, though. I ground it up and used it instead. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet">Last but not least, I added my own special touch: I sprinkled a very small amount of vanilla sugar on top of each cookie before I baked them. Last spring I bought a jar of vanilla sugar at the world-famous <a href="http://www.demel.at/en/frames/index_wien.htm" target="_blank">Demel</a> café... </span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtj5NbYSJvSYcpyLXMHZjCHiTdPtiKPX3Fx7xsqdMZaAjde4UQHsA0QfzDxfant0-ZnF4tp0RycaKZMccOkRYrwVa9VmpJj3m_tq8BVaZnk0PUnA38w7UbVDh8KrUqelH5dIKbJ2pyFf18/s1600/VanillaSugar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtj5NbYSJvSYcpyLXMHZjCHiTdPtiKPX3Fx7xsqdMZaAjde4UQHsA0QfzDxfant0-ZnF4tp0RycaKZMccOkRYrwVa9VmpJj3m_tq8BVaZnk0PUnA38w7UbVDh8KrUqelH5dIKbJ2pyFf18/s320/VanillaSugar.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet">As far as I am concerned, this jar is worth more than all the gold in Fort Knox. I use it very sparingly on special occasions like <i>sit still and remember</i> days and mornings when my sister, Sharen, is visiting from Texas and doesn't have her special Coffee Mate for her coffee. </span></span></span><br />
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<span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet">The verdict? Absolutely delicious animal crackers, with or without the vanilla sugar. You'll need to line the pan with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. Do all that, and you'll have these:</span></span></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMdSfJZWkE6qZytBTrPSD77n3LGvh1qZm5MfZ-54-t_A5zLNMPQVhWNNWW1GxGRXDc_iTTsn8ARNosPUeVeJgYuT92nOr-yCs52ixA9JYr9Ij-8UdQ8EFrAGoCIQdNeseTNRPBCQpwLQm/s1600/Lion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMdSfJZWkE6qZytBTrPSD77n3LGvh1qZm5MfZ-54-t_A5zLNMPQVhWNNWW1GxGRXDc_iTTsn8ARNosPUeVeJgYuT92nOr-yCs52ixA9JYr9Ij-8UdQ8EFrAGoCIQdNeseTNRPBCQpwLQm/s200/Lion.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the crystals of vanilla delight?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_2ro9r5TibHyaIpArhOEzodV3qYoyTeqPySaDFoq9HK0ZyhOFpAMwrjJ3qTPJBz4Gw81uHbaxvLBlj5DwOrml6Y6zuIhFCUUJCYtQuGW1EWipB2-ru_eoQWCOPtaoea9qyVRND92RkoQ/s1600/LittleAnimalCrackers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_2ro9r5TibHyaIpArhOEzodV3qYoyTeqPySaDFoq9HK0ZyhOFpAMwrjJ3qTPJBz4Gw81uHbaxvLBlj5DwOrml6Y6zuIhFCUUJCYtQuGW1EWipB2-ru_eoQWCOPtaoea9qyVRND92RkoQ/s320/LittleAnimalCrackers.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like the plate? Check out <a href="http://www.missblackbirdy.com/" target="_blank">Miss Blackbirdy</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet"></span></span></span><span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet"></span></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDkLujdBL7jfFRXY3pfX-ihb8gOM9OaqZQnqJzz1pKNgJe3lnR1v0oCYRxBKMb365s63A27hfd-BRnyweq7CxB4i2vmRWLkDRo2DvGUZTW3DKdmL1aVSa6_hiMcNT0dPEICx_dknFEH2T/s1600/Gator.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDkLujdBL7jfFRXY3pfX-ihb8gOM9OaqZQnqJzz1pKNgJe3lnR1v0oCYRxBKMb365s63A27hfd-BRnyweq7CxB4i2vmRWLkDRo2DvGUZTW3DKdmL1aVSa6_hiMcNT0dPEICx_dknFEH2T/s200/Gator.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go ahead, bite me!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet">If you want to get wacky and super size it, go ahead:</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6z8ySQy0_PuhQE-QEORKcTUz2UROWhI-STcxVa9QgDclfFcegTrkgyzi9n0kvlDFcEAI-1PoWhmjODdZnhl47xSpG-GzopZJvHUNxcdo56EQZgZF2uoz_GwsJGn4KvcvwHgbg4tem3shv/s1600/LargeAnimalCookies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6z8ySQy0_PuhQE-QEORKcTUz2UROWhI-STcxVa9QgDclfFcegTrkgyzi9n0kvlDFcEAI-1PoWhmjODdZnhl47xSpG-GzopZJvHUNxcdo56EQZgZF2uoz_GwsJGn4KvcvwHgbg4tem3shv/s320/LargeAnimalCookies.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet">Whether you have vanilla sugar, appreciate the day for what it is--it's only 24 hours. Make it real. <i>Sit still and remember: life's what you bake it. </i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="volume_or_weight"><span id="v_ingredients" style="display: inline;"><span id="IngredientSet"> </span></span></span>Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978576791588854527.post-19294692088027156952013-09-11T10:27:00.001-04:002013-10-13T16:59:23.511-04:00Life's What You Bake It<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have not always been a woman obsessed with baking cookies. </div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
There was a time when I was a child merely fascinated by it. This was back when it was still okay to give your kid St. Joseph's children's asprin and long enough ago that my parents' kitchen appears "vintage" and my mother's apron decidedly retro:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1is5Owki9OUqJ0bIRCYm4xNvinxdMxe-_gBbzMFZUbIblcZCpkI3yuY16e63hXQrhIVvXgQXoD6yh2nIX3tLlsysKjJRK5X0HC2-rhC4BFpyzsGfpqpRqeiNjiN35GCiy8RxljROZ89KU/s1600/Oliver+Kitchen.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1is5Owki9OUqJ0bIRCYm4xNvinxdMxe-_gBbzMFZUbIblcZCpkI3yuY16e63hXQrhIVvXgQXoD6yh2nIX3tLlsysKjJRK5X0HC2-rhC4BFpyzsGfpqpRqeiNjiN35GCiy8RxljROZ89KU/s320/Oliver+Kitchen.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I spent happy days in our square eat-in kitchen while the double oven pre-heated, the Mixmaster whirred, and I helped Mom sift flour and open packages of chocolate chips. Over the years, I've learned a few things:<b><br /></b></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>1. Why wait for someone to bake for you when you can do it yourself?</b> I was in kindergarten when I got my Easy Bake Oven. I immediately made myself a birthday cake:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBI1ANYBb6ItSpEjbmmzHE0-3Zvh1kjdwS_pPY01B9jFQ07-nJk9d72_Z1cF2MSgfXyxNWpiCSVB_zJ_Ocz8OpObC354FPaX2vVrl9fMWr_h-n4MNNkZCRA36kwUnfv8eNhl23_EJVFf7I/s1600/5th+birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBI1ANYBb6ItSpEjbmmzHE0-3Zvh1kjdwS_pPY01B9jFQ07-nJk9d72_Z1cF2MSgfXyxNWpiCSVB_zJ_Ocz8OpObC354FPaX2vVrl9fMWr_h-n4MNNkZCRA36kwUnfv8eNhl23_EJVFf7I/s320/5th+birthday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Impatient? Maybe. I prefer the term <i>self starter.</i> I would rather have Mom bake me a birthday cake (her chocolate birthday cake with chocolate icing makes everything right in the world), but sometimes we all just need to do things for ourselves. Even when we are in kindergarten. Even when we are not in the kitchen. All of us need reminding about <b>Lesson 1 </b>from time to time. </div>
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<b>2. There are no mistakes. Only revelations (some of which should not be repeated). </b>By kindergarten I had tired of the packets of pre-measured cake mix that came with my beloved Easy Bake Oven. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://pzrservices.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451ccbc69e201310f2a3ae9970c-400wi</td></tr>
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I started experimenting with my own creations. Unaware of the difference between halving and doubling, some recipes were more successful than others. (Mom let me figure it out on my own.) I remember one "cake" I made with my bestie, Holly. (Holly had the best dress up clothes and best dollhouse in the whole world.) One recipe we tried tasted like gingerbread, but what fascinated me was that there was no ginger in it. At all. By the next day it had turned green. Luckily, we did not. A little adventure is a good thing; get too far outside your comfort zone, though, and you risk turning yourself or something else green. Don't say I didn't warn you. (Willy Wonka and Violet Beauregard would agree.)</div>
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<b>3. </b> <b>Electrical fires are put out with flour.</b> Some lessons are practical. By elementary school I decided to try my hand at baking. Alone. (See Lesson 1.) It was Saturday morning, and I was supposed to be watching cartoons while my parents were out. Instead, I saw an ad for cookies (damn Keebler elves), and realized I wanted cookies, not cartoons. To this day, I believe it would all have been fine if only Mom had not left greasy paper towels in the bottom of the oven (<i>who</i> does that!?). It was <i>not </i>my fault the paper towels caught fire while the oven preheated. Not at all. Those paper towels should not have been there in the first place. And yes, it would have been better if I put out the fire in the electric oven with flour rather than water. But I did put it out! </div>
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<b>4. Start with the basics.</b> Here is the the world's greatest chocolate chip cookie recipe (my mom's). Mom claims that she "just uses the old Toll House recipe," but I beg to differ. (If you are having trouble reading the recipe cards, you can scroll to the end of this post for the typed version.)</div>
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She wrote the recipe out for me in 1992, which (I am willing to confess) is the year I graduated from college. Generally speaking, I recommend we all set out with the basics (please, thank you, clean underwear, a new toothbrush, and a good cookie recipe) whenever starting something new, whether graduating from college or sending your child off to college.</div>
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<b>5. Life's what you bake it.</b> You can follow the best recipe, use the best ingredients, and bake the best cookies, but it<b>'</b>s no good if you don't share the love. Make the time; bake the cookies. Make a mess, leave it there. Set the timer, go outside for 10 minutes while they bake. When you walk back in, the smell of baking cookies will wrap around you like your mother's arms on a cold winter day. You'll feel like a kid again. Pour a glass of cold milk. Take those cookies out; let them cool. Have two. Save two for each member of your family. Then, wrap up the rest and share. Take them to your neighbor. The firehouse. The homeless shelter two towns over or your child's teacher. Make your corner of the world a happier place. Share the love, because that's why we're here. Besides, everyone wants just one more cookie.</div>
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<u><b>World's Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookies</b></u><br />
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--></style><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Times;">Cream:</span></b></span>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 stick unsalted
butter</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/2 c. brown sugar
(packed)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/2 c. white sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Times;">Add:</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Times;">Combine:</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 3/4 c. flour</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 tea. baking soda</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 tea. salt</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 ½ tea. vanilla</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 c. semi-sweet choc.
chips</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 c. dark chocolate
chips</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">½-3/4 c. milk
chocolate chips</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Drop cookies by the
teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-13
min. or less, depending on your oven. Makes about 1 1/2 doz. to 2
doz., depending on how big you make the cookies. I strongly suggest that
you have milk on hand before you eat any.</span></div>
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Adrian Harris Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05403101243003942998noreply@blogger.com1