Grrr

Grrrr! My camera is dying. Well, as far as I'm concerned it's dead! Out of 90 photos I took on two recipes and one restaurant trip, I could use no more than 4 of them. Good thing the new camera is on its way. I should have it by Wednesday!!!! This new camera will be my 3rd since Eat With Me went into business. Oh the things I do for my art! ;o)


In terms of what went down this weekend. I went to one of my favorite joints for lunch on Saturday--Punk's Grill in Annapolis, MD. I wish it was closer, but I had nothing else going on, on Saturday afternoon, so the drive was nice. If you head to Annapolis, give it a shot. Don't judge it because it's at the mall. It's really good! When I have a working camera and head back there, I'll work on a post with more details about the place. In the meantime, if you go, try the Flat Iron Beef skewer! Mmmmm.


In other fun stuff news. A week or two ago a friend shared with me a recipe for Fluffernutter Cookies. All you need is three ingredients. 1 cup of Peanut butter, 1 cup of Marshmallow Fluff and 1 egg. Beat the PB and egg together, then fold in the fluff. Spoon onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Enjoy. They are good and stupid simple to make. A lighter textured peanut butter cookie. I can't taste the Fluff, but you can see it in some of the cookies. I got one dozen cookies from the batter, a nice amount for a snack, but not so many you'll feel like you're gaining 10 pounds by having them in the house.


On Sunday, I did chores around the house and read. When it came time for dinner was enjoying a major Buffy marathon, trying to finish season 3! So Good! I had planned to leave the house and go for dinner, but I just couldn't leave Buffy alone with the Mayor and Faith. She needed me! So, I decided to make a pizza. But what to do with it? I barely have anything in the house at this point. So...I made the dough, let it rise and it rose good! Must have been the right temp and the right humidity in the house for a good rise. I decided to try a white pizza--sort of. I mixed some softened butter with grated Parm, dried Italian herbs, garlic and fresh cracked pepper. I spread that on the dough, then sprinkled some shredded cheese on top (Montery Jack is what I had). Baked until golden brown. Slice and serve. It was good, but a wee bit dry and the garlic kept coming back to haunt me throughout the night. Easy to just keep eating though!

White Chocolate-Cherry-Pistachio

The other day I made my Cherry Blossom Festival Cookies for an informal cookie contest at work. This time around I added some chopped pistachios to the mix as well. Delicious.

Community Minded Cookies

The Women's Bean Project
Since 1989 we have been helping women break the cycle of poverty and unemployment. We are a nonprofit organization that teaches job readiness and life skills for entry-level jobs through employment in our gourmet food production business. Women come with the goal of transforming their lives and moving toward self sufficiency.

For Christmas I received a package of cookie mix from The Women's Bean Project. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip. I thought I would share the information here. From my understanding, the WBP is a great organization enabling woman to better their lives by helping to lift them out of poverty and unemployment.

Women's Bean Project

You get almost all you need for tasty treats. Just add butter and an egg.

Chewy and Delicious!

Good for your belly, good for the community and good for your soul.



The tools gained during their stay at the Bean Project empower women to create better lives for themselves, provide their families with hope, and contribute to a stronger community.

Groove Is In The Caramel Deee-Lite!

Every year the Girl Scouts come around and start selling their goods. The old-fashioned classics of Trefoils/Shortbreads and the ubiquitous Thin Mints. But one of my top favorites has always been the Samoas, aka Caramel deLites! Well, now I don't have to wait for one time of year to have them thanks to this recipe shared by the Well Fed Network. They are pretty easy and really to taste like the original.

The first step is to make a shortbread crust. Once baked and cooled, you need to melt some caramels with milk and a pinch of salt...

...and then mix with some toasted coconut.

Spread the coconut/caramel mixture over the top of the shortbread and allow to set for a few hours. Then using a sharp knife, cut into nice bite size pieces. Don't make them too big as they are rich and sweet.

Then it's time to dip the bars in chocolate and/or drizzle chocolate on top. I wish I would have left the bars like this, but I did attempt the chocolate drizzle. My chocolate was starting to set up and get lumpy and kept blobbing out of the pastry bag. The final cookies are little sloppy looking, but they taste great!

Homemade Samoas Bars
Recipe from Well Fed Network

Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

First, make the crust. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula. Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.

When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping). Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish. Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container. Makes 30 bar cookies.

Treats for Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day all ya'll.

Let's make some easy, tasty treats.

Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

A simple cookie batter, enhanced with some lemon juice and lemon zest.

Instead of rolling out the cookies, they are baked in a pan, making them much easier!

About 15-17 minutes in the oven.

Cut the bars how you like. Squares or triangles, take a biscuit cutter to make some fluted flower shapes? Whatever you like.

The bars are good plain. But they are even better with lemon cream cheese icing!

Here's the pan. I played around with the pastry bag and the icing. Total fun.

And gilding the lily...sprinkles!!!

Sugar Cookie Bars
based on the recipe by Well Fed Network

1 cup butter; room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Zest from a whole lemon
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest & mix well.

In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine.

Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined.

Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan).

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-17 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely and frost.


I didn't use a recipe, so here goes: 1 block of cream cheese (8oz), 4 TB butter, pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla, juice from half a lemon and zest from a whole lemon, 4 tsp heavy cream, powdered sugar, about 1 1/4 pounds. Mix until smooth and creamy. Tasty and delish!

Cookie Book

My book arrived from Martha Stewart!!!
I am very excited and honored by my win.


I guess I have to keep the episode on Tivo when Martha announced me as one of the winners of her favorite cookie contest; as the prize, the signed book, is very generic. I'm sure she has to sign tons of books, but I'm a little surprised there was no personalization. No cover letter or note was included in the packaging. I'm not ungrateful, just curious and surprised.

NOW...I have to decide what cookies to make from my new book!!! And the book is gorgeous! Check-it-out.

Perfectly Perfect

****Scroll down for an UPDATE****

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Martha Stewart Loves My Whoopie Pies!!!
My photo was shown on today's (April 29, 2008) episode in an early segment of the show.

"Uncapped Whoopie Pies"
(click on the photo for the greatest effect!)

Ms. Stewart highlighted a few of the cookie photos from the cookie contest she's running. Mine was the third to last one...and she said:


"Now these look really good. Kevin Sharkey, beware."



OMG!

It's a good thing....the best cookie contest ends May 4!!! FINGERS CROSSED!!!


:::UPDATE:::

You can view the clip of my cookie on Martha's webpage now.

Click here.

Then when the page opens, click on the blue tab for "Tuesday, April 29." On the right hand side, there will be a button that says "Play Entire Show" (under the small ad). There will be a short commercial. Martha will chat for a minute. She starts talking about the cookie contest at 1:45...my cookie appears at 2:20!!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes a simple cookie is the best cookie. I was surprised to realize that I haven't made chocolate chip cookies in a really long time and don't have a recipe for them on the blog...

Two weeks ago I received an enthusiastic email with the following recipe. My understanding is that this recipe is Martha Stewart's favorite chocolate chip cookie. Well, why not make them?!?!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes approximately twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies

Ingredients:
* 1 pound unsalted butter
* 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
* 2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
* 4 large eggs
* 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
* 3 cups bread flour
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
* 2 pounds Jacques Torres House (60 percent cocoa) Chocolate or other best-quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and slowly add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.

3. Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

First published by Martha on: May 2007

NOTE: I was able to bake my cookies for about 16 minutes. 20 minutes and they would have been on their way to over done!

I got about 120 cookies! Bringing most of them to work to share.

Shopping Cart Sunday

I've been a little busy, but I haven't been lazy...just haven't had much time for posting.


I made brisket the other day, so we'd have something for lunches this coming week. Really tasty, but this time it was a little dry. I think it was the meat, there wasn't much fat. So I took the cooking liquid and simmered it down to a light gravy, giving the tad dry brisket a little extra lip smackin' flava!


Sunday morning, I experimented in the cookie vain. I will owe you all a recipe on this one! There were two types of cookies; Cherry Blossom Special and "Carmel Apple Cookies!" Sometime last year I bought some cookies from the bakery at Giant. Carmel Apple Cookies. They were wonderful. I think I have a good start here! We'll give them another try and see what I can prepare for you.

And one night last week I wanted a little something sweet to finish dinner. Chocolate Rice Pudding. Mmmm, rice, cream, sugar, chocolate fudge from Michigan. YUM. I made a full pot. The leftovers the next day...crap! It was like eating paste! Garbage!!!

Home for Purim

Shalom. I'm such a good goyim. For the rauchous holiday of Purim, I thought I'd try my hand at Hamantaschen, the traditional cookie shaped to represent the evil advisor Haman's pocket. Lucky for us Esther was made as hell and she wasn't going to take it, so she fasted for three days after her cousin Mordecai convinced her to go to the King and tell of Haman's plans to destroy the Jewish people. The King wasn't gonna take it either, so he strung Haman up on the gallows!!! Go King! Go Ester!!

So now we celebrate and eat Hamantaschen! Mazel Tov!


Fruity Hamantaschen
Makes 2 dozen cookies
Adapted slightly from here and here.

1/4 pound butter (1 stick), at room temperature
8 ounces no-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Prepared fruit preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and mix thoroughly. Add the egg and mix thoroughly again.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder and gradually add it to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate the dough, in the bowl, for 1 hour or until firm.

On a lightly floured (or powdered sugared) surface, roll out a small amount of dough at a time to about 1/4 inch thick. If the dough gets warm and hard to work with, refrigerate it for a few minutes and then re-roll.

Use a round cookie cutter or the top of a drinking glass to cut out circles. Arrange the cut circles of dough on the cookie sheets. Spoon a teaspoon of the preserves into the center of each cookie. Pinch the edges of the cookies to make 3 corners, but don't seal dough up completely — you want some of the preserves to peek out.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

The eggs, sugar and butter all creamed together.

Dough rolled out and cut. I did get 25 cookies from my batch. I probably could have gotten another two or three, but the dough was getting tough.

The preserves I used! These were really tasty. If I understand correctly, this is the new house brand at Giant catering to the more socially conscience shoppers. I just thought they looked good. And they really taste great!

One heaping teaspoon of perserve per cookie.

My little beauties, lined up and waiting for the oven.

One of the little jems fresh out of the oven. You can see some of the cookies in the back that looked like they just sort of melted open, they didn't stay sealed up. It's ok. The fruit preserves stayed in the center anyway and there is still a little ledge to hold the goodies inside.

Another pretty cookie.

So pretty and tasty. They smelled great. I was a little surprised by the final texture. I was expecting a cookie base that was more of a shortbread, crumbly and buttery. Nope. It was actually a cross between a shortbread and a bit of a biscuit dough...a little flaky, a little chewy. Satisfying. I'm not sure if the texture was supposed to be different. The directions called for chilling the dough for an hour in the refridgerator. Because I was a little busy, it actually stayed in the fridge for about 24 hours. ???