2008 in Pictures
May you have a happy, healthy, safe, and sweet new year.
Happy New Year!
Oatmeal Cream Pies
I think I had my first Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie when I was in junior high. My mom never bought them for us, but they were sold at school and I developed a slight addiction. (As well as to Nutty Bars and those chewy cookies with rice cereal, whatever they were called–Star something.) Anyway, The cookie was chewy and soft and the filling was super sweet and gooey and when you’re 12-years-old, what could possibly be better than that?
Well, you may remember last year when I made these, I was hoping they’d taste like the Little Debbies. And they didn’t. At all. However, I’m happy to report that my 34-year-old self is pretty damn thrilled to finally have a recipe that does. The taste, texture, and gooey-ness are all exactly as I had remembered. They’re just not as pretty.
Two recipe notes: 1. Can anyone explain to me why the recipe calls for dissolving salt into hot water when making the filling? 2. I used a small scoop and my cookies were done in seven minutes.
One totally unrelated note: Nosh With Me is now on Twitter.
Photos of the process here.
Cookie Ingredients
1 cup margarine
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups quick oats
Cream Filling Ingredients
2 teaspoons very hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation
- In large bowl, cream margarine, sugars, molasses, vanilla, and eggs.
- Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Add to the creamed mixture; mix in the oats.
- Drop dough by TBS on ungreased sheets. (I used a small cookie scoop.)
- Bake at 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes,or until just starting to brown around the edges.
- They will look moist; don’t overcook.
- While the cookies bake prepare the filling.
- In small bowl, dissolve the salt in the hot water.
- Allow this to cool.
- Combine marshmallow cream, shortning, powdered sugar, and vanilla in med bowl; mix on hi until fluffy.
- Add the cooled salt water and mix well.
- Spread filling on flat side of one cookie, press 2nd cookie on top.
Recipe from Recipe Zaar.
Peanut Butter Squares
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Chocolate and peanut butter–the two great tastes that always taste great together, right? Wrong. I know, I know, you didn’t think it was possible. Neither did I, until I made these. But they’re terrible. I mean, really, really terrible. The peanut butter base is mushy and gritty and the overall texture is just ick.
After I got over my initial disappointment, I Googled the recipe and found rave reviews which totally surprised me. Have you made these? What did you think?
Photos of the process here.
Base Ingredients
Scant 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
scant 1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
Topping Ingredients
7 ounces milk chocolate
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Preparation
- Stir all the ingredients for the base together until smooth.
- I use the paddle attachments to my mixer, which my children love operating, but a bowl and a wooden spoon will do the job just as well.
- You will find, either way, that some of the dark brown sugar stays in rubbly but very small, lumps, but don’t worry about that.
- Press the sandy mixture into a 9-inch square brownie pan and make the surface as even as possible.
- To make the topping, melt the chocolates and butter together (in a microwave for ease, for a minute or two on medium) and spread the base.
- Put the pan in the refrigerator to set. When the chocolate has hardened, cut into small squares because, more-ish as it undeniably is, it is also very rich.
Makes approximately 48.
Recipe from How to Be Domestic Goddess via WCHS.
Gingerbread Men
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Growing up, gingerbread men cookies were something we occasionally bought at a bakery, but never made at home. Perhaps it’s because they’re associated with Christmas, and well, being Jewish, we don’t celebrate Christmas, or maybe it’s just because my mom was not much a cut out cookie kind of person. (Except for a sugar cookie recipe that I must copy next time I’m in town, that I believe came from Aunt Helen–she of mandelbrot fame.)
Anyway, on to the cookie. The original recipe calls for margarine, which I never have in my house, so I used butter. Also, I swapped out half of the regular sugar for brown sugar as I wanted a slightly chewier cookie, and I’m happy with the texture. And although the title of the original recipe calls them spicy, they aren’t. In fact, they’re just right and oh so delicious!
If you’re looking for photos of the process, sorry, there aren’t any. This recipe has molasses in it, and as we know, I hate the smell of molasses and had to work super fast and not take pictures as to not gag for longer than I had to. Seriously, it’s that gross.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg yolk
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Preparation
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg yolk. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; blend into the molasses mixture until smooth. Cover, and chill for at least one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. (Mine barely spread so I think 2 inches is very generous.)
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Frost or decorate when cool.
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.
