Little tea time cookies

I ran  across some adorable cookie cutters the other day, and couldn't wait to try them out.  It was a  European set that had a cut out just the right size to hook on the side of a cup or glass.  Like I said, ADORABLE.  Now admittedly, I am much more of a coffee drinker and when I do have tea it is generally something for good health like tulsi or a medicinal herbal blend.  I don't drink them for pleasure because most of them taste  like boiled athletic socks.

  I suffer for my health.

BUT, I found a tea that looked tasty

as well as a spiffy new apple green tea kettle.

I baked my tiny cookies, made some tea with a splash of milk and stevia (still on the sugar fast), gathered some rose hips and a tiny fig,  and perched the little cookie charmers on the rim of the tea cups.  Then I  stood back to admire the cute factor.

Darn cute I say.  Unfortunately, I didn't eat the cookies - once again, the stinkin no sugar thing.  Sigh.  They went to Mr. Enchanted and the Enchanted offspring.

It WAS a lovely tea, however, and didn't taste one bit like boiled socks.Pin It




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A big turkey cookie

I had an overwhelming desire to make a turkey cookie.  And not just any turkey cookie, a big detailed one.

I have no idea where these compulsive urges come from.  Anyway, I cut out the dough, baked it, cooled it, outlined and flooded it, when cookie disaster struck.   I opened a cabinet door above the cooling rack and a variety of kitchen odds and ends came tumbling out and landed right on top of said cookie.  OK, I know I need to better organize my cabinets, but that's another story.  The flood icing had only partially set up, and the end result was lots of dents.  At this point I may have uttered an expletive or two.

 I could have done the turkey on that side to cover it up, but I didn't.  I decided to LIKE the "texture" it added to the cookie, and leave it alone.

I love happy accidents!  Isn't the vintage book under it sweet?   It is titled A Dear Little Girl's Thanksgiving Holiday and was published in 1924.

I have so many ideas swirling around in my head for the upcoming holidays, I don't know what to do first!  There will  be fun cookies and confections galore, and I am going to do a post on my favorite cookie baking and decorating tips.  I have learned a lot in the last ten months (mostly the hard way...), and I want to share it with all my holiday baking buddies out there!

Gobble, gobble, Pin It

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Division Champion football cookies

That says it all, doesn't it?  Congratulations to the Blue Devils and good luck with the upcoming playoff games!  AND,

Thank you for always enjoying/gobbling down my weekly treats.

Thank you for having great manners - every last one of you thanks me every single time.

Thank you for all the hard work and effort you put forth.


Go Devils!

Montana cookies

I am back to my evil ways.  The cookies are now full on sugar and white flour, although I am personally doing a sugar fast.  Yes, it is true - my New York trip has inspired me, just not in the cookie department. 

So, on to Montana!  It is incredibly beautiful and I feel so lucky to have had my first real glimpse of the Rocky Mountains.

Lots of hunters in those parts.  I wouldn't want to be a deer.

I had my eyes peeled the entire time for a glimpse of a grizzly bear.  Not that I would want to meet one face to face, mind you.

Why is it that bears LOOK so friendly?  Maybe from the popularity of teddy bears and Yogi the Bear.  

Here is one Montana animal that was cute AND extremely friendly. 

Jim and Sandy's little Westie named Roxie is a sweet heart!  And so I send all three of them a hug and a  big

Wish me luck on my sugar fast...

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The healthy-ish cookie

Yes, you read that correctly.

The last couple of days I have been making thank you cookies.  One set is going to my husband's father and wife in Montana and I will post about that in a day or two.  Today's cookies are going to my future daughter in law's parents for hosting me and Isabelle on our engagement picture/wedding talk/leaf peeping weekend.

I make thank you cookies all the time, but these needed to be different.  Genevieve's parents eat an extraordinarily healthy diet.  I am talking vegetarian (not G's mom), organic, whole grain, and every other healthy term you can think of.  I am talking baking all the bread, gathering the eggs, tapping the maple syrup, and growing all the fruits and vegetables.  They are WAY beyond any garden variety (ha ha, get it?) healthy food advocates.  In fact, Genevieve's dad Dr. Lee Reich is a very respected  horticulturist/author of six books/consultant/speaker who has been in publications like Martha Stewart and Mother Earth News.  Genevieve's mom Christine is a chemistry teacher who is dedicated to eating well, biking, hiking, and all things healthy. 

Enter moi - Lisa the Cookie Baker, and her daughter Isabelle the Cookie Eater.  Have I set the scene for you?

 I did eat my first paw paw, American kiwi, and persimmon there, and they were fabulous. In fact, I am going to try to grow my own paw paw!

And so began my quest for a healthy-ish sugar cookie.  Oh my.  I settled on a recipe that called for whole grain flour, butter, egg, molasses, honey, and baking powder.  I added ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in an attempt to give it a gingerbread cookie like vibe without a milkbone dog biscuit taste.  The dough performed beautifully.  It was a dream to cut out and baked into a sturdy little cookie.  I decorated them only in outline (if there is a way to make my icing without sugar, well, I really don't want to know), so there wouldn't be an abundance of sugar on top. 

And I decided to go with a cute woodland theme for my mother nature cookies.  I needed elves, fairies, and mushrooms to help set the stage.

I really hope the gang in New Paltz is going to like them.  BIG THANK YOU Christine and Steven, and Lee and Deb!

Am I going to become the healthy cookie baker now?  Well........,

No.

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Vanilla butter pound cake

What a weekend!  Watching my son's football team become division champions after a double overtime game was so exciting.  I went to bed being in October, and woke up in January - snow and lots of it.   After jumping up and down and screaming on a very cold and wet night (VERRRRY long half time plus the double over time makes for a long night), I was flat on my back all day Saturday feeling rotten.  I know the weather isn't supposed to make you sick, but it can take a cold and make into something more unpleasant.  The upside is the snow is melting, the Blue Devils are awesome, I am feeling better, and I didn't feel too guilty spending Saturday on looking at all of the Witch's Tea Parties.  Thanks Anna!  

And now, as promised, the recipe for one incredibly good pound cake.  This was sent to me by my mom a couple of years ago, and it is a winner.  A couple of hints for making a pound cake:  make sure your ingredients are room temperature and don't skip the alternating of ingredients (begin and end with the flour mixture).  If you don't follow these rules, the pound cake police will come to your house and confiscate your bundt pan.  

Vanilla Butter Pound Cake

6 large eggs (I always use brown eggs because I think they add a richer flavor)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup butter flavor shortening

3 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla butter emulsion (if you can't find it you can add extra vanilla or any other extract of  your choosing).

3 cups flour

1 cup milk

Spray or grease and flour a ten inch bundt cake pan.  Separate eggs.  Beat whites till stiff peaks form and then set aside.  Beat yolks with butter and shortening on high speed till fluffy.  Gradually add sugar and beat again.  Add in extracts and beat on low speed till blended.  Alternately add flour and sugar beginning and ending with flour.  With a spatula, gently fold egg whites into batter.  Pour into prepared pan and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours.  For my baby bundt cakes, I baked them for 45 minutes.  Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes, then turn out of pan and continue to cool.   

You can drizzle a light glaze on top, or dust with powdered sugar, or do nothing at all.  The taste and texture stand alone quite well.  This also freezes beautifully, making it a great for the holidays or a weekend brunch for company.  I hope you try this and enjoy it as much as we do.  

And avoid getting a citation from the pound cake police.

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Witch's Tea Party

It is time for lovely Anna's tea party!  This magical event is found at Frosted Petunias and I hope to visit each and every party over the weekend because it promises to be the perfect celebration for the halloween season!


The first thing required at my party is decorations, so I glittered the word BOO and hung it by crystal chandelier chains over an antique mirror.

Then I prepared a special treat:  vanilla butter pound cakes.  They are rich, dense, and oh so moist!  I will share the recipe with you later this week.

Trust me when I say this is one recipe that you don't want to miss out on!

Now I need to say my special incantation to make tonight's beverage.

Mmmmmm, glowing apple cider.

I just need to get my costume ready before the festivities begin.

I hope no one disturbs the table before my guests arrive.

Hey, get your hand away from the candy before the party starts!  She tried to get my pink turtle cookies earlier this week.  Better keep an eye on this chick - she was NOT on the party list. 

I invited some "interesting" members of my family,

along with some dear friends.

I told everyone to bring along their black kitties - it is a plus one invite.

My kitties Ya Ya, Claude Monet, and Nugzie will be there for sure! 

And what would a party be without some hot guys.  I am expecting Vlad, Frankie, and Jack.

I also have plenty of free parking for brooms.

I got out my best set of tea cups and so everyone can choose their own.

I also thought we could carve pumpkins.

I have been watching Halloween Wars on the Food Network and feel inspired to try something more challenging for this year's pumpkin.

I think we will do the pumpkins outside in the garden - it is so beautiful this time of year.

I will put candles in the trees.

And light a fire to keep everyone warm.

I hope the ghosts don't show up this year.  They are one rowdy bunch, and hard to get rid of.

I see that some of my INVITED guests have arrived.

They like to giggle and tell secrets.

Sometimes one of them brings a crystal ball and they tell fortunes. 

It looks like the ladies have spotted the guys - or is it something else?

This crew is a little early - they can come back on November first.

I hope you enjoyed my Witch's tea party and I would love to have you stop back often!  Wishing you a magical halloween from the enchanted oven and friends.

IF YOU LIKE MY PARTY Pin It

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