I can cook and bake but I do not like to bake.
Cooking is better for me because I can make my own stuff up and don't have to follow a recipe exactly. With baking you need to follow the rules. I don't find that challenging, creative or fun--just annoying.
However, for teacher gifts I will break out my cookie sheets and bake. I do want my kids to have the type of mommy who will take time to make cookies from scratch with them and do all that homespun kitchen Christmas goodness even though I would rather waste my time designing my Christmas cards or planning a holiday party.
A few years a ago I hit on the following recipe in my Glamour magazine (I told you I was low brow) and have used it ever since. They are good. And festive looking. They do not, however, photograph well. I promise they taste better than they look.
My good friend Carrie called asking for the recipe and I have already given it to Tara so I figured I might as well share the yumminess with all who like to bake:
Glamour Cookies (or Cranberry and White Chocolate Christmas Cookies)
1c all-purpose flour
½ cup super fine sugar
½ tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup rolled oats
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 stick plus 1 tbsp soft butter
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup roughly chopped pecans
¾ cup white-chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, baking powder and oats in a bowl.
In another bowl, beat together butter and sugars with an electric mixer until creamy.
Add egg and vanilla.
Beat in dry ingredients.
Fold in cranberries, pecans and chips.
Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil.
Flatten each ball with a fork.
Bake for 15 minutes or until pale gold.
Let cool on a rack.
Drizzle cookies with melted white-chocolate.
Makes 3 dozen.
Nat's tips: Cookies tend to take less than 15 minutes--usually between 11-13 minutes. They seem to keep baking on the foil but you can't move them off the foil for a few minutes so better to pull them out a tad undone.
I used cherry crasions.
I buy extra white chocolate chips for the melting and drizzling.
I usually double the recipe.
Natalie...Looks Yummy! I think I gained 5 lbs just looking at the picture. You know...you're suppose to provide us with samples when you post recipes of such delectable delights. ;o)
ReplyDeleteWill need to get my wife or daughter (my youngest loves to bake things) to make some...of course...even though I am a guy...I could bake it myself too...if I wanted to.
Trust me, anything I bake is going to be easy--you could do this. I ma sure your daughter would love it if you helped her.
ReplyDeleteSorry for not sharing. We gave them all away. I can't have stuff like that in the house otherwise I eat only cookies for meals. That sugar high only takes you so far.