Going Nuts

During the work week, I often get a craving for sugar after lunch, but I also need something more substantial to get me through the last few hours of the day. Granola bars usually work, but I get kind of sick of the sticky-sweet texture.

These cookies are a good compromise between sugary treat and healthy snack - they have almonds, walnuts, and whole-wheat flour. The whole-wheat flour gives the cookies a chewier texture than white flour, while the almond meal keeps the batter from being too dry or cardboard-tasting (common complaints when using whole-wheat flour in baked goods). I buy almond meal from Trader Joe's - it's a little coarser than almond flour, but it's also cheaper and works well in many baked goods (like this one).

Chocolate chip double-nut cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed/li>
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, almond meal, baking soda, and salt and mix well. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract together until creamy. Add the eggs in a beat well. Gradually add the flour mixture in and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop the batter by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until golden. Cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove and let cool on a wire rack.

Valentine's day sweets

Even though Valentine's day is supposed to be a day for lovers, I like to indulge in the cheesiness and spread the cheer around. So this year I had a party and made a LOT of sweets. Here's what I made:

Chocolate Haupia (coconut pudding) Mini Pies

Strawberry Shortcakes

Shortbread Hearts

Oatmeal Lace Cookies with Chocolate

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Vanilla Cupcakes with Guava Buttercream Frosting

Recipes to follow in subsequent entries. If you're dying for a particular one right now, let me know; I'll be happy to post it.

It's almost Halloween...

Well, three weeks from it, anyways. My roommates and I made witch hat cookies yesterday, but when we piled them up on the plate it ended up looking more like Chocolate Island from Super Mario World. So if you're wondering what that little green thing is- it's a Dino-Rhino.
Anyhow, recipe as follows, and a song from Patrick Wolf called Ghost Song to accompany the witch hats.

Witch Hat Cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup packed granulated sugar
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 bag Hershey's Kisses

- Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower middle positions, and preheat the oven to 350*. Grease two baking sheets.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy, then add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat the peanut butter in until it's fully incorporated, then beat in eggs in one at a time, and finally add the vanilla extract.
- Spoon small balls of the dough, about 1 inch in diameter, onto the baking sheets, then bake for 10 to 12 minutes, switching the pan positions halfway through.
- Once out of the oven, let cookies cool for 1 or 2 minutes, then stick an unwrapped Kiss in the middle of each cookie.

slightly quirky

Today I've got two songs and an adapted oatmeal cookie recipe.
It's not always a good thing to deviate from the standard, but sometimes the results are pretty awesome. Of course it's always going to be a matter of personal opinion, but these cookies, which I dubbed Trail-Mix Cookies, were pretty well-received. I took a recipe for oatmeal cookies off the back of a can of oatmeal, then added golden raisins and sunflower seeds. I tend to prefer golden raisins to regular ones, since they're sweeter; the sunflower seeds were thrown in as an experiment in flavor. They add a slightly nutty flavor that isn't overwhelming, and help make the cookie a little less sweet for those who aren't sugar fiends. I baked them into bars since it's faster and gives a nice combination of dry and moist pieces.

Trail-Mix Cookie Bars

• 1 cup (16 tablespoons) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

- Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 340 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and mix well.
- In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, spices, and salt well, then add this dry mixture into the butter mixture. Combine well, then add the raisins and sunflower seeds, mixing well.
- Press the batter evenly into a 9-by-9-inch nonstick baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the entire top is firm and a light golden color. Let the pan cool before cutting into bars and removing.

The two songs below are among my favorites, and are very catchy, even if opposite in mood. MGMT's song is an upbeat dance tune of the indie genre. You've probably heard of this band if you listen to rock/alternative stations, since their single "Time To Pretend" has gotten decent radio play. The lead singer has a surprisingly high-pitched voice that works really well for such a sexy song. Facing New York is a lesser known band that manages to turn out some of the most interesting yet melodic songs. I saw them live this past summer and they put on a pretty awesome show, including double drumming. The song here is off their self-titled album, which is pretty melancholy overall, but somehow makes me happy when I listen to it.
MGMT - Electric Feel
Facing New York - Cutting My Hair.mp3