Sugar Cookies

I bought this set of cookie cutters a few years ago and it has proved to be a wise $6 investment. I know people (a lot of them just like me) go crazy over copper cookie cutters, but I'm a fan of the plastic ones. Gasp! There's no denying the copper ones are beautiful and expensive--which must mean that they're better, right? Not so fast, I say. Although copper cookie cutters won't rust, they can bend just as easily as their aluminum counterparts. With plastic cutters, you needn't worry about rust, bending or spending your kids' college funds to get a set of 101. Did I mention it cost $6 for the whole box? One copper cookie cutter can cost twice as much. Okay, the set was $9.99 and I used my 40% off coupon at Michael's, but does anyone ever pay full price for anything at Michael's?

An added bonus of plastic cookie cutters is that it provides endless amusement for my kids. They pull out the box and sort by color, by holiday, by animal, by shape...whatever they fancy. Of course, I do have to take the extra step of washing each cutter before I actually make a cookie with it, but that's a small price to pay. I assure you, if I had a box full of copper cookie cutters, my kids would never get to play with it.

The other day, they were playing with the cutters and I told them to pick one cutter each to make cookies. I had some leftover dough from Easter cookies (that I forgot to take photos of) so we rolled it out and made cookies. Elizabeth picked a heart with an arrow through it and Matthew picked a moon. Cookies for no reason. It doesn't get much better than that.

Have a Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

My mother-in-law gave me this pan for my birthday last year. It came from Williams-Sonoma so it has their special GoldTouch finish. Last year, I was so anxious to use the pan that I just put together a boxed cake mix and baked it. Do not try. There isn't enough batter in a boxed mix so the bunny is tailless, earless, and looks terribly undernourished. This year, I used the cake recipe that came with the pan and the results were great! The cakes just slipped right out of the pan with no trouble and I couldn't believe how evenly they baked. I didn't even have to level off the top. Look....


The decorating took about an hour and a half. Not too bad considering this was my first pass at three dimensions and basketweaving. I made the cakes yesterday because they needed to cool and then they needed to be refrigerated to make them stick together. So, there was quite a bit of inactive prep time. The decorating would have taken less time if I didn't have to keep putting the pastry bag in the freezer. I always have icing consistency issues so I have to plan that into my total time. You know me. I just exude warmth so I had to keep cooling the icing. I would even stop now and then and hold some ice cubes in my hand to keep the icing from getting too soft.

I must go and get myself ready now. Grandma will be here soon, and I still have to dry my hair. I just wanted to make sure I did this post before it was no longer relevant. I hope you all have a very happy Easter. Here's a photo of the other side of the bunny cake. The smaller the photo, the better he looks.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I finally made cookies with my new Williams-Sonoma GoldTouch sheet pans. The pans came with a recipe for chocolate chip cookies so I had to try it. They're good. I still like the Cooking Light chocolate chip cookies the best, though. These cookies are a cross between Alexis's brown sugar chocolate chip cookies and the familiar Nestle Tollhouse recipe. I ended up giving some away to friends for Easter because I had eaten three before 11:00 this morning.

I love Williams-Sonoma's recipes. They are extremely thorough. Dare I say their recipes are fool-proof?

Williams-Sonoma Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/3 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 sticks room temperature butter
1 c firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium-low speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the brown and granulated sugars, increase the speed to medium and beat until slightly fluffy, about 1 minute, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the pan, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 14 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to the rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough. Makes 36 cookies.

Happy Birthday, Shelly!

My Bundt pan and I are having a love affair. I used to turn my nose up at Bundt cakes because they seemed so dated, but it seems these cakes are in the midst of a revival. Williams Sonoma is selling the 25th anniversary pan for $34, but Brian's grandmother gave me her old Bundt pan and it's the same. It's likely that this pan is 25 years old so I love the fact that it's vintage.

Here's the latest creation in my pan. I made this cake for my friend and neighbor Shelly who celebrated her birthday last week. She watches Matthew every other week while I go to music class with Elizabeth and sometimes in a pinch, but she won't let me pay her. This was my way of thanking her for all she does to help me out. This is a Paula Deen recipe that uses pantry staples. I admit that I haven't tasted it, but it smelled great! Paula serves this cake at her Savannah restaurant, The Lady & Sons.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
4 eggs
1 1/2 c water
1 t vanilla
1 package butter recipe cake mix
1 package instant vanilla pudding, 3.4 oz
1 package instant chocolate pudding, 3.4 oz
1/2 c melted butter, 1 stick
1/4 c vegetable oil
6 oz chocolate chips
powdered sugar for dusting (I went a little overboard)

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a tube pan or Bundt pan. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, water, and vanilla by hand. Stir in the cake mix and pudding mixes. Slowly add thr butter and oil, and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Sift powdered sugar over the cake or drizzle chocolate sauce over it, if desired.

Dinner before Dessert

I can't seem to handle having two blogs. How do these people with four and five blogs do it? I don't know. They must not have kids or a house or ever volunteer. No. That can't be it.

I do have a big baking project coming up so maybe I'm just gearing up for that. It's a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer 3-Day. I plan on sending a variety cookies with Brian to work (with any luck, on a day where there are no layoffs) and putting out a donation box. I'm thinking of including order forms they can put in the box as well. Then Brian can take back more cookies to his friends. I guess you can call it a bake sale. I even have a slogan--Finding a cure never tasted so good.

In the meantime, you're stuck looking at photos of our dinners. Sorry. More fun stuff to come soon. I promise.

These pork chops are yummy. As a matter of fact, that's what they're called in Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook. I got that book as a Secret Santa gift way back in 1998 when I worked at Mid Atlantic Capital Group, and I go to it often for quick meal ideas.

Yummy Pork Chops

4 pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick (about 1.25 pounds)

3 T soy sauce

3 T ketchup

2 t honey

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pork in ungreased 8x8 baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over pork. Cover with foil and bake about 45 minutes or until pork is slightly pink in center. Uncover and bake 5 minutes longer. I serve it with brown rice with some of the sauce poured over it.