Dear Nook-ers,

I have to apologize in advance (see blogging blonde for details). Due to the hectic school schedule I have this semester, the cookie project will be retarded at about 1/3 its usual pace. I'm so, so sorry you cookie tasters of the week. Instead of the sample platter box you'll just get a larger portion of the cookie of the week. I simply cannot do it all. So plan for 1-2 cookies every 10 days but this is not going to be an action packed roller coaster anymore (or was it ever? maybe it just feels that way from my raisin fingers from doing so many dishes).

love,
andi
& ez

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

thin and sweet
like every female
aspires to be.
(unless you plain like cookies
and then who cares?
life tastes good!)

overall rating: 4.5

ease to make: 4
cleanup: 5

so the rating for this is a real approximate guess. these cookies didn't last long enough to get them to any of our usual tasters. it's not that it didn't make a big enough batch, just that dallas (and ezra! bad ezra!) liked them a little too well.... he gave them a 5 but i cant' give anything a 5 based solely off of one rating so i had to compensate. ez really did snarf these down (don't worry, we took out the raisins) at speeds where it would be impossible to actually taste what you are eating. at any rate, the picture above is the last cookie standing that i had to literally peel away from the boys in order to not have to make the entire batch over again, just for the stupid pic. (please, please don't judge this poor cookie. it was literally the ugliest in the batch, hence why it was the last one, but it's all that i had!)

this cookie, although has extra fiber in it from the wheat germ (that i couldn't find anywhere, where is this stuff hiding at in the store? i substituted with wheat flax, or something like that), it could really use some thickness. maybe for those of you who like thin cookies you'd like this, but in our house if they're not small cakes they've got to go.
dallas still loved them,
obviously.

Dark Chocolate with (sour) Cherries

the most delicious mess
of chocolate
in the entire world
(certain of it)

overall rating: 4.93
ease to make: 5
clean up: 5

ladies and gents we have a new cookie winner. people went googliy over these. they checked the bowl to make sure they wern't all gone before they got another... this is THE cookie. actually the recipe calls for sour cherries but i have no idea where these are so i used dried cherries and it worked just fine

this dough was the most tempting to eat (and after all the rave reviews i broke down and ate one that was stale, and by golly they were right. it was worth all the bloating and headache and exhausted feeling that accompanied it!). it's this deep deep brown dough that looks like one giant truffle. mmmmmm..... yes. you need to make these. even if you bought the entire book for this one recipe, it would be worth it.

Cappuccino-Chocolate Bites

small as a button
with delicious insides
is the perfect solution
to your afternoon caffeine
craving

overall rating : 4.6

ease to make: 3
clean up: 3

as much as i love coffee these were pretty annoying to make. they are adorable so if you're looking for that perfect cookie that looks like it should go in the pre-made 100 calorie packs (it would never qualify, even if it was the only cookie in that pack) this is it. let me tell you why this one annoyed me. i hate reading ahead and so i don't. so when i get to parts in the recipe saying "refrig dough for 30 min" and then "refrig middle mixture for at least 4 hours or overnight" i get very cranky. dear martha: if you make this book over put prep time on these recipes! actually, you could hire me and i'd do it for you. anyway, you do have to roll these cookies out to 1/8", which went better this time and use a skinny shot glass to make the most perfect size in the world. for real, it's worth it. my innerds on these didn't turn out like the picture but thats ok, dallas still ate them, one cookie/bite at a time!

on a real exciting note i did splurge $5.99 on a small sifter. if you don't have one of these in your kitchen i would really recommend one. for example, the tops of these need dusted with powdered sugar and cocoa powder, both which come out in clumps if you don't use a sifter. plus, martha uses cocoa all the time and it really does make a difference. go splurge!

Pecan Log Rolls

not too sweet
not too salty
would go great
with a cup of coffee

overall rating 3.91

ease to make: 4
clean up: 5

so they're not the most exciting cookie but they still get ate. the only reason the ease to make ranking is lower is because appliances (like mini food choppers) that don't get used often are stored out in the garage (due to insufficient kitchen cabinet space) and i really hate going out there in the winter. it's cold and dark and well, just unpleasant overall. someone suggested a finer grain of salt as the recipe calls for coarse but this is martha we're talking about and well if she thinks her cookies are gormet than they must be.

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

besides having a big name,
these big cookies
are a mouthful of chocolate and
delicious peanut butter filling

overall rating: 4.7

ease to make: 3 (they're sandwich cookies, ugh)
clean up: 4

so i can't eat the cookie portion of this, but let me tell you, the peanut butter inside is to die for! it's the most fattening deliciousness mixture of pb, powdered sugar and butter. YUM. and what is even better is that my aunt sylvia got me a frosting knife for christmas and it works awesome! thank you aunt sylvia!! you wouldn't believe how much a 60degree bent knife (or something like that) makes such a difference. even beezer likes them (although i think beezer likes all cookies)

Chocolate-Ginger Brownies

a thick,
moist,
delicious brownie
with a kick at the end,
just for fun!

overall rating: 4.11
ease to make: 4.9
clean up: 5

people raved about these, so i suppose they were pretty good. i think you have to be open to options. for example, you don't like just chocolate, but are open to having something (like ginger) sharing the pan space. (by the way, i didn't realize how much martha likes using ginger! i use it all the time! if you don't have any in your kitchen and have this book i suggest you stock up now.) these only make a small 9x9 pan but one you wean out the non-ginger weenies you'll have enough for everyone else!

Peppermint Meringue Sandwiches w/ Chocolate Filling

a mint sandwich
with chocolate innards
how could a 2 oz cookie
have any calories?

overall rating: 3.64
ease to make: 3.7
clean up: 4 (only if you do your dishes immediately afterwards!)

a cookie i could eat! what a concept. i must say, i really really miss cookies with flour. no flour and they're just not the same. like these were good, but i could leave them sitting on the table looking pretty (and i like mint). the real reason i made these for the Christmas plates were because they were pretty and i needed some color. by the way, i don't think i ever blogged how beautiful my Christmas trays were:
anyway, back to the cookie.
i've never really made meringue before but this stuff was beautiful! and i even broke down and bought one of these $5 kits with plastic ends in them for this cookie. it's worth it! yes, you get meringue all over the kitchen, and if yo'ure like me food coloring, and yes, they do bake for 1:45:00 (yes! and hr and 45 min!!), which is a total time suck, but make these and people think you're a total cookie goddess just looking at them. the chocolate filling is rather a time suck as well and when martha says that once the meringue is in the oven you need to start the filling, she's of course, right. it's like you make this stuff, and let it heat up real slow like, then let it cool, thickening up...... yeah... about that thickening up stuff. sorry folks that ate these. mine didn't thicken, i was in a hurry, you got skimped on the filling.
sorry!
would i make these again?
yes, only for their looks.

What is ________ used for?

I have decided to occasionally write what, or why certain ingredients are used for recipes and others are not. I always wonder and am probably not the only one, what is the difference baking powder and baking soda?

in a nutshell it's their chemistry (ugh i though i would be done with this for a long while!). baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which means that when put with an acidic product it creates carbon dioxide so when you stuff your food in the oven the reaction causes things to rise. (this is why you use it with dairy products, chocolate, honey...)

baking powder has sodium bicarbonate as well as the acid and a drying substance, like a starch. what determines which one you use? (this, from chemistry.com)
Baking soda is basic and will yield a bitter taste unless countered by the acidity of another ingredient, such as buttermilk. You'll find baking soda in cookie recipes. Baking powder contains both an acid and a base and has an overall neutral effect in terms of taste. Recipes that call for baking powder often call for other neutral-tasting ingredients, such as milk. Baking powder is a common ingredient in cakes and biscuits.

You can substitute baking powder in place of baking soda (you'll need more baking powder and it may affect the taste), but you can't use baking soda when a recipe calls for baking powder. Baking soda by itself lacks the acidity to make a cake rise. However, you can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda and cream of tartar. Simply mix two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda.

now, you know!

Magic Blondies

a good new year's resolution cookie,
yummy cake batter surrounding
fresh fruit and nuts.
how could this be bad for you?

overall rating: 4.74

ease to make: 5
clean up: 5

how can you go wrong when you bake your cookies in muffin tins? everyone loves these and they look cute. the recipe only makes 12 so take into mind that you may have to double it in order to make enough for everyone!

Cookie Tasters of the Week: Sandy, Andy & Justine

yes yes, i know that one week off turned into two...whoopsie!
for the week of Christmas my cookie tasters were: Sandy (my old college roommate of 3 years and friends since preschool), Andy, her husband, and Justine, Sandy's super good friend and my FFA pal. Sandy is an appropriate cookie taster for Christmas because her life revolves around Christmas. I wouldn't be surprised if her blog already had a Christmas countdown for next year. Here are the official cookie taster notes:

Peppermint meringue sandwich w/ chocolate filling: 4
Andy expected a little more chocolate.
Really good refreshing, loved the peppermint meringue...couldn't eat a
ton of them which is probably good! :)

Candy-stripe cookie sticks: 3.33 ( I had to average our 3 scores)
good flavor would be super yummy with ice cream or coffee

Blondies: 3.67 I could be biased because I don't like coconut or
raisins...andy and justine liked the saltiness

Almond wafers: 4.3 yummy gingerness and again would be super super
super yummy with ice cream

Brownies: 4.3 love brownies and ginger taste....very moist....super
tastey....(justine like LOVED them!!!)