Viennese Chocolate Spice Cookies

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Wait...is it? Is it really the Christmas season? With 17 days to go, I guess it is! It approached quickly and then with all the unseasonably warm weather NYC has had, it hasn't seemed like it SHOULD be Christmas. The cold weather I woke up to this morning definitely helped to reassure me that indeed, it's Christmastime!

The lights that are up and the Christmas decorations in store windows and on houses also help get me in the Christmas spirit.

And the holiday music playing in stores helps.

And the elves making my bed. Wait, what? There are no such things as elves? Well that explains why my bed and room are so messy!

Also, all the goodies showing up at the office has helped get me to believe that Christmas is near.

Need a good cookie to bring in to work? I suggest these Viennese Chocolate Spice Cookies. They can be made crispy or slightly chewy, and the combo of chocolate along with a slight hint of spices makes them perfect for winter.

I hope you are preparing for Christmas and enjoying the season!

Viennese Chocolate Spice Cookies (adapted from One Perfect Bite)

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups flour, plus additional for dusting the work surface
3/4 cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (1-1/2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided use
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Set aside.
2) Using a stand mixer on medium speed, beat butter to soften, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. If mixture is gritty beat an additional 2 minutes.
3) Beat in 3/4 teaspoon of pepper and all of allspice. Beat in egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in the flour mixture. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
4) Lightly dust work surface with flour and turn dough onto it. Roll into a 9-inch log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate about 3 hours.
5) Position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Preheat to 375 degrees F.
6) Slice log into 1/4 inch-thick slices and place on sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 6 minutes then rotate sheets top to bottom and front to back. Bake for 6 more minutes until slightly puffed or springy to touch. Cool for 2 minutes in pans, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
7) Mix confectioners’ sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Sift mixture over completely cooled cookies. Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

Bake well and prosper!

Chocolate Chip Cookies & Belated Blog Birthday

Since I've been so busy I missed posting on my blog's birthday which was October 4.  So I shall pretend it's today. Because I can. This is the internet after all.

My first post with a recipe 2 years ago was the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from my Mom's Best Recipes cookbook.

I just reread that post and I like how much has and hasn't changed since then. I still have this recipe memorized and I still run, sing, hedge fund, and socialize.

I thankfully have a better camera to document the cookies and have embraced natural lighting as the way to go for photo taking.

In the last year I've been very proud of a couple of baking related things:

1. I made croissants for the first time in my life and they were great!

2. Pillsbury liked my post on lemon pull apart bread which used their seamless dough baking sheets. They put a link on their facebook wall and made my day!

3. Way back in February I made an amazing black forest trifle and it's one of my favorite recipes of the year.

4. Lots of people have pinned me on pinterest. And that makes me feel loved. Aw!

So, here's to another year of blogging and baking. I can't wait to see what year 3 has in store for me!

Chocolate Chip Cookies from my Mom's Best Recipes Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 stick of margarine/butter (I find that margarine will make them softer. Yum!)

1/2 cup of white sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 egg well beaten
1 cup and 2 Tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla (use the real thing....imitation vanilla is a poser!)
1/4 teaspoon of warm water (DO IT! TRUST ME!)
6 oz of semi sweet chocolate chip morsels

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix margarine, sugars, and egg together until margarine chunks are quite small and well beaten. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together and then stir until well mixed. Add vanilla and then mix. Water and then mix. And then add in the chocolate chips last. Place dollops of dough on cookie sheet with plenty of room between each dollop. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Erika's Extra Notes: To get very lovely and soft cookies, take out of oven when they are still fluffy/slightly uncooked looking. They will cook more while cooling. If baking two sheets at once, make sure to switch the top to the bottom and vice-verse half way through baking.

Bake well and prosper!

Sometimes You Throw Away Your Camera's Memory Card

What? You've never thrown away the memory card to your camera? I hadn't either until two weeks ago. I was throwing away some trash and didn't notice that my card and card reader were in the pile I threw away. It wouldn't be that big of a deal if there weren't pictures of the desserts I had made that week on there. But they were.

I was asked by Deana of Lost Past Remembered to make some desserts for a movie filming in Queens. Even though I was super busy with work and operas, I decided this would be too cool to pass up.

The assignment consisted of making a citrus tart, a chocolate icing cake, and something else that I felt like making.

Thankfully, Deana took some pictures of the desserts I made while they were on set. (You can see her whole post on the food for the film here. She made some great dishes!)

The Citrus Tart

Deana sent some pictures of what to make and I read up on the process of candying lemons. I was really happy with the outcome. However, my recipe didn't have a carmelization process and the director wanted a darker looking citrus top. (I wish I had my pictures to show you how yellow and fresh the lemons were when I made it.) Thankfully, Deana is a master in the kitchen and easily whipped up a topping to add to the lemons to make them darker. She also let me know that one of the producers really liked the tart and wants the recipe. (See bottom of post.)

The Cake

I was also sent a picture of a round cake with chocolate icing and some white frosting swirls. Deana said to make the cake and make it pretty. So I put shredded coconut in a circle on the top edges of the cake. Well, the director really wanted those swirls so Deana came to my rescue again by taking off the coconut and adding the swirls (and some canned frosting...over my butter cream frosting! For shame!) ;)

The Extra

I had decided to experiment with my mom's recipe for Orange Drop Cookies. I figured they would make cute little tarts if baked in a cupcake pan. Well, they made cute little cupcakes instead. Hmmm. I iced them quickly because the lady from the movie crew who was picking up my desserts was close by. Once again, Deana spruced them up by adding white icing and a raspberry on top. Now why didn't I think of that? They are so cute like that!

What I learned from this experience is how to make candied lemons. Oh, and that directors have a vision.

Lemon Tart recipe found at Epicurious. (I used premade pie crust since I needed to save time where I could.)

Bake well and prosper!

Everyday Cookies

Wow! I haven't blogged in a month! I don't even know if I remember how to use blogger...

I went into the month of October knowing it would be the busiest month of the year for me. While I was singing Cherubino in the opera The Marriage of Figaro...

I was also in charge of props for all 11 performances of the opera. And while I was in the opera, I also hosted my mom for TWO WEEKS IN MY APARTMENT.

In fact, she was the guest baker for my only post in October: Sour Cream Coffee Cake. (My dad also came to see my show but could only stay for 2 days.)

And while I was singing, taking care of props, hosting my mom, working a full time job, and singing at my church, I also ran the NYC Marathon.

That's me hamming it up for the cameras BEFORE I tightened up and finished poorly. But hey, I finished! I mean, I HAD to. Right after the marathon I had an audition for an opera company. I kid you not.

That's me in my audition dress WITH my medal. I'm surrounded by two friends who celebrated my day's achievements with me.

And while all of THAT happened, the trees changed color. :)

So, as you can see, I was quite busy. I hope this explains why I haven't posted in a month. I'm very sorry and have missed baking/blogging/blogging friends. I was so busy that I even missed my blog's 2 year anniversary! Waaaah!

Now it looks like November and December will be quite busy too! I'm in ANOTHER opera, but no marathon for me. Just a half marathon the day before my birthday. Whew!

As for baking, I liked my mom's idea about making Everyday Cookies. I think they are called that because you can eat them everyday, but I'm going to say that it means to go through everyday one at a time. And eat a cookie everyday. ;)

Everyday Cookies (from my Mom's Best Recipe Book)

Ingredients

1 C butter

1 C white sugar

1 C brown sugar

1 C oil

1 large egg

1 t vanilla

3 1/2 C flour

1 t salt

1 t soda

1 t cream of tartar
1 C oatmeal

1 C Rice Krispies

1 C shredded coconut

Directions

Mix the butter, sugars, oil, and egg together. Add vanilla. Sift in the flour, salt, soda, and cream of tartar. Stir in the oatmeal, Rice Krispies, and coconut.

Chill dough for one hour. Roll into balls and flatten a bit. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until slightly brown on the edges.

Bake well and prosper!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Positive. Staying positive is the mantra of the month for me. As you can see, I haven't posted since the end of September. I'm currently performing in an opera while also being the head of props for said opera, training for a marathon, working my desk job and my church job, oh, and my mother is in town for 2 weeks.

When she said she was going to come for 2 weeks during the busiest month of my year, I was NOT a happy camper. BUT, I told her she would have to bake. So, let's stay positive... Check out this delicious breakfast bread she made for me (and my coworkers)!

It really was extremely yummy. The boss at my office had many helpings...as did I. It was nice and fluffy with just the right amount of cinnamon added to it - the perfect dessert to get me through these busy and tough weeks of October.

PS Here's a picture of me in my Cherubino outfit from the opera. (I'm on the left.)

 Sour Cream Coffee Cake (from my Mom's Best Recipes Book)

Ingredients to beat together very well:
1 box white cake mix

1/2 C sugar

4 eggs

3/4 C vegetable oil

8 oz carton sour cream

Ingredients to mix together:

1/4 C brown sugar
1 C chopped pecans
2 t cinnamon

Pour 1/3 of first mixture into greased and floured tube pan. Add 1/2 of second mixture, then 1/3 of first mixture, 1/2 of second mixture, and the remaining 1/3 of first mixture.

Bake about 1 hour at 325 degrees. Let set 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Glaze if desired.

Bake well and prosper!