Oops! No recipe this week!

I didn't bake today! It feels weird.
My glasses broke last week, and when my parents came up for my birthday last Tuesday I gave them the glasses, so they could get them fixed by our optometrist.
And then they were fixed! But today was the only free day I had to go get them, so that's what I did instead of baking. ...A nap may have been involved as well.

Maybe there'll be a recipe later this week instead? Not sure. Sorry!

Lemon Poppyseed Cookies

I got another new cookbook! This one is just called The Cookie Bible and it has amaaazing recipes in it. I already marked about a dozen pages that I want to try straight away.
The first recipe I tried is called HUNGARIAN Lemon Poppyseed Cookies. I'm not really sure what makes them Hungarian, but that doesn't really matter, does it?

Whoever tested this recipe didn't record it right though, I don't think. It says to measure them by 'heaping teaspoons', and then says to bake for 11-12 minutes, which overcooked them. It also says that it makes 2 dozen cookies, and it made a little more than 3 dozen for me. So I'm going to adjust the recipe for you! For this recipe, you'll need just one lemon, too.

Maaan, these things are great. I'm taking them to my writing group, but I want to keep them all for myself. But then, I'm addicted to anything lemon, so that's why!

Lemon Poppyseed Cookie Recipe

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp poppyseeds

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350
• Beat granulated sugar and butter until creamy.
• Beat in egg and lemon peel.
• Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl. Add gradually to first mixture.
• Beat in poppyseeds on low speed until fully combined.
• Drop by teaspoon full, 2" apart on a baking sheet-- cookies will spread.
• Bake 7-9 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.
• Let cool 1 minute on sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon Glaze Recipe

• 1 c powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation

• Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice.
• Blend until fully mixed.
• Put into a small zip-loc bag, and cut off a small corner. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

Devilled Eggs

Bonus treat!

I had some eggs in the fridge that were nearing their time (8 out of 12..I'm bad at eating eggs), when I was smacked in the face with a 2x4 of an idea: Devilled eggs!

These are things that, believe it or not, have a special meaning to me.

Aside from being the most delicious form of egg on the planet, we only made them in my house when they were going somewhere else-- Easter dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve dinner, and so on. Strictly an "entire family" sort of hors d'oeuvres (Which I like to pronounce as "hors doov-ruh" when the mood strikes me.)
When mom makes them, she never measures. I figured I could get some good out of making them, because I actually figured out how much to put in. Now, some people go crazy, what with the relish and the paprika and the other nonsense that DOES NOT BELONG IN A DEVILLED EGG. I keep it simple! Enjoy.

Devilled Egg Recipe

• 8 eggs (Because this is how many the recipe is measured for)
• 1/2 c Miracle Whip
• 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
• Dash of salt, a few dashes pepper

Preparation

• Hard-boil your eggs as follows:
• Put eggs in a large pan, and fill with water until just covered.
• Put on a burner at high heat, and bring to a boil all at once.
• Once at a rolling boil, let boil for 1 1/2 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and let sit in water for 15 minutes.
• Carefully pour out hot water, and fill the pan with cold water. Either let the water run for 10 minutes or so, or drop some ice cubes in to make sure the egg temperature is brought back down.
• Note: My egg yolks always come out with that grey ring-- I don't really mind. At least I know for certain that they're cooked this way.
• Once cold, crack and peel away the shells. Dry eggs with paper towel.
• Slice eggs length-wise in half, putting the yolks into a large bowl and the eggs on a plate or paper towel, cut-side up.
• Use a fork (or electric mixer) to break up the yolks.
• Add in Miracle Whip, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Mix well with a fork (or mixer) until completely blended and soft, instead of lumpy.
• Spoon, or pipe, into the egg halves.

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

These are the cutest and most delicious thing I've eaten all week!

I found a recipe online, but looking at it the measurements didn't sound right, so I tweaked it and made my own! They are SO tasty, and also filling. I had one and was satisfied, so (hopefully) you can share the batch with others. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't though.

My roommate loved them, too. I had two rejects (they weren't pretty enough!) and she gobbled them up. And they're so easy!
You'll have extra cinnamon sugar, because I just used an old mixture amount that I knew worked, but save it. Have some tasty toast later. :)

Mini Cinnamon Roll Recipe

• 1 can of Pillsbury crescent rolls (that says it has 8 rolls)
• 1/4 c sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp butter

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 375
• Carefully unroll the crescent rolls, so you have 4 rectangles instead of 8 triangles.
• Pinch, then press the perforations together to seal them.
• Melt the butter. Brush, or spoon and rub across the rectangles.
• Mix together cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over each rectangle until coated.
• Roll the rectangle up starting with the short end. Slice into 5 rolls.
• Place, cut side down, into a lightly greased/parchment paper covered 9" cake pan (round or square)
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
• Let cool slightly, and top with glaze.

Glaze Recipe

• 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp milk (or apple juice? The recipe said that-- I've never tried it!)

Preparation

• Mix together until totally blended and smooth. Drizzle over rolls.

No Bake Cookies

Happy Labor Day!

In the spirit of Labor Day, and being off work, I decided to put the least amount of effort possible into baking. Well that, and I wanted to make something quick and fool-proof to take to my writing group tonight (as a reward for the people who show up on a holiday!)

Not wanting to go to the store, I decided to bake with what I had around the house, and wound up re-discovering no bake cookies! I haven't made them for yeaaars.
Mine ALWAYS seem to come out a little crumbly, but I boiled them for a little less time than normal. I added more oats than I meant to though, so that defeated the purpose!

Afraid that they'd be dry, I melted some peanut butter and drizzled it over them. Super cute!

Now, Wilton's makes this thing called Peanut Butter Drizzle Icing, and I found it on sale (discontinued, I believe) so I bought it awhile ago. It tastes...funky. Like a bad peanut butter icing. After reading the ingredients list, I'm convinced that it's sugar, chemically altered to taste like peanut butter.
So, even if you see something like this, I suggest just taking the 45 seconds extra to melt the peanut butter.

No Bake Cookie Recipe

• 1 3/4 c white sugar
• 1/2 c milk
• 1/2 c (1 stick) butter
• 4 T cocoa powder
• 3/4 c peanut butter (I prefer creamy)
• 3 cups quick oats

Preparation

• Line two cookie sheets with waxed paper; set aside.
• Combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa powder in medium sauce pan over high heat. Stir often to combine.
• Bring to a rolling boil. Once it begins to boil, heat one minute longer, stirring often still.
• Remove from heat. Add peanut butter and stir until melted/combined.
• Stir in 2 1/2 c oats, then slowly add in the rest of the oats, or enough to get the consistency you desire.
• Drop immediately onto the waxed paper, in whatever size you prefer. Leave to cool.

Optional Peanut Butter Drizzle

• Melt about 1/2 c peanut butter on 50% heat in the microwave for 45 seconds, stirring halfway through.
• Pour into a Zip-Loc bag. Snip off a small corner of the bag.
• Drizzle!

Change of time!

Just a quick note! Instead of baking on Fridays now, I've decided to start doing my weekly experiments on Mondays.

Because of my new job, I work all weekend. But I've taken off Mondays for my student group meeting on campus, so I'm going to bake, and then take the treats to the meetings!

Look for something tasty in a couple of days. ;)