Besides being the eighth month of the year, the word August has
a definition in the dictionary as something marked by majestic
dignity or grandeur.
Somehow the month of August has lost that quality of majestic
dignity
– the kids are home, the days are hot, it can be a little dusty
in the garden and the days are getting a little shorter.
Besides being the eighth month of the year, the word August has a definition in the dictionary as something marked by majestic dignity or grandeur.
Somehow the month of August has lost that quality of majestic dignity – the kids are home, the days are hot, it can be a little dusty in the garden and the days are getting a little shorter. August just seems to be a place-holder in the year, waiting for the events to follow after Labor Day hits.
So, perhaps a few great recipes for some quick and easy cookies and desserts should be in order. Cookies are always appreciated with a tall glass of milk or iced tea and maybe just the thing to get your children into the kitchen and cooking with you before school begins.
Kids love to cook, and cookies provide a great challenge for learning all sorts of basic cooking skills.
The smell of cookies baking is a great pleasure, and it is so comforting. Recipes can be simple, so even those who know nothing about baking can follow a recipe with successful results as long as you have a bowl, a spoon, a baking pan and an oven.
And don’t forget to use the best ingredients for the best tastes.
That means all-purpose flour, sea salt, pure vanilla extract (never bother using artificially flavored vanilla, it is not worth it), pure butter, fresh baking powder (baking powder that has been purchased within a year), brown or white sugar as desired and any other ingredients needed to finish your creation.
Select your recipe, and be thankful we are in the August part of the year – the lazy, hazy days of summer – the majestic time to spend quality time with family and friends and the time to dunk a homemade cookie into milk.
CHOCOLATE CHEWS
3 tablespoons real butter
4 oz. dark chocolate
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a batter bowl, place butter and chocolate, and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir to finish melting and set aside to cool a little.
In another batter bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture along with the flour.
Spread into a baking pan that is about 11-inches by 7-inches. Top with chopped nuts.
Bake about 15-20 minutes. Cool in pan, then cut into squares and enjoy.
PINEAPPLE BARS
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup real butter
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 egg yolks
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a batter bowl, combine sugar, flour, coconut and butter and mix until crumbly. Pat two-thirds of the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch by 9-inch baking pan and pat down.
In a batter bowl, combine pineapple and the juice, the 2/3-cup sugar, cornstarch and egg yolks. Blend well and microwave on high for 1 minute.
Stir or whisk well. Microwave another 30 seconds to 1 minute to thicken slightly. Put on top of crust, sprinkle with the rest of the crust mix and bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut.
CRISPY COOKIES
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor with a steel chopping blade in place, process butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Blend in remaining ingredients.
Shape into balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Flatten each cookie with a fork. Sprinkle with more sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes. Let cool until firm, them remove from baking sheets.
Dorothy McNett is the owner of Dorothy McNett’s Place, 800 San Benito St. Phone: 637-6444 or fax 637-5274. Visit the store’s Web site at happycookers.com. Her food column appears each week in the Free Lance.
