Calvin & Hobbes Snowmen Sugar Cookies - 100th Post

I've been reading a lot of Calvin & Hobbes lately.

I own all the books. I've reread them dozens of times. And I still cry a little inside when I read the Sunday comics in the newspaper and realize my favorite characters are nowhere to be found.

You see, I knew I had found the right doctor to fix me up after the accident when his waiting room was full of the same comic books I have at home. It ensures I get to my appointments a little early so I can pick up where I left off a few days before. It gives me something to chuckle about while they're moving my spine back into place. ::shudders::

I pretend I was actually injured while with Calvin & Hobbes on one of their soul searching sled rides, careening down the side of a steep mountain, only to end up in a slushy of half-frozen water from a pond at the bottom. It's a much more interesting story, that's for sure.

All those comics got me thinking and have inspired the recipe for my 100th post - Calvin & Hobbes Sugar Cookies. Err, rather their infamous snowmen. It at least looks like Calvin took over for his mom in the kitchen, so it counts.

It feels great to reach the 100th Post blogging milestone. I pledged to post more on my 1 year anniversary, and I have kept my word. I'll still be posting more inventive recipes in the new year, plus continuing my dairy series. And even if my virtual book club is sparse for a little while, I'll be sharing a book once a month, too.

Bill Watterson revealed that Calvin's snowmen were his [Watterson's] way of making fun of the "pretentious blowhards" of the art world. Calvin's attitude and intellect were a perfect match on mocking those who believe literally anything can be art - although Calvin still blows anyone out of the water.

This one is labeled by Calvin himself, called "Bourgeois Buffoon". Too bad his mom didn't approve his grant application. This series could have really advanced the avant-garde artworld.

This is a piece from Calvin's "Snowmen House of Horror" series. The others were judged too gruesome to be seen here.

Lastly, this is titled "All Knowing" since Calvin's parents proclaimed you could always tell when you got to their house after seeing his latest creation compared to the other neighborhood snowmen.

I used cream cheese to hold the snowmen together, but the marshmallows are really just for decoration. I popped them off before enjoying the sugar cookies as they were intended to be eaten (which are slightly overcooked since I couldn't hop off the couch fast enough - le sigh).

I hope you enjoyed this goofy recipe and thank you for helping me reach my 100th post. I think this is a great way to start the new year together.

Sugar Cookies

Printable Recipe

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup turbinado

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup fine organic sugar

Preheat the oven to 375*F and line an extra large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, add the butter and sugars and mix for 3 min. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

Once the butter and sugars are creamed together, add the egg and vanilla, mixing well. Then slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Use an ice cream scoop to measure out 12 large cookies. 

Before placing them on the baking sheet, roll the top and sides in fine sugar. 

Press down the cookies to help flatten them before setting them in the oven. Bake for 15 min.

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 min before transferring to a cooling rack.

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp raw milk

Mix the powdered sugar and milk together, adjusting the thickness to the desired consistency by either adding more powdered sugar to make it thick or more milk to make it thin.

~Yields 12 large sugar cookies.

~Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker.

Crescent Cookies

The Christmas cookie season is in DEFCON mode.

Recipes and cookies are flying all over the place.

I guess it's time to contribute my part to this madness.

Last year I shared my most prized recipe and tradition of Potato Chip Cookies. This year I'm going with another classic: Crescent Cookies.

These cookies are known by many names and treasured by cultures around the world: Wedding Cookies, Tea Cakes, Kourambedes, Mantecados, Pastelitos de Boda, and the list goes on.

The ingredients may differ slightly, but the result is the same - a crisp, sweet cookie that melts in your mouth like snow on your tongue. It's heavenly.

I actually received this recipe last year around the holidays while visiting family in Central Florida. A sweet neighbor brought over a tray of these cookies, which were some of the best I've ever taste. I gushed over their delight. To my surprise, the lovely lady flagged me down and provided me with the recipe just as we were heading out of town in the car. I was both shocked and grateful. I pulled out the recipe from my cabinet this week and thought I should continue passing along the gift.

It has me thinking about legacy and history. Not everyone is taught how to cook by their grandmother from a foreign land, full of tradition. Sometimes treasures are discovered in other ways, like cookbooks or other literacy.

You may remember I am a book club member and love reading. Not a fan of e-readers, I prefer the old school method of going down to a local book shop, thumbing through a seemingly endless selection, and buying a physical representation of someone's heart and soul. I love the smell and wonder of reading a new book. Feeling it in my hands. Learning and interpreting something new. Reading is so important, as the tradition of passing down history and knowledge is like a fountain of youth.

I have discovered by reading other food blogs that many of my fellow recipe authors also enjoy a good book. This has led to my decision to start an online food book club. Once a month, those who would like to participate, may post a book review that contains a recipe inspired by the chosen book for that month. The inspiration can by anything related, from a recipe mentioned in the story to a period dish that represents the time frame of the characters and settings.

I want this experience to be enjoyable. The books and recipes will not be restrictive, so the reviews will not be limited to cookbooks, nor do the recipes have to be something ancient. I would like other food bloggers to experiment with natural ingredients to make over a recipe or try an old dish for the first time. Just real food inspired by real books.

If enough people are interested, we may work out a system to have others pick book selections or come up with additional ideas. For now, we'll just keep it simple and see how it goes.

The first book will be Consuming Passions: A Food-Obsessed Life. I have not read this book, but the reviews are positive for both the charming portrayal of Southern American life and recipes. The author writes about her misunderstanding of healthy fats and cooking, while sharing classic Southern American recipes. I am interested to see the reviews from other food blog authors and whether they agree or disagree with the author's thoughts of fats and cooking styles.

The Food Book Club will "meet" on the 15th of each month, thus posting their book review and recipe at 3pm EST (convert to your local time here). If you'd like to attend the first "meeting", just add your blog to the list below! I must be able to contact you via email to share the linking code, as this must be on all participants' blogs.

Now that the big announcement is over, it's time to get to cooking.

Crescent Cookies

Printable Recipe

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1/4 cup turbinado
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup pecans, finely minced
1/2 cup walnuts, finely minced
1/2 cup powdered sugar

First cream together the butter, turbinado, and vanilla.

Then slowly add the flour and nuts, just mixing until combined.

Spoon the dough onto plastic wrap and mold into a log. Wrap tight and refrigerator for at least 30 min.

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into 1/2" circles (the dough freezes well and not all cookies need to be baked immediately). Use your hands to gently mold the cookies into crescent shapes. The dough is loose and can crumble easily, so take your time with this step.

Bake for 12 min. (I like the ridge left at the top since it holds more powdered sugar.)

Allow the cookies to cool for 10 min on the sheet. Then dip into powdered sugar and enjoy. These even taste better the next day!

~Yields 22 cookies.

~Recipe by Warlene.

The Wow Baking Company - Oregon Oatmeal Cookie

A few weeks ago, I was introduced to the Wow Baking Company, as they were offering a promotion to have people try one of their cookies for free. I saw they had oatmeal cookies - and I never pass up an oatmeal cookie.

The Oregon Oatmeal cookies have cranberries and apricots, plus they're gluten-free as are many of their products.

The oatmeal cookie was still moist and chewy, two things I love in my oatmeal cookies. I could taste the plethora of oatmeal and love the texture, and it had plenty of cranberries and apricots in each bite. The spice of the cookie was complimented by its sweetness, and I was very impressed with the quality.

I hope to find local stores that carry their products, but I'd be happy to order other goodies like the Lemon Burst and Ginger Molasses cookies. If you see these anywhere, definitely give them a try, or visit their website for more information. Many of my fellow bloggers and readers are gluten-free, and these are an absolutely a great treat for anyone gluten-free or otherwise looking for a delicious snack.

The Wow Baking Company was offering the promotion for a free cookie to anyone who requested a sample from their website. The Wow Baking Company and Le Grand Fromage are not affiliated, nor was any arrangement or compensation made to feature their product(s) on this website.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was in such a rush earlier this month to prepare for our vacation that I am posting this recipe out of order. My chocolate bark was made with leftover chocolate from this recipe. I was in charge of cookies for a collaborative Super Bowl party, and these goodies were my contribution. It seems everyone is a fan of chocolate chip cookies - but me. It's kind of like cookie dough ice cream - only the dough is tasty, but the vanilla ice cream is just so blah. That's how I feel about chocolate chip cookies; the dough surrounding the chocolate pieces doesn't make eating the whole cookie worth it.

I decided to make the entire cookie overflow with chocolate and knew no one would be able to keep their hands off. And I was right - we went home with an empty container after the party.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Printable Recipe

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

11 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup turbinado

2 eggs

1 1/4 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350*F, making sure two racks are in the upper third of the oven. Prep two cookie sheets with butter or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients of flour through salt.

In a double boiler, melt the 11 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips. While the chocolate is slowly melting, use a mixer to cream the butter and both sugars for 3 min. Next add the melted chocolate and the eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla. In small batches, add the flour mixture until just incorporated.

Fold in the walnuts and whole chocolate chips carefully as the dough will be stiff.

Form the dough into large balls and place six onto each cookie sheet. Bake for 15 min. Allow the cookies to rest for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack with a spatula. Allow the cookies to cool, otherwise they will be very crumbly.

~Yields 20 cookies.

~Recipe adapted from Joy of Baking.

Potato Chip Cookies

When these cookies starting baking in my house growing up, we knew Christmas was almost here. They were always a special treat saved for the holidays - most likely due to the quick prep and cooking, it takes no time at all to have them ready for guests or to place in a goodie bag as a gift.

I love how each bite is a little salty and a little sweet, with the crunchy chips and the soft cookie. I don't know what recipe my family used, but I found this one from King Arthur Flour (KAF) and actually like it better since it includes oats - one of my favorites! If you're not fond oats, feel free to use two cups of flour instead. Since it's the holidays, try spicing it up with flavored potato chips or adding something a little extra to the cookie dough. I think a combination of adding orange zest and using lime potato chips would taste great!

Happy Holidays!

Potato Chip Cookies

Printable Recipe

1 stick of butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup turbinado

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg (room temperature)

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup KAF organic all-purpose flour

1 cup broken plain potato chips

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Prepare a cookie sheet by greasing it with butter or line with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the ingredients of butter through vanilla. Next, add one at a time the ingredients (in order) of egg through flour, and mix until just combined.

In a small bowl, coarsely crush the potato chips (or use crumbs from any bags in the cupboard). Roll the dough into a ball no bigger than a golf ball and press into the broken potato chips.

Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-18 min.

Remove to a cooling rack immediately - then enjoy!

~Yields 18 cookies.

~Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion, Copyright 2004

My future-mother-in-law gave us one of her dish sets over the Thanksgiving holiday. I think they're beautiful! Thank you again!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I thought I'd try a classic, no-fuss recipe this week. I've become a chocolate fan only within the last few years, so my first love of cookies is oatmeal. However, few people seem to be able to resist the chocolate chip cookie, so I love combining the two. It seems to please everyone! Something few things can achieve.

I found a NY Times article claiming they tested the ultimate cookie recipe, so I had to pursue this challenge. The list of ingredients gave me a bit of a problem, but worked out fine in the end. It seems if there was a Whole Foods in town, things would have gone a lot smoother. I had to settle for pastry flour as a substitute for cake flour, as well as chocolate chips in lieu of chocolate disks or fèves.

I was able to use my mortar and pestle for the first time! The sea salt was beautiful, but a bit too large in my opinion for a cookie topping. I ground the sea salt down to table salt size (I imagined crunching on salt and didn't think that would be appetizing while trying to enjoy the cookie). The bitterness of the salt brings out the chocolate and sugars, so omitting it would be taking away a delicious element.

The cookie was not as sweet as my palate likes, but it was not a disappointment. This cookie is richer and overflows with homemade taste. It can not be mistaken for a store bought cookie. The recipe is simple and quick for such a satisfying treat. I may not agree it's the ultimate recipe, but it will remain on my cookie recipe list for future treats.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Printable Recipe

2 cups, minus 2 tbsp, organic cake flour (8 1/2 ounces)

1 2/3 cups organic bread flour (8 1/2 ounces)

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup brown sugar (10 ounces)

1 cup + 2 tbsp organic sugar (8 ounces)

2 large eggs

2 tsp organic vanilla

11 ounces dark chocolate chips/disks/fèves (at least 60% cacao)

1 cup organic whole grain rolled oats

sea salt

Sift the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and Kosher salt together; set aside. Cream the butter and sugars together for 5min. Then add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla. Reduce speed to the lowest setting and slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Turn the mixer off and pour in the chocolate and oats. Turn the mixer back on to the lowest speed and mix until just incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350*F and prepare a cookie sheet with wax paper.

Scoop 5-6 large balls of cookie dough and form into spheres (3 1/2 ounces or large golf ball size). Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 20min.

Carefully pull the wax paper off the cookie sheet and allow the cookies to cool.

Continue baking or put remaining dough back into the refrigerator to cook another time (dough can remain refrigerated for 72 hours total). Yields between one and two dozen cookies, depending on size.

~Adapted from NY Times.