Are You Ready for Some Football???

   So it's a bittersweet time of year for most of us. That time of year when we know that after next week our Sunday afternoons and Monday nights will be spent watching bad sitcoms and made for TV movies because football season has ended for another year and yet we are getting geared up for the biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl!

   This year the Super Bowl will be played by 2 west coast teams which would be a total bust for us east coaster but for the fact that this year it will be played up in Giants Stadium. In spite of where the teams are from, the game is always met with the anticipation of a great match even if sometimes the only thing worth watching are the commercials. ( We all remember the last time the Eagles went. My friend who had a party to celebrate his teams pending victory, was packing up the food after half time with his wife swearing that she was going to sneak a Valium in his beer.)

   Because there is a strong chance that the game will be a let down to team fans and football fans in general is the reason that you need to make sure you have the best food and booze in the neighborhood. Nothing like drowning your tears of disappointment in some great wing sauce or fabulous pulled pork, right?

  This year is a bit of a challenge. After all, if New England was going there could be big bubbly pots of New England Clam, and creamy Lobster Roll Sandwiches. If San Fran had made the cut, big pots of tomatoey Chippino with crusty bread would have been awesome. Alas, we are stuck with Denver and Seattle to set the tone for our buffet table.

  What are their signature dishes, you ask? Well, in Denver, there isn't much. They have a huge beer culture between Coors and having the most microbreweries and craft beers in the nation but not much specific food culture. If you travel a bit west and south, you do come up with one dish that actually is perfect for this setting. Named the Green Chile Slopper, this sandwich just begs to be front and center of the Denver fan's buffet table! I have seen in most often asa burger but I have decided that it will be potentially even yummier when adapted to a Pulled Pork Sandwich instead. The chile sauce that smothers the open faced sandwich varies as much as BBQ sauces vary by region. Many are served topped with french fries and raw white onion and served in a bowl with a spoon. I think I will add a fresh Avocado garnish for a little bit of cool!

As for Seattle, everyone immediately jumps to coffee and salmon which, on their face, don't have to much appeal when tailgating! However, the one foodie thing going down in Seattle these days offers a perfect palette for football food and that is food truck grub, particularly Asian food truck grub! This opens the door wide for great possibilities but I myself am going for Asian Spare Ribs. Teriyaki is actually a front runner in the Seattle food scene but I am not a fan. I think I will do a rib with a sweet chili sesame glaze so they have that sweet.salty, spicy, fatty, meaty umami that we love about asian food.

  These are good places to start as far as I can tell but for fun I think I will also tie in a beer based dish to represent Denver and a coffee based dish to cover Seattle. I actually love coffee as a seasoning for beef so maybe some tender steal kabobs rubbed with Cumin and Coffee. I think a beer based cheese dip with pretzels or a beer and Cheese Soup using Denver's choice small batch beer will be a fun addition too.

  Of course, anyone who knows me knows that I over think these things a little too much and yet, everyone seems to be so impressed and thrilled to be eating it when the time comes. I suppose the standard fare of Buffalo Wings and chips and dip will do but why not put out this regionally special meal for all of your fans. That way the losers will leave as happy as the winners!

Go Teams!!!!

It's The Book That Makes The Cook!

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Anyone who has been in a book store or on a digital book site knows that the cook book section is a sea of overwhelming choices. They are all filled with delicious looking dishes that surely anybody can tackle. There are books that show you the basic levels of cooking and what seems like 10 times as many books that are specific to one type of cuisine, technique, or ingredient. There are even cook books that are built around one specific brand of an ingredient, like Smucker's Jams or Kraft Cheddar Cheese and, of course, let's not forget the unlimited number of celebrity cookbooks that have grown out of cable channels like Food network and the Cooking Channel.


But fear not. Just take a deep breath and I will do what I can to cull the herd a bit so you can find the perfect cookbook to give as a gift or keep for yourself  I have an enormous collection of cookbooks. So many, in fact,that many of them have have even been rotated out up to the attic. Most of them I acquired over the last 25 years as I learned different techniques and many of them were given to me as gifts.

So I hope that this list will give a little direction through the cooking section of the book store. I'll show you my favorites in a couple of different categories. First, though, I need to touch on the New Food Lover's Companion, This is a thick but compact little book that is a terrific guide for everything food and I mean EVERYTHING!!!! From Albert Sauce ( served with beef and made from a cream sauce base and horseradish) to zuppa. From asparagus to zucchini. This little book is a great resource of information on specific food items, preparations, some Brand name products and cooking techniques. It has a weight conversion chart, dried goods measurements, a butchers guide for the different cuts of meat ( I love that!) a substitution list and even an altitude cooking chart. I recommend this little gem for the pro in your life as well as the new cook. It is a wonderful safety net in the kitchen.

In terms of a good well rounded overall cookbook, I will have to go with the one cookbook that I find myself back to after wading through all of my other options time and time again. I am on my 3 edition of this book and not because I wanted the updated version. It is, truly, because I have worn out the previous copy. The Better Homes and Garden Cook Book is the BEST when it comes to finding basic recipes for everything. They are easy to find, easy to follow and honestly I don't ever remember a recipe not working or that I didn't like. Granted most of the recipes are very basic but they are easy to put your own spin on. This book also has a decent conversion chart, substitution list and protein cooking temperature guide. I think this is a book that every home cook should own and is a really great choice for the new cook who is on their own for the first time!


I will talk more about celeb chef cook books in a minute but I want to take this book out of the celeb category and put it in to a technique category. This cook book features one of the most popular Food Network chefs, Tyler Florence. It's called Stirring the Pot and is not a collection of his recipes. Instead it breaks everything down in to the different types of cooking, frying, braising, roasting, raw foods, and so on. Each category is thoroughly covered so that you will have a better understanding of the technique as a whole and there are absolutely amazing recipes to accompany each technique. It also has chapters on a well stocked pantry and equipment and knives. Again, I think this is one of my favorite books to give to any aspiring chefs on your list

Now, of course we all know that there are an endless ever evolving number of cook books that feature individual techniques. There are books on everything from soup to nuts (literally) and it can be very overwhelming when trying to find one that is going to be useful and easy to understand. In all honesty, I don't have a lot of these types of coo books because I have a basic understanding of food preparation so the need for dish specific cook books is not really necessary. There are a couple that I like and will go to from time to time simply for inspiration. Check out a book called 400 Soups. Soups are very popular and an easy dish that even a beginner can have great success. This book has all manners of soup from cream and broth based to cold soups and stews.

The only other ingredient specific books that I have and that I would recommend is for baked goods. Baking is a very exact science. Even chefs who have years and years of experience, need a recipe when it comes to baking. In fact, it may come as a surprise that most chefs will be the first ones to tell you that they don't do desserts and pastry because it is so vastly different than cooking. With that, I will say that I have had quite a lot of pastry experience so I want a book on pastry that is informative in the overall technique. I want a book that covers all types of desserts with clear manageable recipes. I came across this book a few years back and have found it to be a baking staple. The Art and Soul of Baking is put out by the gourmet shop, Sur le Table and it is beautifully written with lovely photos. Again, I think if a book on desserts is what you are looking for, try to find one that covers baking as a technique instead of a whole book on brownies, or cookies or pies so you can develop an over all better understanding of the technique of baking.I would say the best way to pick a book like this is to find one that has recipes titles that you recognize.

Since the days of the Galloping Gourmet, Julia Childs and jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet ( one of my personal favorites) television chefs have always brought their enthusiasm in to our homes. They make us feel like we can conquer the world. Problem is that when the show is over our teacher is gone and we go back to being all alone in that scary kitchen of ours. Now there is a celebrity chef for everyone, men women, old, young, gourmet, rustic, they are all out there. I would say if you are going to buy a celeb cook book just make sure that again it covers a broad spectrum of recipes so you get the most bang for your buck. Again, the style of the celebrity cooks vary widely. I have my favorites, of course. I am obsessed with jamie Oliver. His cooking style is rustic and casual. He has great energy and passion about food and a pretty cool accent to boot. He has many books out and he has a youtube channel that is fun to watch as well. My husband and I are also big Guy Fieri fans. we spent much of our vacations crawling through all of the restaurants that he visits on his popular show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives but he is also a real deal chef and has a couple of great cook books that seem to really appeal to the guys in the kitchen.

While we are on the celebrity chefs, I think that Alton Brown deserves a nod here. Many know him as the host of Iron Chef and his show, Good Eats. What a lot of people don't know is that he is not a chef. He actually was a television producer before his Good Eats days. Good Eats has turned him in to the Bill Nye the Science Guy of the food world. His show covers a different topic each episode and explores the food itself from a more scientific perspective as well as tips and recipes. As a result, there are several Good Eats books out there. They are a great over all food books with lots of information that will give you a better understanding of the preparation as a whole.

Another very popular source for recipes are magazines. I have clear memories of my mom getting McCalls magazine and me having new paper dolls with every addition. Magazines like this have always appealed to homemakers because they feature recipes that are easy, quick and family friendly. Some of the magazines that revolve around food are a bit more elevated. Food and Wine and Bon Appetit cover more complex recipes and ingredients. They are geared much more toward the home cook who is a real foodie. We pros like these publications too. The problem I have always had is that I read it front to back, I find a couple of recipes I like so i want to save it. There it sits on the hutch along with all of the other issues I've collected and 9 times out of 10 I never pick it up again.I'll say this. If you are someone who will diligently clip and file and USE those recipes, i would say go ahead and get a subscription. If not, it might be a waste of space and paper.

Lastly, I had to cover the infinite "cook book" that is the internet. This ever evolving source of recipes is systematically turning the traditional cook book in to a thing of the past. This makes me sad frankly. I treasure my cook books. I even have the cook book that my Great Grandmother passed down to my Grandmother and then to my Mom. It was originally published in 1938. Don't get me wrong, the internet is an amazing resource. You can find recipes for absolutely everything. I find there are a couple of problems with that. First, I have found it very difficult to dig the same recipe up twice so if you don't print it and save it, you may never see it again. Secondly, they are not all well written recipes. I have had some epic fails from recipes off of the internet. After all there is no real way to check the validity of the writer. Of course, this is not too big a deal but it can end in a lot of wasted time and ingredients so i would suggest approaching online recipes cautiously. There are a couple of reputable sites like allrecipes.com as well as brand specific sites. Food network has a web site of course/,I have use it. I will throw this out there. Many of the recipes are submitted by individuals, not chefs from the network. The recipes will note whether it was submitted by a fan so just beware.

Super Foods For The Super New Year ! Chef Lisa's Picks

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   There is plenty of buzz words today when it comes to what the industry considers to be the foods that deliver the most nutritious bang for your buck. Most of them I love but I am going to go ahead and talk about those in a separate post. Today, I want to talk about the ones that I consider to be part of that Super Food list. Most of these were at one point or another part of that talked about list. Some have never really been addressed but these are the ones that I love.

 I think for a food to be considered Super, it should deliver the highest nutritional impact with the most minimal negative impact but it also has to be affordable, available, easy to prepare and versatile,and of course it has to be delicious. After all, how super is it if no one can find it, afford it, cook it, or tolerate it's flavor!

First on the list is the much maligned egg. For years, these fragile little packages took a pretty heavy beating. There was the Cholesterol hype which made the poor little egg appear to be made of Plutonium and the contamination explosion that put eggs in a category with Ebola. 

The fact of the matter is, the egg is a bit high in Cholesterol so if you are someone who has dietary restriction regarding Cholesterol, doctors and nutritionists do recommend that you limit the amount of eggs you consume in a week to 4 a week as opposed to 6 a week for those with no heart disease history according to the Cleveland Clinic. You can certainly use an egg substitute or just the whites but this will drastically reduce the nutritional benefits as much of their nutritional value comes in the yolk.

In terms of the contamination issue, the issue becomes no different than with any other fresh food. Holding and safe serving temperatures are critical. Roughly 150,000 people are are infected with Salmonella each year in the US. That sounds like an outrageous number but considering that Americans consume 75 billion eggs each year, in the grand scheme of things it really is a small problem. Most people can be exposed to Salmonella and survive with little or no illness but to always be on the safe side make sure you do the following when buying, cooking and consuming eggs.

     -Buy eggs only under refrigeration. Some farm markets do still sell them at room temperature so a simple coddling (see below) will kill any bacteria before cooking.

     -Buy pasteurized eggs. I am a HUGE fan of the farm fresh egg. If you have never had the experience, I highly recommend that you find a reputable farm and try eggs that were laid that day. They are AMAZING! That being said, the FDA recommends only consuming pasteurized eggs, which have been heated to a temperature high enough to kill any harmful bacteria. 

   -Cook eggs thoroughly. Again, to me, there are certain things that absolutely need a raw egg. If your eggs are fresh, pasteurized, and held at a safe temperature a raw egg should be safe. if you are uncomfortable with a raw egg, coddling the egg prior to use will make it safe while still having the same raw egg quality.

  -Don't cross contaminate. Keep work surfaces clean and disinfected. Do not put cooked eggs in to a container that they came out of uncooked without washing it thoroughly. I like my eggs a bit loose myself and when I scramble them I whisk them in a bowl, scramble them until just soft and then turn them back in to the bowl that I whisked them in. I do this for myself. I will take my chances. When I am working in a commercial setting, I use a clean container for the cooked eggs.

Now lets talk about the reasons eggs deserve to be crown as a Super Food. Here is the nutritional information on one egg:

Egg

Food

Eggs are laid by female animals of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have been eaten by humans for thousands of years. Wikipedia

Nutrition Facts

Egg, boiledEgg, friedEgg, omeletEgg, poachedEgg, rawEgg, raw, gooseEgg, raw, quailEgg, scrambledEgg, white, rawEgg, yolk, rawEgg, boiled

Amount Per 1 tbsp (8 g)1 large (50 g)100 grams1 cup, chopped (136 g)1 large (50 g)

Calories 78

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5 g	7%
Saturated fat 1.6 g	8%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated fat 2 g
Cholesterol 187 mg	62%
Sodium 62 mg	2%
Potassium 63 mg	1%
Total Carbohydrate 0.6 g	0%
Dietary fiber 0 g	0%
Sugar 0.6 g
Protein 6 g	12%

Vitamin A	5%	Vitamin C	0%
Calcium	2%	Iron	3%
Vitamin D	11%	Vitamin B-6	5%
Vitamin B-12	10%	Magnesium	1%

As you can see, eggs have a remarkable amount of powerhouse nutrition packed in to a little package! They are a great source of complete protein because they contain the enzymes necessary to break proteins down in your blood stream. They are low in calories in relation to the amount of fat and carbohydrates they have. While on the subject of fat, the fat in eggs is more good for you fats than unhealthy ones which make it a healthy choice compared to foods high in saturated or trans fats. It is virtually pure protein that is easy to digest and easy to cook. In a starchy sugary world, eggs do a great job at adding some of the much needed protein in your daily diet. What most people don't know is that eggs are incredibly high in some really critical vitamins, like B6 and B12 which help maintain more regular blood sugars thereby decreasing Insulin release and increasing energy, D which is hard to find in natural sources and is a necessary component to absorb Calcium, Vitamin A which is crucial to eye, cell, kidney, lung and liver health as well as cell growth, and Potassium and Calcium which are essential electrolytes that contribute to muscle-nerve response. Not bad for 78 calories!

Eggs are remarkably affordable. I mean, where else can you get 6 servings for under $3. They are very shelf stable if refrigerated which makes for no spoilage and less thrown away money. That makes them more affordable indirectly.



The thing that I love the most about eggs is their ease and versatility in preparation. Scrambled eggs are the first thing that most kids learn to cook at a very young age. They are the first thing I taught both of my kids to cook. I figure as long as they can make a decent omelet, they will never starve to death! Eggs can be prepared so many ways that the recipes and techniques fill cook books. They can be made in to savory dishes as well as desserts. They can be simply boiled or made in to elegant souffles and can be feel right in place at lunch and dinner as well as breakfast. A perfectly fried egg is so lovely on top of an Arugela salad, cutting the bite of the greens with a creamy rich yolk. They are amazing on a good burger with sharp cheddar and bacon. I could go on and on but there is no denying that this little cutie is one of the most super Super Foods.

Oh and here's a bit of trivia. What is the difference between brown eggs and white eggs. Nothing. Brown eggs simply come from brown chickens while white one come from white chickens. The beautiful blue and green ones come from a breed of chickens called Americanas. All of the eggs are, nutritionally, the same. Who knew!

My next pick for a Super food that does not get enough time in the limelight is oatmeal. Many people have visions of paper mache' or wall paper paste, grayish and dreary when they think of oatmeal. The truth is, it is incredibly satisfying and delicious when handled properly but let's get through the nutritional benefits and talk a bit about the types of oatmeal a bit first.



There are generally 3 types of oats commercially available these days, old fashioned, quick cooking and steel cut.

   -Old Fashioned Oats-these oats have been pressed flat into a little flake which removes much of the outer covering allowing for creamy texture and a relatively short cooking time. 
They are widely available and inexpensive.

  -Quick Cook Oats- these oats are pressed even thinner than the Old Fashioned Oats. They will take much less time to become soft and creamy. I actually cook mine in the microwave in about 2 minutes.

  -Steel Cut Oats-These are the oats that have surfaced recently in health food and organic stores and are starting to make appearances in larger grocery stores, They are made by simply cutting the whole oat groat, or grain, without pressing, They are a better nutritional choice but they do take a good bit longer to cook and even then have a much more rustic chewy texture that many people don't like as much.

In recent years, oats have become the Cholesterol lowering rock star. They are high in dietary fiber which, as most know, signifigently lowers blood cholesterol levels. But did you know that that same fiber significantly lowers your risk of developing heart disease, post menopausal breast cancer and type 2 Diabetes? Oats are rich in antioxidants that fight off free radicals responsible for many types of cancer and heart disease. Beta-glucen, a key chemical component found in oats, has been recently found to reduce the symptoms of asthma and boost the immune system snap more quickly in to action when finding and fighting bacterial infections. The high fiber content in oats helps stabilize blood sugar spikes which reduces Insulin release that is responsible for the storage of body fat. And with Gluten intolerance and Celiac's Disease making headlines, oats and oat flour are a safe choice for those who need to find alternatives to wheat products. It also is high in vegetable proteins making it a great source of protein for the vegan or vegetarian diet. It is rich in Iron which is crucial for boosting red blood cells and is an important addition to women from early teens on. Here is the detailed nutritional information for Oatmeal:

Oatmeal

Oatmeal, also known as white oats, is ground oat groats, or a porridge made from oats. Oatmeal can also be ground oats, steel-cut oats, crushed oats, or rolled oats. Wikipedia

Nutrition Facts

OatmealOatsOatmeal

Amount Per 1 tbsp (15 g)100 grams0.75 cup (175 g)1 cup (175 g)1 packet, dry, yields (177 g)1 oz, dry, yields (177 g)1 cup, cooked (234 g)1 cup, dry, yields (501 g)1 tbsp (15 g)

Calories 10

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0.2 g	0%
Saturated fat 0 g	0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated fat 0.1 g
Trans fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0%
Sodium 1 mg	0%
Potassium 10 mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 1.8 g	0%
Dietary fiber 0.2 g	0%
Sugar 0 g
Protein 0.4 g	0%

Vitamin A	0%	Vitamin C	0%
Calcium	0%	Iron	0%
Vitamin D	0%	Vitamin B-6	0%
Vitamin B-12	0%	Magnesium	1%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Again, most people think of two things when you say oatmeal. Cookies and the grayish sticky porridge served at breakfast. Many people are not too fond of hot oatmeal and it's hard to make a diet of strictly oatmeal cookies (although if you have ever had mine, you would not mind giving it a shot!) What most people don't know is that oats are versatile and can be used in many savory and sweet recipes. It is great when turned in to a bread dough or pancake batter, makes a wonderful crispy coating for chicken or fish, is easy to make in to a crunchy granola to top yogurt, ice cream, or eaten with milk like breakfast cereal. I give little bags of my Super food granola to my daughter and her track team teammates for a boost after a long workout. 

Here is my best kept secret when making hot oatmeal cereal for breakfast. Did you ever notice that when you buy a big can of oats in the grocery store and cook them up in a pot that no matter how much sweetener and fruit or spices you add, it is still tasteless and flat. The next time you make some, add a little salt. ( a pinch for one bowl and a good tablespoon for a whole pot.) Don't be alarmed! I know it seems like a lot but trust me it will change your oatmeal world! A friend of mine who is a boy scout leader asked me, one time, why when he was camping with his boys they would make oatmeal that was bland and boring. I told him this tip and he came back months later so excited and surprised at the result.

Oatmeal is, like eggs, extremely affordable. Don't bother with the flavored packets. They are high in sugar and salt and they are more than 4 times more expensive than the big can of quick oats that you can buy for about $3 dollars. By the time my son was a teenager, he was eating 3 packets at a time so it was time to go to the big can!

My last contender for my Super Food picks are the humble banana. These perfectly naturally packaged little gems are a powerhouse of Vitamins, electrolytes and fiber.
Everyone knows that bananas are high in potassium which reduces muscle cramping at times when you might be a little dehydrated like after working out or after being sick but did you know that the potassium and iron also protects your heart from heart disease?  The FDA says so! They are also rich in soluble fiber and reduce stomach acid which aids in digestion. The serotonin and tryptophan found in bananas contributes to elevated mood and better sleep. When I was pregnant with both of my children I suffered from insomnia. I would eat a banana with cold milk over it and on those nights I would sleep like a baby. They are high in B6 so like eggs, they contribute to more consistent blood sugar levels and less afternoon slump. Those 5 Hour Energy drinks that you are guzzling at 2pm are expensive and taste kind of gross. Eat a banana and reap the same benefits plus all of the other great things they bring to your body. 

The one thing people have trouble with bananas is shelf life. You should never refrigerate bananas. They will turn a strange unpleasant gray and the texture is a little strange in my opinion. There is no known risk to refrigerating them. If you refrigerate them when they are green, they will take much longer to ripen. If you think that they ripen too fast, break them apart from each other and keep them away from other fruits. Fruit releases ethylene gas when it ripens. So if you keep them separated from each other there is less gas exposure and slower ripening. I have to do this because I have a condition in my mouth called Geographic Tongue and eating a banana that has even 3 brown spots causes a lot of pain so i have to eat them in that little window between being green and spotted. Here's another little secret. I hate that bananas are always  bruised on the bottoms. Go ahead, check. Every bunch that isn't green in the store that you pick up will be bruised on the bottom and here's why. Bananas are shipped green and refrigerated so that they remain shelf stable during transit. When they arrive at your grocery store and the produce guy pushes those cases out, he knows that he can't put them on the shelf totally green so he throws them. Yes he does. Go ahead and watch next time. he will either toss them or kind of spike them. The reason he does this is that a bruise on a piece of fruit causes an increase in the release of ethylene gas accelerating the ripening process. When they hit that table after being tossed, that little bit of trauma will ripen those bananas lickity-split, poor bananas!

Although bananas aren't the most versatile in terms of cooking, the thing that makes them a super choice is that they are easy to eat. You can snack on them any time. They are easy and neat to eat and travel well. I mean, they are versatile enough in that they can be eaten raw or cooked, baked in to bred and muffins, used in sauces like my favorite, Bananas Foster, and of course cut up in to your cornflakes. 

So let's talk a minute about Plantains. Plantains are widely available in most grocery and ethnic stores. They are a member of the banana family but are much starchier and have a thicker peel that is often hard to remove. They are used frequently in Latin dishes and are often deep fried. There are two varieties that are most popular. Green plantains are hard and starchy and when cooked resemble a potato more than a banana. Sweet Plantains are a dark brown color and are just a ripened version of the green. They are a good bit sweeter and cook up softer. They caramelize beautifully and are really yummy sauteed in a little butter and honey.

So there they are, my choices for the most nutritious, affordable, easy to prepare and delicious foods. In my next post, I will go in to the foods that are all the buzz. Foods like Quinoa, Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Pomegranate and Blueberries will be explored along with some great cooking tips and recipes. 

Please check us out on facebook. Just search Utensils Cooking School to see our upcoming class schedule, grab great kitchen tips and see pictures of past classes!

We will be launching our official website very soon. At Utensilscookingschool.com you will be able to register for classes, shop for specialty foods and kitchen products, read our blog, and access our cook book of favorite recipes! We will keep you posted! 

Check out our next class. We are so excited to get together with friends and students and share in the creation of what are sure to become a holiday traditions. 

Not Your Grandma's Christmas Cookies

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Decorating the tree, picking out the perfect gift, listening to Christmas carols, building a gingerbread house, visiting Santa. Every family has traditions and those traditions are the things that make the holidays so wonderful. In our house, my mom was not the mom puttering around cranking out batch after batch of holiday treats. She did, however, have a recipe for simple spritz style butter cookies and it was always my job to split the candied cherries and put them on before the cookies went in to the oven. I still make these cookies every year. I make the first batch on Thanksgiving just like my mom. I love these cookies and will pass this tradition to my children. Of course, I have also created some of my own traditions with my family. I build a gingerbread house almost every year. Buche de Noel is always our Christmas Day dessert and on Christmas morning, French toast made with the sweet fruit bread, Panatone is always on the menu. So what if you want to create traditions in your own home but you don't have any baking experience?


There are books on top of books and magazines by the mile chocked full of holiday cookie recipes. So where do you start? There are so many cookies, so many favors, so much technique....it can be overwhelming. In the end, you end up with a couple of batches of chocolate chip that might have some red and green M&M's in them. Hardly a show stopper!

Even though it seems like there are a million recipes and a million techniques, in reality there are merely a few techniques that can be made with different ingredients to give you a huge fanciful array of Christmas treats! Get a handle on the basics and the sky's the limit! Here are some of the basic techniques and some great varieties of each.  

Drop Cookies- I started with this one because it is the easiest so even your young bakers can turn out yummy cookies. Drop cookies are made from a soft, fairly wet but stiff batter. They result in a free form irregular shape. Some examples of drop cookies are the ever popular chocolate chip, oatmeal, and peanut butter cookies. Use a small to medium spring loaded scoop to portion your batter. That way all of your cookies will be uniform in shape and size and will cook more consistently.

Refrigerator Cookies-Sometimes called Slice and Bake Cookies, this dough is incredibly versatile while still being easy to make and use. This dough will be stiffer than drop cookie batter. Be sure not to over handle the dough or it will become tough. This type of dough can be made ahead of time and frozen. After the dough is blended roll dough into a log approximately 2-3" across and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill the dough for at least an hour before slicing and baking. To get nice consistent shapes, turn your log an eighth turn between each slice. The log of dough can be rolled in crushed candy, sprinkles, or nuts before slicing for a custom made batch.



Bar Cookies- This type of batter is another great choice for new bakers and children. It will be a loose to medium batter that can easily be spread or pressed into a sheet pan. It is a perfect choice for the cookies that you want to add fruit, nuts, granola of chips to. Just make sure to cut bars while they are still slightly warm. If cooled completely, they will be harder to cut in to neat squares.

Shaped Cookies- Now we're getting to the bigger guns. Shaped cookies are the ones that are made by rolling dough out and cutting with cookie cutters like sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies or the dough is shaped by hand like almond crescents or rum balls. Shaped cookies are definitely one of the more time consuming cookies to make but they are fun to do with your kids. They can be iced simply by making a slightly more wet Royal Icing, hold the cookie face done and dip. Decorate with sugar, chips, candy while still wet and then dry on a baking wrack. The Royal Icing will dry hard. This is an easier technique than channel icing which requires that a bead of icing be piped along the edges and back filled with a looser icing. 

Piped or Spritz Cookies-My mom's butter cookies are an example of this type of cookie. The dough is firm enough to hold it's shape when handled properly but is soft enough to be forced through a pastry bag or cookie press. I highly recommend an electric cookie press if you are going to add these to your arsenal. I discuss my favorite cookie gun in my post on small appliances. These doughs can be a very simple way to make cookies that look like they took a lot of effort. The one thing I will recommend for these in particular if not for all of the cookies, is to make sure the dough is chilled before piping. The cookies will hold a better shape and have a much nicer texture. I will discuss handling the ingredients in more detail below.

Filled Cookies-The definition of filled cookies does vary but all are generally simple to make. Some are filled prior to baking like thumbprint cookies or filled after they are baked and cooled like macaroons and sandwich cookies. If you are assembling sandwich cookies with icing, make sure they are thoroughly cooled to keep icing from melting and running.









No Bake-These kinds of treats can be made quickly and are great when you need a last minute dish to bring to that party or bake sale. They almost all will require melting some sort of chocolate or making a granola based batter. As long as you have a fair understanding of how chocolate needs to be treated and how it behaves, these are a nice alternative when on a tight schedule.

No matter what kind of cookies you decide to tackle, there are some basic techniques that will guarantee a perfect end product. Here are a few good things to know.

Butter- Of course it is the best choice for cookies in terms of flavor and texture. If you notice that your cookies made with butter spread too much, it is likely caused by the dough being too warm. Butter has a very low melting point so if you use dough at room temperature, the butter in the oven becomes liquid almost immediately causing the dough to spread. For cookies with a nicer shape and better texture, chill dough for at least an hour before baking. Some people will go to shortening or margarine because the melting point is higher giving you the shape and texture that's desired. I say that there is no substitute for the taste and mouth feel of butter so take the time to chill the dough. Plus margarine is a very unhealthy choice in the end.

Sugar- Different sugars have different results. It is good to know what the differences are so you get just the results you are looking for. Brown sugar is simply white sugar blended with molasses. Other than the distinct taste that it brings to the cookie it also will add moisture back in to the dough creating a softer, more tender cookie. White sugar doesn't have the same depth of flavor but it does create lovely color and a crisp bite. There are a couple of things to know about honey if this is your chosen sweetener. First, it is sweeter than table sugar so you don't need to use much and second, it does add moisture to the dough so it will change the texture of the cookie when baked.  A quick note about artificial sweeteners. Many of them like Sweet n Low and Equal and even Splenda cannot be used to cook or bake. When they reach high temperatures they change molecularly and become bitter. They also will pretty drastically change the texture. I will be honest. I have not tried to bake with some of the newer sweeteners like Stevia, Monk fruit, and agave so I really don't now how they will change the recipe. 

Eggs- This is a natural leavening agent. Air is beaten into the eggs and as a result require no other leavening agent in recipes like sponge cakes and souffles. If eggs are over beaten in cookie dough it will give your cookies a caky texture which in most cases is not the desired result. I have also found that fresh farm eggs do not work as well as pasteurized eggs in baked goods. Fresh eggs are higher in protein and fat  and I find that the baked goods can often be tough. So save those for a yummy omelet!


Leavening- These ingredients are where the chemistry of baking comes in. There are several ways to create rise in baked goods. As I mentioned earlier, eggs can be used alone or with other leavening to make lovely tender sponge cake. Most cookies either use baking soda or baking powder or both to do the job. I won't bore you with the chemistry of it all but I think it is good to have an idea of what each one does and where they apply. Baking Soda is an alkaline. It neutralized acid so this is the agent you will see in products that have acidic ingredients like citrus, molasses and even cocoa powder (who knew!) while baking powder is used in doughs that have no real acidic ingredients. They are not interchangeable and be careful to not overuse baking powder. It has a strong browning ability but if too much is used the cookies will taste bitter and metallic. 



Flavoring-This is where the fun begins! When it comes to flavoring the dough itself, extracts or essence oils work the best. Use them sparingly. If it is a different extract than the recipe calls for, add a small amount, taste and adjust accordingly. Be very careful of almond extract. It is extremely strong and will give your cookies a medicinal taste if over done. The same can be said for peppermint and anise but don't be afraid to experiment to find what you like the best. A good way to add a pop of flavor along with extract is with citrus zest. Zest releases the lovely oils that exist naturally in the fruit's skin and won't change the texture. I find a Microplane works best for a fine fragrant zest. I discuss them a bit more in my previous post covering kitchen gadgets. Be sure you only take off the COLORED part of the peel. The pith, or the white part, is very bitter.  If you want to use fruit juices as flavoring be sure to substitute another liquid ingredient. Adding it on top of the already added liquid will change the texture sometimes dramatically. Add in ingredients are pretty much the sky's the limit. You can add, substitute or omit add ins like chips nuts, dried fruit or candy. I am a huge fan of dried cranberries with dark chocolate chips or crunchy salty pistachios If you want to add in fruit that isn't dried such as pineapple or apples, you may have to increase your flour a bit. The additional moisture will upset the delicate balance but with a little experimenting you can get just the end product that you like.

Whether baking with my kids or by myself, I have always taken great joy in the process. I have baked many, many, many types of cookies. ( I get bored easily) I have built a scratch gingerbread house almost every year since I was 17 years old. I have baked and sold hundreds of holiday pies and made and decorated wedding cakes, including my own. I have even gone through the process of mastering some french pastry techniques. Although baking is a much more exact scientific process, I love that I can be wildly creative and experiment with so many different combinations of technique and flavors. So I hope this holiday season you will feel inspired and bake with confidence. Please feel free to post the results of your baking adventures here. We love to see what you are up too

Have a wonderful holiday season and try something new to leave for Santa. He is so over chocolate chip. I am sure that if you left him something more creative and delicious there might just be an extra gift under the tree for you!

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