Category Archives: Cookies

How to Make Homemade Butter

Appetizers, Baking, Cookies, Delicious, Kids

Homemade butter? Yes, and trust me on this that it might change your take on butter. My oldest kid uses butter on a regular basis to sear up ham and buns, yep, he is into that and I don’t mind as he is exploring in the kitchen and cooking on his own. After watching a recent Vimeo video of this guy’s passion of making bread and butter, I decided that I was going to make my own butter. If you have never made butter before, try it. It was super simple, and you know what you are getting when you are making it yourself, and that is the beauty of it all.

Homemade Butter Recipe

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pints of Organic Heavy Cream
  • KitchenAid with Whisk attachment or a large mason jar with lid
  • 2 cups of ice cold water
  • Salt, optional
  • Cheese Cloth, optional

Yep, that’s how butter is made. Way to simple.

I used a KitchenAid, however rumor has it that you can shake the crap out of the cream in a large mason jar. I support KitchenAid, so I went that route.

Start by adding the heavy cream to the KitchenAid bowl. Place in the mixer, and spin on medium to medium-high spin for about 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it along the way.

After about 10 minutes, possibly sooner, the cream begins to curdle and separate. It’s cool, it’s really cool. Once it separates, turn off the mixer. Strain the liquid from the solid. You can reserve the liquid should you desire. Once the liquid has been strained, return the solids back to the mixer. Add in the ice cold water, and continue to mix until you have a tight, solid mixture. Drain the excess water.

how-to-make-homemade-butter-ingredients

Once you think the liquid has been strained, it has not. Use a large wooden spoon and press the butter against the bowl. Lots of liquid will come out, trust me. Continue until you know that all of the liquid has been removed. I ensured this by placing the butter into some cheese cloth and tightening it until all of the liquid was removed.

Now you can add salt if you desire. I added about half of a tablespoon of course Kosher salt. You could add Sriracha salt as well. Give a gentle stir, and save in a sealed tight container, in the refrigerator.

The end result is a great, really great butter. I haven’t seen my wife spread butter on a bagel in some time, and she was all over that. We spread it on corn, as well as seared up some ham sandwiches. Give this a shot if you want some really good product, and remember, use organic, I think that makes a huge difference.

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

Cookies, Dessert, Kids

Who doesn’t love cookies, and who doesn’t love cookies that you do not have to bake, right? If that is the case, these are the cookies you might be looking for. I grew up with these and recall my Dad making them for us. They might have been the only dessert that my Dad ever made, I could be wrong on that front, but I’m fairly certain. I made this recipe only due to the fact that it is that time of year when we need to make cookies as the kids are getting excited for Christmas, and my wife, who isn’t really ready to spend hours in the kitchen making and decorating cookies with the kids. That is her annual baking with the kids, not mine, I’m out on that project as I have no patience. Believe me.

These cookies are quick, super yummy, and pretty darn feeling.

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups oatmeal
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup of creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Parchment or Wax Paper

In a sauce pan, add the sugar, cocoa powder, milk and butter, and melt that down and bring to a boil.

How to make chocolate oatmeal cookies

During this time, line a baking sheet with the paper. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium, and then add in your peanut butter, cinnamon, vanilla and oatmeal. Mix well, then drop a tablespoon of the mixture onto the baking sheet.

Let them cool, then dig in.

These cookies are so worthy of a super cold glass of milk as well. They are rich, thick, and hearty, and are a perfect grab and go cookie. One or two per day will do you just right.

I hope you enjoy.

Russian Tea Balls

Cookies, Delicious, Holiday, Kids

Every year, around the Christmas season, my family and I make cookies. I will admit that we are no experts when it comes to baking cookies around the holiday, but we do like to offer a few varieties to the kids, and have them help along the way. For some odd reason, the cookie I make every year is the Russian tea ball, or often referred to as a Russian tea cake.

Russian Tea Balls or Russian Tea Cakes Recipe

I grew up with them, as many of you probably have, and when my wife and I first got married, I realized that they were one of her favorite holiday cookies. That is big news as many of my wife’s cousins bake up and amazing plate of cookies during the holiday season. I’m not kidding when I say this, but they probably have twenty different types of cookies, that they have baked, on a large holiday platter, that they typically deliver during the holiday season. So the Russian tea ball is one of my wife’s favorites? I can see why, as when you bite into these cookies, they are tender, have a bit of texture, and just a nice balance of sweetness. A cookie that just reminds you of the holiday season.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups of chopped walnuts

Begin by adding the butter, vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar to a mixing bowl. Mix well until it is nice an creamy. To another bowl, combine the salt and flour, and gradually add this to the butter mixture. When everything is combined, fold in the walnuts.

Russian Tea Balls or Russian Tea Cakes Recipe

Roll these into about 1-2 inch balls, depending on your preference, and place on an ungreased baking sheet, in a preheated 350 degree oven,  for approximately 10 minutes. They should be firm, but not golden brown. Carefully remove them from the pan, let them cool down for  a few minutes, then with the remaining cup of powdered sugar, roll the balls to coat. Place them on a plate to let cool. Before you want to serve them, roll them in more sugar for an added holiday bonus.

Enjoy.

Blondie

Cookies, Delicious, Dessert, Holiday, Kids

If you have never had a blondie, you will after your read this post. ‘Tis the holiday season and I have been getting in the mood to make cookies for family and friends. I typically make one or two types of cookies each year, and let my wife handle the sugar cookies, and decorating of those cookies with the kids. For the past year or possibly longer, my kids have turned their attention to the chocolate chip. I probably should have never made them chocolate chip pancakes for dinner one night, as now, they refuse to eat plain waffles or pancakes with syrup. They must be chocolate chip waffles, or they refuse to eat breakfast. I kid you not. As I decided to hide the bag of chocolate chips from them, I decided it was the holiday season and I would make them something with chocolate chips, because, heck, why  not, right?

But there is a catch to the chocolate chip offering. I had to put something special in this blondie I was making. A surprise, if you will.

Chocolate Chip Blondie Recipe

A traditional blondie is basically a brownie like bar, that focuses on the wonderful flavor of brown sugar, however, as I am, I have to put a little twist on the blondie, and add chips and nuts, to give it a bit more flavor and texture. Don’t get me wrong, a classic blondie is so terribly addicting, much like these chocolate chip blondies, and really simple to make, that your kids will be coming back for more, and more, and …

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup of unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 1/4 cups of light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup of chocolate chip morsels
  • 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
  • 1 tbsp butter

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. To a large mixing bowl, add the butter and brown sugar, and mix well until it is nice and creamy. Your mixer can be set on medium-low. Drop in one egg at a time, until it folds into the mixture, and repeat with the remaining eggs. Add in the vanilla extract.  Turn the mixer to low, and to another bowl, add in your dry ingredients, and mix with a fork.

Bring the mixer back to a medium-low speed, and slowly mix in your dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides, and mix well until everything is nicely incorporated. Now, slowly fold in the chocolate chips and the walnuts.

Take your one tablespoon of butter, and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Pour the batter into the baking dish, and smooth it out so it is nice and even.

Place the dish into your oven, and cook for roughly 25-35 minutes, depending on your oven. You can check the blondie at about 25 minutes into it. I poke a knife or toothpick down the center to make sure it comes out clean. You will also notice the edges begin to pull away from the sides.

Once cooked, remove from the oven, take in the wonderful aroma, and then wait until it cools down; about 25 minutes or so. Cut them into bars, and enjoy.

Once my kids noticed the chocolate chips in and around the bars, they quickly asked for one. At first, my oldest, and probably the pickiest eater, asked “what is in here?”. I gave him the ingredient breakdown, and after I slowly said the word walnuts, he replied “these rock, can I have another!?”. The blondie was sold to the kids, nuts and all, but now I am curious if they never saw the chocolate chips in the bar, would they have ever wanted one?  Enjoy, and happy holidays.