We are introduced, at an early age, to the sweet wondernous of a cookie. From teething cookies to soothe the swollen aching gums of incoming incisors, onto animal crackers purchased in rectangular-shaped boxes bearing a string handle for easy toting by little fingers. Deciding which part of the animal should be eaten first-the trunk of the elephant or the tail of a lion-depended on how hungry one was. Savor each and every one or simply gobble them down as fast as possible.

My next cookie memory would be the ever famous, possibly all-time favorite, the chocolate chip cookie. There is nothing better than to bite into a round circle of baked dough sprinkled with gooey melt-in-your-mouth chocolate. A chocolate chip cookie can dry tears, heal broken hearts, mend scraped knees and elbows and solve sibling arguments. Most of the problems in the world could likely be solved by a properly baked, right out of the oven, chocolate chip cookie. The power of a cookie is underestimated.

I will attempt in the next 365 days to prepare and comment on a year’s worth of different cookies-one for each day. My goal is to share with others my extreme love of cookies-baking them and especially eating them! Feel free to send me your favorite recipe, your earliest cookie memories, or how cookies may have influenced your life. Cookies Rule!


Monday, May 24, 2010

Cookie Recipe #142 - Orange Snowballs


It's getting close to summer, but a few lingering snowballs from winter won't hurt, especially orange-flavored ones! This is the first recipe I'm using out of a cookie cookbook my son and daughter-in-law gave me for Mother's Day-what a great gift!

Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened, 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel, 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel, 1 tablespoon orange juice, 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, granulated sugar for rolling, 3/4 cup granulated sugar.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl beat butter for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar and beat until combined. Beat in orange juice, then flour and the 1 tablespoon orange peel, until thoroughly combined.

Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in small bowl of granulated sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake about 13-15 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the 3/4 cup of granulated sugar and the 2 teaspoons of orange peel in small bowl and mix until combined well. Roll each warm cookie in orange-flavored sugar and allow to cool completely on wire racks.

Makes about 4 dozen balls.

"Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Cookies", Meredith Corporation, Des Moines, IA, 2003.

Cookies Rule!!!

No comments:

Post a Comment