Forget Me Not Cookies

Posted on 05/21/2012 by Laurie

Yesterday I was looking at a post by Big Hungry Gnomes about a tempting-looking dessert, called Eaton Mess. That dessert is made with little meringues which reminded me of one of my favorite little cookies. Forget Me Nots are wonderful to make in warm weather because you just preheat the oven in the morning, pop the cookies in, turn the oven off and then the cookies are ready for a late afternoon snack … all cool, crisp, and sweet. These chocolate and nut filled meringues are the first cookies that I learned to make … thanks, Mom! … and I still make them.

Forget Me Nots

Makes about 32 cookies

2 lg. egg whites

1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/8 t. salt

1/2 c. granulated white sugar

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips or 5 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 c. finely chopped walnuts

Note: Sometimes I get carried away and add a whole bunch of butterscotch chips too, which makes the cookies really chunky.

Place egg whites in a large bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes or until they have come up to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Add vanilla and salt to egg whites. Beat until stiff but not dry peaks form. Very gradually beat in sugar until shiny, stiff peaks form. (Peaks are shiny and tips stand up straight.)
Fold in chocolate and walnuts.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets spacing cookies at least 2” apart. Place baking sheets in oven. Close the door and turn the oven off. Without opening the door, let the cookies sit in the oven for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove baking sheets from oven. Use a thin metal spatula to lift cookies off parchment paper.

Just Out of the Oven: Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Posted on 04/28/2012 by Laurie

My husband has a hard time starting his day without chocolate. So I make these muffins (or a variation thereof) pretty frequently!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Makes 10

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. granulated white sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 t. ground mace

1/2 t. ground ginger

1 c. mashed banana (about 2 lg.)

1/2 c. canola oil

2 lg. eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

1 1/4 chopped chocolate or chocolate chips

honey for glazing

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 10 half-cup size ceramic ramekins* with baking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (except chocolate). Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (except honey). Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until the dry ingredients have been absorbed. Stir in chocolate.

4. Scoop batter into prepared ramekins. Use the back of a spoon to shape the batter in each cup into a slight mound. Place ramekins on baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes or until firm to the touch.

5. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on cooling racks. Immediately spoon honey over muffin tops.

* If you don’t have ramekins, use a standard 12 muffin baking pan.

Just out of the Oven: Bill’s Blondies

Posted on 04/19/2012 by Laurie

Getting ready for check-in, I just made a batch of Bill’s Blondies (honey-glazed, milk chocolate chip, cinnamon blondies). Boy do they smell good!

Bill’s Blondies

(from Confectionately Yours, p. 31)

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 lg. egg

1 t. vanilla extract

1 c. milk chocolate chips or 5 oz. chopped milk chocolate

about 3 T. honey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8″ square baking pan.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

3. Place the butter in a medium size bowl. Stir in the sugar. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Beat in the egg and vanilla until the mixture is light and fluffy. (This takes several minutes. Do not underbeat.)

4. On lowest mixer speed, beat in the dry ingredients and then the chocolate.

5. Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan. Bake for about 24 to 26 minutes or until blondies start to pull back from the edge of the pan and the center feels almost firm to the touch.

6. As soon as you remove the pan from the oven, place it on a wire rack and then drizzle honey over the top of the blondies. Spread honey around evenly using the back of a spoon. cool and then cut into squares. If desired, chill before serving.