Goals for 2016

Hello!
How are your New Year's resolutions going? Did you make any? I made two.

1) Go outside more.
This one is pretty self explanatory. I'm going to try to get outside every day. Weather permitting, of course.

2) Significantly improve my cooking and baking skills. I hope to master a lot of basic techniques this year. As well as several of my favorite restaurant and bakery foods like;

__ Dumplings

I fell in love with Jao Zi during my trip to China but have never made a succesful batch at home. I'm determined to change that in 2016.

__ Glazed Scones

I could have just said scones, but let's face it, all the best scones are glazed so they don't get too dry. Besides, does anyone actually mind an extra layer of sugar?

__ Croissants

Way more elegant than plain ole bread. When I bake croissants in 2016, you are going to envy all my future breakfasts and sandwiches. I guarantee it.

__ Pita Bread

Deceptively simple, Pitas are something I've already failed at once, years ago. This year, with the help of my flat griddle, I will succeed.

__Crepes

Savory crepes are my fave! What fillings do you like?

__Macarons
Yummy! Unless someone flies me to France so I can experience the world's best macarons, I will have to settle for making the best in Dodge County.

Those all are my most important goals in 2016. Progress is going well, so far. I've made time to go outside with the family every day. As well as baking a classic apple pie using a cookbook I got for Christmas.  The picture is below. Doesn't it look delicious? Hope all of your goals are going just as well!

 

Almond shortbread cookie update

Today I made Almond shortbread cookies using regular wheat flour instead of almond flour. I halved my original recipe and made a smaller batch. Resulting in cookies that  weren't gluten free, but were slightly more delicious. I also skipped the dough log/ refrigerator slice method and chose to press the dough into the pan instead. It took way less time and didn't create a mess. The  cookies turned out perfectly!  Don't they look delicious?

Here's the recipe:

1 stick room temperature butter
1 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 tsp vanilla extract  (or almond if you have it)
1/4 cup sugar

First I preheated the oven to 350F. Then I mixed the sugar, butter, and vanilla. Next I added in the nuts. Followed by the flour. It didn't take long to mix. Don't worry if the dough seems crumbly. The cookies stay together nicely after the dough is pressed into a pan and baked. Take them out of the oven at the first hint of golden edges. Shortbread is supposed to look light colored, not golden brown. Enjoy!

Almond Shortbread Cookies

I'm currently obsessed with shortbead cookies. Since trying them for the first time (read my last post), I have spent hours at work dreaming up possible shortbread combinations. The first I made was a gluten free, almond shortbread. I'd be lying if I said they turned out well. But that's the my failt not the recipe's. They didn't turn out as planned for three reasons.

1) I added a whole cup of sugar, not half (I would like to use the distracted mom excuse.

2) I don't think I chilled my dough as long as I should have (Once again, I was distracted.)

3) My chocolate didn't harden. (I probably  added a smidge too much oil.)

But practice makes perfect, Right? I hope it does. I love baking so much, but it ends badley more often than not. That's partly why I started this blog. To motivate me to practice and to share a laugh when things don't  turn out.

Here's the correct recipe I created (Don't be like me and add too much sugar or rush the chilling.)

2 sticks room temperature butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups almond flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped almonds.

Mix sugar, butter, and vanilla together. Then add in the flour and chopped nuts. Form the cookie dough into a cylinder shape and wrap it in plastic wrap. Then place it in the refrigerator to cool for thirty minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. After the dough is done chilling, take off the plastic wrap and cut it into 1/2 in. slices. Place the slices on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. You can melt chocolate and dip  them for decoration or eat them plain.

P.s. I might try a regular, wheat flour version soon. I will post an update if I do.

Book Club and Scottish Shortbread Cookies

Layla will be two in December and we had the bad habit of laying her down to sleep with a bottle. Then, last week, we stopped cold turkey. She has been a little irritable ever since. Bedtime isn't a struggle but nap time is not going so well. The first few days she didn't nap at all. Now she whines for nearly an hour before briefly falling asleep.  The loss of nap time and my concurrent hour of peace and quiet are the main reasons new blog posts are overdue. It's too hard to focus with a stubborn toddler yelling in the backround. Even now I can hear her calling. "Bye, bye" she says, "see ya," "night, night."
I've been meaning to tell all of you about the book club I started. It's call "Books with a Side of Bacon" a book club for ladies who brunch. You can check out the Facebook page if you're interested in joining. Our October book was "Outlander " by Diana Gabaldon. A time travel romance set in the Scottish highlands. It inspired my sister and I to bake our own Scottish treats. Scottland isn't exactly known for their cuisine so we settled for  simple, three ingredient, Scottish shortbread cookies.
They were so easy to make and I couldn't stop eating them. I must have gobbled atleast five throughout the day. I am so infatuated with shortbead that I'm going to make more simple ones to eat, with coffee, for breakfast and definitely baking a couple of chocolatey, nutty versions for the upcoming holidays. Stay tuned for more updates on other shortbread variations.