Meeting-friendly snacks to bake

[Smithy]

Please share the feedback you get.  My sense from the photo is that those are exactly the brownies I would go for first - and often.  Then again, I like brownies. 

[Anna N]

Brownies yummy. Ty  

 

 Text message from son-in-law.  I will try to dig deeper when I see him. 

[Anna N]

 

 

Epic fail!   Dorie Greenspan's Chocolate-Cherry brownies from Baking Chez Moi.  I have not a single clue why they completely disintegrated when I attempted to cut them up. And even in a bowl with cream they were nothing to write home about. Considering the chocolate, cherries, port etc.  that went into them I do not think I will make a second attempt.  If anyone has tried these I would love to know how they made out.  No treats for son-in-law this week!

 

[Shelby]

If it makes you feel any better, they look scrumptious --moist....and YUM.  I'll eat them  

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

If it makes you feel any better, they look scrumptious --moist....and YUM.  I'll eat them  

Too late!  I binned them. 

[Anna N]

I seem to be suffering from an acute lack of adhesive power in my  baking of late. perhaps I should see if I can incorporate some Gorilla Glue™  into my ingredient list.   This is my second batch of  macaroons today.  Here are the ones that did not fall apart but that don't look much like I think macaroons should look.   Never mind.  I'm sure some somebodies will wolf them down. They taste OK.  The recipe is from How To Eat Supper. 

 

[lindag]

I used to be able to buy a mix that was offered by a charitable organization around holiday time; it came in five lb. bags and made very respectable macaroons.  I wish I could buy it now.

yours look very nice.

 

Edited September 11, 2017 by lindag (log)

[Anna N]

42 minutes ago, lindag said:

I used to be able to buy a mix that was offered by a charitable organization around holiday time; it came in five lb. bags and made very respectable macaroons.  I wish I could buy it now.

yours look very nice.

 

 

 Thank you.  I guess I just have a different idea of what macaroons should look like.  I think of them as little teeny mountains. 

 

[Tri2Cook]

Is that the "Sally's Coconut Macaroons"? My favorite macaroons recipe for many years now has been Anna Olson's from her show "Sugar" They're my idea of coconut macaroon perfection but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to try others if they come with a good recommendation.

*Anna also did a variation on them in which she dropped the almond extract and replaced the 1/4 cup of flour with an equal amount of cocoa. Those are tasty too but I prefer the non-chocolate version.

[Kerry Beal]

36 minutes ago, Tri2Cook said:

Is that the "Sally's Coconut Macaroons"? My favorite macaroons recipe for many years now has been Anna Olson's from her show "Sugar" They're my idea of coconut macaroon perfection but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to try others if they come with a good recommendation.

*Anna also did a variation on them in which she dropped the almond extract and replaced the 1/4 cup of flour with an equal amount of cocoa. Those are tasty too but I prefer the non-chocolate version.

Totally with you - I use the Sugar version with some slight adaptations to make them easier to handle. Like not turning the oven on before you put the dough together and then baking them the next day! And I cook the dough in the microwave.

Edited September 11, 2017 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Tri2Cook]

53 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Totally with you - I use the Sugar version with some slight adaptations to make them easier to handle. Like not turning the oven on before you put the dough together and then baking them the next day! And I cook the dough in the microwave.

 

Never thought of the microwave for the dough, might have to give that a shot. I'm with you on making the dough a day ahead. I've made it several days ahead before and the results were still as good as usual.

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, Tri2Cook said:

Is that the "Sally's Coconut Macaroons"? My favorite macaroons recipe for many years now has been Anna Olson's from her show "Sugar" They're my idea of coconut macaroon perfection but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to try others if they come with a good recommendation.

*Anna also did a variation on them in which she dropped the almond extract and replaced the 1/4 cup of flour with an equal amount of cocoa. Those are tasty too but I prefer the non-chocolate version.

 These are Sally's.  These are gluten-free.  Don't even ask why I'm going there.  Sometimes you have to bite your tongue  and go along to get along.

 

 And besides. I don't make anything of Anna Olsen's. I recognized her immediately when I was at her restaurant in wine country but she had no clue who I was despite the fact that she'd. been in my living room day after day after day.  I was so very hurt.  

[kayb]

It's been so long I don't remember where I got this macaroon recipe, but I began making them after my daughter, now 30, was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 21. It's her favorite cookie, and I make a batch to take to her every time I go.

 

1 12-oz bag flaked coconut

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup almond meal

1 tsp almond flavoring

 

This makes a very crumbly mixture, but it can be scooped up and molded into a ball. Then you can flatten it slightly on the cookie sheet, like I do, or I suppose you could shape it into little "mountains." 

 

I have no idea how closely this tracks with traditional macaroons, but I DO know they're a great little cookie. And a boon to those who are gluten-free!

 

[Anna N]

8 hours ago, kayb said:

It's been so long I don't remember where I got this macaroon recipe, but I began making them after my daughter, now 30, was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 21. It's her favorite cookie, and I make a batch to take to her every time I go.

 

1 12-oz bag flaked coconut

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup almond meal

1 tsp almond flavoring

 

This makes a very crumbly mixture, but it can be scooped up and molded into a ball. Then you can flatten it slightly on the cookie sheet, like I do, or I suppose you could shape it into little "mountains." 

 

I have no idea how closely this tracks with traditional macaroons, but I DO know they're a great little cookie. And a boon to those who are gluten-free!

 

 The recipe I used is almost identical except it does not require the almond flour  and the quantity of coconut is described as 3 cups. 

[Anna N]

 Another almost complete disaster today.  I wanted to make the Chewy Cherry Oatmeal Cookies which is a Martha Stewart recipe.  Followed the recipe to the letter. Made up 2 1/2 sheets of cookies.  They spread and spread. Even now, hours  and hours later,  they have not set up at all. 

 

 

 So remembering my last disaster I made up my last two sheets and chilled them for a full hour before baking them.  I am still not happy with them but at least they are set up.  I am puzzled. 

 

 

Recipe

 

 

 

 

[Darienne]

Can you toast them or some further form of cooking?  This is why I really don't like making cookies.  I think they are little evil pats of dough waiting to humiliate me in one way or another.  

[Thanks for the Crepes]

6 hours ago, Anna N said:

They spread and spread. Even now, hours  and hours later,  they have not set up at all. 

 

 

 So remembering my last disaster I made up my last two sheets and chilled them for a full hour before baking them.  I am still not happy with them but at least they are set up.  I am puzzled. 

 

 

Recipe

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps bake the ones that spread a bit more? Some people like thin crispy oatmeal cookies and others like the thicker kind that are softer. I like them both, so version 1 and 2 look good to me. Looks like they taste good, so you are probably good to go and can move forward from here, perhaps with another recipe, if you think that would be better? Very hard to go wrong with oatmeal cookies for me, though. 

[Anna N]

3 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

Perhaps bake the ones that spread a bit more?

Yes.  Naturally I tried that. It did not help. 

 

3 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

Very hard to go wrong with oatmeal cookies for me, though. 

Nice. 

[MelissaH]

How much flour/oatmeal for the butter in this recipe? My favorite oatmeal cookie recipe has 2.5 sticks butter (1 1/4 cups), 1 1/2 cups flour, and 3 cups oatmeal, among other ingredients.

[Anna N]

40 minutes ago, MelissaH said:

How much flour/oatmeal for the butter in this recipe? My favorite oatmeal cookie recipe has 2.5 sticks butter (1 1/4 cups), 1 1/2 cups flour, and 3 cups oatmeal, among other ingredients.

 Similar. I did link to the recipe I used.  Have made oatmeal cookies before with no issue at all which is why I am puzzled. Discussed this with @Kerry Beal this morning. They certainly turned out better once the dough was chilled for an hour.  Don't think that should be a necessary step for a simple oatmeal cookie.  It may remain forever a mystery. 

[Toliver]

19 hours ago, Anna N said:

 Similar. I did link to the recipe I used.  Have made oatmeal cookies before with no issue at all which is why I am puzzled. Discussed this with @Kerry Beal this morning. They certainly turned out better once the dough was chilled for an hour.  Don't think that should be a necessary step for a simple oatmeal cookie.  It may remain forever a mystery. 

I'm curious...How does the fat(butter)-to-flour ratio compare in this recipe to the ratio in other more successful cookie recipes?

I know the higher the amount of fat, the more likely the cookie will spread (see any Irish Lace Cookie recipe for an example of this).

Your "melted" cookies are a puzzle indeed.

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, Toliver said:

I'm curious...How does the fat(butter)-to-flour ratio compare in this recipe to the ratio in other more successful cookie recipes?

I know the higher the amount of fat, the more likely the cookie will spread (see any Irish Lace Cookie recipe for an example of this).

Your "melted" cookies are a puzzle indeed.

 I do not think that is the reason. Or at least I don't think it's the only reason. I have looked at three different recipes for oatmeal raisin cookies (Two of them I have made successfully before. One is from Serious Eats and the other from the website  Smitten Kitchen) and they all seem to be within the same ballpark as far as ratios of ingredients go.  There is something else going on here and I would love to get to the bottom of it.  I had intended to make another batch of cookies today but life got in the way and I don't think it's going to happen.  Tomorrow perhaps.  I appreciate your interest. 

[chromedome]

My worst "spreading cookie" fiasco turned out to result from me omitting the flour. I was a long time living that one down.

[JohnT]

Anna, you appear to have the same problem as your previous batch of cookies you made that flattened out on you! I would be beating myself over the head with a frying pan if this happened to me a few times. Tell me, what brand of butter are you using? I ask this as in our part of the world there is a butter shortage. Our butter is the same as standard French butter - comes in a 500g brick and is hard out of the fridge. The other day I found a new batch at my supplier and bought a few bricks as it was in a different packaging - one I had not seen before. Fortunately I read the fine print when I arrived home and found that although it was packaged as "butter", it was actually a mixture of vegetable oil and butter "to increase the spreadability", as the fine print said. Totally useless for baking! I was wondering if your butter may not be pure and is softened somehow with an addition of vegetable oil or something else to make it run as soon as it is subject to heat. I returned mine to the supplier.

[kayb]

Crumble them up and use them as a topping for a fruit crisp.