Anise Egg Biscuits

Happy Mother's Day Eve, ya'll!  I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually wrote about half of this post in March and just never finished it.  At the time, the Mini just had a few sleepovers at her grandparents' houses, and was so excited.  Our parents help us out a ton, watching the kids on work days - so you would think that it wouldn't be as much of a novelty for Min to sleep over.  But nope, she loved every second, and it made me nostalgic about my own childhood sleepovers with my grandparents.

I guess its fitting that I post this at a time when we honor the mothers and mother-figures who impact our lives... right?

Ok. So before I ever slept at a friend's house, I stayed overnight with my grandparents.  Those will always be my first memories of a "sleepover," though they continued for many years into my childhood.

It's no secret that the best grandparent sleepovers (and just general encounters) are the ones without your parents. This way, your grandparents can fully spoil you to both your, and their, heart's content.

Yes, I'm a parent now, and sometimes I do get agita over some of the things our parents do with our kids.

Things like feeding my then-18-month-old son an ungodly amount of fish sticks "because he just kept eating them."

Things like letting my then-3-year-old daughter sleep on the living room couch until Mr. Vittles and I returned home at 11 PM "because she wanted to."

Things like giving my now-4-year-old daughter whipped cream on crackers to eat "because by the way she asked for it, we thought it was something you give her."

<Sigh.>

It doesn't help that Mini is super smart and purposely tries to push boundaries and see what she can get away with.  I'm also probably just jealous that I end up being the stick-in-the-mud bad guy with the rules and the no's all the time.  Nonetheless, I'm not that far removed from being a youngster that I can't still appreciate how freaking awesome it is to stay with your grandparents. Grandparents are the best.

Since I had divorced parents (and later, step-parents) from a pretty young age, I was lucky enough to have four sets of grandparents growing up - and trust me, they all spoiled the living daylights out of me!  But on the topic of grandparent sleepovers, I will focus on my dad and mom's parents.

My dad's parents, or "Yaya and Poppa" as I called them, lived in the same apartment in a Connecticut city for most of my childhood.  In fact, they lived there around 50 years before they were finally convinced to move to a stand-alone house (and safer neighborhood).

Yaya & Poppa, 1990

The apartment wasn't the biggest, but it was cozy.  They shared it with a white cat named Snowy, and a little brown dog named Cocoa.  Cocoa (or "Tutu," as my grandfather inexplicably called her) did not like to eat dog food.  Legend has it that Yaya dropped a meatball while cooking one day, and Cocoa sampled the goods.  Once she discovered the glory of "people food," she never looked back. She also never stopped smelling unnaturally awful, as dogs apparently are not meant to eat pasta fagioli on the regular.  (Just a tip for all the dog owners out there, in case you were wondering.)

Me & Cocoa aka "Tutu"

I slept in their back bedroom where there was a twin bed and a little TV, but I always watched television with Yaya in the living room before bed.  We would probably watch a Lifetime-type movie or an uplifting show like "Touched by an Angel."  She was a night owl and loved to sleep in, just like me.  Poppa was inevitably out there too, probably grumbling about the poor choice of television programming (his idea of a good show was more along the lines of "Lassie" or "Walker, Texas Ranger.")  But he had little choice, because the couch was also his bed.  By the time I came along, Yaya had enough with his snoring and banished him to a separate room.  I think he usually slept in the spare room, but when I was there he slept on the couch.

At some point during my stay, I knew I would have to make a visit to their landlord, a woman named Vera who lived in the apartment upstairs.  When you live in the same place for that many years, I guess your landlord becomes part of your family.  She also never had children of her own, so she sort of adopted my cousins and I as her grandchildren.  Vera was a tiny, elderly lady, usually in a hairnet, who didn't get out much - so she really looked forward to our visits.  For as sweet as she was, she was also very eccentric.  These days, people would probably refer to her as 'a hoarder.'  Not sure that term was used back then, but I remember she had giant piles of magazines that she would have to move off of the couch for her guests to sit down.  Her apartment looked exactly like my grandparents,' but in all the times I visited her, I never got past the front living room. After a bit of chatting about school & the like, she would hobble to the kitchen and come back with a cup of cranberry ginger ale for you.  If you were lucky, she might give you a strawberry hard candy or a sheet of stickers she got in the mail from Easter Seals charity.  If you were really lucky, she might even put a few dollars in your little paw before you left.

Aside from the obligatory Vera visit, Yaya always had fun activities planned - especially with my cousins, aunts, & uncles.  My cousin Sandi was the same age as me, and Yaya would take us to the park and a restaurant called Ground Round that served popcorn and showed movies.  In the summer, she would take us to swim in her sister's pool, our Aunt Theresa.

Me, Sandi, & Yaya at the park

But oddly enough, all these years later, it's mostly the downtime that I remember.  I would look at the same bunch of pictures that had been hanging on the wall for probably 25 years, and thumb through the old photo albums she kept in the spare room where I slept.  I would marvel at the pictures of my grandfather at the beach, without a shirt on (I had personally never seen him in anything less than an undershirt and pants- never even shorts).  After having a shower, I would sneak a few dabs of Yaya's Jean Nate After-Bath Splash, and feel very fancy.  At night, before I fell asleep, I would stare at the glowing rosary beads she left hanging next to my bed and wonder if they were magic.

And of course, one of my favorite parts of our sleepovers was the fact that she always had the pantry stocked with my favorite snacks, as well as ones I had never even heard of.  Yaya was the first to introduce me to Bugles (aka edible cheesy fingernails, when you put them on your fingertips).  She also made pitchers of Crystal Light lemonade so sweet that my cousins and I all knew better than to drink the last cup in the bottom, unless you wanted to burn off all your taste buds.

Such good grandparents to put on these horrible shirts I bought them

Sleepovers at my mom's parents, who I called "Grammy and Gramps," were different but just as awesome. Oddly enough, though, they also included way-too-sweet Crystal Light lemonade - I'm assuming that was a pantry staple of the times?

Grammy & Gramps, late 80's

In any event, Grammy & Gramps lived close to us, so I was there a lot more often. They moved from Connecticut to New Jersey when I was around 5 years old, and they bought a huge house with a pool. Summer days were spent there swimming until my lips turned blue. I can remember helping my grandfather test the pH of the pool water, as well as the sound of my grandmother's bangle bracelets jingling under the water when she would take her one & only dip of the day.  I would speculate that it had to be at least 125 degrees outside for Grammy to get in there more than once a day.  Gramps, on the other hand, was an avid swimmer and spent countless hours in the pool with me, teaching me all the moves he knew- which included squirting people by squeezing the water with your fist.

For cold or rainy days, Grammy and Gramps had an old pinball machine in the basement, and an assortment of old toys and games up in the attic.  I can still remember how the attic smelled, and how it kind of gave me the creeps (even though it was partly finished, and a perfectly nice attic.)  They also had a player piano, which I loved. Most of the rolls they had for the self-playing feature were Christmas carols, so the family would all gather around the piano and sing carols at the holidays.  I never learned how to play the piano, so the rest of the year I would just plink away, for probably way longer than my grandparents' ears would have liked, trying to teach myself simple melodies.

1992

They had 2 guest rooms, 3 if you counted the attic "bedroom" - but I always slept in the same room with two twin beds.  It faced the driveway, and I can remember the sound of my grandfather's brakes squeaking as he left to play golf in the wee hours of the morning.  When he came home later, he would usually take me for ride to go get the mail from their post office box, but I also loved to go for rides in Grammy's jaunty little BMW convertible, complete with sheepskin seat covers.  And instead of Yaya's Jean Nate's after-bath splash, I looked forward to feeling fancy after a few puffs of Grammy's Estee Lauder powder in her master bathroom.

On summer days off from school, I loved to watch The Price is Right.  At night before bed, we watched Wheel of Fortune - Grammy was a whiz at the puzzles, and thought Vanna White was "really something else" with all those dresses.  And every day at lunch, Grammy had to watch her "story,"which was the soap opera "The Young and the Restless." I can still remember the theme song perfectly, and it transports me back to sitting on a bench in their kitchen, in a damp bathing suit, munching on a sandwich in front of their tiny "portable" TV.

But much like trying to make small talk with an elderly, hoarding hermit, not all memories were glorious. With all the time spent outside, I remember plucking a preposterous amount of holly leaves off of the bottom of my bare feet.  Yowza.  I really hope the holly trees predated the pool, otherwise that was a terrible landscape decision.  Also, Grammy frequently stocked her fridge with processed "cheese food" slices that my mother basically considered poison, as well as lactose-free milk (which wouldn't be a huge deal in 2017, but Lactaid in the late 80s/early 90s was pretty brutal).  Let's just say I was less than thrilled whenever Grammy announced that dinner would be a "toasted cheese sandwich" (as she called grilled cheese) and a glass of milk!

Grammy & Me, 1985

If I could force down enough of the toasted cheese, though, I was typically rewarded with ice cream, sherbert, or one of my favorites - creamsicles. Interestingly enough, I always looked forward to breakfast the most.  I was a terribly picky eater but I ate almost any kind of fruit, and Grammy would slice a grapefruit in half, meticulously cut the sections one by one, and top it all off with a sprinkle of sugar.  I rarely ate grapefruit at home so I thought it was fun to scoop out each individual piece with her special spoons - but the best part was the end when you squeezed what was left of your grapefruit half into the bowl and drank the juice.

Another one of my favorite parts of breakfast there was Roman Egg Biscuits by Stella D'Oro.  Grammy usually kept them in a glass jar on the counter, and they were so yummy.  I recently got a craving for them, and made it my mission to find a copycat recipe.  I actually think the manufacturer stopped making them, but I wouldn't be able to eat them now anyway being gluten free.

I never really found anything that was a "copycat," but the interwebs kept pointing me to a Greek cookie/biscuit that seemed very similar.  So I gave it a shot and added a little anise flavoring to make it more... er, Roman?  I don't know.  But it seemed like a good idea, and I'm glad I did.

At this point, I haven't had a roman egg biscuit in so long that I can't really judge how similar they taste.  But these seem pretty close, and either way they are damn delicious.  Great with tea or coffee.  I shared some with my dad and stepmom, and they really liked them too.  My stepmom admitted she was wary of the anise, but said it was more subtle than she was expecting and a nice twist.  You could always use strictly vanilla, though, if you are unsure.

More importantly, I wish I could go back and have a sleepover with my grandparents again- such happy memories.  I am so thankful my kids will have their own memories with their grandparents! Having lost nearly all of my 8 grandparents at this point, I can say that time spent together is truly priceless.  Whipped cream crackers and all!

Anise Egg Biscuits

6 T. butter
1/4 C. white sugar
1/4 t. pure vanilla extract
1/4 t. pure anise extract
2 eggs, divided
1 C. all-purpose flour (I used Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour so it should work with any regular flour)
pinch salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter until light & fluffy.  Add sugar & beat a couple minutes on medium speed. Add one of the eggs, and beat well.  Beat in vanilla and anise.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and stir to form a soft dough.  (If dough cannot be easily handled, add a bit more flour until desired consistency is reached).

Lightly flour a work surface and hands.  Break off 1-inch lumps of dough, and roll into ropes about 7-inches long and 1/4 inch in diameter on floured surface.  Cross the ends, and cross ends again, forming a braid.  Place biscuits on cookie sheet 1-inch apart.

Beat remaining egg, and brush onto biscuits for glaze.  Bake in preheated oven 13 to 16 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven & let cool 2 minutes on sheet, then transfer to cooling racks.  Makes about 18 biscuits.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

(Flourless) Peanut Butter Blossoms

Sometimes, you think you know a person.

Seven years ago in October, I met Mr. Vittles.  Five years ago (from almost the same day) I married him.

Two days ago... I found out his favorite cookie.

Friday I had gotten a flourless peanut butter blossom recipe from someone at work, but it had a few ingredients I was unsure of.  So I did a quick internet search and found a recipe that had only peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla in the dough.

I was still a little skeptical that it would make a good cookie, but it looked so easy it was worth a potential fail.  Especially when I took into consideration the only person I'd be disappointing is myself. 

Or so I thought.

When I took them out of the oven Friday night, Mr. Vittles asked "Are those gluten-free?"  

"Ummm... yes, duh, I'm eating them."

But apparently his actual question was whether or not the original peanut butter blossom recipe is gluten-free.  I said that I didn't think so, but I honestly didn't know - I hadn't made them in years.  I thought maybe my mother-in-law would know, because she usually makes them at Christmas.

That's when he said "Yeah I know. Those are my favorite cookies."

Wha-what?

All this time I had thought his favorite cookies were scotcheroos, a chocolate & butterscotch crispy rice cookie that his grandmother makes.  But apparently I was wrong.  Peanut butter blossoms take the #1 spot on his cookie list.

Who knew???

Then I figured these would be a huge disappointment to a Blossom Connoisseur such as himself.  The first pan I made wasn't even rolled in sugar, and he loooves his treats sweet.  So I tried to redeem the second pan by rolling them in coarse sugar.  

Much to my surprise, he said they were more peanut-buttery than his mom's, but still really good.  Success!

On another note... I would like to dedicate this post to my mom, who would have been 60 years old today.  

We just celebrated my dad's upcoming 60th birthday with a fabulous surprise party, and I only wish that she was here to celebrate as well.

She is the one who fostered my love of baking and creating, and I know she would love the idea of this blog.  

Mom, I miss you every day, and thank you for everything.  I would not be the person I am today were it not for you.  I hope you are somewhere having a huge piece of cake that's as delicious as all the treats you baked for us over the years.  Pssst... I love you!

(Flourless) Peanut Butter Blossoms

• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (I used Jif's Natural creamy peanut butter)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 14 Hershey's milk chocolate kisses
• Extra sugar, for rolling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap chocolate kisses, and set aside.  Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper, and set aside as well.

In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Stir until well-combined.  If rolling balls in sugar, place some in a shallow dish.  Wet hands until damp, then roll about 1 Tablespoon of dough into a ball.  Roll in sugar (if using) and place balls onto prepared baking sheet at least an inch apart. 

Bake 10-12 minutes until set and lightly browned (although dough will still be soft).  After removing from oven, press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie.  Let cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 14 cookies.  Recipe slightly adapted from nutritiouseats.com 

Soft Lemon Cookies

I hope you guys enjoyed your Fourth of July holiday!

Mr. Vittles and I had a great day off, and we were busy bees with the Mini.  She actually had a few "firsts," such as...

...first time in her baby pool;

...first time seeing fireworks;

...and first time not having a complete melt down at a social outing.

(Mommy was probably most excited about the last one, not sure about her though.)

We stopped by my grandmother's house, where my aunt, uncle and cousins were visiting in addition to my grandmother's friends from Florida.  We then went to a barbecue at our friends' house nearby.  The Mini barely napped in the afternoon, but she was so well-behaved I could hardly believe it.

Our friend's mother was holding her for almost half the party, and Mr. Vittles and I kept looking at each other like, "Has our child been abducted by aliens?"

Then, the fireworks were more than 2 hours past her bedtime, but we decided to wake her up and give it a go.  We weren't sure how she'd react to the loud noise, so we watched from a marina one town over - she really liked looking at them, however did not enjoy the boat horns of an over-zealous yachter nearby.  For that reason, we left before the finale but I would still consider it a success!

I would also consider these lemon cookies to be a success.

If anyone has ever had my ricotta cookies, these have a similar consistency (very soft and cake-like).  But the lemon adds a freshness that is perfect for summer.

Soft Lemon Cookies

• 1/3 C. milk
• 2 t. lemon juice
• 1 3/4 C. flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1 t. lemon zest
• 3/4 C. granulated sugar
• 1/2 C. (1 stick) butter
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla

Glaze

• 3/4 C. powdered sugar
• 1 T. + 2 t. water or milk

Combine milk with lemon juice, and set aside.  Let sit 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda to combine.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine lemon zest with sugar.  Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until very fragrant and evenly-distributed.  Add butter, and beat on medium speed with a mixer until butter is pale and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Add milk mixture, egg, and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed until combined.

Add half flour mixture, and mix on low until incorporated.  Add remaining flour mixture, and mix on low.  Increase speed to medium, and mix until well-combined, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Let dough chill for a few hours in refrigerator or overnight.

When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a cookie pan, or line with non-stick foil or parchment.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough by rounded spoonful onto prepared sheet about 2 inches apart (I put 8 cookies on my sheet, staggered - these will expand).  Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are starting to brown.

Remove from oven, and let cool on sheet 1-2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool.  When cooled completely, make glaze by mixing powdered sugar with water or milk until runny.  Dip cookies in glaze, and return to wire rack to dry.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Recipe Adapted from Taste of Home's Community Forum 

Cookies & Cream Marshmallow Crispy Treats

A while back I made a comment that no idea I ever have seems to be original.

(Maybe with the exception of Coconut Kona Ice Cream... there are still barely any recipes for coconut coffee ice cream on the internet, and mine predates the ones that exist.  So HA!)

That being said - I'm sure someone has already thought of mixing Oreos into Rice Krispie treats.  But... I refuse to 'Google' it and rain on my own parade.  I made this without looking up anything (including the basic crispy treat recipe) so I'm calling it original.  So there.

Anyway, last night our friends Kristen & Keith were nice enough to babysit the Mini while we went into the city to celebrate my sister-in-law Melissa's ENGAGEMENT! (Ahh!)

It was a bit of a last-minute surprise and our usual babysitting hopefuls were all either at the same dinner, unavailable, or too far in the wrong direction of NYC.  But Kristen came through like a champ, and I wanted to leave her and Keith a treat.

Keith and I have worked together for over 5 years.  He was one of the first people to teach me my job, and also my first friend there.  I don't get to hang out with his wife, Kristen, as much as I would like but I know her better than you'd think just from talking to Keith every day at work.

So I got two boxes of her favorite candy, and made these crispy treats for Keith.

 He has an Oreo obsession that knows no bounds.

When we got home last night, I was surprised that Kristen was actually the first one to comment on how good these were.  I'm just glad they both enjoyed them.

Now... let the pre-wedding festivities commence!  Congratulations to Melissa and Rick!!

Cookies & Cream Marshmallow Crispy Treats

• 4 1/2 C. crispy rice cereal
• 15 Oreo cookies, crushed (about 1 1/2 C.)
• 1 10.5 oz. bag mini marshmallows
• 4 T. butter
• 1 t. vanilla extract

Grease a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.

Combine rice cereal and crushed cookies in a large bowl, and mix until evenly distributed.

In a 5 qt. saucepan, heat marshmallows and butter over medium-low heat, and stir until melted and smooth.  Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla until combined.

Add rice cereal & cookie mixture, and mix to coat.  Spread evenly in prepared pan, using either a greased spatula or piece of waxed paper.  Allow to cool then cut into squares.

Original Recipe

Carrot Cake Cookies

I wanted to make something festive for Easter, and now (almost 2 weeks later!) I am finally getting around to posting it.  Luckily it's not something in the shape of bunnies - these are good anytime.

Mr. Vittles thought these should have some cream cheese frosting to make them more like carrot cake - actually, the original recipe was for a frosted cookie, but I was looking for a plain one.  If you agree with him, you can always whip some frosting after they cool.   I happen to think they are tasty un-frosted, but that's just me!

We had a nice holiday at my in-laws' house, although of course the Mini decided she was not going to nap and was a bit of a disaster.  But she did have some good moments, particularly toward the end of the day, where she just hung out on her Aunt Melissa's lap or with my father-in-law.  She also looked incredibly adorable in her polka dot dress!

In other news, Miss Mini is intent on bringing me back to the Vampire World of last fall.  She has been waking up multiple times in the night since she caught a cold a month ago.  In the midst of all this, we stopped feeding her before our bedtime (around 10:30 PM) however I do not think the cause is hunger.  While the cold itself is gone, the congestion is not - so I suspect that is what's waking her up.  We just give her a pacifier and go back to sleep, but that still requires getting out of bed.

And can be anywhere from 3-7 times per night.

This is a very mean April Fools joke to play on your tired parents, Mini Smalls!  Months ago you showed us you had the ability to sleep all night without making a peep... and now you've yanked the proverbial rug out from under us.  Not nice.

Which basically sums up the majority of her behavior, actually.  Mr. Vittles told her, "You have to start being nicer to people."  Of course she doesn't know what that means... or that she's not being "nice" in the first place.  But it's the truth!  He and I have seen her smiling, laughing, & happy more than most, just because of the sheer amount of time we spend with her.  But people like my dad & stepmom, who only get to see her for an hour or so per week, have seen mostly grumpiness and crying.

Thankfully, now that it's getting warmer, we're figuring out that she really likes the outdoors.  It doesn't always work, but her demeanor seems to be better when we're either outside or "on-the-go."  I guess there's more to look at and keep her busy little brain occupied.

<Sigh.>  Someday I'll be able to just bribe ol' Grumpelstilskin with carrot cake cookies.  That is, assuming she ever decides to eat solid foods.  So far we've tried oatmeal and sweet potatoes, and both have essentially been a bust.

Oatmeal was a complete failure.  Her immediate reaction was wailing, 3 days in a row.

Our journey into the land of the sweet potato seemed much more promising...

...but still ended in despair.

My dad suggested we try carrots next, he said those were my favorite when I was her age.  (Apparently... some things never change!)

Carrot Cake Cookies

• 1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/3 C. white sugar
• 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 2 T. cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 C. flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t. salt
• 1/3 C. sweetened, shredded coconut
• 1/3 C. old fashioned oatmeal (not quick-cook)
• 3/4 C. finely grated carrots

Line baking sheets with parchment, or grease with non-stick spray, and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until evenly distributed.  Set aside.

In large bowl of stand mixer, cream butter & sugars until light & fluffy (about 2 minutes).  Beat in cream cheese, egg, and vanilla until well-combined.

Add flour mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain.  Add coconut, oatmeal, and carrots.  Stir to combine.

Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto prepared cookie sheets.  Bake 11-14 minutes in preheated oven until edges are lightly browned.  Cool 2 minutes on sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  Makes about 20 cookies.

Recipe Adapted from Land O'Lakes

Coconut Blondies

I'm beginning to think there needs to be at least 4 more hours in the day.

I am still working full-time, and at 34 weeks pregnant I feel like have so many things I want to do to prepare for the baby.

Plus, be social with friends & family.  Maybe relax & watch a TV show.

Blog.  Bake some coconut blondies.

Hmm what else... oh yeah, SLEEP.  That is, if I could get comfortable, which is nearly impossible these days with the raging heartburn and feeling like I can't breathe.  (My father reads this occasionally so allow me to clarify - not in a 'hospitalization required' sort of way, Dad.  It's normal for us preggos to feel a bit winded, things are getting awfully crowded in there so that means the ol' lungs can't expand like they used to.)

But oh well, I guess it's all just preparing me for the ZERO sleep I'll probably be getting in a matter of weeks!

I'm starting to rethink this 4 hours though - maybe we should go with an extra 6 or 8 hours in the day, just to be safe?

Coconut Blondies

1 C. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
3/4 C. packed light brown sugar
1/3 C. (5 T.) butter, softened
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 C. (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 C. sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter and vanilla extract until creamy.  Beat in egg.  Gradually beat in flour mixture until combined and no flour streaks remain.

Stir in morsels and coconut.  Press into prepared baking pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack, then into bars.  Makes 16 bars.

Recipe Slightly Adapted from Nestle Very Best Baking

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I can't believe this weekend is Father's Day already!  I am excited to spend it with all my "dads" - my father, step-father, and father-in law.

I am super lucky... they are all the greatest in their own way.

Mr. Vittles and I already bought gifts for my dad & father-in-law, but I still need to figure out what to make for my stepdad, Chris... he is an extremely mellow, quiet, 'surfer-dude' who doesn't care much for traditional gifts.

The gifts he likes best are homemade.

So here's a story for ya.  A little over a year ago, he was driving to one of his favorite surfing destinations when his roof rack came completely off his car, holding two of his favorite surfboards, and smashed onto the side of the highway.

He was naturally devastated - his boards are probably the only possessions he owns that he actually cares about.  Mr. Vittles offered to dispose of the pieces for him, and then secretly kept them in the garage for a project.

So for Chris' birthday this past March, we presented him with this amazing bench that Mr. V designed & made from the broken surfboards.

Chris was... ecstatic.

Now unfortunately for me... I do not have the talents my husband does, and I will not be crafting anything from wood to rival this gift.

But fortunately for me... Chris happens to love baked treats (even though he probably eats healthier than most people I know), and this fits more comfortably into my range of abilities.

Some of his favorite goodies are my mother-in-law's chocolate cake, ricotta cookies, and also good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies.

He also loooves peanut butter - he puts it on everything.

Like... things that are totally inappropriate for slathering in peanut butter, such as tuna fish and meatloaf.

My personal favorite is when he makes giant, thick pancakes that take up the entire width of the frying pan, spreads peanut butter over the top, then adds tuna fish and honey.

Yeah... barf.

However, for all that peanut butter madness, he does not like baked goods with peanut butter in them.  Go figure!

It's ok though.  Because you know what that means?

More peanut butter cookies for me.

These are surprisingly yummy for not having any flour or butter in them... I used Natural Jif for these (the creamy natural kind, not the grainy natural kind that needs to be stirred) and the consistency is awesome.  Mr. V would probably prefer them a bit softer, but they're not crunchy either.

Maybe if I just added some tuna fish to the batter they would be a good candidate for this weekend?

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 C. creamy peanut butter
1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt

Heat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and salt until smooth.

Shape the dough into 1" balls (you can use a cookie scoop - just mush back together if it cracks in half) and place cookies 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Using the tines of a fork, flatten each ball, creating a crisscross pattern.

Bake until puffed and golden, 10 to 12 minutes.  Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Makes about 2 dozen.

Recipe Adapted Slightly from Real Simple

Italian Knot Cookies

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite cookies in the whole wide world.

Yaya Vittles, my paternal grandmother, always has these at the holidays.  Either she makes them herself, or her friends do and bring them over.

However, trying to get the correct recipe out of my grandmother proved to be quite a task.

Years ago, I asked her for it, and she somehow ended up writing half the correct amount of sugar, and forgot the oven temperature.  Needless to say, they came out awful, and I ended up losing the recipe anyway.

Then a few years later, I asked her for it again, and that attempt left out the baking time and the eggs.  

Ummm... yeah.  Not so helpful.  

So then I ended up getting a much more reliable recipe from my mom's side - supposedly this one came from my great-grandmother's family, who was from Italy.  

my great-grandmother (who I called 'Gigi')

(But these days you can find similar recipes all over the internet - it's very popular with Italian Americans.  My brother-in-law's girlfriend Kristen was making them too today, with her family's recipe.)

In any case, they're similar to the ricotta cookies Mr. Vittles loves, but these have anise extract in them. 

Wait, though, before I completely lose you here - let me tell you that I do not typically like anise.  Or licorice, or anything like it.

But in this case, it gives these cookies a subtle, anisette-like flavor that (I think) is awesome.

I know it's kind of an acquired taste though, so I'll usually put half anise & half vanilla extract.  Feel free to do that if you're unsure.  

You can also use all lemon extract, if you like?

Personally, I think they're best with anise, but then again that's how I grew up with them :)  Totally up to you!

Italian Knot Cookies

Cookies:

• 3 C. flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/2 C. (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 t. pure anise extract 

Icing:

• 1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
• 4-5 T. milk (first try 4, then add a little at a time if necessary)
• 1/2 t. anise extract
  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  Set aside.

In large bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and anise on medium speed until combined (it's ok to have chunks of butter floating in the egg).  

With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, scraping sides as necessary.  Increase speed to medium low, and beat until dough forms.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon (for uniformity), scoop balls of dough and roll them into fat ropes.  Holding one end in each hand, place on end over the other and press to adhere, forming crescent, knot-like shapes.  (Alternatively, you can just roll them into balls).  

Place on prepared baking sheet, and bake 8-10 minutes until puffed and bottoms are golden.  Leave 1 minute on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.  

Once cookies are completely cooled, whisk powdered sugar with milk and anise until smooth.  Icing should be somewhat runny.  Dip tops of cookies into icing, and then decorate with colored nonpareils if desired.  Put back on rack to let icing dry.  Store cookies in airtight container.  Makes about 3 dozen

Family Recipe

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

The only vegans I actually know are my step-brother & his girlfriend, but nonetheless I have been determined to find a good recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies.

These days you never know when you might need to make some vegan treats.

This recipe is from a really fun blog called Post Punk Kitchen, which professes to be 'the best place in the world for vegan baking & cooking.'  And judging by the long list of glowing comments, I thought this recipe could be just what I was looking for.

Now since I'm not vegan myself, and I haven't eaten a heck of a lot of vegan cookies in my day, I feel that I'm not really qualified to say these are 'The Best.'

But I will say this much ... I find it hard to believe that a cookie without butter and eggs could ever taste any better than one of these.

I made vegan cookies over the summer and they were (to put it mildly) god-awful.

My sister-in-law seemed to enjoy them for some odd reason... but Mr. Vittles and I found them almost inedible.  Sort of like moistened chalkdust studded with chocolate chips.

These, however, do not taste like they're missing butter and eggs.  They do come out a little flat (at least mine did) but they are soft & scrumptious.

And when you take a bite, it's not like "Oh these are good... for being vegan."

You just think "These are good."

They even passed the husband test.  To Mr. Vittles, words like organic and vegan mean 'alien.'  Especially when it comes to chocolate chip cookies, because he is very particular about them.

Yesterday he ran a Tough Mudder (basically, a 12-mile obstacle course), which he has been training for over the past few months.

And this morning he ate these chocolate chip cookies at breakfast.

That says a lot about a) how good these cookies are, and b) how strange my hubby is.

Not that I've never eaten cookies at breakfast myself, but I feel that's not really 'recovery' food.  Guess he's feeling pretty good?

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 1/4 C. white sugar
• 2/3 C. canola oil
• 1/4 C.  unsweetened coconut milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
• 1 T. tapioca flour
• 2 t. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 C. all purpose flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3/4 C. vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two large light metal baking sheets.

Mix together sugars, oil, milk and tapioca flour in bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium for about 4 minutes, until mixture resembles smooth caramel. (It's important that you don’t get lazy about that step - mix for the full time.)  Stir in the vanilla.

Add 1 cup of the flour, the baking soda, and salt, and mix until well incorporated.  Mix in the rest of the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips.  If dough is stiff, use your hands to work them in.

For three-inch cookies, roll the dough into about ping pong ball size balls. Flatten them out in your hands to about 2 1/2 inches. They will spread just a bit. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes – no more than 9 – until they are just a little browned around the edges.  Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

For 24 two-inch cookies, roll dough into walnut sized balls and flatten to about 1 1/2 inches and bake for only six minutes.

You can also use a cookie scoop to place on sheet, then flatten slightly with your fingers.  If the dough starts to separate & get oily, beat in a little more flour until consistency improves.  Also, if the dough is too sticky when you first finish mixing, you can add a little more flour, mixing after each addition, until consistency gets stiffer.

Makes two dozen two inch cookies or about 16 three inch cookies.

Recipe from Post Punk Kitchen
Note: Wording Changed Slightly, Ingredients Unchanged

Pumpkin Caramel Snickerdoodles

Today is Mr. Vittles' birthday.

His favorite cake is very simple (angel food cake filled with chocolate whipped cream) so I tend to feel guilty if that's the only thing I make for him. 

Especially since he also wants to go out to dinner tonight!

So last night we had one of his favorite meals (steak with garlic mashed potatoes) and I decided to make these cookies.

He likes anything pumpkin (one year I made him a Pumpkin Spice cake) so I thought this recipe would be a no-brainer.

When I took the dough out of the refrigerator, I gave him a taste and he said "It's good.  I have to say I was a little worried when you said they were going to be pumpkin snickerdoodles."

I guess he thought the taste would be too strong? 

Luckily, it's very subtle.

Then about a third of the way through the batch, I had him try just a piece of one of the finished cookies.  He tried to take a bite out of the half, but all the caramel came out with it. 

I asked him what he thought, and he said "It's ok.  The caramel is kind of a pain in the #*$ though."

Really?

I know someone else that's kind of a pain in the @#$.

I'm so sorry that gooey caramel deliciousness was just too much trouble for you, Mr. Vittles.  

(We should all have such problems.)

But since it is his birthday, I decided I better make a batch of just plain ones.  And for the record, they were also very delicious. 

...even though I forgot to put cinnamon in the rolling sugar until the last batch.

Oops!

Anyway, if you think the caramel is too daunting, feel free to leave it out :)

Pumpkin Caramel Snickerdoodles

Dough:

• 3 C. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 C. whole wheat pastry flour (you can just use all-purpose for all the flour if you prefer)
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t. allspice
• 1/8 t. nutmeg
• 1 C. (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
• 3/4 C. canned pumpkin puree
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 24 soft caramel candies (such as Kraft)

Coating for Rolling:

• 1/2 C. granulated sugar
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t. ground ginger
• 1/8 t. ground cloves
• 1/8 t. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 t. allspice

Make Dough: In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.  Set aside. 

In large bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high until light & fluffy (2 or 3 minutes).   Add pumpkin puree, and beat until well-combined.  Add egg and vanilla, and beat until combined.

Scraping down sides as necessary, add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated.   Add remaining flour mixture and beat only until no streaks remain.  Do not overmix.  Cover and chill dough thoroughly, for at least an hour, until consistency is easy to roll without sticking to your hands.

When dough is almost done chilling, unwrap caramels and slice each one in half.  Set aside.

Make Coating:  Mix sugar with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice in a small bowl and set aside. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare baking sheet with parchment or non-stick spray.

Using a large cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon, scoop out dough into 6-8 balls (return bowl of unused dough to refrigerator.)  Break each ball in half and place caramel piece on one half of dough.  Top with other half and shape back into a ball (so the dough completely surrounds the caramel). 

Roll each ball in spiced sugar coating and place on prepared sheet (if you're like me & want an extra-crispy coating on the outside, you can re-roll all the balls again before baking.) 

Bake 11-13 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.  Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Store in airtight container up to 1 week.  Makes about 36-48 cookies. 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Recipe adapted from DLYN, and Caramel-Center inspiration from The Baker Chick

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Snickers Cookies

If you're a regular reader, you know that our shower was leaking through the ceiling and had to be fixed.

And since it's an old house that hasn't been updated much since it was built, our landlords decided it was probably best to re-do the shower, two of the bathroom walls, and also the floor.

This means we've had a contractor here every day this past week, working on the bathroom (which, by the way, was apparently fortified to withstand a nuclear attack - the walls consisted of not only plaster but also wire mesh, steel bars, and 2 inches of concrete!)

The contractor was here while I was making the chocolate mousse, and one of his workers caught me out in the back of our house taking photographs.  I know how odd this must have looked, so I explained that I have a food blog and was taking pictures for a post.

Then later I was talking to them all, and he brought up the blog to his co-workers.  "This girl has the luckiest husband in the world," he said.  "She has a food blog."

This was met with a murmur of excitement, and prompted comments about food they had smelled in the house previously (namely slow-cooker pulled pork - more on that soon!) so I offered to make them something.  

I knew I had to find something extra delicious, so I went to one of my go-to baking blogs - Brown Eyed Baker.  I'm sure a lot of you are already familiar with it, but if you haven't checked it out you must.  She has the most mouth-watering desserts!

I found these cookies and knew I had a winner.  What's not to like about soft, sugary peanut butter cookies with chunks of Snickers and milk chocolate chips?

I saved a few for Mr. Vittles and I, and left the rest in a ziploc bag in the bathroom.  The next day, I never saw the contractor and his guys but the entire bag was gone so... I guess they weren't too bad.  :)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Snickers Cookies

• 1¼ C. all-purpose flour
• ¾ t. baking soda
• ½ t. baking powder
• ¼ t. salt
• ½ C. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 C. creamy peanut butter
• ¾ C. granulated sugar
• ½ C. light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 T. milk
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1½ C. chopped Snickers candy bars (about 4 regular size bars)
• 3/4 C. milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the milk and the vanilla extract and mix again.

Add the flour mixture and beat until flour disappears. Stir in the chopped Snickers and chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets.  Gently flatten each cookie ball with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until cookies are slightly brown on the edges.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 to 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  Makes 24.

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

Low-Fat Molasses Cookies

I don't know about you, but I always love a good molasses cookie.

However, after sitting on the couch for a month and a half rehabbing my tootsies, I don't love the thought of buying a size bigger pants.  I'm moving around a lot better these days, but physical therapy is really the most 'exercise' I can do at the moment.

Translation- if I want to eat cookies (and I do) then I'm going to have to find something slightly healthier for now.

I won't bother trying to convince you that you won't miss the butter- let's not lie, butter makes everything more delicious.  And Lord knows I'm usually quite liberal with it.

But then we're back to getting bigger pants.

And I really don't want to go there right now.

So for the time being, I'll just have to settle for less butter and hope to continue fitting in the clothes already in my closet.

Low-Fat Molasses Cookies

• 1/4 C. butter, softened
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 C. molasses
• 2 C. all-purpose flour
• 2 t. baking soda
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 t. ground cloves
• 1/2 t. ground ginger
• 3 T. large granulated sugar (optional, for sprinkling)

Preheat oven 375 degrees.  In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. 

In large bowl, cream butter & sugar together until fluffy.  Add egg and molasses and mix until combined.  Add flour mixture gradually, and beat just until combined.  Chill dough 30 minutes to 1 hour, covered, in refrigerator.

Roll into 1-inch balls, and place on greased or parchment-covered cookie sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart.   Bake about 5 minutes, sprinkle with large granulated sugar and bake 3-5 minutes more until crackled and lightly browned.  (Alternately, you can roll the balls in regular granulated sugar, then bake them for 8-10 minutes)  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Nutrition per cookie: 79 calories; 1 g fat ( 1 g sat , 0 g mono ); 9 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 0 g fiber; 106 mg sodium; 43 mg potassium.

Recipe Adapted from EatingWell.com

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

So... the madness of my life continues.

With the move in high gear, I barely have anything left in my kitchen - but I managed to make a pasta salad and an appetizer for a family party this weekend.

However, that is not what I am sharing with you today.  I wanted to post this recipe for chocolate chip coconut cookies that I made while Lauren Vittles was here.

I know, I know - my obsession with coconut is bordering on obscene at this point.

But there is a method to my madness.  Lauren's husband Tyler housed about 75% of the batch single-handedly, and 'hinted' (not-so-subtly) to her that he is hoping she'll make some.

And by 'some,' I mean like... a truck load.  ASAP.

But I can't say I blame him - these are pretty awesome! 

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

• 1/2 C. (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 C. white sugar
• 1/4 C. light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 C. flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 C. semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 C. sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and coconut. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Makes about 3 dozen.
Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Russian Tea Cakes

Ok so first things first - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Or Happy Holidays, Happy End of December, Happy Blizzard - I mean, seriously, whatever it is you're celebrating right now, I hope it's happy.

All I know is, the last six days have been filled with so much shopping, decorating, gift-wrapping, gift-opening, baking, visiting, eating, laughing, family beer pong(!), cat-dancing (!!), and SNOW that I don't even know what to write about first.

But this is what it looks like outside my house right now, so since I had already taken today & tomorrow off from work anyway, I don't think I'll be doing much until Wednesday.

We got about 2 feet of snow since mid-day yesterday (it's stopped now, thankfully) but the wind has caused it to drift much higher in parts.  

To give you an idea of what you're looking at, here is a comparison of our back deck in the summer and now.

this summer

today

You can barely see the top of the hammock post ha!  Pretty crazy, huh?

Now if it wasn't so awful out (a state of emergency was declared in New Jersey this morning) I'd probably be out somewhere, fighting my way through the crowds of after-Christmas shoppers for some deals.

But since Mr. Vittles and I have not stopped since we got back from Lake Placid last Monday, it's actually pretty nice to be home on the couch with you guys :)

So on that note, down to business.  Mr. V and I had an amazing holiday.  We are so thankful to have not only each other, but such wonderful family & friends, and the last few days have been a blast.

We got to decorating our tree a little late this year but I think it looks great.
           

As Mr. V reminded me, this was our 4th Christmas together and our 3rd tree.  Already, we are building a nice little collection of ornaments that are special to us, like this handmade one from my mother-in-law who does the most beautiful needlepointing:

and another of Lady and the Tramp from my mother, who also wrote us a sweet message on the box:

 

It says, "May you always have butterflies when you look into each others' eyes.  We wish you love.  Happy first tree."

I also love having an excuse to use my very favorite Snoopy winter plates.  Aren't they so fun?

It's the little things that make me smile.

What also makes me smile is holiday goodies.  It's a lot of work but what's Christmas without sweet treats?

I made three types of cookies and two types of fudge this year, though, so it was tough to decide what recipe to share with you today.  

This one is actually not one of my personal favorites, however it is a family favorite on my mom's side.  And when I asked my dad if he had any requests for Christmas cookies (I figure, if you're gonna break your diet it may as well be with something you love), even he asked for 'those white snowballs with nuts.'

Which I guess is especially appropriate with all the snow we just got?

Anyway, my family calls them Russian Tea Cakes, but you may know them as something else.  I'm not sure where the recipe originated, but Grammy Vittles has been making them for years and it has become a family tradition.  So my aunt just had to put the recipe into a cookbook she & my mother put together years ago for her antique & country store in Connecticut, and this is the first year I've tried making them myself.

I did have to double check my eyes though, because the recipe doesn't call for any eggs and that threw me off a bit.  But no worries- anyone I've ever known who likes nuts just loves these rich, buttery cookies.

So while I know it's a little late - hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season!  And as always, thanks for reading - without you, this would not be any fun :)

Russian Tea Cakes

• 1 C. butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1/2 C. powdered sugar (plus about 1 1/2 C. more for decorating)
• 2 1/4 C. flour
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 3/4 C. finely chopped nuts (I used walnuts, but you can use pecans or whatever you choose)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then add remaining ingredients & beat to combine.  Chill dough about 30 minutes, covered.  Preheat oven 350 degrees, then shape dough into 1" balls.* 

Bake 14-17 minutes, or until golden.  Roll in powdered sugar while still warm, then roll again once cookies are cooled.

*Note: I used a spring-loaded cookie scoop to form the dough into balls, and that seemed to work fine - just ensure the scoop is packed hard, so the cookies don't crumble apart when you squeeze the lever.  

Family Recipe - Origin Unknown