Mandarin Cookies!

If I could describe this recipe in one word,

that word would be amazing!
This recipe is also from the Mrs. Fields
cookie book and as soon as I read it I knew
I had to make it for I love mandarin oranges
and had never seen it before in a cookie recipe.
I decided to make them again but before looked
around online to see what other mandarin orange
cookie recipes were out there and just as I thought
there weren't any other cookie recipes that called
for mandarin oranges but! I did find a variation of
the recipe which just involved one cup of
white chocolate chips and decided to give that a go.
Either way, chocolate chips no chocolate chips
these cookies are worth making.
Also these are very soft cookies, for those of you
who are fans of crispy cookies, I'm sorry.

Mandarin and Marmalade Cookies

- 2 3/4 c. a.p flour
- 1 t. baking powder
- 1 c. salted butter, softened (unsalted is fine, just add 1/4 t. salt)
- 3/4 white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 c. orange marmalade
- one 10 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained and chopped.
- 1 c. white chocolate chips (optional)

* yield: around 3 1/2 dozen

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine first 2 ingredients.
Mix well with whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl blend butter and sugar with an
electric mixer to form grainy paste. Add egg
and orange marmalade, beat on medium speed
until smooth. Add the flour mixture and the
mandarin, blend on low speed until just combined.
DO NOT overmix (:

Drop by rounded T. onto ungreased baking sheets,
2 inches apart. Bake 24-25 minutes or until the
bottoms of cookies begin to brown. Transfer with
spatula to flat, cool surface.
* yield: around 3 1/2 dozen

Brownies with Browned Butter!

I had never really been fond of brownies, they weren't really my thing.
Until! I ran across this amazing recipe for brownies with browned butter!
I don't know about you guys but I love browned butter, my favorite thing
of browned butter is the smell, reminds me of delicious toffee.
This is a must make recipe and it's so simple and quick, but the results
are out of this world. Of course I would never share a recipe that is otherwise (:
I made these with my boyfriend about a month or so ago,
that's his beautiful hand in the picture. Oh how I miss him, 9 more days and he will be home!

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts
makes 16 small brownies
recipe from: bon appetit, feb. 11 issue

nonstick veggie oil spray
- 10 T. unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/4 c. sugar
- 3/4 c. natural unsweetened cocoa powder
(spooned into cup to measure, then leveled as you
do with flour or sugar when baking)
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1/4 t. salt
- 2 large eggs, chilled
- 1/3 c. + 1 T. unbleached a.p. flour
- 1 c. walnut pieces

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325 degrees.
Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly
against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with
nonstick spray.

1. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.
Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned
bits form at bottom of the pan, stirring often, about 5 min.

2. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 t. water
vanilla and 1/4 t. (generous) salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 min.
(mixture will still be hot).

3. Add eggs one at a time, beating
vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks
thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended.
Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts and transfer batter
to prepared pan.

4. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center
comes out almost clean, with a few moist crumbs attached.,
about 25 min. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang,
lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip
crosswise into 4 brownies.

Do ahead
Can be made 2 days ahead, stored airtight at room temp.

Enjoy with a cold glass of milk and great company <3

A Hedgehog Craft and A Krispie Cookie Recipe

Lately I've been obsessing over hedgehogs, they are just so adorable!
I've been reading up on them and I have found out so many neat facts and
I really think they would be a perfect pet.

1. They can be litter box trained.
2. They have no body odor.
3. Each has a distinct personality and will bond to its owner for life.
4. They are intelligent, fun to play with and easy to entertain.
5. They are low maintenance pets.

The only problem for me is that they are unfortunately illegal here in
California ): My boyfriend is currently touring the States with his band
and I asked him to please rescue an abandoned baby hedgehog for me
but since I highly doubt that is going to happen I made this cute hedgehog
out of a pine cone to keep me company and look cute on my bookshelf.
I had seen this tutorial about a week ago but didn't have any pinecones
but luckily my friend found one at the park where we were hanging out
it wasn't perfect but I really wanted to try this out.
If  you would like to make a pine cone hedgehog like mine,
I used this very easy tutorial that I found on a crafty blog filled with ideas
for parents and kids named Kiddley.

Now let's get to baking!



Crunch chocolate bar chunks and Rice krispy cereal
all mixed in one delicious cookie!
This recipe comes from Mrs. Fields cookie book,
this book is a treasure. It is seriously filled
with tons of fun delicious cookie recipes, So far
I have only made 3 or 4 recipes out of this book
but there is so many that I really want to try out
like the lemon poppy seed cookies, carrot fruit jumbles,
banana nut cookies, pineapple paradise cookies!!!
and so many others. The book was published in 1992
and was also a gift from my dad, his friend does a lot
of bidding on random stuff and my dad always gets
the kitchen books for me, i love it because they
are all so vintage!

Krispies
Recipe from: Mrs. Fields cookie book.

- 2 c. a.p flour
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/2 c. dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 c. white sugar
- 3/4 c. salted butter, softened (if you only have unsalted, that's fine)
- 1 large egg
- 2 t. vanilla extract
- 1 c. crispy rice cereal
- 1 1/2 c. crispy rice chocolate bar, coarsely chopped

*yield: around 3 dozen

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine first 3 ingredients.
Mix well with whisk and set aside.

In large bowl blend sugars with an electric mixer
at medium speed. Add butter, mix to form a
grainy paste. Scrape down sides of bowl then add
egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until
light and fluffy.

Add flour mixture, rice cereal and chocolate chunks.
Blend at low speed until just combined. DO NOT over-mix (:

Drop by rounded T. onto ungreased cookie sheets,
2 inches apart. Bake for 22-24 minutes.
Immediately transfer cookies with spatula to a
flat, cool surface.

Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cookies

To tell you the truth I'm not very fond of peanut butter cookies.
Maybe it's the fact that my mom would make these at least
once a week when I was growing up, at first I loved them and
could not get enough but after a certain number of peanut butter
cookies you just start wanting something else... by the way
same thing happened with the tres leches cake, whenever it was
someone's birthday my mom would bake them a batch of her
famous tres leches cake. Anyway I'm here to tell you that regardless
of what I have said before, these peanut butter cookies are insane!
Insanely delicious. They are soft, not chewy (except for the little chew
you get from the butterfinger pieces) but not crunchy,
peanut buttery but perfectly balanced with a chocolate taste.
This cookie has it going on and so will you if you make them
and share them.

Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cookies
adapted from: Joy the Baker

- 2 1/2 c. a.p. flour
- 1 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. baking powder
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1 c.unsalted butter, room temp.
- 1 c.peanut butter
- 1 c. light brown sugar
- 3/4 c. sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp.
- 1 1/2 c. chopped Butterfinger chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line baking sheets with wax or parchment paper.

2. Whisk first four ingredients.

3. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy then add
your peanut butter and beat for about a minute, after
that add sugars and mix for about three minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute
after each addition. On low speed add the dry ingredients,
beat until just combined. Mix in chopped Butterfinger.

4. Working with a level T. of dough, roll with hands into
a ball, place on baking sheet and using a fork flatten the
cookies by pressing the fork into the cookie twice, making
a criss-cross design.

5. Bake for about 12 minutes (depending on your oven),
rotating sheets. Repeat with remaining dough using cook sheets


      I used this Butterfinger bar that is Butterfinger pieces in milk chocolate but if you'd like you can chop up the
   original Butterfinger bars. If you're really looking for that Butterfinger taste I suggest you use the original
   bar. The bar i used gave it more of a chocolate chip feel with a hint of Butterfinger, I buy the candy bars at
   Walmart and I'm guessing you can find them at your nearest Walmart as well (:

Rolo Cookies

Do you guys happen to like Rolos?
Or am I seriously alone in this one?
I think Rolos are good, not out of
this world good but none the less good.
Not good as in I would rather choose
to eat a rolo than a reese's peanut butter
cup per say but Rolo's have their own
thing going on.
I tell you what though... hide a rolo candy
in an incredible good chocolate cookie dough
and roll that in some pecan/sugar dust and
you have one of the best cookies you've
ever had. Don't believe me? Give them a try.


Surprise Rolo Cookies

Ingredients

- 2 1/4 c. flour
- 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 t. baking soda
- 3/4 c. sugar + more for rolling
- 1 c. brown sugar (packed)
- 1 c. ( 2 sticks) margarine, softened
- 2 t. vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 48 Rolo candies
- 1 c. pecans, divided.

1. In small bowl combine first three
ingredients, blend well. In large bowl
beat sugars and butters until light and
fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, beat well.
Pulverize 1/2 c. of pecans preferably in
food processor and add to the dough,
incorporate well.
Refrigerate dough at least two hours or
up to 24 hours.

2. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Crush other 1/2 c. of pecans finely and
in a small bowl combine them with 1/4 c.
of sugar. Press only one side of the
Rolo cookie into the sugar/pecan mixture.
Place cookies, nut side up, 2 inches apart
on parchment covered cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until set
and slightly cracked. Cool and enjoy!
With floured hands, shape about 1 T. dough
around one Rolo, covering it completely.

orange sugar cookie recipe, as promised.

I'm back and this time determined to keep my blog updated.
I do so much baking and cooking and have so many great
recipes and tips to share that it really is a shame that I don't
take an hour of my day to work on this blog that I really
want to get out there.

I don't have any readers so it's not motivating at all to not
have an audience to write to but of course it is my fault
because I abandon my blog for far too long. So if you
happen to run into my little blog and maybe like the concept
or feel of it do feel free to follow me or bookmark me
for I assure you, I will not let you down.
I will be posting a lot of good cookie recipes for it is what
I've been baking more lately. Including: crunch chocolate
cookies, peanut butter butterfinger cookies, white chocolate
oatmeal pecan cookies and so on. I also have the best
from scratch brown butter brownies but apart from sharing
great recipes with you I will be sharing some information
about myself so you get to know me better!
now let's get to the good stuff.

These cookies and I, it was love at first sight.
I found this recipe for these orange sugar cookies
in a Better Homes and Gardens cookie book
from 1992, it was a gift from my dad.
As soon as I saw these cookies I just knew I
had to make them for I am a fan of everything
cute but apart from how cute they are this recipe
did not fail me for these cookies are absolutely
delicious and where approved by my mother,
she's tough to impress! So try them out,
you will not regret it ;)


Slice of Orange Cookies
Recipe from: Better Homes and Gardens cookie book

- 2 1/3  c. ap flour
- 1 c. sugar
- 3/4 c. margarine or as i prefer butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 2 t. finely shredded orange peel
- 2 T. orange juice
- 1 t. baking powder
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

Decorator's Icing

- 1 c. sifted powdered sugar
- 1/2 t. vanilla
- 1 T. milk ( add more if needed )
- orange food coloring

1. In a large bowl combine first eight ingredients.
( all cookies ingredients except for the almonds)
Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed
for about 2-3 minutes, scraping sides of bowl.
make sure everything is well combined.

2. Shape dough into two 7-inch rolls. Roll in
finely chopped almonds. Flatten one side of each roll.
Wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill for 4 to 48 hours.


3. Cut dough into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place 1 inch
apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a 375
degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges are
lightly browned. Remove cookies and cool on wire
racks, if you own them.

4. For decorator's icing combine the powdered sugar
vanilla and milk to make icing of piping consistency.
Add a drop or two of orange food coloring to obtain
desired shade of orange, mix or whisk well.
Pipe icing in loops on each cookie to represent orange
sections. Makes about 60.