Some food-related habits/epiphanies make kitchen life more pleasant and organized. Habits like planning meals a week in advance and shopping for those ingredients. Like making 2 lasagnas and freezing one for next month. Like washing/prepping/peeling/cutting raw produce in advance so it's as easy to tuck into as junk food.
My new baking habit is about fleeting happiness in sweet, bite-sized morsels. With the cooler weather, I've been craving cookies and hot tea. I haven't had the time or inclination to bake full recipes which usually take a couple of hours and a couple of cookie sheets, and some juggling. Instead I've baked different, small batches of cookies (about 6-9) most every night.
I don't use the gas oven. The toaster oven with its little baking pan (about 8 by 10 inches) is just right.
White flour and white sugar, sweet or evil?
The glow of anticipation.
I use a loosey, goosey combination of ingredients with approximate proportions.
Different variations on different days depending on my mood.
The basic, inexact cookie "recipe":
I start with
one egg in a bowl,
add 4 pretty level tablespoons of sugar,
4 heaping tablespoons of flour,
a splash of corn oil
(it's what we happen to have, not going to play around with butter for this quickie deal).
3 variations:
1. Added clumsily chopped fresh ginger (about the size of my pinkie fingernail)
and a dash of harissa powder;
2. Added big splash of molasses and roughly chopped bar of dark chocolate (my favorite);
3. Added mashed up sweet potatoes (about 3 tiny ones and raisins), cinnamon, and nutmeg
(least favorite, I dislike overly "moist" baked goods like pumpkin pie or banana bread).
That's it, then onto parchment paper or greased foil on the little pan, 350 degrees, set timer for 10 minutes or so, add a few minutes if needed. It's pretty easy, fast, and gratifying.
No chocolate chips? No problem,
9 little beauties.
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My new baking habit is about fleeting happiness in sweet, bite-sized morsels. With the cooler weather, I've been craving cookies and hot tea. I haven't had the time or inclination to bake full recipes which usually take a couple of hours and a couple of cookie sheets, and some juggling. Instead I've baked different, small batches of cookies (about 6-9) most every night.
I don't use the gas oven. The toaster oven with its little baking pan (about 8 by 10 inches) is just right.
White flour and white sugar, sweet or evil?The glow of anticipation.I use a loosey, goosey combination of ingredients with approximate proportions.
Different variations on different days depending on my mood.
The basic, inexact cookie "recipe":
I start with
one egg in a bowl,
add 4 pretty level tablespoons of sugar,
4 heaping tablespoons of flour,
a splash of corn oil
(it's what we happen to have, not going to play around with butter for this quickie deal).
3 variations:
1. Added clumsily chopped fresh ginger (about the size of my pinkie fingernail)
and a dash of harissa powder;
2. Added big splash of molasses and roughly chopped bar of dark chocolate (my favorite);
3. Added mashed up sweet potatoes (about 3 tiny ones and raisins), cinnamon, and nutmeg
(least favorite, I dislike overly "moist" baked goods like pumpkin pie or banana bread).
That's it, then onto parchment paper or greased foil on the little pan, 350 degrees, set timer for 10 minutes or so, add a few minutes if needed. It's pretty easy, fast, and gratifying.
No chocolate chips? No problem,
chop up a bar.
9 little beauties.
