Re: What are you doing today?

by scaredymouse Wed 21 Dec 2016, 9:40 pm

I used to like sugar cookies a lot more when I wasn't the one making them! For new years, I always make myself a heavy handed rum cake. OMG it' so good, definitely only for the grown-ups ... I put a lot of rum in it. It's a yellow Bundt cake with spiced, coconut rums, and pecans, & then a butter, sugar, rum glaze on top. Best thing ever.

by stephlisa Thu 22 Dec 2016, 3:16 am

I've not heard of sugar cookies before, what are they like? (Remember I'm typically English!)
Today's baking day in my household (and tomorrow too)! First on the list is not baking...its varnishing some spiced salt dough gifts. Then it'll be gingerbread, fudge and peppermint creams which will go towards gifts. Finally I've got four mini loaves of bread to make to go with the Christmas Day soup!

by scaredymouse Thu 22 Dec 2016, 3:45 am

Holiday sugar cookies have a plain firn dough that you roll out and cut into shapes. Then you top them with shiny royal icing and decorate them. Sometimes they are made to be soft, these usually get decorated with frosting instead of icing.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Thu 22 Dec 2016, 3:50 am

NEVER heard of sugar cookies??? NEVER???!!! Shocked

Perhaps they have a different name in the UK? I've never met someone who didn't know what they were!

They are like basic cookie dough baked and topped with either sugar or frosting, I personally like it topped with sugar. Here's a recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9870/easy-sugar-cookies/

by CallaLily Thu 22 Dec 2016, 7:31 am

I like regular sugar cookies a little. They're not my favorite, but as long as they're not rock hard Laughing

I like them. My Gran's recipe is a bit different. They're meant to be huge, thick, and are more....crumbly-cakeish?...not sure how to describe them. Tomorrow is good ol' choc chip. My favorite. Cookie

Scaredy, that rum cake sounds amazing!

by stephlisa Thu 22 Dec 2016, 8:10 am

Thy look a bit like my basic biscuit recipe but with a bit more sugar and baking powder and bicarb...I've never heard the name before...interesting!
Thats clearly my thing to learn today!

by CallaLily Thu 22 Dec 2016, 9:55 am

Here's one of my Gran's in my hand for size reference.

What are you doing today? - Page 26 20161214

Sorry it's blurry.

Edit to add pic showing thickness.
What are you doing today? - Page 26 20161215

by stephlisa Thu 22 Dec 2016, 1:06 pm

Ooo, they're big! No wonder they need the raising agents...I might have to try these, sound like something I'd like!

ETA: The fudge is made and looks scrumptious. The gingerbread ended up a little overdone, but tasty whatever. The peppermint creams are still hardening up. Totally prepared for Christmas...really I am...**looks at rest of list** bake 4 loaves of bread...oh yeah forgot about those...

by Artistwolf Thu 22 Dec 2016, 1:20 pm

PHahaha sounds crazy!
@Stephlisa—let me know how you like them! They're completely different from British biscuits, and are very American, so I'm curious to see if you'll enjoy them!
And ooh, Calla, that's a good-looking cookie! XD

by CallaLily Thu 22 Dec 2016, 2:14 pm

Thanks!

stephlisa wrote:Ooo, they're big! No wonder they need the raising agents...I might have to try these, sound like something I'd like!

Those are my Gran's version. Compared to the recipe linked above, my Gran's uses slightly different amounts of certain ingredients, uses shortening instead of butter, doesn't use baking powder, and has cream of tartar. The regular ones ...... though it does depend on the recipe you're using .... are generally thinner and smaller and, in my experience anyway, have a different texture and taste.

Some pics of "regular" sugar cookies snagged from Google:
What are you doing today? - Page 26 2016-110

What are you doing today? - Page 26 2016-110

What are you doing today? - Page 26 2016-111

What are you doing today? - Page 26 Images12

What are you doing today? - Page 26 Images10

What are you doing today? - Page 26 Images11

by MesaMouse Thu 22 Dec 2016, 2:50 pm

I've never been a baker (although I do cook) but it's been fun reading about everyone's favorite -- or most in demand -- holiday recipes. It was great fun over the past several weeks to watch the Holiday Baking Championship on FoodNetwork -- I was pulling for this fella who was a self-taught home baker from a little town in Kentucky and he won, beating out 8 professional bakers! The work they all turned out, from cookies to pies to multi-tiered theme cakes, was dazzling. Did anyone else watch this?

Yesterday I returned that ginormous covered litter box to Petco and picked up a plain large high-sided one and a feathered catnip bird for Bochy for Christmas. Also picked up two of the small yellow-tan Whimzee sticks and a fun bird toy for Imogene for Christmas. This is the toy for Imo: http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/bird/bird-cages-and-accessories/bird-cage-toys/planet-pleasures-koko-corn-cruncher-bird-toy

Today I set up the new litter box. As this is a very bad day, joint-wise (I can hardly walk and the pain is simply eye-popping), it took forever to get the old box off the floor, vacuum the bathroom, wipe down the lino and baseboard using my handy-dandy long-handled grabber and paper towels, get a liner into the new box, put the mat down, plop the box down and then hoist up the jug of litter to get the box filled enough for her to use. The good news is that she used it and there was no litter at all on the floor! The bad news is that she has very loose stools again...maybe it's just a temporary setback but the 14-day antibiotic injection wears off tomorrow and her last tiny Metronidozale pill will be tonight Sad

. Think good thoughts for this pussycat!

by CallaLily Fri 23 Dec 2016, 12:15 pm

Got a late start but gotta do 2 more batches of sugar cookies today (already got 1 almost done) and then chocolate chip. And for what ever crazy reason I've decided to squeeze in a few batches of peanut butter cookies too. Silly

Mesa, I hope both you and Bochy are having a better day today!

by scaredymouse Fri 23 Dec 2016, 2:39 pm

I just learned how to make foolproof chicken breasts with no mess to clean up! Foil pouches... Love them! You get some foil, plop down a chicken breast (alone or with veggies), toss in some potato chunks, veggies, season everything and drizzle with olive oil... Fold over the top and sides to seal the pouch... Bake 375 for 20-30 min based on size. Tads! Eat food, throw away foil! No dishes. It's not gourmet but it's the easiest meal you will ever make. I'm still experimenting, tonight I'm going to try to throw in some BBQ sauce and see how that goes Smile

by CallaLily Fri 23 Dec 2016, 2:54 pm

Nice! Easy and sounds tasty. I love meals you can just throw together and pop in the oven or crockpot. Thumbs Up

by Artistwolf Fri 23 Dec 2016, 9:08 pm

Nice!! Reminds me of when my mom throws some seasoning on chicken and puts it, potatoes, and carrots in the oven, and then boils up some cauliflower and makes cheese sauce to pour over the cauliflower. It's one of my favorite meals

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