The Move, the New and the Tried & True

It's been a week since we moved in. The move went pretty smoothly, thankfully. And now, a week in, the house is coming together very nicely. A few highlights of our new digs:

• After some initial confusion, we have come to love our high-efficiency heating system. Let's just hope those utility bills reflect all those savings we've been told we'll have!
• We have lots of kitchen cabinet space! I think everything has finally found a place (even if it's not its permanent place) AND we still have a few drawers to spare.
• I love our new washer and dryer (thank you Grandma Jackie!). They aren't the fanciest on the market, but I am so enjoying not having a random ring-shaped stain appear on our clothes from the old washer's agitator -- gotta love the front loading washer!
• We have a party tub. Seriously, we have a party tub. It comes fully equipped with programmable air jets AND color-changing lights. As Jay says, it's like living in a house on MTV Cribs. And yes, after taking my first soak the other night, I can report that it is as fun as it sounds
• Verizon FiOS. No words. LOVE IT. Highly recommend it.

As we settle into our new life here, the craziness of the week or two before the move are starting to resurface in my consciousness. Between my job and packing, I completely forgot that I had done some baking. Not that I would have had time to blog about them, of course. But now I have a few moments, so I wanted to share one of my favorites -- my Nana Sara's Butter Balls.

Butter Balls -- The Fall Collection

These nuggets of buttery goodness are the hallmark of my matriarchal line. My maternal great grandmother, Sara, was known as Sara Lee because everything she baked was impeccably yummy. Nana Sara was a big part of my life until she passed just shy of my 18th birthday. We spent many a Sunday visiting her at the nursing home. Sadly, by the time my memories begin, Nana was already under the grip of Alzheimer's Disease. So, it's through recipes like these that I can connect with Nana in her prime.

Of course, I'm far from the first woman in our family line to pick up Nana Sara's talents. My grandmother and my mother are both quite talented in the kitchen. When it comes to Butter Balls, though, well, that's been my mom's territory for years. She can make these things in her sleep. And she makes them for every occasion (except Passover, of course). Every family member and friend has come to expect these little babies at any gathering, from holiday dinners for nearly 30 to Sunday night BBQs for 6.

So, it's been so important to me to master the famous Butter Ball. It's taken me a few tries, but I think I've got it down. I'm almost reticent to post the recipe here, for fear I might be bested at my own genetically-thrown gauntlet. But, I have faith that with a cookie this simple -- and this simply delicious -- the secret is the baker's own flair. :)

Nana Sara's Butter Balls


FOR COOKIES:
1/2 lb. butter (I always use salted here)
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups flour

Combine butter and egg yolks and sugar. Beat well. Add flour.

Form into balls (you may need to keep your hands moist to prevent dough from sticking) and place on nonstick cookie sheet. Make a thumbprint on the top of each ball.

Pre-frosting cookies

Bake at 350º for approximately 15 minutes or slightly golden on bottoms. Cool for 5-10 minutes on sheet before moving to cooling rack. Freeze before frosting for best results.

FOR FROSTING:
1 stick butter (again, salted)
Confectioner's sugar (about 3 cups, but just use what you need to get the consistency you want)
Milk

Beat butter until smooth; add confectioner's sugar a small bit at a time until you get a thick frosting. Add a little milk to thin out. Add more confectioner's sugar to balance if you add to much milk.

Once you have a semi-thick frosting, separate and color as desired. Use spoon to frost frozen cookies (dump and swirl method).

ENJOY!!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since I've started this blog, a stretch of more than 7 days when the KitchenAid sits lonely and unused has led to baking withdrawal. Not mine, mind you. Rather, my husband's.

Chocolate overload

A cookie fiend and chocoholic, Jay has been spoiled by my latest obsession with this blog. So when he turned to me a few nights ago and out-and-out asked for me to make him cookies, to finally break open the bag of chocolate chips in the fridge that had been mocking him, I couldn't say no. I was his dealer and he needed a hit -- bad.

Feeling guilty, I swung for the fences and sought out a quick chocolate chocolate chip cookie recipe. This time I went to my old standby, Food Network, for help. We were not disappointed. The cookies were an intense dose of chocolate, though they were a little crispy for my taste.

But, really, all that mattered was that Jay got his fix. I think I just officially became an enabler.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from Cathy Lowe's recipe on foodnetwork.com)

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups chocolate chips, 2 Hershey's chocolate bars, chopped or M&M'S (I went with standard chocolate chips)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional -- I left them out)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. In another large bowl stir together butter, both sugars, eggs, vanilla and cocoa. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture and mix until combined. Stir chocolate chips and walnuts, if using, and stir to distribute evenly.

For cookies: Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets and bake about 10 minutes. Cool on a baking rack.

(Recipe also has instructions for bars. Check it out here.)

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lots of promise

I am a big fan of white chocolate. Always have been. So, when I started this big adventure, I knew I had to find a recipe that called for white chocolate chips. Way back in the day, I remembered seeing a recipe on the back of a bag of Ocean Spray Craisins, so that was where I went first.

The cookies, Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip, just sound like they're amazing. I mean, oatmeal cookies, yay. Cranberries? Yes, please! And white chocolate, well, see above.

Before...

Even with all that potential, I was feeling a little brave and threw in some sliced almonds after the first sheetful went into the oven. I know, I know, baby steps away from the written recipe. Sadly, my ingenuity didn't amount to much; neither I nor Jay really tasted a difference. :(

After... little golden nuggets of goodness

Overall, these were tasty cookies. Still, I think the next time I make them, I'll try to jazz up the cookie part (it was a little bland), this time with a little vanilla or other yummy extract.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Ocean Spray)

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips
(I added about 1/2 cup sliced almonds to half of batter)
(Recommend: 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Half-baked

So now that I actually launched this blog, I'm a little afraid that I didn't think the whole "I've gotta actually post regularly" thing all the way through. You mean I actually have to post to it regularly? That means I have to actually do interesting things so I have SOMETHING to say.

Speaking of things that are half-baked, I attempted my first baking adventure as a blogger earlier this week. I found a recipe for Levain Bakery copycat cookies (NY bakery famous for their amazing huge cookies) on MyBakingAddiction. These were huge cookies, but they totally delivered on taste!

Yummy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

For size reference... they ain't kiddin' when they say this is a big cookie.

I've never made cookies this big before (4 oz. dough balls!), so I trusted the baking time given on the recipe. I like my cookies a little underbaked, but these were completely raw in the middle. Even after we froze them and nuked 'em quickly the next day. So, next time, I'll make sure to let them cook just a minute or two longer. Still, like a said, these were AMAZING cookies. Even Jay (THE cookie connaisseur) loved them. These will definitely make a repeat appearance in our household.

The recipe I used said the walnuts were optional, and I'm sure the cookies would be delish without them, but I thought they added a nice dimension. But for those who don't like anything getting in the way of their chocolate (ahem, my husband), feel free to go nut free.