24 March 2007
For somebody who enjoys baking as much as I do, I've been very lazy about buying cookie cutters. I never seemed to think about them until I needed to cut something out, and then I would have to resort to using a lid or glass (or make them snowflake-shaped). But I finally got my act together and got a nice round, scalloped cutter, tall enough to cutting out scones, from a cookery shop Sara and I went to in Stillwater. And THEN I found the set of mini cutters.
I've written about my love for 'sandwich' biscuits before, and I've also been fascinated by all things jam-and-biscuit related, ever since Jammy Dodgers entered my life. I made these buttery little biscuits the other day and put a dollop of my favourite blueberry jam between them. I actually made them before the Fruity Oaty Bars, which were then made in reaction -- needing something a little bit healthier! I've hardly et any of these biscuits, now that I think about it. I was mostly just excited to make the little cut outs!
I had sworn by No Knead bread a while back, vowing not to bother with traditional bread recipes ever again. But it's been over a week (maybe two weeks?) since I made any. It's just such a nuisance remembering to mix up a batch eighteen hours before you want it (more like twenty-two hours before, with the extra rising period and baking!). So yesterday, wanting bread for my lunch, I used up the remaining wheat germ I had to make Honey Wheat-Germ bread:
It's nice and soft, has a good flavour, and hasn't gone immediately dry and bland, which seems to happen with a lot of traditional bread recipes. I followed the recipe in The Bread Book almost exactly, though I did put in a bit more honey (1 Tbsp vs 2 tsp). Amazon seem to have got their cover images mixed up at the moment, so never mind the picture of fish they're currently displaying. It would be amusing if they weren't so annoyingly reliable for messing things up.
Time for a Fruity Oaty Bar. Has anybody tried making them yet?
Your cookies look gorgeous. The No Knead Bread is great, but like you I sometimes don't want to wait 18-20 hours. I have been using a No Knead Focaccia recipe that can be baked on the same day. Mix the dough and in a few hours, I have delicious bread that didn't require kneading.
posted by Oiyi at March 24, 2007 07:27 PM
Yup, made them yesterday, a double batch in a 9" x 13" pan. I cut them up and put most of them in the freezer, and the remaining third should last me well over a week (I hope!).
I did make some changes according to my taste and own pantry: I used walnuts, sunflower seeds, and almonds; regular wheat germ instead of honey-nut; and two egg whites instead of one whole egg.
They are so delicious that I cut them into tiny bars (about an inch square) and am allowing myself two a day. Okay, three. Four if things are really stressful.
Thank you!
posted by anne at March 24, 2007 09:21 PM
Oh, and I added some dried figs because I adore them.
posted by anne at March 24, 2007 09:22 PM
Thanks for the yummy cookies! I've enjoyed them with my morning and afternoon tea.
Have you ever tried any of the bread recipes in Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything?" It's all done in a food processor and by far the easiest (and least time consuming) bread recipe that I've tried.
posted by Sara at March 24, 2007 09:44 PM
Maybe you and I can lobby to get Jammy Dodgers made available in North America.
I was especially fond of the Vimto-flavoured ones. Sigh.
posted by Rita at March 26, 2007 03:41 AM
Oh, how I love sandwich cookies! There was a time I would never touch a cookie if it wasn't slathered with something and topped with another cookie. I could have sworn I was looking blog entries from Delicious Days, and that's not a bad thing. ;)
posted by Amy at March 26, 2007 09:45 AM
OMG Those sandwich cookies look fantastic! They would be perfect with the my cup of tea!
posted by lucia at April 8, 2007 04:33 PM