What the Spritz was I Thinking?

I love holiday baking! I gift plates full of a variety of cookies at this time of the year to several people. My mom did not bake often, but at the holidays I have fond memories of her making spritz cookies and of me decorating them; adding a cherry, chocolate chip, or nut. So when I make my spritz cookies and my kids do the decorating with m&ms and sugar crystals I smile and think about the traditions that started a generation before.

My mom knew I enjoyed baking, so, many years before she died she gave me her (now 50 year old!) Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. I remember her saying to me that I would use it much more than she does and so I happily hauled it from Florida to Wisconsin. I love my mixer and the history it represents. It was a wedding gift from my great-grandmother to my mother.

My kids love me banana bread, which is my mom’s recipe, another thing I remember her baking and me eating with enjoyment. So, in the week after she died I found her recipe cards and took one of each (she had several copies of each?) There were a total of six recipes, including one for play clay, two for ruggelach and one for “basic spritz”.

This weekend as I excitedly began my holiday baking my heart got the best of me and I decided, after making two batches of spritz cookies, that I would use her recipe for the last batch and have a taste test in the end. I compared my trusted Pampered Chef spritz cookie recipe with that of her aged typewritten recipe card. The only thing I noticed at a glance that differed other than the quantities was that hers called for baking powder. OK, I thought. Since hers was a smaller recipe I decided to double the recipe. My first mistake. I touched my mixer and said, “Here we go, you’ve made this recipe many times, let’s go.” Four sticks of butter and five cups of flour later I loaded my spritz maker/cookie press, what my mom and I always called her cookie or spritz gun; I would never call it that to my kids.

The consistency was a bit drier, but the dough packed together fine, I thought, and I began pressing out my wreaths as my children played outside in the first snowfall of the season awaiting me to call them in to add the sugar crystals and m&ms. Big problem! The dough was not coming out, not at all. So frustrating, as I decided to take a closer look at the recipe I realized my recipe calls for an egg. Ok, so that would make it moister, but the baking powder must act as the leavening agent. There was no way I was going to go back and add the egg that late in the game, so I took the “log” out of the cookie press and cut it thinking I could use the dough for just plain, round cookies and make the wreaths out of my recipe. I did not want to waste four sticks of butter and five cups of flour! Admittedly the dough didn’t even taste that good raw, and after baking three cookies the dough ended up in the garbage and then I realized something…an epiphany if you will. My mom was not what I would describe as a baker! She was a great cook, when she cooked, she could grill delicious chicken, London broil, lamb chops and steaks, but it was I who was the baker! I laughed as my heart had taken control over my common sense. If you have a recipe that works, that is the recipe that you should stick with when making many, many, many dozens of cookies, especially when gifting them.

So, I started over, my kids happily played in the snow longer and I recalled the day she gave me her Kitchen Aid stand mixer saying I would use it more. How true that has become.

One day though I will try her recipe for Jewish Coffee Cake.

No Cookies From Me This Time

My son’s school is hosting a Family Valentine’s dance this Friday. They’re asking for donations of a dozen non-frosted treats to share at the dance. Of course I jump right into baking mode thinking what cute heart treats can I bring? That’s when I see http://www.stoplookingetcookin.com/2012/02/easy-valentines-day-cookies/ and I say, hey those are easy and cute. After stops to two different stores I find the small heart sprinkles I want to use. Then I made the rare decision to buy a bag of sugar cookie mix. Cake mixes and brownie mixes I don’t usually think twice about, but I don’t think I’ve bought a cookie mix ever. But I’m not a sugar cookie baker and it is a somewhat busy week (excuses, excuses).

Yesterday I baked the cookies and although they looked nice after taste testing two cookies I decided I didn’t really enjoy them so much. After school my son had one and he said they were good so to the dance they will go.

Well that was until this morning that is. Picture it: My kitchen, 7:45 am. (I’m channeling my inner Sophia, and if you don’t get this reference try singing Thank you for being a friend. No, you still don’t get it? That makes me sad for you). The kids were ready a little early for school so I sat down at the kitchen table to read my morning’s blogs. As I’m reading about making homemade chocolates (http://www.littlebittybakes.com/) I begin to smell something awful, looking back now I’d say it smelled like…….burning plastic, Tupperware to be exact, my favorite Tupperware to be even more precise. There it was on the kitchen stove holding the Valentine sugar cookies inside.

Before I sat down to my computer I was cleaning up after breakfast and moved the Tupperware, along with a large bowl on top to the smooth stovetop. I love how my stove gives me small kitchen just a bit more counter space. I glance over to the stove and see smoke all around the Tupperware! My instinct quickly had me moving the Tupperware only to have the cookies fall out the bottom and for melted plastic to stretch all the way to the sink.

Notice the melted plastic blob in the middle of the not so cute cookies.

So now picture me telling my kids to open the front door so the smoke alarm doesn’t go off, while I’m opening kitchen windows and turning on the ceiling fan all while trying to move melting plastic and burnt cookies off my stove. Wow, is melting plastic ever stringy AND hot?!

Melted Tupperware upside down in the sink.

This entire time my mind is completely boggled as to why the stove was even on. My first thought was my husband must have turned it on this morning before I got up. But that made absolutely no sense and we ate out last night so I couldn’t possibly have turned it on last night and kept it on (not to mention it is totally irrational to think I wouldn’t have known if the stove was on all night.) So, even though I knew my husband had an incredibly busy morning at work I had to know how the stove was turned on before I could leave the house to bring the kids to school. As I was waiting for him to pick up the phone it came to me and I quickly hung up. The Tupperware bowl must have bumped and turned the knob on.

In the end I got it mostly cleaned up, I only have a small blister on my thumb and I waited until the stove cooled completely before taking the kids to school. Oh and I got pictures! Before the birth of this blog I don’t think I would have even considered taking pictures, but this way when the kids tell Daddy that Mommy almost burned the house down I can show him the pictures.

I am a true believer that there is something to be learned from everything that happens in my life. This morning I learned that I should always bake my cookies from scratch.

Hmmm now added to my To Do list is to find a Tupperware consultant so I can replace my favorite cookie holding Tupperware.

Light the Candles All Around the World

I first heard this song two years ago when my son was in kindergarten. Every year they include this song in their holiday sing-a-long.

A song with no video

The Maccabeats

This is mine and my kids favorite Hanukkah song this year.

http://youtu.be/qSJCSR4MuhU

Adam Sandler: Part 3

He just keeps finding more Jews to list in his songs. I think my favorites are the ones that he notes are NOT Jewish. Can't blame the Jews for those people.

The Last installment of Adam Sandler's Hanukkah songs

More Adam Sandler :o)

Adam Sandler's follow-up Hanukkah song

Happy Hanukkah!

Today, for the first day of Hanukkah I'm posting a video. My intention is to find eight songs that are worth posting.

AishVideo's Rock of Ages Parody of all Parodies

Cookie Traditions

When I think back to my childhood Christmas memories there are just a few traditions that stand out. While my parents were still married and for a few years after they were divorced we would set up our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Now, before you form an opinion on this particular tradition I want to note that both of my parents are Jewish and if it weren’t for this tradition my dad passed on from his childhood we wouldn’t have even “celebrated” (the commercial) Christmas.

The tradition that stood out in my mind this past Sunday though was baking cookies. It was the one time of year I remember my mom pulling out her KitchenAid stand mixer and making spritz cookies. She made a few other cookies as well such as the date nut cookies that she said my paternal grandfather particularly enjoyed, but it’s the spritz cookies that are filled with memories for me. It was my job to decorate them, and I loved it. My favorite was the ones that looked like flowers to me and I would put a chocolate chip in the center.

This memory stood out particularly on Sunday because the morning was filled with me pulling out that very same Kitchen Aid stand up mixer (that comes out a lot in my house) that my mom used and making spritz cookies, smiling while I watched my children carefully and proudly sprinkle sugar and place m & ms on the trees and wreaths. As you know from earlier posts I thoroughly enjoy baking and sharing.

Today I gave plates full of cookies to my neighbors and to my son’s teacher. I love the expressions of happiness that a plate full of cookies receive. Tomorrow morning I will prepare more plates and share more smiles.

Holiday Laughs

Hanukkah is on my mind today but instead of writing my thoughts here's some holiday humor for you.

I’m Done Christmas Shopping

This was originally written on 11/12.

Before you get mad at me and hate me because I wear Maybelline (which I don’t) I have to disclose it’s not because I am organized or started my shopping February. I did buy the kids some clothes when I went to the outlets this summer, but they won’t view those clothes a tsheir favorite gifts, so I won’t pretend that my gift shopping started in July either. Last weekend we hired a sitter and my husband and I shopped until we dropped for 3 hours. Honestly, that was enough.

I’m done because I am pledging to myself to practice what I preach. Preach and yell are the same thing, right? As in, “We have too much stuff!!!!” I am aching to buy certain presents for my kids, but why must they have everything I want to give them? How will I be assured it will even be played with until Christmas 2012? They both have a fine number of gifts to open and a few to share. The credit card bill is reflecting our 2½ week summer road trip and a recent 4 day trip back East. I figure if I can curb my spending through this consumer filled holiday season I’ll make a dent in the debt.

(I’m also not going to pretend that we are the only people they get presents from either.)

The Story Behind DDD

If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach then the way to my heart is through my baking. I don’t even need someone to bake for me, I love baking. Compliment me on my baking and you have entered my heart. This has been quite a week for baking for me. I baked two apple pies, one choco-dot pumpkin cake, and chocolate covered pretzel rods (not truly baking, but it gives me the same high), and now pumpkin-shaped spritz cookies are in the oven. One pie was shared with my son’s school’s teachers and the cake was shared during a meeting. The choco-dot pumpkin cake recipe was shared soon after. It’s one thing to ask for a recipe because someone likes the sound of the recipe. It’s another, entirely to be asked for a recipe after watching people thoroughly enjoy the finished product. Thank you, Tracy for enthusiastically accepting to keep the leftover pieces. 

When I stopped working 5 years ago to stay home with my kids I was excited to have more baking time. What I quickly discovered was I was baking more, but I no longer had coworkers to share the finished products with. I jump at the chance to bake for others, especially if I get to choose what it is. So, it should come as no surprise that the pretzel rods and spritz cookies are for a bake sale at my daughter’s preschool/daycare. A school that I have been proud to hold a place on the Board of Directors for nearly seven years now. I served one year as the secretary. At the end of that year when offices came up for a vote I anticipated others taking the easy way out and nominating all the same officers again; as was the case with the president, vice president and treasurer. I quickly and politely interrupted with a counter offer. Please don’t nominate me for secretary and I will bring a treat to our monthly board meetings for as long as I’m on the board. Years later I continue to hold the treat position, an office I am much more passionate about than secretary.

 

During the creation of a book club, I shared that because I have two small kids and a smaller house I wouldn’t want to host, but I’d bring a treat to our meetings no matter whose house it was at. Those ladies warm my heart each month with their companionship and their stomachs.

During grad school I coined (in my head anyway) the term therapy baking. I even had a few classes that were small and intimate enough during those three and half years that I would share my cookies in.

Watching my daughter concentrate on sprinkling the Halloween sprinkles first on the pretzel rods and now on the spritz cookies is included in those rare moments when I know that memories are in the making.

I have and never have had a desire to open my own business, but if I do, it will be a small bakery named Daria’s Delectable Desserts. For Christmas last year I received a personalized 9 x 13 pan with the name on it. I love using it, but it’s not my “potluck pan”. I typically keep that one at home and smile when I use it.

Last Monday, while my son and husband were at a cub scout meeting my daughter and I were happily baking in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. I assumed that it was my son having a little fun so I called out, “Daria’s Delectable Desserts, come on in!” To my surprise I found an unknown boy scout in my entryway asking me if I’d like to buy some popcorn. After explaining that my son was a cub scout meeting I sent him away, probably with a confused brain, and I laughed outloud until tears fell. Poor kid.

On tomorrow’s agenda is making some cereal bars for our impending trip. My son and husband love them and I’d never dream of letting their stomaches down, they’re the only men’s hearts I intend on staying in forever. Chocolate chip cookies for my brother may also be baked by Wednesday. After all, he appreciates and enjoys my cookies more than any other family member.

As for now, it’s time to go, the cookies are cooled and my stomach is full of dough.

Happy Father’s Day

When I first started this blog, I didn’t know who, if anyone, would read or care about my thoughts. I also wasn’t sure what I would get out of sending my thoughts off into cycberspace to be documented forever. 

In the beginning I honestly thought it would help me to not bombard my husband with my random thoughts as he walked through the door after a long day at work. I didn’t realize how time consuming it would be to write. Trust me when I say many reflections and random thoughts pass through my mind throughout the day. Each one I think will make it onto the blog and then life interrupts.

I’ve been “blogging” for 5 months now, and there is one person who drives me to write as often as possible, whose comments mean more to me than others, and that is my dad.

I sent the link to my dad in the beginning not really thinking he’d read it, as you’ll see by his first comment, there were too many words and not enough pictures. Then one day, to my surprise, he told me I had to write more because he keeps checking and there’s nothing new to read. I took those words of encouragement to heart and for him I write. When he reads something that concerns him he calls me to find out more.

There are many times that technology frustrates me, but for today, Father’s Day, I am so very thankful not only for my dad but for this blog that connects us and for the video chat we shared earlier tonight.

Thank you, Dad for caring enough to read all my words, I’m trying to post more comics for you. And to those of you who are not my dad, and are quietly reading this, I thank you and I still wonder who you are.