Reddiker Woodes

Christmas Cookies

Wow, it's another year gone by.  I started last years "blog" with us making Christmas cookies for Santa and ending this years the same way.  Little Man was much more interested and involved this year.  He did pretty much everything except put the cookies in and out of the oven himself.

We used Pillsbury ready made sugar cookies this year. We have been so busy and this was much easier than making from scratch, plus Little Man was able to help with all of it.

He specifically wanted to use green and red sprinkles.

Santas official plate and mug.

He stood and watched them bake the enter 12  minutes.

He did the icing and put sprinkles on all by himself.

I'm still not sure why he went "gansta" on the cookies, but I guess he had his reasons.

Little Man wanted to make sure that Santa knew these were for him, so he put his name on them.

After dinner, making cookies, got a bath, then found this years, "Christmas jammies". I found the cutest pair of skull and candy cane cross bone PJ's for him.  Now he's in bed and anticipating the morning.

Happy Thanksgiving

They might not be my regular home-made cookies but cookies none the same. After our brunch an seeing Tangled I had a little surprise for the boys. Oatmeal raisin cookies are almost done. The house really smells like the holidays now.

Bacon Cheddar Pinwheels

Wow what a busy autumn already. Hi everyone. So much going on and very busy with the adoption but had to make a quick Year Of Food post. I haven been baking every week, but still doing some here and there. And today I think I found my new favorite "movie night" food for us. It's going to premier tonight at a friends birthday party.

Wow. I just took one ti sample and OMG. These are great. So here we go.

Bacon Cheddar Pinwheels
2 can/tube if Pillsbury crescent dinner rolls.
Ranch Dressing
Pound of cooked bacon crumbled
Package of shredded cheddar cheese
Half dozen chopped green onions

This is a batch for double the amount.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Unroll dough from crescent rolls into long triangles. Press perforations to seal.
Spread Ranch over each rectangle.
Sprinkle each rectangle with bacon, cheese and onion mixture.
Starting on one side roll up each rectangle press edge and seal. With serrated knife cut each roll inti sliced. Place cut size down on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12-16 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Amish Friendship Bread

I'm a week off, but this is such a great recipe I had to do it again this week, and add raisons. I got this from my daughter Shlee and I have to share.  She gave me the starter and I then in turn made four more to give out to three friends.  I'm putting up the entire recipe. There are so many variations that can be done with this, added reassigns, nuts, chocolate chips, slices of apples.

Amish Friendship Bread

DO NOT REFRIGERATE!!!!!!! Do not use ANY metal spoon or bowl when mixing. When air gets in the bag, let it out.  It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble, and ferment.

DAY 1: Do nothing (this may be the day you got the batter, go by the dates on the bag)

DAY 2: Mush the bag.

DAY 3: Mush the bag.

DAY 4: Mush the bag.

DAY 5: Mush the bag.

DAY 6: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, then mush the bag.

DAY 7: Mush the bag.

DAY 8: Mush the bag.

DAY 9: Mush the bag.

DAY 10: Follow these instructions.

1.  Pour entire contest into a non-metal bow.

2.  Add 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cup milk (the mixture will be a little lumpy but that's okay)

3.  Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into 4 1 gallon Ziplock bags.  Keep a starter for yourself, and give the other 3 to friends along with a copy of the recipe. Mark the bags with the dates of the days 1, 6, and 10.  Day 1 is the day AFTER you baked.

4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

5. To remaining batter add:

3 eggs 

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups flower

1 cup oil (or 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup apple sauce)

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 large box INSTANT     VANILLA pudding (any brand)

6.  Grease 2 large loaf pans and mix an additional 1/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and dust the loaf pans with 1/2 the mixture.

7. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar-cinnamon on top.

8. Bake one hour, cool until bread loosens from the sides of the pans (about 10 minutes), and turn out. Server warm or cold.

If you keep a starter for yourself, you'll be baking every 10 days.  The bread is very good and makes a great git.  Only the Amish know how to make the starter, so if you give it away you will have to wait until another friend give you one back.

Patriotic Cookies

Happy Fourth of July to everyone

So much going on but I had to get Friday's cookies up.  It's pretty much the same recipe as the Strawberry Sandies, but with Stars & Stripes cake mix instead.  I probably could've have rolled them in regular sugar, but I couldn't pass up the chance to use the red and blue dusting sugars. I even enlisted the help of my own little solider to help.

                       

                        

 

 
 
 
 
 

Strawberry Sandies

I didn't get a chance last week to put up the Haystacks, but they sure were good.  I've already got todays cookies done and you all get an extra post now.  I've been looking for some lighter type of cookies for the summer and will go back to the 50+ cookies when fall comes up.  I have a subscription to Sandra-Lee Semi-Homemade magazine and just love her.  I get a lot of our "movie night" drinks from her pages, and todays cookie is from the May/June issue.

These have to got be the easiest cookies to make and make the house smell so wonderful.  I can just see doing many variations of this cookie with all of the different cake mixes out there.  These make about 2 dozen cookies, and take maybe half an hour from start to finish.  

Strawberry Sandies

1/2 cup sugar (recipie calls for Domino but I used Kroger)

1 (18.25 ounce) box strawberry cake mix, Duncan Hines (I used Pillsbury)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup butter softened

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.  In a shallow bowl place the sugar.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, flour, water, butter, and egg; beat at low speed with an electric mixer until well blended.

Using hands, shape heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into balls; roll in sugar to coat. 

Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, and pat gently to flatten.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until set.

Cool on pans fro 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool, about 15 minutes.

      

     

I love when cookies turn out like the photos in the magazine. I just tasted one and WOW, that strawberry flavor it to die for :)

      
 
  
 
 
 

Cinnamon-Sugar Rolls

Yes, it's Friday and it truly is Cookie Day.  I've been absent for a couple of weeks, just a lot going on, but have been looking forward to making these.  If I had known I was going to make these around Memorial Weekend, I would've gotten blue sugar also to make them, red, white and blue. I'm also jumping around the 50 Holiday Cookies also, just to do some more variety.  Sugar cookies every week and chocolate cookies every week makes you go a little crazy. These are by far the easiest of all of them to do.

Cinnamon-Sugar Rolls

Trim store bought pie dough (I used Pillsbury) and didn't trim, just unrolled.  Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with a mixture of ground cinnamon and sugar.  You can find Cinnamon-Sugar already mixed in the spice aisle.  Roll into a log, then flatten slight.  Brush with a beaten egg, sprinkle with more sugar and bake 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees.  Cool, then slice into thin pieces.

      

     
 
 
 
 

A Chocolate Story

Getting a little tired of all of the chips in the cookies, so I've jumped ahead to the Chocolate Cookie Family. A little bit more variety than just chips in the cookies, and I love working with Dutch Cocoa.  Fro a little added kick I sprinkled with some powdered sugar about five minutes out of the oven.

Chocolate Cookie Family

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 stick butter

1 egg

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup Dutch process Cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Confectioners sugar to sprinkle.

Beat the sugar and stick of utter until fluffy, then beat in egg and teaspoon of Vanilla. Whisk the flower and cocoa powder.  Add salt and baking powder.  Stir into butter mixture.  Chill for 30 minutes, then roll into balls and bake about 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

 

Golden Oatmeal Raisins

Well, it's a little late, but this weeks cookie was Golden Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and wow, these were chewy.  Pretty much the exact same recipie of the Chocolate Chip Cookies, but melt the two sticks of butter over medium heat until browned then cool.  Use the browned butter in place of the 2 sticks of butter.  Add 3/4 cup oats and 1 cup golden raisins.  No chips.  Drop by tablespoonfuls and bake about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

       
 
 

Two Cookies For Friday

Hi all. I've been extremely busy and didn't get a chance last week to post the cookies for Friday, so today you all are getting a double dose.  The past month we've had some ladies over for Friday Night Movie Night and last week we premiered Doll Master, which is perfect for our group.  Check out the link to see more about it.  The movie features the AI from Custom House and what happens when you love so strong and what that love can do.  A must have for doll lovers.  

             

 

The cookies that were featured last week were the Maple Walnut Trunks.  Same Chocolate Chip Cookie mix, but with maple sugar instead of granulated sugar and half whole-wheat flour.  Omit chocolate chips. Spoon 1 teaspoon finally chopped walnuts and 1/4 teaspoon maple syrup into mini muffin cups, then top each with a tablespoon of dough.  Bake about 10 minutes at 350.

     
 
The actual cookie for tonight will be Game Day Bars.  Sorry no picture yet, trying to stay ahead of the game especially with Mothers Day coming in two days.  All I can say is THANK YOU FOR THE SPA :)  

Make Chocolate Chip Cookie dough, with just 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.  Instead of chocolate chips, add 2 cups chocolate chunks, 1/2 cup crushed pretzels and 1/2 cup peanuts.  Press into a 9x13 inch pan; sprinkle with more pretzels. Bake 40-45 minutes at 350.  FYI I haven't made this yet so I hope the time on this is good.

I've gotten all of the pictures up from our "movie night" and it was so much fun.  I can't remember when I've taken so many pictures.  Having everyone over and moving the dolls for me made it even better.  I look forward to our next movie.  Here are some pictures and the rest can be seen here in their own album.