Cracked Sugar Cookies Recipe

I've mentioned before how much I love collecting and using cookbooks. I don't indulge myself in a lot of things in life, but I do enjoy buying cookbooks when I want to. They just plain out make me happy, much like they did my mom, I guess. But I use mine all the time, and I only remember her using hers when she wanted to make something "fancy".

When we were getting ready to move from our Seattle area home in July, I got rid of so much stuff. I donated bags and bags of clothes, shoes, household items, and even furniture. It made me sad to let it all go at first, but then I felt lighter and happy that I got rid of things that no longer were useful, or that had memories it was time to let go of.

I got rid of a lot of books too, mostly novels and decorating books, and some self-help books that I'm now embarrassed that I ever bought in the first place. But I kept every single cookbook, some that I've had for more than thirty years.

Decades ago, before everyone has turned into a self-proclaimed stylist, there was a Southern gentleman named Lee Bailey. When his first cookbook came out, I immediately fell in love with everything he did. I just loved his the South meets New York City way of approaching his home and life in the kitchen.

He became a well know lifestyle writer and opened home-furnishing stores in New York and across the country. He also went on to write more cookbooks, and I have everyone of them.

So here I am, thirty-plus years later still using this dear man's cookbooks to make my grandchildren a recipe for the best sugar cookies I ever tasted in my entire life. Mr. Bailey has passed on, but he still lives on for me in the beautiful books he created for home cooks just like me.

When I say these Cracked Sugar Cookies are the best, I'm not exaggerating. They are just downright delicious, and actually very easy to make. The cookbook says that Mr. Bailey got the recipe from his Louisiana cousin, and that it's been around for a long, long time. I like that.

Recipe for Lee Bailey's Cracked Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 large egg yokes, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. (Or use parchment paper like I did)

Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the yokes and vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients together, then add to the batter in 4 parts, mixing well after each addition.

Form the dough into balls the size of a walnut and place balls on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Do not flatten. Bake for approximately 11 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough until used up.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

-Post by Patricia 









Homemade Decadence and Two Other Favorite New Cookbooks

Some women buy jewelry, expensive shoes, or designer clothes. Me? I like to buy cookbooks. I read them like novels, absorbing every word off of every page, and wondering how the food tastes.

Homemade Decadence is a gorgeous book by one of my favorite food bloggers, Joy Wilson. Her website, Joy The Baker, is amazing. The photos are stunning, and the recipes are completely doable for the home cook.

Last year I made her Chocolate Bundt Cake, and I can honestly say it was the best cake I have ever made. My family loved it too, and it didn't last long.

This new cookbook is just as fabulous as Joy The Baker website, and if you like to bake, do yourself a favor and buy this book. Yum!!

I've been an Ina Garten fan since her very first book was published. I have all of her books, and I love each one for it's gorgeous simplicity, and focus on creating delicious food.

 Make It Ahead lets you prep or make and freeze meals to save time in the kitchen. Many foods can be made ahead of time, and this saves me so much stress when I'm trying to get multiple dishes on the table at the same time. And it really does make party planning and giving easier.

With dishes like French Chicken Pot Pies, Spinach & Ricotta Noodle Pudding, and Tri-Berry Crumbles, you'll see how easy it is to make recipes ahead of time, and save yourself from kitchen stress.

I don't usually buy diet or low-calorie cookbooks. But the cover of The Skinny Taste Cookbook caught my eye, and I just had to take a peak inside.

There were plenty of more gorgeous photos, but more importantly, great and delicious recipes. Gina Homolka takes recipes we all enjoy and slims the calories off of them without taking away any of the taste.

Dishes like Skinny Chicken Parmesan are only 174 calories. I'm a big chicken parmesan fan, and my daughter made this and it was delicious. I was so impressed that I can't wait to get in the kitchen and start cooking Gina's recipes.

She is also the blogger behind the Skinnytaste website, which is filled with delicious low-calorie recipes, including 45 crockpot recipes.

I'm very excited to start cooking from my new cookbooks and sharing the recipes and finished dishes here. Yummy!!

Apple Cake Recipe From Smitten Kitchen

One of my very favorite food blogs is Smitten Kitchen. Deb Perelman is such an inspiration, and what I love about her recipes is that they are all completely doable, even for beginning cooks.

This recipe for an apple cake is from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. Let me just say that I think this is the most delicious thing I have ever baked. This cake is so moist, so full of apple tasting goodness, and it will fill your whole house with the most wonderful scent.

It is now on my list of fall and winter favorite desserts to make. And it's certainly a dessert that would be welcome for a party or celebration of any kind.

Recipe for Smitten Kitchen Apple Cake

Ingredients:

Butter or nonstick spray for the pan
6 apples (2 1/2 - 3 pounds) McIntosh apples
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups plus 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Confectioners' sugar, to finish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch tube pan, or coat it with nonstick spray. Peel, core, and chop the apples into 1/2 - 3/4 inch chunks. Toss them with all of the cinnamon and the 5 tablespoons  granulated sugar, and set them aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, orange juice, and remaining 2 cups of granulated sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones, then scrape down the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Stir in the walnuts if you are using them.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread half the apple chunks over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples, and arrange the remaining apples on top.
Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean, then transfer to a cake rack to cool.
Cool completely before taking cake out of pan and place onto a serving platter. Dust with Confectioners' sugar and serve.

Serves 12-16

Enjoy!!

Giada De Laurentiis' Turkey, Kale, and Browm Rice Soup

I love eating vegetables. I love shopping for them too, and I can't wait until warmer weather, and the Farmer's Markets open up again.

Meanwhile, I have found this wonderfully delicious soup from Giada De Laurentiis' new book. Even if you are not a fan of kale, this delicious soup just might change your mind.

This soup is hearty, healthy, and a really lovely thing to make and eat on a cold winter day.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 to 6 large shallots, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1 large red bell peppers cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups
• 8 ounces ground white turkey meat, broken into small chunks
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
• One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 small bunch kale, coarsely chopped (about 4 packed cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots and bell pepper and sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ground turkey and stir until the meat turns white and begins to color very slightly around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the herbes de Provence and stir, 1 minute. Add 4 cups broth, tomatoes and rice. Bring to a boil. Stir in the kale and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and Parmesan, if using, and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Enjoy!!