Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

September 14, 2015September 15, 20152 Comments

My son started pre-school last week. I can hardly believe that children are starting school as little as 3 years old! So we picked out his cool Superman back pack with matching Superman lunch box with a cute little cape. But, I couldn’t let my little super man go in to school without something extra special from Mommy. So, inside that little lunch box was a little pack of homemade Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

There are lots of varieties of oatmeal cookies. Some people add chocolate chips, some nuts, some nothing extra at all… but there can only really be one Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. A hearty mixture of rolled oats and sweet raisins, this cookie is filling and delicious all at the same time. The Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookie is time-tested and adored by generation after generation. My children are part of that next generation that have fallen in love with this wholesome treat.

Let me show you how I made these…

You’ll need two sticks of softened butter. (If you have cold butter right out of the fridge with no time to let it come to room temperature, you can do one of two things 1. dice the butter and wait about 20 minutes or my preferred method 2. pop both sticks in the microwave for 30 seconds, stopping to flip every 6-7 seconds until all 4 sides have been exposed to the microwaves face up)

Add your butter into the bowl of an electric mixer… Notice how nice and soft it is.

Add light brown sugar to the butter.

Beat on medium/high for a minute or two until it’s looking a bit fluffy.

Always crack egg into a small bowl before adding in to a batter.

Add in egg. Beat thoroughly.

One more thing before mixing in your dry ingredients, add in your vanilla. Beat for 10 seconds.

Now start on combining your dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, add flour.

Add in a shallow teaspoon of baking soda.

Add in your salt… Traditionally people like using table salt or a fine salt in cookies, but in these, I prefer a slightly more coarse kosher salt. I like the little bite of salt here and there. So, I will leave that up to you.

Wisk your dry ingredients together.

Into the bowl you used to measure out your dry ingredients, add your oatmeal… A lot of people like to use quick oats in their cookies, I however, am partial to old-fashioned rolled oats. I like how they don’t break down as much and hold their shape and bite a bit better. If you prefer a softer more smooth cookie, then use the quick oats.

Add in your raisins to the oats. Then add this to your dough and beat for 5-7 seconds until combined. Don’t go crazy here, you could even fold them in by hand.

Here is what your result should look like.

Using a 1 teaspoon cookie scoop, scoop out your dough. But, first be sure to have scraped down the sides of your bowl and incorporate fully.

Plop each scoop out onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

be sure to leave about an inch and a half between balls of dough.

Bake at 340°F for 10 minutes until you see the edges start to turn golden.

Allow the cookies to start cooling on the cookie sheet for about 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to a wired rack for cooling completely.

Recipe for Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:

(yields 4 dozen)

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 egg, cracked into a small bowl

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup raisins

1 tsp baking soda, shallow

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 340°F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar and egg. Once done, add in vanilla.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and wisk together. Add into the creamed butter mixture. Beat until combined. Do not over beat at this stage as you will make the cookie tough.

In the same medium bowl measure out your oats and raisins. Add in to the mixture. Beat for 5-7 seconds.

Using a 1 tsp. cookie scoop, measure out each cookie dough ball and keep them 1 1/2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.

Enjoy!

Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles

August 7, 2015

Ahhh Snickerdoodles, one of life’s great gifts to cookie jars across the nation! With it’s crispy edges, it’s chewy inside and that snap of cinnamon flavor, who could possibly resist something so utterly yummy? But, wait… To kick it up to the next level, we have converted the ever delicious Snickerdoodle into a “Sand Dollar” by simply adding 5 little sliced almonds to adorn the top… Now, they are set for my son’s “Surf’s Up” Beach Themed party this weekend!

On top of being a family favorite around here… they are super simple as cookies go. They require no refrigeration after the dough is mixed. They are fun for the kid’s to help with. And they keep for days and days (if you can keep them around that long!)

Let’s start with the basic dough ingredients… Sugar, butter, flour, cream of tartar, eggs, salt and baking soda…

Now, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar. I use unsalted butter. If you only have regular butter or margarine, cut the salt you are adding to 1/4 tsp.

Now take your baking soda, cream of tartar and salt and mix them together into one little bowl and then into the four.

Right in.

Be sure your butter is at room temperature.

Cream.

Now add in your flour mixture in two separate times.

Blend the flour

Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times throughout the mixing process.

Once your dough is complete, set it aside and mix your cinnamon and sugar.

Sugar and cinnamon… This is a bit more cinnamon than I really would use in a cinnamon sugar mix… However, our goal today is to make what will look like a sea creature that will be covered in sand.

Just a small cereal bowl is fine for this. It would also be great if you had a small to medium cookie scoop so that your Sand Dollars are all the same size, you also avoid getting your hands messy with one of these. I am using the medium scoop today. If you don’t have one, just use a spool and roll with your hands.

This is a very cinnamony mix… If you aren’t making actual Sand Dollars, you could use half the amount of cinnamon if you prefer. I happen to like a lot of cinnamon, so I’m good with it.

Now scoop out your dough.

Place it in the bowl

Roll around in the cinnamon sugar.

And this is what you get.

Place them all neatly on your parchment lined cookie sheet

Gently flaten each one slightly

Add 5 almonds to each cookie in sort of a flower pattern with the small end of the almond pointing in.

As you can see I didn’t press down too too much, the oven takes care of most of the spreading, the point is to have a surface in which to apply your almonds.

Add 5 almonds to each cookie in sort of a flower pattern with the small end of the almond pointing in.

Aren’t they pretty? Bake these at 325°F for 8-10 minutes.

And here they are. Allow them to sit on the cookie sheet for about 2-3 minutes when they come out of the oven… Then transfer them to a wire rack for cooling.

And there you have it… Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles… Enjoy!

Recipe for Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles:

(makes 32 3″ cookies)

1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 XL eggs

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 small bag of sliced almonds

For dusting:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon

(sugar and cinnamon can be cut in half if you want less waste)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325°F.

Prepare ingredients: Mix together soda, salt and tartar, add that to flour and wisk to mix. In the bowl of an electric mixed fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter and sugar for about 2 minutes. Add in one egg at a time until each is fully incorporated. Then add in flour mixture in two additions. Be sure to scrape down the sides of your bowl a few times throughout this process.

Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a cereal bowl. Scoop out dough in with a medium scoop. Roll dough ball in cinnamon sugar. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet allow at least 1″ between each ball. Slightly flatten each ball. Apply 5 almond slices to the top of each cookie.

Bake for 8-9 minutes. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling.

Enjoy!

Portuguese Baking Soda Cookies (Bolachas de Bicarbonato)

June 24, 2015September 21, 20152 Comments

Portuguese people love to enjoy their sweets with a cup of hot tea. There wasn’t a day that went by that my Vavó didn’t have a cup of tea with either some homemade stove top pudding (Papas) or a cookie, some of her cake (see Vavó’s Cake). The trick is that most Portuguese baked goods are not overly sweet making them really very appropriate for that cup of tea. These Portuguese Baking Soda Cookies are no exception… Made from a very tender dough, these soft and cakey cookies are toned down enough to handle all the sugar you pour on top to decorate them with!

This week in preparation for Independence Day, I have taken this classic Portuguese cookie and made it into a celebration of America. These cookies normally decorated by children with different colored sugars are easy to turn into an accent for any special occasion or holiday.

Here are all the ingredients you will need for the cookie itself. This does not include the decorating ingredients.

Start with some butter and sugar.

Start with creaming butter and sugar with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer.

Properly creamed butter and sugar should look like this.

Your next step is to add in these three ingredients.

Add egg and be sure to scrape down sides!

Just mix in the egg for a few seconds.

Then add in your milk and vanilla… this isn’t the most flattering picture, but it is what it is.

Be sure ingredients are well combined.

Flour

Add the baking soda and kosher salt to the flour.

Add your flour in three segments. Combine using the lowest setting on your mixer for about 10-20 seconds at a time until well combined.

Dough will crumble a bit.

Knead dough by hand for a few minutes until it starts to come together when pressed.

When dough is ready to hold together, it should look something like this.

Flour your work surface.

Form your dough into a disc on your work surface. Remember, this dough is very tender. I work with about a half the dough at a time.

Roll out gently.

Turn half way each time you want roll.

This dough should be rolled out to about 1/4″ thickness.

Cut rows two inches wide to start creating your rectangle.

Turn and cut three inches wide creating a rectangle.

Place each cut cookie on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Leave about an inch between cookies.

Make a thick egg wash by combining two egg yolks with a splash of water.

Use a kitchen brush.

Brush cookies with egg wash.

To create the patriotic lines, just use a straight piece of paper just so.

Continue with the red stripes by using two pieces of paper to guide the sugar.

Bake for 16-18 minutes at 350°F until they start to beome slightly browned around the edges. Let stand on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before transfering to a wire rack for drying.

Bake for 16-18 minutes at 350°F until they start to become slightly browned around the edges. Let stand on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack for drying.

Let cool on a wire rack before serving.

Recipe for Portuguese Baking Soda Cookies (Bolachas de Bicarbonato):

(Yields about 2 dz 2×3″ cookies)

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

1 egg

1/4 cup whole milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

For topping:

2 egg yolks

1 splash water

colored sugars

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Prepare two cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper.

Cream butter and sugar. Add in egg, milk and vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Be sure to periodically scrape down sides. Add in flour in 1/3 increments. Do not over beat. Dough will appear crumbly and soft.

Knead dough with your clean hands until it comes together when squeezed. Flour a work surface. Form a disc with half the dough. Roll it out to about 1/4″ thickness. Cut into 2″x3″ rectangles. (I also made smaller rectangles for the blue accent cookies)

Beat together two egg yolks with a splash of water to create the egg wash. Paint each cookie with the egg wash and decorate with sugar however you see fit. Pop into the oven for 16-18 minutes.

Let cookies stand on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack for cooling. Let cool completely on rack. Serve, enjoy with a cup of tea!

Vavó’s Cake

May 25, 2015May 26, 2015

My Vavó (grandmother) was not a big baker, at all. But, she baked one dessert on a regular basis, this cake. I think this cake is the only reason she even owned an electric mixer, as I never saw her use it for anything else. On any given day, I could walk into her dining room and in a similar cake plate as you see here, there would be her cake. Any time I make this cake, it brings me right back there with my Vavó, enjoying a cup of tea and this deliciously simple dessert.

Memorial Day in my family was always about remembering those who have passed. We have always been thankful for those service members who have given their lives to bring us the freedoms this country has afforded us all. And in addition to that, we would always go to the cemetery to place flowers to remember family members and friends no longer with us. This was a yearly tradition for my grandmother. I show my love and remembrance in other ways… So, this post is in dedication to her – para alma da minha Vavó.

If you are looking for a moist decadent cake, this is not the one. This simple sponge cake is meant to be enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee. It is a very basic, no frills cake with the exception of that crusty top that crunches in your mouth. It is meant to be dry and dense and have a slightly sweet taste.

Start by separating your eggs.

Keep your yolks seperate and place your whites in a bowl of an electric mixer.

Keep your yolks separate and place your whites in a bowl of an electric mixer.

Beat egg whites until stiff and remove and place in a seperate bowl.

Beat egg whites until stiff and remove and place in a separate bowl.

Then place your egg yolks in the same bowl you originally had your whites in and beat until they combine.

Add in one cup of sugar, beat until combined.

Then add in the other cup of sugar and beat until combined again.

This is what your yolks and sugar should look like… uniform and creamy.

Next, measure out your flour.

Then measure your baking powder.

Add in your baking powder to your flour.

Wisk together to sift.

Then fold in your whites with your yolks.

Then add in your dry ingredients.

Mix in with the paddle attachment of your mixer… Then scrape down the sides and bottom. and mix again.

You will quickly come to a consistency like this.

My grandmother always used an angel food cake pan for this cake… I don’t know what it would look like in any other pan, so this is what I use.

Spray your pan with baking spray, the kind with flour in it… although my grandmother would always use butter. Spray is just easier and gets the job done.

Pour

Drop the pan once or twice to release any big air bubbles from the pouring.

Place in the oven for around 35 – 45 mins at 350°F or until a butter knife comes out clean (or a toothpick, but my Vavó always used a butter knife)

And there you have it.

Para alma da minha Vavó

Ingredients for Vavó’s Cake:

(serves 8 -10)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

8 eggs, separated

1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside. Beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy. Fold whites into yolks. In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients into wet. Mix to combine, scraping the sides. Place in a greased and floured angel food cake pan. Bake 35 – 45 minutes at 350°F until a butter knife or toothpick comes out clean.

Mom’s Portuguese Rice Pudding (Arroz Doce)

April 1, 2015May 19, 20153 Comments

Arroz Doce! Mmmmm… This is a great way to start off my blog for a couple of reasons. #1 – This is Easter week and coming from a Portuguese family, no Easter (or any holiday really) is complete without rich and creamy, Portuguese Rice Pudding. Growing up, I can’t recall a gathering without it. #2 – This is a super easy recipe, but for some reason, it took me years to master it. My mother can attest to the many times I called her reviewing her recipe and trying to figure out how I possibly could have missed a step. So, what I would like to do is take you through the process to help you avoid the pain I endured from failed attempt after failed attempt and lead you to a perfect rice pudding in one shot for your Easter table!

Now please, please, please don’t confuse Portuguese Rice Pudding with traditional American style rice pudding you may find on your grocer’s shelves which is little more than vanilla pudding with cooked rice mixed in for kicks. No, no, no… My mother’s rice pudding is anything but!

A couple of tips I have learned over the years before we get started. First, you will need a heavy bottom stainless steel pot with a lid. I’ll be honest, most of my cooking is done in non-stick cookware, but it just doesn’t work so well for this recipe because sometimes the rice will stick to the bottom (regardless of what type of cookware you use) and if it does, we need it to stay there; otherwise, you will end up with a bunch of brown bits floating through your final product, not so pretty or tasty. Next, the type of rice you use for this dish is pretty critical. You will need to find regular medium grain rice. Please don’t try this with a brown rice or a boil in the bag rice or any type of minute rice and absolutely nothing parboiled. Just plain cheap medium grain white rice is fine. If you want to get fancy, you can get the slightly pricier River Rice, which is my Mom’s preferred brand, but its not necessary if you just follow these guidelines. Also, I want to note that this recipe is very easily doubled or even tripled if you have a big enough pot, but I would not go further than that.

OK… Let’s get started…

Start off with 3 cups of milk and one cup of water in that heavy bottom pot I mentioned.

Whole milk is preferred, but 1% or 2% works just fine too… however, I would stay away from skim… note: I have done this with lactose free milk and it works out just great!

Add a small pinch of salt, don’t go crazy here.

Add in one lemon rind, just like this and turn the burner on to medium/high until the liquid comes to the start of a boil… so, you’ll want to watch that pot because the start of a boil can turn into a boil over in seconds with that much milk in the pot. (if you don’t care for lemon, you can absolutely leave this ingredient out, it will still be delicious… this method leaves the dish with a subtle undertone of lemon – nothing strong)

Next, add in the rice and stir. Then cover the pot and turn the burner down to med/low – low. (so just above the lowest setting on your knob) Be sure to stir periodically.

After about 20 minutes or so, this is what you should see in your pot. If not, give it a bit more time, but keep your eye on it, because it can happen quickly.

Sugar is essential to this recipe… Please don’t reduce this ingredient as you will not have the results you are looking for. Stir this in when your rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed as shown above. The sugar will then cause your rice to have more liquid as the sugar melts in. (((Here is where I always messed up… for some reason I skipped this step, DON’T SKIP THIS STEP! This is what gives the pudding it’s proper consistency))) Cover the pan and cook another 5-10 minutes on med/low heat… Stir frequently! (every 2-3 minutes)

Once the liquid has once again mostly absorbed into your rice, very very quickly stir in the yolk of one large egg… you want to mix in rapidly so you don’t end up with chunks of cooked egg… this is meant to thicken your pudding and add some richness. And you are done! (If you have an egg allergy, this step can be left out, it will be a little different, but still pretty yummy)

Now you will have something that looks like this… pour into a shallow dish and gently shake back and forth to disperse the pudding… at this point, fish out the lemon rind as it has done it’s job.

While your pudding is still hot, grab some cinnamon and a cookie cutter or anything with a small rim, it’s traditional in my family to use a shot glass as seen here, for decorating.

Gently touch the rim of your glass on pudding to moisten. Then dip into the cinnamon. Then back to the pudding to start your design. Repeat in any pattern you like. If I’m not doing this for a party or to serve as dessert for a dinner party or something, I will totally just sprinkle the cinnamon on top. But, since we are talking about Easter, this is what I do. A fun bunny design cut out of paper and laid on top would be great too… be creative.

And here it is! Yum!

Portuguese Rice Pudding recipe:

(serves 6)

1 cup rice, medium grain, white

1 cup water

3 cups milk, whole (1 or 2% also works)

1 cup white sugar

1 lg. egg yolk

1 lemon rind

1 scant pinch of salt

cinnamon for dusting

Instructions:

Bring water and milk to a boil with the lemon rind and salt on medium high. Add in rice and stir, turn burner down to just above the lowest setting, cover the pot. Stir occasionally. About 20 minutes later most of the liquid should be evaporated… also, test the rice to see that it is fully tender… this is when you add in the sugar and stir. The mixture will become liquefied again, continue cooking on low for another 5-10 minutes, stirring more frequently. Once most of the liquid has once again absorbed into the rice, add in the egg yolk, stirring vigorously. Pour into a shallow dish and sprinkle with cinnamon or form a design with cinnamon. Enjoy!

note: this is a naturally gluten free recipe… just ensure that each ingredient brand you use specifically is gluten free (as it should naturally be) and you are good to go!

the portuguese american mom

stay awhile… have a cup of tea, let's get creative!

Category: Desserts

Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles

Portuguese Baking Soda Cookies (Bolachas de Bicarbonato)

Vavó’s Cake

Mom’s Portuguese Rice Pudding (Arroz Doce)