Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Cookies Lessons Learned

DO
Bake cookies, even if they're out of the freezer.
DON'T
eat all the dough before you pop them in the oven.
DO
Share with your friends.
DON'T
ask your Alzheimer-addled neighbor how they were.
DO
Put on the Christmas Carols.
DON'T
Substitute the salt for the sugar.

Here's another one of my all-time favorites:

Pecan Bars

Combine 2 cups of flour with 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Add two sticks butter, mix until crumbly. Pat dough into the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until light brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with 2 1/2 cups pecans.

While the shortbread bakes, mix one egg, one cup brown sugar, 2 tbls melted butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 cup corn syrup. Pour topping in thin stream to cover the surface and pecans. Bake for another 25 -30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and remove from pan. Reserve for those you love best of all.

14 comments:

  1. I don't believe you do Pecan Bars. Then, where's the proof in the picture!?

    You missed one, Restless:
    DO share with Dogs!!

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  2. Ah, CO--you got me. One day I will master blogging, cooking AND photographing, all the while uploading the content. :)
    And of course share with Dogs!

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  3. DO have your vintage oven calibrated before getting the baking bug. Because dough knows the difference between 350° and 425°.

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  4. DO have someone else do the baking.

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  5. I 4got 2 wish U & family a Happy Festivus yesterday, Chef!

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  6. Hey, gotta computer problem and need expert help. Can't access anything but recent email, so can't find your email address. You know the computer genius you talked about? Can you forward this to him?

    Can give more info at that time.

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Disregard. A monkey w/a typewriter fixed it.

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  8. Great advice, you all!
    PS AH: My computer genius predicted that
    ;)

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  9. My dear friend from Chicago sent me lemon poppyseed cookies, cardamom pepper cookies with cognac icing, ginger chocolate chunk cookies, and salted caramel shortbread cookies. I don't know what happened to her.

    Merry Christmas, Des.

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  10. I have baked and dragged the results to pot lucks where even with my relentless prodding, people decline my offerings. My holiday discovery is Salt Shaker. For $12.95 they will put a Quiche in their oven and box it afterwards. You only have to bring a knife for cutting. Those slices flew out of the tin. A shameless experience.

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  11. Petrea: Hmm, now that sounds like you're in definite need of quality control there--
    PA: Great idea!

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  12. I don't know about that. She used the finest ingredients and the cookies are superb. I think what we need is quantity control.

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  13. P: Hmmm, let me be a bit more forward here.
    Sounds as if you need a taster for all those!

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  14. Oh, duh. I get you. Certainly. You have the more discerning palate than mine. Of course, who doesn't? I'm the one who doesn't like French food...

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