tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-889431397957998172024-03-13T09:07:41.089-07:00Gardner GirlAlyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861210013032259110noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88943139795799817.post-31212495407289585832010-09-22T09:04:00.000-07:002010-09-22T09:15:57.571-07:00Classic Spritz Cookies<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1TPx583Z-LEiZudnws3zIVPz4XQqsBjg8CMOpYliQto9kb0KiiOk5iSOqMb5XwlhxO5nW30YXRRHtNS9mtOAV-VaNNk4_WcKxzxTdrg77krtY-9f5549m1buRSpaBDbPw9wJb-HMsM4/s1600/DSC_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1TPx583Z-LEiZudnws3zIVPz4XQqsBjg8CMOpYliQto9kb0KiiOk5iSOqMb5XwlhxO5nW30YXRRHtNS9mtOAV-VaNNk4_WcKxzxTdrg77krtY-9f5549m1buRSpaBDbPw9wJb-HMsM4/s320/DSC_0036.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I made these spritz cookies a little while ago but never posted the recipe or pictures. I had bought a cookie press on ebay and I used it righ away. In the box there was instructions and there was also a few recipes. They came out great, even if you don't have a cookie press these would make a good sugar cookie if you add icing and decorations for holidays.....Here's the one I used:<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.wilton.com/">http://www.wilton.com/</a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 1/2 cups butter</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup granulated sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 egg</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tablespoons milk</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract (double this if you don't have almond extract)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strike>1/2 teaspoon almond extract</strike> ( didn't use this because I didn't have it so I used double vanilla)</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 teaspoon baking powder</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><strong>Steps:</strong><br />
<ul><li>Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream the <strong>butter and sugar.</strong></li>
<li>Add <strong>egg, milk, and vanilla</strong>: beat well</li>
<li>Stir together <strong>flour and baking powder:</strong> gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing until a smooth dough.</li>
<li>Do not chill. Place the dough in a cookie press. Grease cookie sheet. </li>
<li>Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove cookies from sheet and place on cooling rack<br />
<strong>*</strong>You can fill some cookies with orange marmalade, jams, colored sugar etc. to make them pretty. Or dipp them in chocolate...<strong>*</strong></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWoVroEWATQDfdXAc82zEbZx35Q1hBtuzFyRt2o8-vCow_JNPqSinNrTSSTD0ZP1D2EIiciUnKTkh0ozp9SsWMHVqiLT8VAE7QVmA9lNfxyhMl5sYce8izOeSZVNgzDCgc8gLWnpFPZ4/s1600/DSC_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWoVroEWATQDfdXAc82zEbZx35Q1hBtuzFyRt2o8-vCow_JNPqSinNrTSSTD0ZP1D2EIiciUnKTkh0ozp9SsWMHVqiLT8VAE7QVmA9lNfxyhMl5sYce8izOeSZVNgzDCgc8gLWnpFPZ4/s320/DSC_0070.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">I got my cookie press from <a href="http://www.wilton.com/">http://www.wilton.com/</a> but purchased it on ebay.</div>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861210013032259110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88943139795799817.post-69835878136184361552010-09-22T07:55:00.000-07:002010-09-22T07:55:06.120-07:00Calvin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>Here's a video of Calvin...I plan on taking him for a walk everyday. He loves exploring his surroundings...and barking at them =P</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy_rMPteVF02FHEYFkSrgPloRpAxQmJjKe6W_nEVnyFVT-Qp4XtA8aENUIrf8cpKSv9KW-9xE0a0veIF3C3pg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861210013032259110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88943139795799817.post-78109479057601131322010-09-21T16:34:00.000-07:002010-09-21T16:34:16.417-07:00Soft Pretzels<h3> </h3><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiGHivhhnL8k_AEyqRmJ512kk9N-lEKZZQSQrUKXlkelOh5P6d1IE_Fq4A4QwHPtT9dCf6E6eVllS8Bw-6DOUlQpDtZahlXHU1bjOIMqS8FFulXP1S_yTI7RcEaCuYch1GUWarzcs4rI/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiGHivhhnL8k_AEyqRmJ512kk9N-lEKZZQSQrUKXlkelOh5P6d1IE_Fq4A4QwHPtT9dCf6E6eVllS8Bw-6DOUlQpDtZahlXHU1bjOIMqS8FFulXP1S_yTI7RcEaCuYch1GUWarzcs4rI/s320/DSC_0003.JPG" /></a></div><h3>Here's a great recipe for making soft pretzels. Of course it took me 3 tries.... :) The website calls for making a sauce, but I skipped that. <br />
I didn't have pretzel salt so I used coarse sea salt (that was what we had in the cabinet, and it worked fine) I also tried to immitate Auntie Anne's cinnamon sugar soft pretzels (You know the one in the mall?)</h3><h3 style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </h3><h3 style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mp2Tq2GNkaoffmMoaMt8EvpIj5jApWt6bw0NLPKfSQnJYPidRYtHF4vQYob2uSfXo5fNAzoIfSlJaAk92dT_ixSU2VaJKHAZguVdMEWhBUfTqk3z6_CuWcYEfFVIFJ7KSHosJdN7qNs/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mp2Tq2GNkaoffmMoaMt8EvpIj5jApWt6bw0NLPKfSQnJYPidRYtHF4vQYob2uSfXo5fNAzoIfSlJaAk92dT_ixSU2VaJKHAZguVdMEWhBUfTqk3z6_CuWcYEfFVIFJ7KSHosJdN7qNs/s320/DSC_0004.JPG" /></a>For the Pretzels:</h3><ul><li class="ingredient">1 cup milk </li>
<li class="ingredient">1 package active dry yeast </li>
<li class="ingredient">3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar </li>
<li class="ingredient">2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading </li>
<li class="ingredient">10 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing </li>
<li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon fine salt </li>
<li class="ingredient">1/3 cup baking soda </li>
<li class="ingredient">2 tablespoons coarse salt</li>
</ul><div class="ingredient"><strong>STEPS:</strong></div><ul><li>Warm the milk in a saucepan until it's about 110 degrees; pour into a medium bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. </li>
<li>Let the yeast soften, about 2 minutes; stir in the brown sugar and 1 cup flour with a wooden spoon. </li>
<li>Dice 2 tablespoons butter and soften; stir into the mix. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and the fine salt to make a sticky dough. </li>
<li>Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. </li>
<li>Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour. </li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and grease a large baking sheet. Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. (If the dough seems tight, cover and let rest until it relaxes.) </li>
<li>Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 30-inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch. </li>
<li>Form each rope into a pretzel shape. </li>
<li>Dissolve the baking soda in 3 cups warm water in a shallow baking dish. Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the coarse salt. </li>
<li>Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. </li>
<li>Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a shallow dish. Dip the hot pretzels in the butter, turning to coat; place on a wire rack to let excess butter drip off. Serve the pretzels warm with the sweet mustard sauce. </li>
</ul>It seems like a lot of steps but it's quite easy. And really worth it, because they are yummy!Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861210013032259110noreply@blogger.com0