Hello!

I'm Thuy-An (on the right) and I like Vietnamese food. Unfortunately, I don't know how to cook it.

I'm currently a junior in college, and for the first time, I'm living in my own apartment, which means I am responsible for cooking for myself. I love the freedom of being able to eat whatever and whenever I want, but it's also quite daunting since I've never cooked very much before, so I do give in to the occasional ramen or sneak into the dining hall.

I'm excited about sharing my cooking ventures here, especially my baking recipes. I LOVE baking! I find baking therapeutic and fun, and a great way to keep up with friends. Ironically, I don't like sweets very much, with the exception of cookies and banana bread, which I bake quite often. My friends and I have a Baking Sunday tradition that we hope to hold up for the rest of the year, so I will share our best recipes here. So far, it's been a success!

Last week, we made snickerdoodles (which comes from the German word schneckennudelns, according to Wikipedia), which were a HUGE hit! Snickerdoodles are basically butter cookies with a sugar and cinnamon coating. Yum! I pulled the recipe from Betty Crocker online.

Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies:

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1 1/2 cup sugar (I usually use a reduced 1 cup sugar)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp vanilla (if desired - I put vanilla in everything, even if the recipe doesn't call for it, like here)
• 2 tsp cream of tartar (you can replace this with 2 tsp baking powder)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon (I like to put about a tsp more)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Mix softened butter with sugar, then stir in eggs.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture.
5. Chill dough for 10-15 minutes.
6. In a separate bowl, mix the 3 Tbsp sugar and cinnamon.
7. Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls.
8. Coat the balls by gently rolling the balls in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
9. Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies are done when you see cracks on the surface of the cookies. Don't leave them in for too long, or they get hard, and don't worry if they are not flat.

The result should be delicious, moist, soft, and fluffy cookies that taste great with a cup of milk. Enjoy!

Butter Cookies and a Lemon Glaze

Knowing a good butter recipe is like opening a door to endless opportunities. This recipe can be used to make Jam Sandwiches, chocolate-nutty-any-how-you-like bar cookies, and is easily molded to become any shape you'd like to use to present your delicious treats! I've been flattening out the balls of dough and adding a lemon glaze on top. I'm positive you already have all the ingredients in your kitchen! (Lemon glazed cookies on the right.)

Butter Cookie Dough:

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cups superfine sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into sixteen pieces

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the flour, sugar and salt at low speed until just combined, about 5 seconds. With the mixer on low, add the butter, one piece at a time; continue to mix until mixer looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add the vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until the dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.

2. Knead the dough by hand in the bowl for 2 or 3 turns to form a large, cohesive mass. Turn the dough out onto the countertop; divide in half , pat each into a 4-inch disk, wrap the disks in plastic, and refrigerate until they begin to firm up, 20-30 minutes. (The disks can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks; defrost in the refrigerator before using.)

3. Cut/mold the dough into desired shape and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway, until lightly golden brown at 375 degrees. Cool the cookies to room temperature on a wire rack.

Lemon Glaze:

1 tablespoon cream cheese, at room temperature

2-3 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Whisk cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of the milk in a medium bowl until just combined and no lumps remain. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding the remaining milk as needed until glaze is thin enough to spread on easily. Drizzle a scant teaspoon of the glaze onto each cooled cookie, or spread it on with the back of a spoon.

Some things I've learned with this recipe is to truly take it out right when it's lightly golden brown. I feel that the cookie is much softer, fluffier and retains more moisture. Also, I've tried the recipe with granulated sugar, which made the cookie seems more sweet, and with confectioners' sugar (as the recipe calls for), creating a less sweet version of the cookie. Again, I love the flexibility of this recipe and I hope you all enjoy it as well! Happy cooking!

(Recipe found in "The New Best Recipe" cookbook)

Coconut Macaroons

If you like coconut, then you will love these cookies. If you don't like coconut, then be prepared to be converted. I found this recipe by accident as I was flipping through Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything", trying to get to the index. They are seriously the easiest cookie you will ever make and they are always a big hit. Like Bittman's minimalist trademark, these coconut macaroons require few ingredients but they pack a wonderful flavor on your palette. They are a perfect balance of being both moist and toasty. Just always keep some dried coconut on hand and you will never be at a lose for what to make for your next office potluck or holiday presents =)

Coconut Macaroons

Yield About 2 dozen

Time About 45 minutes, plus time to chill

Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

Method

• 1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula or your hands or a fork (eventually I always get in with my hands).
• 2. Use a non-stick baking sheet, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wet your hands and form 1 to 2 tablespoon balls. To form a dome like shape, I take a tablespoon utensil, dip it in water and grab a tablespoon of the mixture, then scrape it along the side of the bowl to flatten out the bottom. Then I tap the bottom of the tablespoon over the baking sheet so that the dome falls onto the parchment paper. Repeat and remember to frequently dip the tablespoon into water so the macaroon does not stick.
• 3. Place each macaroon about an inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake until light brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before eating. These keep well in a covered container for up to 3 days (if they last that long =).

Tip:

• For an even more decadent treat you can melt chocolate and spoon it over the macaroons.

Ginger Crinkle Cookies

I'm posting this right after the holidays, when I just cooked no less than 5 batches of these ginger crinkles in a week. They are *that* good. And also - I had an entire bottle of molasses, and what do you do with molasses if not use them for ginger-flavored desserts?

These are soft, moist cookies with a gingerbread flavor, but a chewier texture than ginger snap cookies. My sister sent me the recipe from a cooking blog called the Homesick Texan, which I want to explore more when I have time.

Original link: http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2009/12/ginger-crinkles-recipe.html

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 cup sugar for dipping

*Note: I put in extra ginger and molasses to make it extra moist + flavorful. Also, the original recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar but I liked it better with 3/4 cup.


Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the oil, sugar, egg and molasses. Mix together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger and add to the liquid ingredients.

Roll dough into walnut size balls (about 1/2 a tablespoon) and dip into sugar.

Bake at 350 until slightly brown for about 15 min. Make sure not to over-bake! I preferred to take out the cookies after 13 minutes so that they were softer.


Makes about 2 dozen cookies.