Wednesday 21 March 2007

Bettina's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Kate has inspired some of us to bake and test taste oatmeal cookies...here's the recipe for the yummy cookies Bettina brought into work on Friday, March 16.

1/3 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 2/3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 2/3 cup oats
1 1/3 cup raisins (or 1/2 raisins/1/2 chocolate chips)

Mix sugars and butter together until foamy. Add eggs. Mix dry ingredients and add to sugar/butter/egg mixture. Don't over beat the dough, just barely mix ingredients. Add raisins (and chocolate chips) and fold in, again don't over mix. Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake at 375F for about 8-10 minutes depending on how chewy you would like the cookies.

Transfer from baking sheet after a 1 minute rest to a cooling rack to cool.

Thursday 15 March 2007

Kate's Crispy Cookies (Oatmeal)

Kate's mission was to make a crispy oatmeal cookie instead of a chewy. This recipe is crispy, would hold up for dunking and is really one of the best crispy oatmeal cookies I've had. Don't use quick oats, use old fashioned oatmeal, the big flakes. Experiment...use your imagination....


1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking salt
1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using salted butter)
2 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
raisins

Mix it all together, drop onto baking sheet and bake at 350/375.

Friday 2 March 2007

Out of the fire into the pan

From Chatelaine Magazine's test kitchen.

Best pancakes I've made....delicious!


Preparation time 15 min
Cooking time 4 min per batch
Makes 14 to 16 medium pancakes


2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) milk
1 cup (250 mL) regular or light sour cream
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
Butter for cooking pancakes
Fresh blueberries & raspberries (optional)

1. Microwave 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter in a small bowl until melted. In a large bowl, using a fork, stir flour with sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in centre. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with milk, sour cream, melted butter and vanilla. Pour into flour mixture and stir just until mixed.

2. Immediately melt about 1 tsp (5 mL) butter in a large frying pan set over medium heat. (Or save time by cooking on a large griddle or simultaneously in 2 pans.) Use a 1/4-cup (50-mL) measure to pour batter into hot pan. Depending on size of pan, add 1 to 3 more pancakes. Cook until surfaces are covered with bubbles and edges are lightly browned, from 2 to 3 min. Turn and continue to cook until pancakes are golden, from 2 to 3 min.

3. Place on a plate and keep warm in a low-temperature oven while cooking remaining pancakes. Delicious drizzled with maple syrup and scattered with fresh berries. Great with bacon or sausages.