The weather decided to put on a more amiable face today, which made me feel more amiable. So amiable, in fact, that I decided to try out a new cookie recipe. As I believe I've previously noted, some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug. This was a bug day.Mind you, the cookies are delicious. They just seem to have a serious identity problem. They don't know whether they're going to be hard-crunchy or fall-apart softy. Out of the oven, they cool down to the former -- put in an air-tight container, they sag to the latter. I was expecting something along the lines of a cake-like texture because these are apple-cranberry cookies but I suspect the brown sugar measurement is in error. If the recipe had called for half white and half brown, I'll bet there would have been a difference in the result. Not that it matters. I will still eat -- and enjoy -- the cookies. I just won't ever use that recipe again.
There was a happily serendipitous bonus out of the affair, however. Remember how I mentioned we can make our own brown sugar (1 or 2 tablespoons molasses per cup white sugar)? Usually I mix it up with a fork or even my fingers (finger-lickin' good) but I wasn't sure I was really in the mood to mess with it today. Still, the recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar. Darn.
And then a big light bulb appeared over my head and lit up in all its glory. "Whoa!" I said. "What's that for?"
And a voice that sounded eerily like Emeril -- or maybe Martha Stewart -- said to me, "Don't you have a perfectly lovely KitchenAid stand mixer?"
"Uh . . . ye-eeees."
"Doesn't it have a perfectly useful wire whisk attachment?"
Blink-blink. "Yes, by golly, it does!"
"I rest my case."
Well. The Voice doesn't have to speak to me twice. I dumped a couple of cups of granulated sugar into the bowl, added 4 tablespoons of molasses (because the recipe called for dark brown sugar) and let the Blue Beast loose at a sedate low speed. I scraped the sides of the bowl twice and BB did its thang and looky what we ended up with.
I don't think it took more than 5 minutes, including measuring time. And I still got to lick the whisk. The Blue Beast did all the work and I was able to use the free time to make a fresh pot of coffee. I don't see how one can ask for fairer than that, even on a bug day.
6 comments:
Oh but that LOLCAT gave me a chuckle! I had a cat who developed that habit. No preliminary sniff, just head in and slurp. Then, one day, he did the same thing with a glass of Southern Comfort. The way he spat and scowled and swore was hilarious just as soon as I realised he was OK, just affronted. And he never sipped from a mug or glass again. :-)
Heh! I was chuckling at this, John -- until I realized the only time I ever had a taste of Southern Comfort my reaction was much the same as your cat's. Didn't teach me not to sip from mugs and glasses, though.
I've had a cat or two that went after coffee like that. I figured they really liked the milk in it, as I'm a cream-and-sugar gal. That kitty looks rather caffeinated already, though!
I know what you mean about cookies that don't know whether to be crispy or limp. Strange! Mine was a molasses cookie recipe. Sugar sops up moisture from the air; that I do remember.
I also saw that lol and thought of you. Guess I can quit using them if everyone subs. :-)
btw I think that was you at John's with the anon comment. Sounded just like you.
You're right, Sil. The kitty looks like it's plugged into an electric socket.
You were right, too, Bonnie. I had to click over and check but, yes, I was Anon. Don't quite know how that happened but I see I can't sneak up on anyone. (sigh)
I was thinking that the weather is also at fault. :) So I'm glad to know that the apples were a success, the cookies survived their identity crisis, and you don't look like me yet. :)
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