Prepping for the Holidays: Ice Cream Cookies

Back in June 2016, I prematurely posted a recipe and pics for Ice Cream Cookies.  It was an accidental post, as I had not been totally aware of the posting dates.  My mother was in and out of the hospital, and I was not dealing well with everything.  Several months later, I realized what had posted while my mind was in the fog.  Rather than removing those posts, I have kept them on the site.  I think they are a reminder of a rough time as well as an accurate reflection of what was going on.

Anyway, back to the cookies.  My post wasn't complete because I meant to post two different methods for baking the cookies.  My friend LAMN's mom, baked these cookies in the way specified in the original post (she used a fork to flatten the dough).  She did not chill the dough prior to baking.  I have not come across her method in the plethora of cookbooks which contain this recipe (ingredients only).

Most cookbooks containing a version of this recipe have only vague instructions for the refrigerator method.  Some even give a range of oven temperatures!  I have not come across any recipe which gave specific instructions for forming the logs prior to chilling.  This was bothersome because I usually resort to the refrigerator method, especially if I'm baking on weekends.

Don't get me wrong.  If I have willing help available, I prefer the method LAMN's mom uses since it doesn't require refrigerator space.  But if I am doing all the work, then I usually resort to the refrigerator method since it gives me more control over the time/process. 

Whenever I bake refrigerated cookies (slice and bake), I use an acrylic double Spam musubi mold (8" long), at right, to shape the dough.  To make work easier, use plastic wrap under the mold to prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface.  And always use a piece of plastic wrap between the dough and the plunger.  Ask me how I know.  For this particular recipe, it's not necessary to refrigerate the dough prior to shaping; other recipes may require chilling the dough for a short time before pressing it into the Spam musubi mold.  Do not be tempted to use any of the non-stick molds.  The plunger needs to fit snugly in the lower portion.

With either method, I vary the sprinkles to suit whatever holiday is near.  Because Halloween is a few days away, I used black and orange sprinkles.  I will be sharing these cookies with a few of my favorite work boys.  TheKeeper gave me for farm-fresh eggs.  Nakaz signed D2 up for the NAU mailing list, and UncleScott has been most generous with fish for my family.

The recipe below does not contain a typographical error.  I did NOT forget to list ice cream as an ingredient.  Cookbooks from Hawaii call like-ingredient recipes for this "Ice Cream Cookies", hence the title of this post.  I grew up calling this "Ice Cream Cookies".  I have seen similar-ingredient recipes from outside of Hawaii, and it's often called "Refrigerator Cookies" and, sometimes, "Ice Box Cookies".  I have no idea why Hawaii cookbooks call this "Ice Cream Cookies".  It contains no ice cream and would make a sad and wimpy ice cream sandwich.  I remember KikukatMom telling me these cookies go well with ice cream.  And, once again, mother knows best.  She is right.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Ice Cream Cookies

     1 lb butter, softened
     2 c sugar
     1 tbsp vanilla
     1 egg
     5 c flour
     assorted sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar together.  Add vanilla and egg.  Add flour, one cup at a time, until all incorporated.  Proceed using one of the following methods:
LAMN's mom: Using a #60 disher (a little less than a tablespoon), scoop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet (a flat cookie sheet can accommodate 20-23 cookies).  Flatten to 1/4" thickness with the bottom of a drinking glass (use parchment paper between dough and glass) or a form (LAMN's mom's tool of choice).  Add sprinkles to tops of cookies.  Bake for 13 minutes, rotating cookie sheet once.  Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.  For slightly larger cookies, use a #50 disher and bake for 15 minutes, rotating cookie sheet once. 
Kikukat's refrigerator method:  Divide dough into 4 portions and shape each portion into an 8" log.  I use a double Spam musubi mold (plain acrylic; not any of the non-stick ones) to shape the dough into a nice rectangular log.  Lay down a sheet of plastic wrap, place mold atop plastic wrap.  Fill mold with portioned dough.  Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on top of dough.  Use plunger to compact dough into mold.  Slide mold off and wrap in plastic wrap (bottom).  Chill for at least 5 hours.  Slice 1/4" thick and place on cookie sheet (20 on a large sheet).  Add sprinkles if desired.  Press down gently to set sprinkles.  Bake for 13 minutes, rotating cookie sheet once.  Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.  Makes 10 dozen cookies.

Monday, October 8, 2018

Jougai Ichiba

Our first full day back in Sapporo was filled with eating.  The Keeper suggested we go back to Jougai Ichiba (Sapporo Curb Market) for breakfast.

We tried a different place, and, like last year, we were not disappointed.  The kitamae don (pictured at left) was worth repeating from last year.

On our way to the restaurant, I noticed a bunch of shops selling vaccuum-packed potatoes in butter.  I was intrigued so I ordered it alongside the kitamae don.  The lone potato arrived piping hot with a thick slab of butter.  There was also a thin crust of salt flakes on the skin.  Not expecting much, I took a bite.  Nothing could have prepared me for the taste.  The potato, which looked like a russet, was sweet and creamy.  I shared some with the others, and they agreed that it was not like the russets we have here. 

TheKeeper ordered some otoro sashimi and generously shared some with me.  This was the first time having otoro for me, as I don't think I tried any at Ohiso last year.  Oh my!  The fish melted like butter in my mouth.  The 5 pieces of otoro cost nearly 3000yen!

Nakaz and DHS somehow managed to each finish off a huge piece of grilled atka mackerel.

 I was happy to find reasonably-priced (now it really didn't matter because I would've bought them anyway) shine muscats.  Another taste worth repeating!

Sapporo Bier Garten 

A trip to Sapporo would not be complete without a meal at Sapporo Bier Garten.

The grilled lamb was so tasty and juicy, and this year, they seemed more generous with the portions of pumpkin.


Of course, an added bonus for me is the bottomless glass of melon soda!

I was also able to replace the t-shirt I got for TheHelp last year.  The "large" I got him shrank to a "small" after washing!

When I went to bed that night, I was grateful for a few things.  I did not feel the earthquake the previous night; TheKeeper said the walls of the hotel were shaking and creaking (he was down the hall from me).  And I was even more grateful for being invited back to Japan with TheKeeper. . .even though he seemed to take great pleasure in watching me stammer and stutter and use some obscene hand motions while trying to buy a new camera strap.

Cookie Jar: Crispy Rice Krispies Cookies

D2 is back  home and we are digging our feet in, getting ready to brave out the last quarter of the 15-16 school year.  This year feels like it went by quickly, except when I was counting down the days for D1 to come home.

I had some big plans for this vacation, which is all but gone now (just a few HOURS left).  I managed to get some things done, but I didn't get to things I wanted to do.

I wanted to send D2 on her trip with a gigantic bag of cookies.  That never happened.  I wanted to clean my bedroom.  That didn't happen.  I was hoping to complete my pacing guides for next year.  That didn't happen (my efforts fell far short).  I wanted to buy a new car.  That didn't happen either.

Enough about what didn't happen.  Here's what DID happen (which I can smile about):

• I survived the senior prom.  Mother Nature blessed us with safe driving conditions.  I could hear thunder while the prom was going on, but by the time we hit the road for home, the rain let up.
• D2 did not appear malnourished from her trip.  And the iPhone 5C is practically bulletproof.
• I discovered a super ono sushi lunch place in Hilo.
• My cousins treated me to a Hilo Hawaiian buffet dinner on crab night.

Life is good.

These are the cookies I wish I made for D2.

She'll hafta eat the pics.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Crispy Rice Krispies Cookies

     1 c butter

     1 c sugar

     1 c brown sugar

     2 eggs

     1 tsp vanilla

     2 c flour

     1 tsp baking powder

     1 tsp baking soda

     1/2 tsp salt

     2 c rolled oats (old fashioned oatmeal)

     2 c Rice Krispies cereal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment.  Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Cream butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredient mixture.  Fold in oats and Rice Krispies.  Drop by tablespoonfuls (#50 disher) onto prepared cookies sheets.  Moisten fingers and press gently to flatten slightly (top should be flat, not domed).  Bake 15 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies. 

Cookie Jar: Potato Chip Cookies

Another hellish week in the books!  The week began with an observation by our district office.  We were assured the observations were not evaluative, however, I'm certain the data collected will be used to bite someone in the ass.  Never trust a person from the district office. . .lol.  I know some of you district office people are reading this and laughing!

Actually, the two groups of guests who visited me were really nice.  Perhaps they reamed me in the initial debrief, but they were nice and polite.  That was the overall sentiment echoed by many coworkers.  The last group of intruders were rude to some teachers.  Of course, some teachers weren't around to experience the rudeness, while some of us had polite people the first time too.  We'll see how the department debrief goes tomorrow.  Unfortunately, I won't be there.

In retrospect, the observations were the worst part of the week, but when you couple being "on stage" with trying to catch up from being out so much during the previous two weeks, it seems like even treading water is barely manageable.

I could not help being out of the classroom.  I had a workshop on Oahu that had been scheduled for some time.  My aunt passed away just before that, and services were held on Oahu.  Then I was out for a day to attend a pretty worthless workshop.  That workshop was in town, but it still kept me away from my students.  I hope I'm done traveling for a while.  I need time to plan for the 4th quarter, get my classroom up to speed, and get my house up to speed.

Unlike me, several others here will be traveling soon.  The Help will be heading to Oahu next week to celebrate his mom's birthday.  D1 will also be hitting the road, er, skies.  She is headed to SoCal for some kind of convention.  It will just be D2 and I holding down the fort.  Yippeeeee!  I guess that means cookies and pistachio nuts (another guilty pleasure) for dinner!

 I often talk smack about D2, saying she is a picky eater and difficult to feed.  That's true, no doubt.  But D2 and I are kindred spirits when it comes to snacking.  We love cookies, chips, salty nuts, cake, li hing mui, arare. . .anything without mustard or wasabi.

D2 and I find it impossible to walk past a cookie jar without dipping into it at each pass.  We both like crunchy cookies.  D1 can easily stay away from a cookie jar (as long as it's not filled with chocolate chip cookes).  D1 will eat soft cookies, warm from the oven.  D2 and I NEED the cookies to be crunchy.

One of our favorite cookies is potato chip cookies.  Potato chip cookies are easy to make and it gives us a good excuse for not eating all the way down to the bottom of a bag of potato chips.  None of us (even D1) like eating the potato chip crumbs, so potato chip cookies are a good way to use those small bits.  And D2 is okay with nuts, as long as they are chopped fine.  I prefer to use pecans or macadamia nuts in my baking; I never use walnuts.  I find walnuts to be slightly bitter, and I don't like them.  I can get into the rich, buttery quality of macadamia nuts or the toasty, warm taste of pecans.  I can't get into bitter.

In preparation for those cookies & nuts dinners, I made some potato chip cookies this weekend.  There is a chance they may be gone before the week is over, but that won't be a problem.  We are also "working" on another Costco-sized bag of potato chips (we buy the Kettle Chips).  By the end of the week, we should have more potato chip crumbs to use for cookies!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Potato Chip Cookies

     1 c butter, softened

     1/2 c sugar (plus additional sugar for dipping)

     1 tsp vanilla

     2 c flour

     2/3 c potato chips, crushed

     1/2 c nuts, chopped fine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment.  Cream butter and sugar til light and fluffy.  Add vanilla.  Add flour, crushed chips, and nuts.  Stir until evenly combined.  Using a #60 disher (2 tsp), drop dough 2" apart onto prepared sheets.  Using a flat-bottomed glass dipped in sugar, flatten each dough ball until 1/4" thick.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Leave on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookie Jar: Arare Cookies

2015 is finally here!

I'm looking forward to a better year than 2014.  I'm hoping to avoid being a client at the hospital ER.  I'm also hoping to avoid any type of medical procedure.  I had enough of that in 2014.

I'm down to the last few days of vacation.  Shucks!  And being laid up for most of it wasn't a good thing either.  We did still manage to get a lot done:  kittens for Kikukat Mom and Dad, passports renewed for the Ds, optometrist visit for all of us.  D1 is job shadowing at the dental clinic, but she is almost certain dentistry (other than as a patient) will not be a part of her future.  Mr. Dependable's mom should be happy. 

I guess there was no way to avoid the holidays without going to at least one party (I am so NOT a party person).  At the last moment, CAE and Kikukat Mom decided to have a small New Years party and put me in charge of desserts.  They told me there would be 20 people.  I figured that was manageable enough so I made a few things:  confetti jello, daifuku mochi, mini cupcakes with kick ass frosting, almond danish puff, and a jar of these arare cookies.

Now I'm not sure if "arare" is used much these days.  When I was growing up, arare was used interchangeably with kakimochi.  Nobody ever told me there was any difference.  When I went to college, many of my college friends from Oahu called it "mochi crunch".   When we went to the movies, "mochi crunch" was on the label of small bags of arare sold in the theater snack shop...purpose of the small, overpriced bag was to mix with the popcorn.  I guess this is a Hawaii thing; I don't think theaters on the mainland sell mochi crunch in their snack shops.  Anyway, arare, kakimochi, and mochi crunch all refer to small (quarter-size or smaller) Japanese rice crackers.

Sometime in the 1980s, Wholesale Unlimited became known to Hilo folk as THE place to go to in Honolulu to buy moonyagi (omiyage...gifts) before returning home.  They also sell all kinds of smelly (fishy) snacks, Chinese preserves, and gummy candies.  It's difficult to walk out of that store with just one thing.  Some people swear they have the best li hing powder.  My mouth is watering now!  Wholesale Unlimited was/is close to the airport, and they sell arare in all kinds of shapes, including the mini yakko, which is the shape you see in the picture at the top. 

Okay, so back to my party story.  The cookies were a big hit with the family.  Some old aunties were surprised that "could actually put furikake and arare in a cookie".  It took them a while to even guess there was furikake in it.

A few months ago, I ran a test batch past Aunty 3M (cookie baker snob), and the savory-sweet combo appealed to her palate.  I know Aunty 3M is a sucker for a non-chewy cookie too.  Of course, there will always be people who are not so quick to drink the water.  The Help and the Ds do not like this cookie.  The Help doesn't care much for arare so I can understand why he wouldn't appreciate it.  But I'm not sure why the Ds didn't like it since they both like arare AND furikake.  Perhaps their taste buds are not mature enough to appreciate the combination.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Arare Cookies

     1 c butter

     1 c sugar

     1 tsp vanilla

     2 c flour

     1 tsp baking soda

     3 tbsp furikake

     1 1/2 c mini yakko arare

In a small bowl, sift flour and baking soda together.  Set aside.  Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add in vanilla and mix well.  Gradually stir in flour mixture.  Stir in furikake and arare.  Chill dough for 30 minutes.  Line several large cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Using a #60 scooper, drop cookie dough onto parchment-lined sheets.  Bake for 18 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on sheets 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.  Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies.