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.

Ice Cream Cookies

This is going back...way back...old school.

Ice Cream Cookies

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

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar together.  Add vanilla and egg.  Add flour, one cup at a time, until all incorporated.  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).  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.

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: Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Thanksgiving has come and gone!  I think I'm done with leftovers.  I know I am so over turkey for a while.  Of course I'll still buy D2 paper-thin sliced turkey for sandwiches, but I am not having turkey for a while.  The Safeway turkey meal turned out to be delicious, and I think it was worth the $10 premium over the Foodland meal, even if the Foodland meal includes rolls and pumpkin pie.

I ended up supplementing our meal with a pumpkin cream cheese dessert.  It was delicious.  I hadn't made it for a while, and I forgot how well pumpkin and cheesecake go together.  I still have a few slices left, and that is probably the only Thanksgiving straggler I'm willing to have.

There are fourteen more work days left before vacation.  I decided not to wait til the very end of the quarter to assign the quarter assessment.  I'm hoping my students will appreciate one less final for which to prep.  I'm also hoping they will not slack off on classwork from now until the 17th.  I can't stand the laziness.  That bugs me almost as much as the attention-seeking behaviors.

For the past few years, my senior English classes have read Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  I no longer teach seniors, and that novella isn't part of the Springboard curriculum for the grade level I teach.  Come to think of it, I don't think it's part of the Springboard curricula for any grade level.  I'm sad because students always seemed to find a message in the story, and it was a good way to end the semester.  Oh, Springboard. . .you confound me!

On a more positive note, in less than two weeks, D1 will be home.  I can only hope she will be hitting the books to prep for finals.  Sigh.  I don't know what to think.  When she was in high school I could monitor her grades; the rules changed when she went to college.  Unfortunately, I'm not savvy enough to figure out how to keep tabs on her grades.  And then I ask myself if that's something I'd even want to do.  Would I have wanted my mom to know I was slacking, or was she much happier hearing what I TOLD her?  I don't think she would've slept well if I told her what I was doing when I should have been hitting the books.

I can only hope that D1 is better than me.  I can only hope she is more responsible.  I can only hope she makes better choices.  And I can only hope she isn't drinking her dinner.  Btw, whatever happened to all those wine cooler varieties?  Bartles and James?  Sun Country?  Back then, I didn't think they were malt beverages; I swear they were wine coolers.  Cheap-ass wine, for sure.

I suppose if my need to be nosey needed satiation, I could always monitor D2's grades.  I still have access to that.  But am I brave enough?  (As I am typing this post, D2 happens to come by and spies what I'm writing.  Her response is to assume command of the keyboard and type, "No, I am not :P")  Yup, even with a few bottle of Bartles and James, I wouldn't be brave enough.  Or I might be brave enough to check, but I would need to drink something stronger before confronting.

In light of the upcoming exam week, I'm posting a cookie recipe.  If I somehow find the energy tonight, I will make these and ship them off to D1 tomorrow.  She'll be able to munch on these while she burns the midnight oil.  Perhaps it's just wishful thinking on my part . . . burning the midnight oil . . . ha ha ha!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

     1/3 c butter

     6 tbsp Crisco

     3/4 c brown sugar, packed

     1/2 c sugar

     1 egg

     3 tbsp water

     1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

     1/4 tsp almond extract

     1 tsp cinnamon

     1 tsp salt

     1 tsp baking soda, sieved

     3 c quick oats

     1 1/4 c flour

     1 bag (11 oz) butterscotch chips

     1/4 c pecans, finely chopped

Place butter, crisco, brown sugar, sugar, egg, water, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat until combined.  Stir in oats.  Add flour.  When almost all incorporated, stir in butterscotch chips and pecans.  Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Using a #40 disher (packed, leveled), scoop cookie dough onto prepared sheets.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  While oven is preheating, chill cookie sheets.  Flatten with fingers according to preference:  1/4"-3/8" discs for flatter, crunchier cookies or 1/2" discs for thicker, softer cookies.  Bake 17 minutes.  Remove to a rack to finish cooling completely.  Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies. 

And if you're stuck on my question about the myriad of wine coolers from the 80s, you can read this to get your answer.  And wouldn't you know it. . .I cannot drink any malt-based beverage without hurling the contents of my previous meal.  Sorry if that was TMI.

 Sammy

2010-2015

3M's Orange Macadamia Nut Cookies

I'd like to begin this week's post with a happy belated birthday shout out to two of my favorite people (and they happen to share a birthday!):  D2 and 3M.  I hope they enjoyed their birthday, even if the usual Admissions Day holiday did not give them a long birthday weekend this year.

One awesome thing about working where I do is being able to work with friends from small kid time (okay, "small" might be pushing it, but I mean pre-legal driving days).  Up until this school year, one of my small kid friends worked just around the corner from me.  It was great to have someone I could trust so close by.  I could get a quick answer to a work question or I could count on a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.  This year, 3M has a new work location, and while I'm happy for her, I'm selfishly sorry for myself.  I can't grumble too much because she still takes all my calls, and she promised to have lunch with me when the craziness of beginning a new school year dies down.  I'm still waiting for that day, but we are still less than a month into the school year.

In our younger days, 3M and I shared meals together at restaurants in Hilo and Seattle.  We've even spent Thanksgiving together.  Like me, 3M has a pretty good memory, and we might be the only 2 people I know of who can remember the submitter of recipes from an old 4-H cookbook.  Both of us like cookbooks, and as we get older, many of our conversations focus on what foods we plan to prepare for occasions.  Naturally, we share samples and trade recipes. 

I got this recipe from 3M years ago and finally got around to trying it.  She said her aunt gave her mom the recipe, and this has been a favorite cookie of hers.  And I know why.  3M and I both like hard cookies.  Soft and chewy cookies are not our style.  While I'm more for a snapping-hard cookie, 3M tends to like cookies which are buttery and melt in the mouth.  After years of baking cookies, I'm convinced that the melt in the mouth part comes from powdered sugar and cornstarch.

In addition to being absolutely delicious, this cookie is great for gift-giving.  If you use a disher, you can make cookies of uniform size which stack nicely in a plastic bag.  Pssssttt. . .Christmas will be here in 139 days, so it's never too early to practice!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

3M's Orange Macadamia Nut Cookies

     4 c flour

     2 c powdered sugar, sifted

     1 c cornstarch

     2 c butter

     1 c chopped macadamia nuts

     2 egg yolks

     1 tbsp orange zest

     4 tbsp orange juice

     granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, powdered sugar, and cornstarch.  Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form.  Stir in nuts.  Combine egg yolks, orange zest, and orange juice.  Add to flour mixture, stirring til moistened.  If mixture is too dry, add more orange juice, a teaspoon at a time (up to 2 tablespoons).  Using a #60 disher (about 1 tbsp), scoop dough onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Flatten to 1/4" using a glass which has been dipped in granulated sugar.  Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

And while I didn't say much about D2 in this post, let me assure you...no need to be feeling too sorry for her.  She is sporting a new macbook air!

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.

Cookie Jar: Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies

Whew. . .I'm glad today is a holiday!  I was running around like a chicken without a head this past week.  The Ds had so much going on.  D2 had an intermediate school registration meeting on Tuesday.  D1 began work at the hospital that same day.  She had games on Tuesday and Friday, and both Ds had dental appointments on Wednesday.  D1 doesn't drive, so I'm still chauffeuring her around.  Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. . .one less thing to worry about.  AND less to pay in car insurance.

Our school was visited by a team made up of district people and a bunch of frequent flyers from Oahu.  What a bunch of sorry ass losers.  They were okay with me, but in one class, the students felt threatened when one of them started firing questions.  When the teacher tried to intervene to calm the student, the Oahu lady flew her hand down to wave her off.  Unreal.  One of the ladies who observed me had her foot up on a chair!  That's something even my students know better than to do.  That's rude!

Similar visits took place in the school district where I worked previously.  Teachers there saw it as a good thing and were looking at the visits as an opportunity to rat out the principal.  They were under the assumption that the visit would lead to the principal getting canned.  None of the visits led to that. . .I know because the same inept principals are still in their positions.  At my school, the faculty seemed to band together and wanted to protect the administration from these nefarious alien invaders.  To me, that says a lot.  People LIKE coming to work.  Students LIKE attending school.  I don't know of any school in the other place where the faculty and students would say that.

Someone said these unannounced visits were for evaluation purposes.  #anylaborattorneyslookingforwork  #lawsuitwaitingtohappen  I hope not because the individual classroom visits were unannounced.  One of my colleagues got into it with one of the brass from Oahu.  I think the Oahu lady behaved in an unprofessional way.  And if we're on the unprofessional tangent, sharing evaluative information with some staff members was also unprofessional.  If these people were respected, it would be a different story.  But a title and a few extra bucks does not garner automatic respect.  The only saving grace is that these idiots are not the ones in the classroom!  I would rather eat wasabi than have my kid be taught by one of these morons.  

Speaking of trash. . .this past week, I threw out what was left of the mini M & M cookies (its long after Christmas, so no point in trying to pass green & red M & M cookies as freshly baked), the ones LA didn't manage to eat.  I needed something to put into the cookie jar, so The Help suggested oatmeal cookies.

Now The Help would much rather eat cookies which are soft and chewy.  To me, soft cookies are either underbaked or stale (its part of the package when you live in such a humid place. . .you WANT cookies which are hard and crunchy).  But I told The Help that if he wanted soft cookies, he could either leave a some cookies out on the counter for a few hours or microwave them til they are warm (they will get soft).  Problem solved.

This is the oatmeal cookie I bake when I want oatmeal cookies.  The dough is sturdy. . .no refrigeration necessary, and the cinnamon-cranberry combination reminds me of my favorite bread machine bread.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies

     1/2 c butter, softened
     1/2 c shortening
     3/4 c brown sugar
     3/4 c sugar
     1 tsp cinnamon
     1 tsp salt
     2 tsp vanilla
     1 egg
     3 c quick oatmeal
     1 c flour
     1 c dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Combine butter, shortening, sugars, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Beat until smooth.  Add egg.  Stir in oatmeal and flour.  Add cranberries.  Using a #50 disher, drop dough onto prepared cookie sheets.  Flatten dough drops to 1/4" thickness (use fingers/palms).  Bake 20 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool.

When I make this, I stagger the baking.  Begin by baking 1 sheet on a rack 2/3 up in the oven.  10 minutes later, place another sheet on a rack about 3" below first sheet.  10 minutes later, remove top sheet and move lower sheet to higher rack.  Add new sheet onto lower rack and start timing cycle again.

Cookie Jar: Snowball Cookies

For nearly a year, I have been on a quest for the perfect snowball cookie.  This is my story. . .

February 18, 2013:  I am beginning my Snowball Cookie Journey.  Sometime last week, a container of Big Island Delights Snowball Cookies appeared on the kitchen counter in the office.  By the time I saw it there, only a few cookies were left.  Given the fact that there are some rather lepo (Hawaiian word for dirty or filthy) people in my office, I decided to pass on the free cookies.  Unfortunately, the picture of the snowball cookies was imprinted on my mind, and no matter what I did, I knew I had to address my snowball cookie yearning.

While I spent a lot of time baking cookies, I never made snowball cookies.  I'm not sure why I never made them, but there was always something better to make or the season demanded I make something else.  I did an internet search, and the 1st recipe I saw was the Land O' Lakes recipe.  I figured these people make butter, so they should know what they are doing.  I decided to try the Land O' Lakes recipe.

Just so we are on the same page here, what I'm calling "snowball cookie" has a number of aliases:  Russian Tea Cookie, Mexican Wedding Cookie, Melting Moments (in a few cookbooks).  The nut-flecked cookie is usually rolled twice in powdered sugar, once when warm and again when cool.  The double powdered sugaring process results in a thick layer which quickly turns gooey upon contact with fingers.

Before I could actually try the recipe, I made the mistake of pausing to think about how neat it would be if the powdered sugar could be colored to match the seasons.  I read somewhere that its easy to color powdered sugar. . .just put some in a blender and drop in some food coloring.  Whirrrrrr it up, and its all good.  Wrong.  The color was barely discernible.  The Help told me that I didn't use enough powdered sugar, so he proceeded to show me how it was done.  Epic fail...he used nearly a whole bag of powdered sugar, but we still ended up with sugar which was barely colored.

I proceeded with the Land O' Lakes recipe.  Things seemed fine right up until the rolling in powdered sugar while warm.  Upon contacting the warm cookie, the food coloring flecks seemed to separate from the powdered sugar, turning the cookies the color of mold (I used green food coloring).  The second roll (cool) did nothing to help; in fact, it exacerbated the mold look.  With the exception of the color, the cookies were fine (fine=okay/edible), but judging from the looks of the cookie (the inside, not the coating), there was no way the Ds would go for it.  Even for my taste, they were a bit too nutty.

I spent over an hour this afternoon going through my cookbook collection for variations on the snowball cookie recipe.  I have decided on the next recipe to try, once I finish eating all the "mold" cookies.

March 17, 2013:  The search for the best snowball cookie recipe continues. . .

If its not the over-abundance of nuts, I don't like the "raw" taste some of the cookies have.  The latest recipe I tried calls for a fast bake.  A fast bake is good for conserving electricity, but its not worth saving a few $ on electricity if the cookies aren't cooked right.

December 2013:  These are the cookies I will be giving out as coworker gifts.  I love these cookies.  They are not too nutty. . .they are just right.  I bake them longer than most recipes because I detest the thought and mouth-feel of underbaked cookies.  And with the colored powdered sugar fiasco behind me, the cookies will be snowy white. 

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Snowball Cookies

     1 c butter, softened
     1/2 c powdered sugar
     2 1/2 c flour
     1/4 tsp salt
     1 tsp vanilla
     3/4 c nuts, chopped

Cream butter and powdered sugar.  Add flour and salt and stir well.  Add vanilla and nuts.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using a #50 disher, scoop portions of dough.  Roll into balls and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet (regular, not AirBake).  Because this dough does not spread, it may be possible to fit the entire recipe on a single sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove to cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes.  Roll in powdered sugar.  When completely cool roll in powdered sugar again.  Makes 33 cookies.

The Help had a banner photography week!

He received an inquiry for a food photography shoot (didn't I say he was a FOOD photographer?) from a local business.  He was stoked.  I'm hoping it will work out.  Just on the heels of that, the HuffPost's Taste section featured one of his pics.  The Char Siu Bao pic is his.  Of course they didn't give any credit to the person who actually made those bao!  And sadly, my kids are familiar with many of those customs!

We attended a banquet on Monday night to celebrate the awesome football season.  Coach B told the boys about The Help's pictures and how they could obtain prints.  The Help created a smugmug site for all of his football pics.  D1 reported that the football boys, many of whom had never seen the pics, were thrilled.  They were calling each other and telling each other to check out "this pic" or "that pic".  Awesome.  The Help was probably more tickled with the football boys' reactions than the HuffPost pic.

my favorite pic from the season

Cookie Jar: Spooky Pinwheel Cookies

It's almost Halloween!  Yippee!  I love Halloween!  I love the idea that candy will be marked down with a deep discount as soon as Halloween is over.  I can buy my fill of Twix and Three Musketeers!  That's the best part about Halloween.

One tradition we have in Hale o Kikukat is baking cookies during fall intersession.  That didn't happen this year because the Ds and I both took trips during intersession.  Luckily, the Ds stayed with me for the weekend after intersession (Mr. Dependable told me he had to work golf in Kona) so we were able to do our Halloween cookie baking.

D2 wanted to make Hoot Owl Cookies (she has been asking about this for a while), but I didn't think there would be enough for the kids to "help" if we did the owls.  Inspired by Pinterest, I wanted to try making pinwheel cookies.  After checking out a bunch of recipes, I settled on the dough for one of my trusty sugar cookie recipes and just changed the procedure to make the spirals.

If you prefer soft cookies, you can make the rope shorter than 12" before coiling.  But if you are like me and prefer a crunchier cookie, its very important to hold to the 12" length before beginning the coil.  A bunch of the spiral cookie pictures on Pinterest feature thicker cookies.  They look neater than the ones we made, but I'm guessing they weren't crunchy.  Any leftover dough (or if you get tired of rolling the dough into ropes) can be rolled out and cut with cookie cutters.  You can find the procedure and baking times for the cut-out cookies here.

Turned out only D2 helped me with the cookie baking.  D1 recused herself and spent the time in her room.  I'm thinking that was a blessing in disguise.  D2 loves making and decorating cookies, while D1, being a taskmaster, just wants to get things done.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Spooky Pinwheel Cookies

     1/2 c butter, softened
     1/2 c sugar
     1 egg
     1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
     2 c flour
     2 tsp baking powder
     food coloring:  yellow, orange, black
     non-pareils

Combine flour and baking powder.  Set aside.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and extract and mix well.  Add dry ingredients.  Divide dough into 3 parts.  Tint each part a different color.  Shape colored dough into a flat brick and chill for 30 minutes.  Divide each color of dough into 24 pieces.  Shape each piece into a cylinder 1" long.  Place 2 cylinders of dough next to each other.  Add 3rd cylinder on top.  Roll together to form a 2" cylinder.  Chill for 10 minutes.  Remove 1/4 of cylinders from refrigerator.  Roll into a rope 12" long.  Then twist from one end.  Coil cylinder, taking care to keep center flat.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Chill while preparing remainder of cookies.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Roll edges of cookies in non-pareils.  Bake for 19 minutes.  Place cookies on cooling rack to cool.

Cookie Jar: Rice Krispies Crunch Cookies

Today is the first day of school for most public school students in Hawaii.  D2 began today, and D1 will begin tomorrow.  Today is a 9th grade-only day at her school.  I have 2 classes of 9th graders, and historically, 9th graders have been the class I try to avoid.  They are 1 step outta intermediate (middle) school and tend to be social buffoons.  In the old days, when classes were mixed grades, the 9th graders would be set straight very quickly by the upperclassmen.  Now that they are separated by grade levels (thank you, Common Core State Standards), the 9th graders will just fester.  Ugh.

I barely recovered from hosting the Japanese girls.  They were fun, but its very intense while they are here.  I'm grateful they don't come during the school year because it would just be too much.

It took the better part of last week to attempt to switch gears from vacation mode to work mode.  Work mode kicked off with a work session on Monday. We were supposed to stay until 3 pm, but the school kicked us out because of impending bad weather from Tropical Storm Flossie.  That ended up being much ado about nothing because there were no torrential rains, no thunder, no lightning, no flash flooding, and no gusty winds, at least where I was.  It was a missed opportunity (and I'm grateful) to see the flooding pattern of my classroom.

Tuesday was the first OFFICIAL day of work, and the hospitality at work was amazing.  Near-bottomless supply of candy on the table; sushi, teri beef, katsu, korean chicken and chips for morning snack; steak fry for lunch.  At my previous work site, the only type of meal was a potluck lunch (with the exception of generous meals provided solely by the High Commander).  The potlucks were a joke because there were those chronics who never brought anything to share, pretended to forget, then heaped it on when some kind person offered them a plate.  Fricking shame!

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were a blur, but I know that the HHS custodians are the best!  They take care of the teachers BIG TIME.  My swivel chair and phone got swipered, but they returned my phone to me and they also got me 2 swivel chairs!  They replaced my burnt out light bulbs and also gave me another trash bin.  I totally lucked out!

I spent the weekend either at school or doing school stuff at home.  I think I am ready to begin.  I just need to get to OfficeMax to take advantage of the 50% off lamination.  School has a machine, but trying to get to use it is absolute hell, and I'm not sure if it laminates with the same thick film as OfficeMax does.

With all this work, I didn't have a decent meal all weekend.  I did have some of these cookies to snack on, but they are gone now.  I need to bake another batch to share with the custodians!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Rice Krispies Crunch Cookies

     1 lb butter
     1 1/4 c sugar
     1/2 tsp vanilla extract
     4 c flour
     1 c pecans, chopped fine
     3 c Rice Krispies

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in vanilla.  Stir in flour.  Stir in pecans.  Fold in Rice Krispies.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Plop tablespoon-sized balls (use #50 disher) onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten with fingers to 1/4" thickness.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from sheets and cool completely on rack.  Makes 76 cookies.

If you prefer smaller cookies (silver dollar size), use #60 disher (makes 102 cookies) and shorten baking time by 1-2 minutes.

Cookie Jar: Almond Cookies

Kung Hee Fat Choy!  Its the year of the Water Snake!  I need to find out what this year holds for me (and those born in my year).  I hope the forecast is for a great year.  I could sure use one (or more) of those!

Last week Friday, I snuck away to Honolulu for a quick overnight trip...mixing business with fun.  I made my usual stops and got to eat stuff not readily available in Hilo.  I bought back several kilos of wong tong and two Vosges Chocolate Mo's Bacon Bars.  

The trip to Honolulu came a little too late for gao making.  I had a meeting on Monday, and I was going to spend last weekend making gao for the meeting and for my gao-eating friends.  Kilauea Market was sold out of wong tong, likely because many of the newer Chinese restaurants in Hilo sell gao and jai.  No wong tong in the Hilo stores meant I had to shelve/postpone my gao-making.  Click here for my gao post from last year.

As a consolation, I made almond cookies.  It wasn't gao, but I had all the ingredients on hand.  Along with putting me in a festive mood, almond cookies allowed me to take a trip down memory lane.

The almond cookies I remember making at home ALWAYS had the red dot.  I know it did because the red dot was MY job.  My index finger (well-washed) was the perfect size for the red dot, and back then, a food coloring-stained finger wasn't a problem. . .lotsa food back then produced red fingers (shredded mango, pickled mango, red pistachio nuts).  When I got older, I used the handle of a spoon or the fat end of a chopstick to make the dot.  And then I progressed to making the almond cookies all by myself.

Commercially-available almond cookies do not always have the red dot.  Large tubs of almond cookies sold at warehouse stores do not have the red dot.  Some of them have an almond in the center.  Overall, those cookies are hopelessly tasteless.  Cookies which sometimes come free after a Chinese meal are usually a solid yellow color (at least at the local Chinese restaurants).  They also fall somewhere on the tasteless scale.  I'm old enough to remember the days when they had both taste and a red dot.  I am probably biased, but I think the red dot makes the cookies taste better.

Please don't dismiss this recipe due to the absence of butter.  I love butter, but this is one of those cookies where plain, solid Crisco does fine.  If you are a butter purist, then go ahead and use butter for a portion (less than half) of the shortening, but my preference is to use only shortening.  These cookies are not snapping-crisp, but they are not soft/soggy.  They have a melt-in your mouth quality and a nice almond flavor. . .perfect alongside a cup of tea.  Jasmine would be my preference.  And a warning to those of you who exercise moderation:  its practically impossible to eat just one.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Almond Cookies

     1 1/3 c shortening
     1 c sugar
     3 c flour
     1 tsp baking soda
     1/2 tsp salt
     1 egg
     1 tsp almond extract
     red food coloring

Cream shortening and sugar.  Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together.  Set aside.  Beat egg.  Add almond extract.  Add to shortening and sugar.  Add combined dry ingredients.  Roll/scoop into 1" balls and place 2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.  Flatten slightly.  Make indentation in center.  Touch indentation with red food coloring.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes (15 minutes for Airbake sheets).  Makes about 56 cookies if using a #50 disher.

Someone on another web forum asked me about the kikukat blog model.  She is a blue bi-color ragdoll cat.  She was born in the spring of 2007.  Her mom is Sadie, another gorgeous blue bi-color.  Her dad, Shaunbie FancyPants, hails from Manchester, England.  He is a mitted seal point ragdoll.