Canadian Oatmeal Shortbread

This was supposed to be a salute to the Vancouver Olympics but it didn't quite work out! The dough is supposed to be a rolled out and then cut with cookie cutters but it just didn't work. I refrigerated it overnight as the directions recommended but still didn't work. So, I just turned it into a pan cookie and it tasted alright but was not great...not worth making again! Sorry to be blogging late again but watching the Olympics takes up a lot of my nights!!!!

CENTENNIAL MOLASSES SPICE COOKIES

You have probably already sampled these as I am a bit late posting.....got delayed watching figure skating last night! These are supposed to be similar to cookies made by pioneer women and they use apple cider vinegar to cut the sweetness of the molasses. The end result is an average, cake-like cookie. I think the vinegar is actually too strong, I would like the molasses to be the stronger flavor. This is probably not a cookie I would make again. One day I will find the perfect molasses cookie!

BUTTERSCOTCH LACE COOKIES

These are probably the most fragile cookies I have ever made. They look like the picture in the book so I don't think I made a mistake but they are very difficult to handle and if you would drop your tupperware, you would have a lot of tiny cookies pieces. The directions read to not place too many cookies on a sheet at a time as they spread out at an amazing rate. Also, keep them small and let them sit on the tray for a long time to cool before removing them. I ruined the whole first batch by making them too big and they joined into one giant cookie, which I couldn't separate. Trying to remove them too soon also made them into s sticky clump. Were they worth all the trouble? I don't know....will look forward to some feedback. They may also not survive the humid night here.

JAN HAGEL COOKIES

In honor of the Olympics, I made Dutch cookies...also because the USA/Canada hockey game was sooooo exciting that I couldn't be diverted to make a recipe that required putting cookie trays in and out of the oven. This recipe is a bar cookie, easy, and very good. The base is a cinnamon cookie with walnuts baked onto the top with an egg-white wash. We have eaten many of them and have found them to be especially good with tea. Enjoy!

PLANTATION FRUIT BARS

When I looked at this recipe I couldn't figure out why they were called "fruit bars" when there was no fruit in the ingredients. However, I think they count raisins as a fruit but I think this is like ketchup being considered a vegetable in school lunches. I guess they are dried grapes.............hmmmm. I am not a big raisin fan but in combination with the chopped walnuts, these bars are good. The "icing on the cake" is the lemon glaze topping which gives them an added kick. They would be great with a cup of tea!

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

I remember making these cookies with my grandmother when she would come to visit for Thanksgiving. She was a master cookie maker and she was so patient with my attempts to roll the cookies in nuts and to gently press my thumb into the dough to make the depression to fill later with jam. These are great cookies to make with kids since there are so many jobs that are possible for little hands. This recipe did not make too many cookies so I hope everyone at UH gets to taste them. A few things to remember, use a good jam to fill the cookies. I was lucky to have some marionberry jam that Bob and Allison brought us back from Oregon--it is delicious! Also, chop up a lot more nuts than the recipe calls for. I am getting better at using my electric chopper ( I did not make nut powder this time!) and it was perfect for this recipe as the nuts need to be chopped finely. I hope you enjoy these and hope they bring back memories for other people. ***** This is a morning addition after having to soak the cookie pans all night---lightly grease the pans before baking even though the recipe calls for ungreased pans!!!!!

SESAME SEED COOKIES

Betty says that these cookies are supposed to be similar to seed cakes that pioneer women used to make. Hmmmm...where did they get sesame seeds in the middle of the woods when Longs doesn't even sell them! Anyway, the first step in making these cookies was to toast the sesame seeds in butter. Part of the mixture was used in the dough and the other part to make the icing. The final cookie is a thin, crisp cookie that I made smaller than called for so Alex would have enough for the UH group. The only problem I had was with the icing as it set up very fast so the last cookies were difficult to ice. I found that I actually liked the cookies better without icing. The cookies didn't really require the added sweetness.

OLD- FASHIONED SOUR CREAM COOKIES

I had some sour cream left over after making dip for the Super Bowl Party so I decided to jump ahead a few recipes and do these. Also, I could decorate them with red sugar for Valentines' Day! The recipe called for some nutmeg which gave the dough a bit of the taste of Punahou malasadas but after baking, the nutmeg taste was not as strong. I like nutmeg so I would probably add more the next time. Baking was routine and I am interested to see how other tasters like them . I rate them "above average" and I made them Friday night so I don't know how they will taste after a long weekend!

JOE FROGGERS

I love the name of these cookies...don't ask me why they are named for a man or a frog when they are just a good, molasses cookie! The recipe called for the dough to be refrigerated before rolling and baking and I tried my best but the dough warms up so quickly in Hawaii. It was a cool night ( for Hawaii, that is!) but it still was challenging to scoop the dough off the counter and onto the pan after rolling it out. I tried to use the least amount of flour necessary but some of the later cookies just weren't cooperating. However, they still were good if you like crisp, molasses cookies. I used a smaller cookie cutter than called for ( used a glass, actually) and baked them a minute and half less. The second batch I overcooked and had to throw away but the recipe made enough for everyone. These cookies will be great with a cup of tea..hope you all enjoy them!

Candy-Topped Oatmeal Bars

Bar cookies are very quick and easy and so a great option when you need a fast dessert. These bars are quick but not the tastiest. The oatmeal cookie base is not strong enough to off-set the very sweet chocolate topping. I used a very generous 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts on top of the chocolate but a full cup would have been better. Guido thinks these are similar to the previous toffee squares and he is right except that I like those better! Oh....CONGRATULATIONS TO NOLA AND THE SAINTS!!!!!!

COCONUT LEMON BARS

I was expecting this recipe to be more like traditional lemon bars but was pleasantly surprised to find the additions of coconut, nuts and raisins made it very different. Also, the recipe uses brown sugar instead of granulated sugar which is another interesting twist. What this all means is that I liked these bars! The only thing I may have done incorrectly is over-chop the walnuts. I found a grinder and tried it with the walnuts but got a bit carried away and so they were very minced as opposed to just chopped as the recipe called for. Okay, maybe they were closer to nut powder but the bars were still good! No more cookies until Monday as this is Punahou Carnival weekend and the Super Bowl ....GEAUX SAINTS!!!!!!!!!

HIDDEN CHOCOLATE COOKIES

The hidden chocolate is a Junior Mint candy. The recipe looked like it would be good and fun but there was a learning curve involved with getting an acceptable end product. If you do not put enough dough around the candy, the mint center liquefies during baking and leaks out . The makes the cookie difficult to get off the tray and I am still working on getting the trays clean. After cooling the mint gets very chewy, actually too much so. Anyway, just an average cookie. I would not make them again. The best thing is that I have some Junior Mints left to munch on at a future date!

LEMON CRINKLES

Yum, Yum, Yum!!!! I think this one may make the list of favorites...if you like lemon! It is like a lemon gingersnap somewhat related to a snickerdoodle. The recipe has many similarities to the snickerdoodle recipe. Something about the addition of cream of tartar seems to give the recipe that "kick". It is crisp enough that it will survive the humidity of Hawaii, hopefully. I am looking forward to some feedback tomorrow! Oh, I baked them the whole 10 minutes required even though I made them a bit smaller than the recipe called for.