Pumpkin, Honey, Peanut Brittle...Oh My!

 
My husband, Chuck and his colleagues have a meeting tomorrow and I was asked to bake something:)  I'd have to be sick to turn down the chance to bake, so happily the wheels of creativity started to churn.  I had just finished a SKYPE call with our grandson, Ari, and I was feeling happy thinking about for his first birthday I made a pumpkin cupcake that he just devoured!

Ari, like his mama, Kelly loves pumpkin! 

I decided to start with that pumpkin cupcake, but kicked up the flavor with some ginger chips, then, topped it with a honey butter cream and as a final piece de resistance, homemade peanut brittle garnish.  I guess I was still in an autumn mood choosing pumpkin and maybe, like the retail stores I'm pushing the season, but like my mother would say, "Ah Pshaw! Pumpkin is good for you anytime!!"

Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes with Honey Butter Cream
  & Homemade Peanut Brittle garnish

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups golden brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
1-15oz can of Pumpkin (not pie filling)-approx. 1 1/2 cups
4 cups Cake Flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup Cake Enhancer (optional, but helps make a tender, light cake)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cardamon
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup ginger chips


Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper cups.
In a KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until fluffy.  Add the brown sugar and beat for 3-5 minutes until thoroughly combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the cake enhancer (if using) and beat well.  Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.  Add alternately with the buttermilk and beat well until combined.  Stir in the ginger chips.

Use a scoop to place batter into the paper-lined tins.  This recipe makes 24 large cupcakes.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until done.  Rotating the pans helps to uniformly bake the cupcakes.
Let cool completely.  Meanwhile, make the peanut brittle.


Peanut Brittle:

This recipe was given to me by my sister Barbara over 20 years ago.  I make it every Halloween and package it to give as gifts.  It's done in the microwave, so there's no need for excuses about watching the candy thermometer for 10 minutes!

1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Light Karo Syrup
1 cup dry roasted, salted Peanuts
1 T butter
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Baking Soda


Butter a baking sheet and set aside.
In a 1 1/2 quart glass casserole, stir together sugar and Karo syrup.  Microwave on high 3 min. 30 sec.

Stir in the peanuts and microwave another 2 min. 30 sec.

Add the butter and vanilla to the hot syrup, blending well.  Microwave 45 seconds.  Peanuts will be lightly browned and syrup, very hot.

Finally, add the baking soda and gently stir until light and foamy.  Quickly pour mixture onto the lightly buttered cookie sheet.  Let cool 30 minutes to 1 hour.  When cool, break into small pieces and store in an airtight container.

Honey Butter Cream:

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup honey
1 T Vanilla Extract


In the KitchenAid, using the whisk attachment, beat butter until fluffy.  Add the honey and beat well to combine.  Add half of the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat well.  Gradually add the last 3 cups of confectioners' sugar and whisk for 1-2 minutes to combine thoroughly.


Fill a pastry bag with a large plain or fluted tip.  Frost the cupcakes and add the peanut brittle garnish.

These cupcakes will taste good anytime, but great at Halloween.  Enjoy!

  

Apple of My Eye Pound Cake

 
The air is crisp, it's overcast with the threat of rain, and some leaves have started to fall...Autumn is just around the corner.

Also, the early apples are showing up at the Farmer's Markets and chrysanthemums are in the nursery, which here in Washington, is a sure sign!

 

So, my baking today reflected, not only the weather, but the harvesting of apples to inspire a cake to warm your heart, as well as your belly.  I started with my mother's brown sugar pound cake and made some changes.   First, I added an apple filling, with a crisp, tart apple and my favorite spices then, I topped off the finished cake with a rich caramel sauce.  There's nothing like it on an autumn evening and even if your weather hasn't turned, like ours has, keep this one in mind for a special dessert to welcome your first signs of fall.

Apple of My Eye Pound Cake with Caramel Sauce
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
5 large eggs
1 tsp. apple flavoring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional, but really good)


Apple Filling:
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples
2 T Boiled Cider
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamon
1/2 tsp. freshly, grated nutmeg


Preheat oven to 325F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with a non-stick flour/oil spray.
In a medium bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and set aside.

In the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until fluffy.  Add the sugars and beat for 3-5 minutes to combine completely.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the flavorings.  Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then, alternately add these dry ingredients with the milk to the butter mixture.  Beat well to combine.  Stir in the pecans, if using.


Spoon half of the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.  Carefully place the apple mixture on top, keeping the apples away from the sides of the pan.

Spoon the remaining batter on top of the apples.  

Place into the preheated oven and bake 65-75 minutes or until the top of the cake springs bake when you touch it with your fingers.  Remove from the oven and cool in the pan at least 15 minutes.  Invert pan onto a serving plate and cool completely.  Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce.

The caramel sauce I made today is a recipe from King Arthur Flour


Caramel Sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 T cold water
6 T butter, melted
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. Vanilla or Vanilla/Butternut, or 1/4 tsp. Butter-Rum or Butterscotch flavor, or 1 T Rum


In a 2-quart saucepan, mix the sugar and water and stir to combine.  Place on medium/high heat and bring to a boil--resist stirring.  When it comes to a boil, lower heat to medium and watch the syrup carefully, shaking or swirling the pan to keep the syrup moving.  
After a couple of minutes, the syrup will begin to darken. 

When it reaches a rich amber color, remove it from the heat and stir in the melted butter.  Once the butter has been absorbed, add the heavy cream and your choice of flavoring.  Cool to room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator, reheat in the microwave before serving.  Enjoy!






 

Namaste

My post today has several inspirations.  First, continuing to follow Elizabeth Gilbert's travels in Eat, Pray, Love to India, where she hoped to find the power of prayer and self-discovery. After an arduous week, where I fell short of my expectations to finish up projects, I am desiring some meditation and peace, as well.  One of my favorite books, which was introduced to me by my yoga instructor, Sara, is Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison.  They take you through the "Eight-Limb Path of Yoga" and it truly has helped me become more focus as to my path in life, good and bad.  On "Day 187" I think this is one of my favorite quotes..."Both yoga and art aim at the same thing, that is, to re-establish our personal connection with the world around us according to our own inner creativity.  To render body and mind a conduit through which the creative energy can flow freely, unimpeded by outer restrictions, in the trust that this energy, being a part of the universal energy, is ultimately "pure" and joyful."~Dona Hollemann

 This is a quilt I did for Sara's studio in 2006--I hand dyed the fabrics and designed the quilt to reflect Sara'a personality and the calmness I felt practicing with her.

The other inspiration, which resulted in these cookies, was from an article I read in the September 2010--Bon appetit entitled, "Flour Child."  The article centers around Christina Tosi, a pastry chef at New York's Momofuku Milk Bar and a kindred spirit; meaning when I read her bio, she talks about, as a little girl she loved eating lima beans with ranch dressing, Doritos sandwiches with Miracle Whip, and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese mixed with SpaghettiOs, none of which I've eaten, but then I have a few combinations that would surprise her (and others) as well.  One being my love of peanut butter & pickle sandwiches with Sandwich Spread. LOL

She shares three recipes with the readers and I was inspired with her concept of Milk Crumbs to add to a chocolate chip cookie that I do.  I wanted to do cookies today, thinking about how Kelly and Erin would tell me of their nightly M & Cs  (milk & cookies) at Mount Holyoke College, enjoying sharing their day with each other and waiting for the weekend to come home.

Milk Crumb Chocolate Chip Cookies

Milk Crumbs: (my version)

3/4 cup nonfat dry milk

1/4 cup malt powder

1/4 cup coconut milk powder

3T sugar
2 T cornstarch

1/2 tsp. cardamon

3/4 tsp. salt

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven 275F-degree.  In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients and pour the melted butter over them.  Use a fork to combine.  Spread the mixture evenly onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.

Bake 10 minutes until a pale, golden color.  Let milk crumbs cool completely on the pan.

Meanwhile, you can start the cookie mixture and raise the oven temperature to 350F-degrees.

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup Agave nectar (amber)

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk crumbs 

1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

In the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, (or a large bowl and hand mixer) beat the butter until fluffy.  Add the sugars, Agave, and vanilla.  Combine thoroughly.  Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well.  Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Whisk the dry ingredients, then add this mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine. Add the milk crumbs and mix well.  Finally, stir in the mini chocolate chips.  

Use a 1/4-cup scoop to drop the dough onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.  Bake cookies 10 minutes or until a golden brown.

Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.  For my friend, Elizabeth, who has asked for a soft cookie...this is it.  Bake up some and enjoy M & Cs with your favorite people.  Enjoy!

  

Dolce...Dolce...Dolce

The inspiration for today's post is the book Eat Love Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert.  She steps away from a life that she thought she dreamed of; a husband, a home and a successful career to embark on a quest of self-discovery.  Liz travels to Italy, discovering the pleasures of eating, tradition, and family; to India, finding the power of prayer and self discipline; and finally to Bali, where she finds not only true love, but a balance of peace with that love.

Starting with Italy, I decided to bake a traditional Semolina Cake.  Desserts in Italy, although very much a part of the meal, are often more simple and never overly sweet.  The semolina is a grainy yellow flour made from durum wheat and makes this cake's texture soft with a very tender crumb.  Adding the caramelized almonds on top contrasts the light, airy interior of the cake.

We may not take off on a journey like Elizabeth Gilbert did in this best selling memoir, but with this cake we can start our own journey of finding the pleasure of eating with our family

Semolina Cake with Caramelized Almonds
8 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup almond paste
1 1/2 granulated sugar
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup semolina flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Caramelized Almonds
1 cup sliced almonds
3 T light brown sugar
1 egg white, whisked until foamy

Preheat oven 350F-degree.  Prepare a 9-inch spring form pan by brushing the bottom and sides with melted butter.  Cut a piece of parchment in a circle to fit the bottom of the pan and brush with additional butter.  Set aside.

In the bowl of the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and almond paste until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.  Add  1 1/4 cups of sugar (remaining 1/4 cup of sugar will be beaten into the separated egg whites).  Add the egg yolks, one at a time and incorporated into the batter, then the vanilla and almond flavorings and beat well.  Sift the flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir in the semolina flour.  Add to the batter, alternately with the milk, beating until the ingredients are all incorporated.

Use a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy.  Gradually add the remaining 1/4 sugar beating until soft peaks form.

Use a rubber spatula, fold in half of the egg white mixture into the semolina batter.  Once the batter is "lighten" fold the remaining egg whites, being careful not to deflate your batter.

Gently spread the batter into the prepared pan. 

Bake 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare the caramelized almonds.  In a small bowl, mix the almonds, the light brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons of the foamy egg white.
Take the cake out of the oven; the middle should still be a bit "jiggly".  Add the almond mixture on top of the cake.

 Return to the oven and bake another 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.  If the top is browning too much, tent it with a piece of aluminum foil.

Let cake cool completely in the pan.  Transfer the cool cake to a serving platter; having the parchment on the bottom helps this transfer.  This cake will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days.  Enjoy!

Mom's Chocolate Cake Redux

My mother's favorite cake was chocolate.  And, she would bake it for special occasions in the heart-shaped pans to make sure we knew this cake had a lot of love in it.  I don't know what happened to those pans, but in June, when I was packing up some of Kelly's craft supplies to send to friends, I came across my mother's recipe card.  I don't know how Kelly got it, but I suppose that because it's in my mother's handwriting, she wanted something special from grandmom to cherish.  Also, since I had a bad habit of just sticking loose recipe cards between pages of cookbooks before I discovered sheet protectors and notebooks, she probably thought I wouldn't miss it:)

Even though temperatures were hitting in the 90s, I decided to make Mom's chocolate cake.  However, I made a few changes; first, I baked cupcakes because they take less time to bake than a cake, so the oven isn't on as long and secondly, I decided to add a filling...dulce de leche.  I iced the cupcakes in a chocolate buttercream and sprinkled the tops with "Fleur de Sel," which is a fancy sea salt.  Chocolate, dulce de leche and salt...even Mom would have loved these.

Lastly, you'll notice in the photo a beautiful Hawaiian quilt runner a friend brought back to me a few years ago.  Hawaiian quilting is radially symmetric applique patterns, usually botanical designs in bold colors on a white background.  Remarkably, the designs are made from a single cut on folded fabrics.  I made a Hawaiian quilt a few years ago for Tsukineko inks.  I hand dyed the fabric, using their All-Purpose Inks, and made a four panel quilt, doing the same pattern in four colorways to depict the seasons.  One day, I'd like to do another one...just to keep.

Mom's Chocolate Cake (Cupcakes)

Dulce de Leche
1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk


Use a can opener to remove the lid.  Set up a double boiler with about a 1"-1 1/2" of water in the bottom.  Place the opened can in the top of the double boiler.  Cover and bring the water to boil, then, lower to a simmer.

Cook the sweetened condensed milk, over a low heat simmer, adding water to the bottom to maintain at least an inch, for 90 to 120 minutes, or until the mixture is a light caramel color.  After every 30 minutes, stir the mixture in the can, but wipe the underside of the lid each time so the moisture that collected doesn't drip into the sweetened condensed milk. Cover and continue cooking.
The mixture will thicken and become a caramel color.

Transfer contents to a bowl to cool completely before piping the filling into the cupcakes.

Chocolate Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup  (2 sticks) unsalted butter (my mom used margarine) at room temperature
4 T cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 T vanilla extract

In the bowl of the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment (or a large bowl and hand mixer), mix together the dry ingredients (the first five).  In a small sauce pan, combine the butter, cocoa and water.  Bring to a boil (watch closely so it doesn't boil over).  Remove from heat and while the mixer is running, pour this mixture over the dry ingredients.  Finally, add the beaten eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and mix well to combine.

The batter is thinner than you may be used to.  For this reason, I transferred the batter to a large liquid measure and poured the batter into the cupcake papers.

Bake the cupcakes 15-18 minutes.  This recipe made approximately 22 cupcakes, filling the papers two-thirds to three-quarters full.  If you have any "open" areas in the pan, add about an inch of water; this helps the cupcakes in that pan to bake evenly.

Cool cupcakes completely in the pan.

Prepare the frosting while the cupcakes and Dulce de Leche is cooling.

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soften to room temperature
5 cups confectioners' sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup whole milk
1 T vanilla

Fleur de Sel (optional for embellishment)

In the bowl of the KitchenAid, using the whisk attachment, beat butter until smooth.  Add half of the confectioners' sugar and all of the cocoa and beat to combine.  Start out on low speed so you don't have dry ingredients "flying" out of the mixer.  Add half the milk and beat well.  Add the remaining sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until fluffy.  The frosting will change in color to a "lighter" shade of chocolate when it's whipped.

To assemble the cupcakes, use an apple corer to remove some of the center cake.

Put the Dulce de Leche in a piping bag with a #7 or #9 round tip.  Pipe the filling in the hole created by the apple corer.

Place the frosting in a piping bag, using a large star or round tip, swirl the tops with the chocolate buttercream.

Finally, add a few flakes of the Fleur de Sel if desired.  Enjoy!

Aloha Banana Bread

I looked over at the banana holder and saw two very ripe bananas hanging and thought--banana bread, but something a little more unusual.  I guess I still had my Mom's stories of her life in Hawaii on my brain when I decided to give this a tropical twist.  One of her cherished memories was of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Wakiki.  When we traveled there in 1987, she asked me to check if the "shrimp-pink" colored hotel was still there.  While my husband was at a conference, Erin, Kelly and I took off the first day we arrived to find it; now nestled between large buildings, but nonetheless still "pink" and beautiful.  We took lots of photos to show her, however three days into our trip, I received a call that my mother had been taken to the hospital and been diagnosed with a brain tumor.  I flew, with my sister, to be with her, leaving my family to make memories in Hawaii to share with me later.  My mother passed away four months later, but I did get to share photos of her Hawaii and our girls loving it as much as she did.

So, baking this morning had special meaning to celebrate my mother's life.  Intertwining flavors of dried pineapple, papaya, guava, and coconut with macadamia nuts and a trio of spices gives this banana bread a refreshing new taste.  I decided to bake them in mini loaf pans so I could give them as gifts or freeze easily...especially for when winter comes and I want to imagine warmer temperatures. LOL

Aloha Banana Bread
6 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
2 very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1 T orange zest
3 T fresh orange juice (from 1/2 orange)
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cardamon
1/4 tsp. mace
1 tsp. Hawaiian Vanilla
1 tsp. Banana Flavor
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 oat flour*
3/4 cup Tropical Dried Fruit Blend
3/4 cup Macadamia Nuts, chopped


Preheat oven 350F-degree.  Spray a 9"x5" loaf pan with a non-stick spray or you can use mini pans, like I did or even a muffin pan.
[*to make oat flour, process old-fashioned oatmeal in a food processor or blender.]


Mash the bananas and add the orange zest and juice to the banana mixture.

In the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, combine the sugars, eggs, milk, banana mixture and cooled melted butter.  Beat well.  Add the vanilla and banana flavoring and the spices.  Mix until combined.  Remove bowl from stand and add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir to combine. (It's important with quick breads not to over mix!)  Finally fold in the tropical dried fruit blend and macadamia nuts and combine thoroughly.  


Spoon or scoop the batter into the prepared pans.

 I had some leftover crumb topping from the Sour Cream Coffee Cakes and decided to sprinkle some on top.  This is a good topping to have on hand and sometimes I mix up a batch and freeze it for just these times when I wanted a little extra crunch on muffins or breads.

I baked the mini loaf pans on a separate baking sheet to ensure even browning.  The baking time was 30 minutes.  For a regular loaf pan, the time will be 45-55 minutes and large muffins, 20-25 minutes.
Let breads cool in the pan.

When you can easily touch the pans, turn the bread out and continue to cool.  The flavors are wonderful and turned, what could be just a another banana bread, into something memorable.  Enjoy!

Friends, Hawaiian Tea Biscuits, and Brewing the Perfect Cup of Tea

This time of year, as the daylight is becoming shorter, I think about all the things I will do once Fall and Winter settles in.  I know I might be jumping the gun since we really haven't had much of a summer here in the Pacific Northwest, but I'm a planner!  And, an email from a dear friend this morning, who was listening to her Nana's tea kettle whistle, made me think of planning today's baking with her in mind; wishing we were close enough to share a cup of perfect tea, reminisce and plan our crafting around the weather.

The other inspiration was from a telephone call from my husband, who is in Hawaii, telling me how much he's enjoying macadamia nut pancakes, cookies, and candy.  We talked of the time we enjoyed these treats in the summer of 1987, when we took our first trip to Hawaii with our daughters.  My mother had told me stories of her time there as a child, in the late 20s, when my grandfather was stationed at Pearl Harbor and I couldn't wait to see paradise for myself.  I have a cherished photo of my mother in the first grade in the Territorial Normal School in Honolulu, Hawaii and as I gaze at the photo this morning, I notice how much Kelly reminds me of her, with her brown eyes and sweet smile.

These tea biscuits, made with ground macadamia nuts and filled with a coconut cream, and the perfect cup of herbal tea this evening was just the thing to finish a day full of projects and getting ready for "So You Think You Can Dance" finale!

Hawaiian Tea Biscuits

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. Hawaiian Vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups ground macadamia nuts
2 cups all-purpose flour

Coconut Cream Filling:
6 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 T coconut milk powder
1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring
1-2 T heavy cream

In a KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy.  Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.  Scrape down the bowl with a spatula.  Add the egg and the Hawaiian Vanilla extract.

Beat to combine.  I used a nut mill to grind the macadamia nuts; alternatively, you can do this step in a food processor, being careful not to go to far and make "butter".

Add the ground macadamia nuts and flour to the batter and stir to combine.  Tear off two sheets of plastic wrap and divide the dough in half.  Use the plastic wrap to "shape" the log: 9"x 2 1/2" x 1" thick. Wrap tightly and refrigerate dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven 325F-degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Remove one of the rolls and slice in 1/4-inch slices.

Space about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.  Bake a total of 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 6 minutes for even baking.  You're looking for the edges to be a golden brown.  Let rest a few minutes, then, remove to a baking rack to cool.

While the cookies are cooling, mix up the filling. You can use a hand mixer or the KitchenAid with the whisk attachment (you want fluffy filling).  Start with the butter and confectioners' sugar and beat well.  Add the coconut milk powder, coconut flavoring, and heavy cream (1 tablespoon at a time).  Add an additional tablespoon of cream if needed.

Use an off-set spatula or you could pipe the filling to the underside of the cooled cookie.  Top with a second cookie.

Repeat with the remaining cookies, matching the sizes.  You could roll this dough out and use a cookie cutter if you want to have exactly the same sizes.  My Irish genes like the natural look, although my English genes says try the cookie cutter next time.  Once you have the cookies iced, make a pot of perfect tea and call a friend to share it.

There is a video, at the beginning of this post, to watch to brew the perfect tea.  I made an herbal blend so I brought the tea kettle water to 170 to 180F-degrees as specified for this blend.

 Add 1 tablespoon of loose tea to the basket and pour the water over.  Let steep 3-4 minutes.

Even though our temperature was in the 80s, a nice cup of tea tasted good and was very relaxing.  My daughters would have added milk to their tea, but I like my plain.  Enjoy!