2008 - My Kingdom for a Can of Pumpkin

Charlie and I mixed up another batch of Pumpkin Bread today (Dec. 13) but this time I made muffins and mini-muffins; 2 dozen and 3 dozen, respectively. This year, Waitrose didn't have any canned pumpkin Thanksgiving week! I had seen it with the fruit fillings earlier in the year, so I didn't worry about stocking up, thinking it would be there regularly. Skyco doesn't sell it either; they have pumpkin pie filling, which isn't the same thing at all.

Luckily, I had four cans saved from last year that still hadn't expired. I had used one for pumpkin bread. I used one for a pie at Thanksgiving. I used another can today and the last one will make another batch of Pumpkin Bread mini-loaves. All I need now is cream cheese to spread on it.

I also made the "dough" for Coconut Cream-Filled Macaroons and a new effort from Martha Stewart: Chewy Molasses Spice Crinkles (they're supposed to be soft). The doughs went in the fridge and I'll bake them tomorrow.

Now I'm going to look through my books and magazines to see what else I want to make, besides another double batch of Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies. Finally, I hope to make Vanilla-Bean Butter Cookies — I have wanted to try them for years. And Charlie has requested Overnights. They're easy and he really likes them because they're simple.

2006 - A Chip Off the Old Block

Later that same day ...

So late, in fact, that the day has just gone. I couldn't start baking till 9 p.m. (mixing, really). Charlie helped me throw together a double batch of Toll House Cookies, which yielded a substantial 11 dozen! That ought to hold us for a while! I prefer to use Nestle's chocolate chips but I ran out; fortunately Skyco had Hershey's chocolate chips. Charlie and I had one cookie each off the cooling rack — they were superb, as usual. 

Charlie cracked me up because he got so tickled, when adding ingredients, at how the brown sugar didn't pour out of the cup when he tilted it into the bowl. Instead, it plonked out, holding the shape of the measuring cup because it had been packed. We had such a laugh! He's such a good boy — and Masterchef!

2006 - Chex Party Mix to the Max

Now, to get back to yesterday (Nov. 17), when I was happily interrupted (finally!) by a care package from Mom. 

After I called Mom with the good news, I whipped up a batch of Nestle's Toll House Cookies. "It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas!" I came out with 5 1/2 dozen, which won't even get us through November! So, I'll be back at it later today.

Naturally, I made a batch of Chex Party Mix yesterday too. But in my enthusiasm, I set the oven too low (150 degrees Fahrenheit) and it should have been at 250. It's still delicious — complete with Bugles, cashews and pecans. Mom sent some nice little pretzel knots too.

Since that box went missing and I was desperate for Chex Mix, Mom sent another package containing the three Chex cereals and a few other goodies that will be here before Thanksgiving! So, it will be Chex Max this year! Well, the butter is softening, so I better get busy measuring out the ingredients for the next installment of Toll House Cookies.

2003 - Christmas Comes Early

Normally, I make Choc-Oat Chip cookies
from "Joy" for Charlie.

Mom and I teamed together this morning to whip up a quick batch of cookies for Charlie. I didn't have my usual recipe for Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies (his favorite) from "Joy of Cooking" though, so we improvised with the recipe on the back of the Quaker Oats box (Yummy Oatmeal Cookies). I'm not going to keep the recipe, though, because I didn't think they were as good as our old standby.

We just made one batch, so they will be gone in no time. Still, we saved a dozen to take on the plane back to England with us. We leave in just three days (on Dec. 15). The rest of the family came around today for our faux Christmas in Louisville. It was great because I've been living in England for two years now and I miss seeing everyone for the holidays. This year, Thanksgiving fell late in November, so we were able to share that holiday with Mom, and then the Christmas-like get-together today with my brothers and sister and their families.

Needless to say, there was a giant cookie tray filled with goodies baked on both sides of the pond. We ate, drank and made merry, then exchanged gifts (which I will happily squeeze into our luggage). I'm so glad we got to share cookies and some "holiday" time with my family this year.

My niece, Jordan, enjoying
one of my "imported"
tree-shaped Sugar Cookies.

This will probably be my last baking session, here or in England. There will be too many other things to do once we get back (like getting a tree and decorating it!). I really enjoyed Mom's spacious, modern oven and her KitchenAid - they made all the difference in my baking experience this year. But the best part was baking cookies with her. I was supposed to bake Chocolate Chip Cookies with Lisa but unfortunately we never found the time. Maybe next year, if I get back in December ...

We didn't get to bake together but
my sister and I spent some quality time together.

2002- Horn of Plenty

*For future reference, 1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup = 113 grams.

After talking to Lisa long-distance on the phone last night, we agreed that I had better get baking - TODAY! Nov. 15, 2002! A week before Thanksgiving! Since Charlie and I are going "home for the holidays" from Dec. 2 to 18, I probably won't get another chance to bake if I don't do it before we leave. And since he's 21 months old, I'll be lucky to get much done at all!

Our Cookie Journal is a good read.

After leafing through "Our Cookie Journal" last night (crying and laughing), I had an intense urge to make Dunkable Brownies. I can't get the unsweetened chocolate I need on this side of the Atlantic, though, so those will have to wait until I get back "home from home". Not to be daunted, I popped "Kevin's Christmas Favorites" into the boom box and started with a batch of Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies. Charlie happily napped through each ding of the timer.

~ May I just pause between batches to say: Perfect! ~

Ahhhh! Four hours later and I have 13 dozen Chocolate Chip lovelies in the freezer and one dozen on a plate on the table for immediate consumption and enjoyment. This oven is a bit flaky, so I had to be careful: turn the trays midway through baking; checking them, starting at 10 minutes to make sure they don't over bake. 

I set out to make one batch but quickly realized it wouldn't be enough to sustain me - I mean, us - through Thanksgiving AND Christmas. So I made two batches. Charlie woke up at the halfway point, so we opened our Thanksgiving care package from Grandma! Talk about your "horns of plenty". Cocktail rye bread, egg nog mix, Chex Mix supplies, aluminum loaf pans for Pumpkin Bread (to be made this weekend), Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix, a Thanksgiving kitchen towel, a turkey-shaped oven mitt, and an actual cornucopia. Loads more, including a few treats for Charlie (like freeze-dried strawberries)! Let the holiday season officially begin!

2001 - Ghost Writer

2001 was the first year I lived in England, away from my family. When I came home for a visit, I brought The Cookie Diary with me. Lisa made this entry from her side of the pond:

This was a year of firsts for the Carr bake shop. First, the week before Thanksgiving, I made Chex Mix for the girls. Personally, I can do without it! I have never done Chex solo but I believe Kevin would have approved. 

Lisa bought one of these for each of us.

I went right on to People Chow, from the cookbooks I bought for us at Cracker Barrel (Gooseberry Patch: Magic of Christmas, 2001). It's made with Rice Chex, peanut butter, chocolate chips and powdered sugar. It was good while warm, but once it got cold, nobody wanted to eat it. 

Then I did a test batch of Snicker Doodles. They were yummy with a great texture. 

On Dec. 3, with the kids' help, I made about 6 dozen Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies and four dozen Snicker Doodles. I also made my first ever Pumpkin Bread (this may explain why I left the pumpkin out of the first batch!). So I made six loaves with pumpkin and three without - but all loaves were equally delicious.

I made four batches of Snicker Doodles - eight dozen - on Dec. 15. They turned out beautifully. They were difficult to mix - someone lost the paddle attachment to my KitchenAid. So, I tried to make do with the dough hook.

Danielle, Rachel and April were present for all sessions. They were all helpful - getting cookie sheets ready, measuring ingredients, and cracking eggs. They also are quite adept at rolling and sugaring the Doodles. I have plans and ingredients for fudge, Poor Man's Cake and more Pumpkin Bread.

Snicker Doodles

1/2 c butter, softened

1 c sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Beat butter on high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, soda and tartar; beat till combined. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Combine cinnamon and 2 Tbsp sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll balls in sugar mixture and place on baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

*Keep dough chilled while waiting for batches to bake. If dough gets warm, it wont spread right, leaving fat cookies. I got better results flattening the balls with the bottom of a glass for more even baking.

People Chow

1/2 c butter

1 c creamy peanut butter

2 c milk chocolate chips

17 1/2 oz pkg corn or rice cereal (Chex)

1 lb. powdered sugar

Combine butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips in saucepan. Melt over medium heat, stirring often. Pour over cereal and mix until thoroughly coated. Place cereal in a paper sack, sprinkle in powdered sugar. Fold down the top of the paper sack and shake well. Makes 3 pounds or about 12 servings.

2001 - Un-pumpkin Bread

I'm home again! It's been great to see Mom and Lisa and her girls again. Soon I'll be seeing my brothers and their kids too. I love my family and miss them so much. And shopping in familiar territory! I bought a cake decorating kit - they're expensive in England - and vanilla - PURE! And lots of sprinkles, dragees and colored sugars. I also got two more bags of chocolate chips - I'm still not finished making Toll House cookies. And I'll make Sugar Cookies when I go back too. I need an offset spatula too (for icing cookies). Since pecans are cheaper here, I picked up a big bag of them for Chocolate Chip Cookies and Pumpkin Bread.

Pumpkin Bread tastes best
with Pumpkin.

That reminds me - Lisa made Pumpkin Bread - or should I say "Un-pumpkin Bread" - this year! She didn't realize till her loaves were already baking away in the oven that she'd left out the pumpkin! She made some regular pumpkin-flavored loaves later but she didn't toss out the first batch. They were deemed edible and even delicious and they were gobbled up despite missing their key ingredient (see photo).
She also spent time at Mom's this year and they made loads of cookies together. She'll have to tell me which kinds and what her yields were. I need Danielle, Lisa, Mom and Rachel to tell me more for this year's "home front" entry.
I managed to bake about six dozen Moravian Spice Cookies before I had to call it quits in Blighty. I still have half the dough in the freezer because there simply wasn't enough time to finish and get my bags packed.

2001 - Skyco Saves the (Holi)day!

Last night, around 10, I mixed up the dough for the Grammy's Chocolate Cookies. Then this morning, I rolled the dough into balls, rolled them in sanding sugar and baked 6 1/2 dozen aromatic cookies. They are sinfully sweet and chocolate-y. Most are now packed up in the freezer for Christmas and our visit home on Dec. 10.

Then, I decided to make Checkerboard Cookies from Martha Stewart's "Cookies" magazine. They were a lot of work, especially for a measly 4 dozen. However, I really enjoyed making them and the results are spectacular, I think.

They took hours. I had to split the dry dough and knead cocoa into one half (just as Charlie was waking from his nap!). I had to use a ruler to make sure the chocolate and vanilla strips were perfect. Then, I needed a pastry brush - which I didn't have - so Charlie and I went into town to find one. Fat chance! There are a few grocery stores and some specialty shops but nowhere to find kitchen supplies (unless you count Woolworth's). I wound up buying a paintbrush at the chemist's (drug store).

They really were fun to make and I can't wait for Mom and Lisa to see them. They're very delicate too. I might have to make another batch but I don't know when. I'm still working on putting together this issue of The Backstretch Magazine and I have to finish it before I leave for home. So, I might not get to make another entry until I get back here.

Butter comes in 250-gram packages, which is 9 ounces. Most recipes call for 8 ounces! Cookies that are baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, bake on Gas Mark 4 (which is 180 degrees Celsius). Vanilla bottles here say: for each teaspoon that is called for, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon. That's not right! It must be because it's not pure. I can't find pure vanilla here, so I will have to bring a big bottle back.

Shortening (required for my Moravian Cookies) does not exist here. But I found a great online place that sells American groceries. Skyco is owned and operated by Tony and Jean Phillips (and their daughter Justine) in Surrey, and they are so nice and helpful. They started out as a deli, but now import a wide range of American and Canadian products to ex-pats like myself, who are craving a taste of home. In my case - Nestle's Chocolate Chips and Jiff Peanut Butter. And oodles of other things (like Brown-Sugar Pop-Tarts and Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn and Heinz Hamburger Dill slices!). I'm ecstatic to be able to source ingredients (and goodies) here. Hallelujah!

2001- Separated by a Common Language

Charlie and I are going home to America for a visit soon, so I need to get my baking done before we leave. It's not always easy converting my recipe ingredients, supplies and measurements to "English". The first time I went grocery shopping in Waitrose, I cried. I didn't know where anything was, all the packaging was different, the labels weren't the same and some of the generic names weren't the same.

Let's start with Reynold's Wrap. Both Americans and Brits have a habit of calling things by their brand name, instead of their common name. Companies don't like that, of course, because their brand can become generic. That's what happened to Hoover in England and Aspirin in many countries. There is no Reynold's Wrap in Britain and I even struggled with the generic name of "aluminum foil". Store clerks (one says "clarks" here) gave me a bewildered look when I didn't say "alumin-EE-um". They would laugh at me, I would laugh at them. "There's no extra I in aluminum," I would insist. It seems there is in the UK, though.

And the list goes on. Seran Wrap (or plastic wrap), is cling film. Baking soda is bicarbonate of soda (reminds me of Bette Davis mixing up a remedy for Max in "All About Eve"). Finding molasses can be tricky (or treacly). Golden syrup and treacle are common in grocery stores, but I have to go to a health food store to find molasses. Vegetable shortening does not exist. Someone suggested "ghee", which is akin to clarified butter, but I don't think they are interchangeable. 

I brought my own measuring cups and spoons, so I'm OK there but I have to do conversions every time I bake because my oven temperature is measured in degrees Centigrade (or is it Celsius?) and Marks (as in Gas Mark 4=350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Celsius). I also have to do conversions whenever I use butter, which does not come in sticks here! And so, many recipes call for butter in stick-quantities that I had to write the conversion (1 stick=1/2 cup) in the front of "Our Cookie Journal" for easy reference. Fortunately, I found a cheat-sheet in a notepad at a lighting shop, of all places, that I keep in my kitchen utensil drawer. 

There is no canned (or tinned) pumpkin either. Or chocolate chips. Or unsweetened cooking chocolate. My baking sheets are way too massive for the tiny ovens here. Peanut butter is not common. Christmas sprinkles and other decorations are scarce. Decorations seem to be of the Christmas-cake variety. Marzipan is plentiful; but not tubs of frosting. Coconut is referred to as "desiccated", and is unsweetened. Sigh!

Still, none of these hardships stayed me from my baking course. My "official" start this year was Nov. 25, when I made 7 1/2 dozen Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies. The chips, of course, aren't available in Blighty, but Lisa sent me two packs and I brought two back from my Halloween visit home. I had made one batch last week, to test the oven, but they're already gone! I also brought back some Libby's pumpkin, so I made Mom & Dad's Pumpkin Bread, which produced six lovely mini-loaves - but they were for Thanksgiving.

I've decided to make, in addition to the CCCs, Lime Meltaways, Moravian Spice Cookies, Grammy's Chocolate Cookies (new) and Checkerboard Cookies (new). I'm also going to bake Sugar Cookies but this year I'm going to use Martha's recipe with Royal Icing.

The trick will be finding everything I need over here. It's also been tougher with Charlie around! I'll be able to manage only a batch a day. The hardest part, though, has been being so far away from Lisa and Mom. True, we weren't able to bake together the past two years, but this is worse. So I'm separated from everyone here by a common language and I'm separated from my loved ones by an ocean.

1999 - Short and Sweet

I had to go it alone this year because our work schedules weren't compatible. So, on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 4 and 5, I made eight dozen Peanut Butter Cookies and 12 dozen Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies. Then I made seven dozen Dunkable Brownies (they smelled too good not to sample immediately) and 11 dozen Lime Meltaways.

The Lime Meltaways are easy slice and bake cookies that are so light and fragrant, they became a quick favorite. It's nice to have a citrus cookie to offset all the chocolate too. They're covered in powdered sugar but the discs themselves aren't very sweet, so it's a winning combo. Just be careful when you shake them in the powdered sugar or you'll have to eat many, many casualties! Michelle was with me for these and she loved mixing the leftover lime juice with sugar for a refreshing limeade.

I gave Lisa half of everything and packed up some of mine to send to Neil in England. (I met him at the Breeders' Cup in Miami in November.) I also sent him some of Mom's Pumpkin Bread.

I wore my Christmas apron and played music but I missed Lisa, especially for the music and the pizza! I cried when Johnny Mathis came on singing "Sleigh Bells" because it reminded me of Dad. He always made fun of Mathis and sang, "Sleighb'lls." I miss him and his sense of humor so much.

Lisa made Magic Cookie Bars, a new entry that layers a mere five ingredients, including Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk into a luscious, but easy-to-make, bar. She also made fudge - chocolate and chocolate-peanut butter - which she shared, of course. I missed baking with her this year and I hope we can find time to get together next Christmas.

1998 - Avon Cookies?

We started on Wednesday, Dec. 2, by going shopping at Meijer's. And Winn-Dixie. And Kroger. And Walgreen's. "It started out slow, then it started to grow!" We shopped from noon to 2 p.m. and started baking around 3:30 - probably our latest start in the day ever. But there were things we needed. Like our new Santa timers! We also bought 20 pounds of flour, 15 pounds of sugar, 8 pounds of brown sugar and $12 worth of pecan halves, among many other things.

Is that an Avon apple?

We took a break when our brother, Michael, brought us pizza for lunch. He used a Christmas salt and pepper shaker and commented on how cute it was and asked Lisa where she got it. "Avon," she said. Later, he spotted a decoration that played Christmas music and thought it was pretty cool. Again, he asked where she got it. "Avon." Well, that was enough for him. He launched into a routine inspired by Forrest Gump. "Avon is the fruit of the housewife. There's Avon salt and pepper shakers, Avon ornaments, Avon decorations, Avon pizza, Avon cookies, Avon shrimp ..."  He cracked us up!

Sisters.

After Michael left, we hauled out our aprons, mitts and towels that we got last year. We posed for a photo using the timer on my camera - three times! It was another holiday hoot! And what did we start with? Chocolate Chip Cookies, of course. We finished at 7:30. Two double batches yielded 28 dozen, plus about a dozen we ate with our little brother.

We used margarine this year because butter is about $3 a pound. It was a balmy 70 degrees outside, so the two cookie sheets we had weren't cooling quickly enough. Lisa only knocked over two cookies this time. I vacuum-packed them in plastic freezer bags using a straw to suck the air out. It made them easier to pack in the freezer and should keep them from getting freezer burn (as if they'll be in there long enough for that!).

It's National Brownie Day!

Six dozen Choc-Oat-Chip in the front and
six dozen Toll House in the back.

 Oh boy! As if I need another excuse to bake! 

I celebrated National Cookie Day on Dec. 4 by baking Choc-Oat Chip Cookies and Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies. I marked St. Nicholas Day on Dec. 6 by making a batch of Dutch Spice Cookies. And now we have National Brownie Day, which I commemorated in my kitchen in my usual cookie fashion.

The origins of brownies are uncertain and the stories are varied. Some sources credit a Bangor, Maine, housewife who forgot to add leavening to her cake but served the gooey squares anyway to her guests' delight. Wikipedia credits a chef at Chicago's Palmer House Hotel as the creator of modern-day brownies. They featured walnuts and an apricot glaze and are still being made at the hotel, using the original recipe. Still others say that Fannie Merritt Farmer is responsible for the first brownie, which appeared in the 1896 version of her cookbook. However, these were not true brownies, as they were molasses cakes baked individually in tin molds. Whoever is responsible, I thank you!

There are many varieties of brownies - not to be confused with blondies, which omit the chocolate and use brown sugar. (National Blondies Day is celebrated on Jan. 22.) Popular mix-ins include walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, coconut and caramel - and the ever controversial (and illegal) cannabis.

Brownies, whether they be cakey or fudgy, are classed as cookies - of the bar variety. I have had some difficulties with brownies in my illustrious cookie-baking past, simply because it can be hard to judge when they are done. Over bake them and they become cracked and hard, losing their aroma and flavor. If they're under baked, though, they are not chewy and fudgy, they're just icky!

Dunkable Brownies are yummy and foolproof.

I have written here about two varieties with which I fared better - Barb's Brownies and Brownies Cockaigne. But my favorite "brownie" is Baker's One Bowl Chocolate Brownie Cookies, which we call Dunkable Brownies.

I also tried a new version today from a recipe I found at epicurious.com. Brownie Thins are definitely worth a bash. They are described as tasting like the very top layer of a brownie. They take only 30 minutes and the flavor is outstanding. I like them for Christmas because the recipe calls for chopped pistachios to be sprinkled on top. My only disappointment - they made a measly 18 cookies! The recipe said I would get two dozen. (A personal pet peeve of mine is 'yields' in recipes - they ALWAYS lie!

But for frosted, traditional brownies, today I'm using Betty Crocker's boxed mix and I'm not too proud or vain to admit it. They're easy and delicious and my son, Charlie, likes them because they are plain. 

I hope you'll bake some brownies today and I urge you to try one of my cookie versions for fuss-free, perfect brownies. Don't forget the glass of milk!

Brownie Thins

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 c sugar
1 large egg
3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
Pinch of coarse kosher salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/4 c chopped pistachios

Brownie Thins

Position rack in lowest third of oven; preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter 2 baking sheets. Place butter and chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium-high until almost completely melted, about 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Add sugar and egg; whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Add flour, both extracts, and salt; stir just to blend. Let batter stand 10 minutes.

Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing apart. Spray sheet of plastic wrap lightly with nonstick spray. Place, sprayed side down, over cookies. Using fingers, press each mound into 2 1/2-inch round. Remove plastic wrap. Sprinkle pistachios over rounds. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until slightly darker at edges and firm in center, about 7 minutes. Cool on sheet 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack; cool completely.

NOTES: I toasted my pistachios in a skillet for about 5 minutes, stirring them often. Feel free to use walnuts or pecans (or omit nuts altogether).

I hate fooling with greased cookie sheets, so I did a practice cookie on parchment paper. Thank goodness it worked just fine. I suggest you do the same, or use a Silpat (non-stick silicone baking mat).

I also skipped the shenanigans with the plastic wrap, using the back of my spoon to smooth out the rounds sufficiently. (The plain one is for Charlie to sample).

I didn't use the almond extract but doubled the vanilla instead. Just a personal preference.

Unsweetened chocolate is not easy to come by in England unless I order it from skyco.uk.com (or Mom sends it to me). However, Waitrose recently started stocking Willie's Cacao, made by the Chocolate Man, Willie Harcourt-Cooze. These barrels of solid artisan chocolate come in several varieties, but I chose Venezuelan Black (100% Rio Caribe Cacao) for its complex nut and coffee notes.

Click on this link for more information about Willie's Cacao.

Now I'm off to make another (double) batch of Brownie Thins. Mmmmm!

1997 - Shop Till You Drop

We didn't start until Monday, Dec. 1, because I had two reviews to do for the newspaper the Friday and Saturday after T-giving, which was late this year. Lisa and I kicked off our holiday season at Actor's Theater of Louisville with "A Christmas Carol." It was preceded by Kahlua hot chocolates at the intermezzo cafe nearby. This could be the start of a new sisterly tradition (the Kahlua hot chocolates, at the very least!).

Since we usually make so many trips to the store, we met last Wednesday (while preparing for our Thanksgiving feast) and put together a monster shopping list. We had intended to shop Sunday, before we started on everything, but we didn't manage. It sure would have helped. Lisa gave us a head start though by digging out all the bowls, sheets, cutters and other utensils and supplies (including our "Joy of Cooking") that we'll be using.

So we went shopping before we started baking. We spent about $80 on supplies but still didn't get enough butter and we forgot to buy food coloring, and aluminum pans (13x9) for the brownies. While we were out, I stopped by Mom and Dad's house to check the mail because I figured the package I was expecting had arrived. I ordered some Christmas textiles for us, including matching aprons!

A picture from the Cookie Diary of our Christmas
textiles: aprons, dish towels, oven mitts and potholders.

We started with Nestle's Original Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies at about noon. We baked a total of 24 dozen but I told Lisa that I don't think that they will last!

Lisa burned her Christmas vinyl tablecloth with a hot cookie sheet. After that, we started resting the trays on two potholders on an inverted cookie sheet that's too small to bake on. And whoops! - I left out the salt in one of the first CCC batches.

We were already exhausted, so we quit early - at 5 p.m. We'll make up for it tomorrow.

Nestle's Toll House CCC

1996 - My name is Kevin and I'm a Chocoholic

After running important errands with Dad, I returned to Lisa's the next day so we could finish the Chocolate Chip Cookies. After a good cry and an exchange of positive thoughts, we are hopeful for Dad beating cancer. We plan to carry on as usual with our cookie baking and merry making to help keep our sanity during all this doom and gloom.

We wound up with 21 dozen Nestle's Original Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies, counting what Lisa and Michelle did yesterday and a repeat performance from Lisa and me today. 

Nestle's Original Toll House Cookies

The first batch of Chocolate Brownie Cookies were scrumptious! Their intense chocolate aroma filled the kitchen so wonderfully that we were obliged to sample them straight from the oven (despite the fact that they need to rest five minutes). The original recipe calls for walnuts but we used pecans instead.

The second batch was stiff and dry and I dunno why! It may have had something to do with the Baker's chocolate squares. We left some out, added them later and figured it would be OK. But we must've spilled some battery acid in the batter too because it dissolved half a spatula! Very weird but funny. Obviously, we threw that out. We'll try again tomorrow with another two batches (because the first will surely be gone after tonight! YUMMM!)

Yield so far: 3 1/2 dozen + the two we sampled.

Baker's Chocolate Brownie Cookies

The Best Christmas Ever

We decided to hit Wal-Mart before baking. I bought two new non-stick cookie sheets, a rubber spatula, two gigantic tins (one for each of us to store cookies in), and five new stockings for the Carr girls (including the new baby!). I also bought new plastic measuring spoons (that don't make a nerve-rattling scraping noise) and two huge, red mixing bowls.

I could never forget you, Alice.

Last night, I managed to remember everything I was supposed to buy at Kroger but I went to Lisa's without my pecans! I bought three one-pound bags from Alice Colombo (a food columnist at work) and paid the same amount for three cups' worth at the grocery store! Alice is lovely. She started hosting a help-line for cooks on Thursdays and I disguised my voice and called her.

"Hi, there," I said. "My husband brought home some kidneys and I was wondering if you could tell me how to prepare them."

She proceeded to explain a few different ways I could cook them, when I interrupted her and innocently asked, "Aren't you supposed to just boil the piss out of 'em?"

"Kevin!" she blurted! And we both laughed. She's a good sport.

Back to our baking: We had just spooned the dough onto the trays and managed to get one tray-full into the oven when Dad called. He said he needed me to go with him to the doctor's office. Mom went too. He'd been experiencing pain in his bones and when I moved back home last month, he slipped and fell in the rain and hurt his hip. So, he'd gone to see the doctor because he was still in a lot of pain. 

The doctor told us he had multiple myeloma. Then she told us that meant he had bone marrow cancer. I didn't want to cry for Dad's sake but I couldn't help it. I didn't sob uncontrollably or anything, but the tears just squeezed out on their own accord. Wiping them briskly away, I told Dad not to worry because they're making all kinds of advances in cancer research these days. He's going to be fine. The doctor said she would refer him to an oncologist right away. As we left, I gave Dad a big hug and told him and Mom I was going to Lisa's house to let her know.

Dad opening a present last Christmas.

Lisa had enlisted Michelle to help her crank out the rest of the Nestle's Original Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies. We wound up with 10 dozen cookies and 10,000 tears as I told her that our dear ol' Dad had cancer. Now I could sob uncontrollably. Lisa did the same and we held each other, consoled each other and tried to think positively. I had just told her earlier that day when we were happily shopping and making holiday plans that this would be the best Christmas ever. 

1995 - It's All a Blur

From the date on this photo, we evidently 

finished baking before Dec 13: 

Behold our cookie tray from 1995.

Sigh. We were so busy this year. I tried to get Lisa to make the entries this time but she insisted that I'm the writer. Shows what she knows — I failed to make any entries in our beloved Cookie Journal! In fact, it's Dec. 1, 1996, as I write! I promise not be such a slug this year.

Anyway, I am not known for my year-to-year recall and so will have to rely on my memory-queen sister tomorrow (as we begin this year's 1996 baking) for any momentous details — aside from the naturally outstanding flavor and huge, record-breaking quantities.

Here are some notes I found that I had jotted down on one of Lisa's notepads, beefed up with anything she recalled:

We went back to Nestle's Original Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies instead of the Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies. Such traditionalists! We screwed up the first batch by accidentally doubling (or, in our case, quadrupling) the flour. Yikes! Yield: 20 dozen + 3 + those we ate. We made two double batches eventually.

As usual, we flubbed up in the inventory department and didn't have enough peanut butter to make Peanut Butter Cookies. We sent Lisa's eldest, Michelle, to Melton's Food Mart for another jar and had to settle for Peter Pan brand. Choosy mothers (and aunts) choose Jif. We also adjust though. We doubled the recipe and wound up with 12 3/4 dozen.

We couldn't find the Whoopie Pie recipe but evidently we did because we both remember indulging. They take a bit of time but they're so worth it. (I don't see them in any of the pictures though.)

We also made Sugar Cookies, Brownies Cockaigne and Pumpkin Cookies.

The week before Christmas, we had a sisterly sleepover
(complete with matching Christmas gowns!).