its that time of year again - cookies and sweets!

The ribbons of the tree are currently waiting for a sewing needle and/or stapler because this is bullshit. So. Cookies.

I went to my handy Pepperplate to find these. All are tested at least once and did not fail. At least once.



These are outrageously good and I am not a huge fan of banana outside it's natural habitat of half skinned in my hand.

Banana Muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 Large Bananas mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, melted

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Coat muffin pans with non-stick spray, or use paper liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Scoop into muffin pans.
Bake in preheated oven. Bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes, and large muffins for 25 to 30 minutes. Muffins will spring back when lightly tapped.





I make these for [X] Annual [Work] Cookie Exchange every year. One year I didn't. They have yet to forgive me for that.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c butter
1 c peanut butter
2 eggs
1/4 c milk
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 bags of Hershey's Kisses
extra granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Cream butter and sugars.
Add in eggs and stir.
Add peanut butter and stir.
Add milk and stir.
Mix dry ingredients or sift them together and add gradually.
Roll into one-inch balls.
Roll each ball in sugar.
Bake for ten to twelve minutes.
Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.
While warm, unwrap Hershey's Kisses and press into center of each cookie.





This is more a bread-cake, which means you can toast and butter it (I mean, do that: toast and butter it, it's goddamn amazijng). This is from the Helen Corbitt Cookbook, which honestly is the single best cookbook for finding basic delicious recipes on a budget and things you already have on hand.

My only change is adding vanilla; it is a sweet bread and to me improves on a slight flavor addition but you can leave it out and it's fine. I generally leave off the topping and nuts but whatever floats your boat.

Vienna Coffee Cake

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 teaspons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla

For Topping
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs one and a time and beat until light.
Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with milk, starting with flour.
Pour into bread pan.
Spread melted butter over top and sprinkle with sugar and nuts.
Bake for 45 minutes.



Note: Chocolate shortbread cookies I made last night came out questionable in texture and delicious in flavor. Still trying to work out what went wrong; will post recipe when I figure it out. I ended up having to hand-knead the damn things which I think I should have done from the first and may be why they came out weird. The question persists; it shall be answered.

I'm still going through my recipes for the season of joy and flavor and thinking seriously of attacking wassail this year.

ETA: Forgot! Finished Whose Body?, now 1/2 through Clouds of Witness. Am definitely enjoying both the story and the language.

Comments

[goss]

Chocolate shortbread cookies

Oooh, I LOOOVE shortbread cookies, and chocolate too, so this sounds amazing! Looking forward to that recipe. :)

[seperis]

Give me a day or two to make sure; I'm ninety percent certain if I just knead the entire thing and not try fancy 'creaming butter and sugar' first they won't come out weirdly tough (But still tasty! Just sucking a cookie feels wrong.)

[bratfarrar]

Glad to hear you're enjoying Sayers! :D

[kore]

I am so glad you are enjoying Sayers! I read them straight through to read Gaudy Night, and then....never read GN. //SHAME You are inspiring me to pick it up again, tho!

[aurumcalendula]

Ooh! I need to try making these.

[020104isme]

All recipes sound yummy, especially the peanut butter one.

All purpose flour = UK plain flour, right?

[lurkmuch]

Every time I make peanut butter blossoms, I end up pouring a glass of milk and eating a significant number because...warm cookie, melted chocolate. I've always used the recipe off the Hershey site, but that includes shortening instead of butter.

I'll have to give this one a whirl.

[archaeologist_d]

Sounds yummy. Unfortunately, I am a terrible cook and would burn them beyond recognition. I will admire the recipes from afar.