Hi, I'm Rachel.

A few years ago I could barely boil water.

True story.

Determined to be a kick ass wife, I developed a love for football and learned to cook in my tiny Jersey City kitchen. I spend my days working in Manhattan, my nights and weekends chasing after a rambunctious toddler, and the hours in between cooking with my husband and feeding my TV habit...oh, and I blog about it all! 

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Entries in cookies (20)

Wednesday
Mar242010

Italian Cookies at Court Pastry Shop

In addition to grown-up, buttery sweet cupcakes from Butter Lane, some good old-fashioned Italian bakery cookies made an appearance at our Spring Dinner Party to celebrate my mom's birthday. Not sure if it's the Italian in me or just the innate feeling that all gatherings should, in fact, revolve around good eats and sweets, there's something so wonderfully comforting about real Italian cookies, especially when they're from a real Brooklyn Bakery. Since she was in charge of dessert, and just so happens to live in the land of endless bakeries, she stopped in at Court Pastry Shop for some deeelightful Italian cookies. You know the kind...seven layer rainbow cookies, chocolate dipped sandwich cookies, rugelach cookies, amaretto cookies covered in nuts, chocolate and hazelnut cookies...Bellisimo.

So what do you think? Are you a fan of the Italian bakery-style cookie?

Wednesday
Feb102010

Just Call Me Sweetie

Valentine's week continues, and this time we're talking sweets. Sugar cookies, to be exact. And these are pink, heart-shaped, oversized, and beyond easy to boot. There's just something about a giant sugary cookie, don't you think? Whether you're spending the day with a loved one, with friends, or even solo, these cookies are a simple treat for all to enjoy, even beyond the big V...and everyone can make them. Let's get down to it...

Easy Sugar Cookies - Valentine's Day Edition
*Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis
1 tube Pillsbury cookie dough (I used sugar, but any kind you like will work)
1/4 C+ all purpose flour
Red food coloring
Sprinkles, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, or any other flavor you want to add

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cookie dough and flour. I used my trusty stand mixer (I rave about this little baby here), but my gut tells me mixing it in a bowl with a good old wooden spoon will work just as well. Add 4-5 drops of food coloring, depending on how 'red' you want it. I wanted a soft pink so 4-5 drops worked just fine. Next, add any other extras that you'd like. I split my dough into thirds; one for semi-sweet chocolate chips, one for white chocolate chips, and one for coconut. Take your dough and roll out onto a wooden board or counter top that is generously floured. Flour your rolling pin and roll out the dough. Using a cookie cutter (I just so happen to have a heart one), cut out your cookies. You know the drill: roll up the scraps, repeat.

Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with sprinkles if you so choose. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until they look done. This isn't an exact science. Depending on how thinly I rolled the dough, the cookies browned at different rates - which is also why some of my gorgeous pink confections have brown undertones. Just a note of caution: I made the mistake of thinking sugar cookies would be similar to butter cookies, where they don't really puff up or take up any additional space other than what the initial dough occupies. I was wrong. On the first batch, I placed them too close together and they ended up looking like this: Let sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. If done properly, they should look like this: Isn't she pretty? To make these even more decadent, try topping them with a bit o'frosting. I will likely freeze some of these and frost them on Sunday for a fresh taste. I'm trying out pomegranate cream cheese frosting...say it with me, 'mmmmm'. So what kind of sweets do you look forward to on Vday? Cookies? Cakes? Chocolate truffles? Hershey's Kisses? 

Psst - if you missed any of Vday week thus far, check out It's a Date and Gorgonzola Fig Crostini!

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