My cousin Lauren, who happens to have her own blog, got married this past weekend. I love weddings, but I can't honestly say I've been to a ton. Most of my cousins on my dad's side are a lot older than me. In fact, they are all practically married. Was I invited to their weddings or showers? No. Is 17 too young for these things? Thank goodness Lauren doesn't think so. She's from my mom's side and is the second one on that side to get married. So I have high hopes that all the others on my mom's side will invite me to theirs as well. Let's hope!
Back: Amy, Becky, Me, Michelle, Brian
Front: Josh, Louie, John, Teddy
I had such a good time at the wedding. I danced the night away with my family, even though th DJ was a nightmare! Just when everyone would be getting their Brick House or Super freak on, he'd throw in something completely bizarre. At the very end, Telephone did make its way in somehow.
I don't know how it is other places, but it's tradition in Pittsburgh (Western Pa, really) to have a cookie table at a wedding (and the shower). So everyone in the family made a type of cookie to bring in and they got set up all fancy like. Here's the catch of this post, my mom made all of the three cookie recipes I'm going to share with you. I helped in no way! She did a fabulous job and I loved all her cookies.
As a side note, the food at the wedding was really good. I never eat pasta, I'm not really a fan, but I had some penne noodles and sauce with tons of cheese which was great. But the potatoes, oh the potatoes! Super ah-may-zing. Anyway, on to the recipes!
My mom made these ones for the wedding shower. These thumb prints were a great cookie, but the frosting rocked! It was real buttery and creamy. I saw a few finished thumb prints as my mom was icing them, and I forced her to put on more icing. I'm always right;)
These chocolate cookies were easy, according to my mom. I tried one to please, though we all know I am in no way a chocolate fan. I give it a thumbs up, but one was plenty for me.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
from Joy of Baking
Ingredients:4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Topping:
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
In a stainless steel bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale, and fluffy. (When you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in slow ribbons.) At this point beat in the vanilla extract and then stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to shape into balls (3-4 hours, or even overnight)..
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
Place the confectioners sugar in a shallow bowl. With lightly greased hands, roll a small amount of chilled dough to form a 1 inch (2.54 cm) ball. Place the ball of dough into the confectioners sugar and roll the ball in the sugar until it is completely coated and no chocolate shows through. Gently lift the sugar-covered ball, tapping off excess sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Continue forming cookies, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the baking sheets. (If you find the dough getting too soft for rolling into balls, return to the refrigerator and let chill until firm.)
Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or just until the edges are slightly firm but the centers are still soft. (For moist chewy cookies do not over bake. Over baking these cookies will cause them to be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
These cookies are best eaten the day they are baked.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Ingredients:4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Topping:
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
In a stainless steel bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale, and fluffy. (When you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in slow ribbons.) At this point beat in the vanilla extract and then stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to shape into balls (3-4 hours, or even overnight)..
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
Place the confectioners sugar in a shallow bowl. With lightly greased hands, roll a small amount of chilled dough to form a 1 inch (2.54 cm) ball. Place the ball of dough into the confectioners sugar and roll the ball in the sugar until it is completely coated and no chocolate shows through. Gently lift the sugar-covered ball, tapping off excess sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Continue forming cookies, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the baking sheets. (If you find the dough getting too soft for rolling into balls, return to the refrigerator and let chill until firm.)
Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or just until the edges are slightly firm but the centers are still soft. (For moist chewy cookies do not over bake. Over baking these cookies will cause them to be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
These cookies are best eaten the day they are baked.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Oh goodness my mom searched for days for those candies in the center! Apparently these nonpareil candies are basically extinct? I don't really know, but it was quite the ordeal. I'm not really a fan of mint, (I know it seems like I have very select tastes, well I do) but I enjoyed quite a few of these. The sugar cookie base was really bomb and the mint paired well. Again, my mom said these were a breeze to make.
Mint Blossoms
from Land O'Lakes
Yield: 4 dozen cookies
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1 LAND O LAKES® All-Natural Egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
48 mint meltaway candies
Heat oven to 375°F. Combine 1 cup sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in remaining sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are very light golden brown. Remove from oven; immediately press 1 mint candy in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to wire cooling rack; cool completely.
from Land O'Lakes
Yield: 4 dozen cookies
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1 LAND O LAKES® All-Natural Egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
48 mint meltaway candies
Heat oven to 375°F. Combine 1 cup sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in remaining sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are very light golden brown. Remove from oven; immediately press 1 mint candy in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to wire cooling rack; cool completely.
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Weddings are so fun, aren't they? Love the chocolate crinkles, they're one of my favorite holiday cookies.