July 11: Blueberry Muffin Cookies

Blueberry Muffin Cookies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups (8 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 large egg
3/4 cup fresh blueberries, or 1/2 cup dried
Coarse sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line two baking sheets with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-size bowl; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and creamy. Beat in the lemon zest. Reduce the mixer speed and add the egg. Beat until the egg is blended in. By hand or using the lowest speed of the mixer, add the flour mixture and stir until it is mixed in. If using fresh berries, carefully fold the berries into the dough. If using dried, stir them in.
4. Scoop up tablespoonfuls of dough and shape into small balls. Arrange 2 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges and top. Let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dry ingredients

Addition of the lemon zest

Addition of the egg

Addition of the flour mixture

Addition of the fresh blueberries

Addition of the coarse sugar

Thoughts: I really wanted to use fresh blueberries vs. dried but if I had used dried, it wouldn't have been so messy. I tried to fold the blueberries in carefully but it is hard to incorporate them without mushing a couple of them open. Some of them also exploded while they were baking. Other than that, it was ok. I don't know if they taste like a blueberry "muffin" but it was good.

March 27: Sour Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Sour Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups (11.25 oz) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 pound dried sour cherries or cherry-flavored cranberries

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-size bowl; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream; scrape the sides of the bowl. Stir in the orange and lemon zest.
3. Stir the flour mixture and oats into the creamed mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in the cherries. Cover and chill for 2 hours up to overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line two baking sheets with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
5. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of chilled dough about 2 1/2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the cookies appear browned around the edges and set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dry Ingredients

Addition of eggs

Addition of sour cream and vanilla

Addition of lemon and orange zest

Addition of oats

Addition of dry ingredients

Addition of craisins

Thoughts: Another pretty straightforward cookie although I hate recipes that use zest...only because I'm not crazy about grating the orange and lemon. I couldn't find dried sour cherries so I found Ocean Spray cherry flavored cranberries. I made one slight substitution in that I used light sour cream instead of regular because I had it on hand already. I baked the first batch at 10 minutes and I thought they came out a little dark so I changed the baking time to 9 minutes and it seemed to make the difference. The last couple cookies came out very runny so I tossed those.

November 11: Lemon Rosemary Shortbread

Lemon Rosemary Shortbread

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (3.4 oz) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons rice flour
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3 oz) butter, cut up and room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Grease an 8-inch round metal cake pan and set aside.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, rice flour, lemon zest, rosemary, and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is coarse. Add the vanilla and pulse to mix. Place the dough on a flat surface and shape into a ball. Press into the prepared pan cake pan and poke holes in the top with the tines of a fork. Chill the dough in the pan for 1 hour or until ready to bake.
3. Preheat the oven to 300 and place a rack in the center.
4. Bake for 38-42 minutes, or until set. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Cut into 12 wedges while still warm, then let cool completely in the pan.

Addition of butter

Addition of vanilla

Thoughts: I don't own a 8 inch metal cake pan so I used a 8 inch square glass pan. I also hate things that require the use of zest. I don't know why I had to shape the dough into a ball because then I just flattened it into the pan. Maybe it would make more sense if I had the right pan...I dunno.  The smell of lemon and rosemary is very pungent so much that Patrick only put the piece near his mouth and knew he didn't want to bite down. I thought it was ok but I'm not crazy about lemony stuff.