Murder, Mystery, and Baking - Stress Therapy

...three things I love in a good book.  However, since I haven't been feeling well, I have spent the weekend reading this book.  My weekend included hot tea, ibuprofen, kleenex, vapo-rub, and lots and lots of sea water nasal spray.

Joanne Fluke's books must send out a subliminal message - Bake!  Bake!  Bake!

So I did just that.  Even though I had to sit and rest (even taking a well earned nap) in between, I baked.  


Those muffins (in the first cookie/muffin photo) are zucchini muffins from Candy's blog at Lazy J Bar C Farm.  You can see my son stole one off the rack before I could take a photo.

The original recipe for this recipe (Coconut Walnut Cookies) is from the blogspot A Home Grown Journal, by Mama Pea.  I didn't have sour cream so I used ricotta, and didn't have walnuts, so I used pecans.   It was snowing out, roads were and I felt bad.  So...I made do with what I did have.

These were amazing.  The family devoured them.  I believe this recipe will be used for the next Christmas gathering.


Then I finished the book, and had to try a few of the author's recipes that were in it.

So I baked Watermelon Cookies.  It sounded different, so what can I say?

We now, after baking these, call them "Kool-aid" cookies, because you can use any flavored Kool-aid.

The synopsis on the Watermelon Cookies:  they taste like a Jolly Rancher, and kids love them.  They did turn out a pretty pink color, and would be perfect for Valentine's Day (using the Watermelon Kool-aid).  I think these would win any kid. Hubby liked the flavor, and the co-worker work he shared them with also liked them.  

Watermelon Cookies

(adapted with organic ingredients, from Apple Turnover Murder, by Joanne Fluke) 

1 pkg. (recipe calls for .16 oz, but I think it's only made in a .15 oz pkg. anymore) of Watermelon Kool-aid powder (don't get the kind that already has sugar or sugar substitute added).

1 2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups butter, softened (2 1/2 sticks, 10 oz.

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup)

1/2 cup granulated sugar in a bowl (we used less than a 1/3 cup)

Preheat oven to 325°F

 

Mix the water Kool-aid with the sugar.  Add the softened butter and mix until fluffy.  Add the eggs and mix well.

Mix in the salt and baking soda until it is incorporated. Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition.

Roll dough into balls one inch in diameter in you hands, and roll the balls in the sugar.  Place them on cookies sheets that have been sprayed with non-stick spray, or use parchment paper.  Bake at 325°F for 10-12 minutes until golden around the egdes.   Do not overbake.

Let the cookies cool no more than 1 minute on the cookie sheets, and then cool completely on wire racks.   

    

Penny Pinching Tip:  I reused my parchment paper for both cookie recipes. It worked fine.  I simply wiped off any crumbs and reused my two pieces.  I'm saving them for another recipe.  Parchment paper is not cheap, so this was a nice discovery.


Okay, so stress had a lot to do with all of this baking, but the book gave me the push.

Next, we tried the Sausage and Cheese Pancakes.  These were very good.   Also a recipe from the book.  If I owned a diner, these would be on my menu.  These taste better alone, without the syrup, but would be very good with a fried egg on top.  The batter is very thick and sticky, so putting it on the griddle was a bit of a task.  You cannot "pour" this batter.  We doubled the recipe, but could have tripled it for our family.

Well, I guess I need another book from the library.  I'm out of eggs and sugar anyway.  And I don't feel like going anywhere.

Sausage and Cheese Pancakes

 (adapted from Apple Turnover Murder, by Joanne Fluke)

 1 large egg, organic

1 cup, plain organic yogurt

1/4 cup heavy cream (light works too)

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 

2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup ground, fried, breakfast sausage

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Beat the egg with a whisk in a med. bowl until fluffy.  Whisk in the yogurt, cream and oil.

In a small bowl, combine the baking powder, baking soda, and salt with the flour.  Mix until evenly distributed (I used a whisk).  Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir well.

Add the fried sausage and cheese. Stir.

Pour onto a griddle.  I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop and drop, using a spoon to spread out the batter on the griddle.

Note:  You can make the batter ahead the night before and add the sausage and cheese the next day.  I haven't tried making my batter the night before, but I will be soon. 

We also thought that it could use a wee bit more fried sausage, when we doubled the recipe.

Enjoy!