Sweetness: Southern Recipes to Celebrate the Warmth, the Love, and the Blessings of a Full Life
304
Sweetness: Southern Recipes to Celebrate the Warmth, the Love, and the Blessings of a Full Life
304eBook
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Overview
In Sweetness, Christy Jordan shares 197 recipes for sweet things to eat and drink—recipes that are deeply delicious, rich with tradition, often reaching through generations, and designed with today’s hectic schedules in mind. Because life is just better when you add a little sweetness.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780761189688 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Workman Publishing Company |
| Publication date: | 11/07/2016 |
| Sold by: | Hachette Digital, Inc. |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 304 |
| Sales rank: | 1,008,906 |
| File size: | 28 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
From the Cookie Jar
We didn't have much money growing up. My dad was a police officer and he worked extra jobs on the weekends so Mama could stay home and care for the three of us because that was important to them. Like most families I know (then and now) there was very little wiggle room in Mama's grocery budget. She managed to set a fine table despite that, but it still bothered her that she couldn't afford to buy us treats from time to time like many of our friends had.
Did we feel bad? No sir, not for one minute, because Mama worked hard to provide us with other treats, and one of those was homemade cookies. She usually made cookies twice a week, sometimes more if the neighborhood kids showed up in larger numbers than usual. Everyone knew Mama was always good for a homemade cookie and a glass of Kool-Aid whenever they were over. I have so many memories of the wonderful things my mother baked for us growing up, but at the top of the list has to be those countless pans of fresh-baked comfort.
Monster Cookies
If you want to make a cookie that everyone will fall in love with, start here. Peanut butter, chocolate chips, M&M's, oats for the oat lover, butter for the butter lover — there is so much to love in this chewy cookie that I don't even know where to begin! These are some of my favorite cookies to tuck into lunch boxes and briefcases as little surprises. Makes 5 to 6 dozen cookies
Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the baking sheets
1½ cups chunky peanut butter (see Note)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs
4 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
2½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup mini M&M's
1 Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
2 Combine the peanut butter, sugars, butter, eggs, oats, baking soda, vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and M&M's and beat again until well blended.
3 Form the dough into golf ball–size balls and place them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.
4 Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pans.
Monster Cookies will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 1 week.
NOTE: If you have only creamy peanut butter in your pantry, use that. No need to make a special trip and spend extra money.
All-American Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
My son's favorite cookie is the good old classic chocolate chip, and this has become our standard recipe. The addition of oats helps keep the cookie moist and chewy (even if my teenage son leaves the lid off the cookie jar overnight), while the dark brown sugar and morsels of semisweet chocolate balance it out to make it nothing short of all-around amazing. Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the baking sheets
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
2 Place the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again until blended.
3 Add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until smooth and blended, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Stir in the chocolate chips just until incorporated.
4 Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.
5 Bake until lightly browned at the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheets before transferring to a waxed paper–lined countertop or cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
All-American Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 1 week.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies (and How to Be the Best Mama Ever)
My Katy has loved chocolate since she was a toddler. I let her have a tiny taste one day and she was hooked. Before she could even walk she'd crawl over to me, pull herself up by grabbing on to my pants leg, and say, "I need chocwat." So whenever I make a deeply chocolaty recipe, I know she's going to be thrilled. These wonderfully chewy double chocolate chip cookies are her all-time favorite. They taste like they require a good bit of fuss, so let's just keep how easy they are to make between us. The first time I made them for her, she declared me to be the best mom ever. Whenever I feel like we're running a little low in the "Mama Appreciation" department, I just mix up a batch of these and my cup runneth over! Makes about 3 dozen cookies
1 package (12 ounces) plus 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick)
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted
1 Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2 Pour the package of chocolate chips into a medium-size microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth.
3 Transfer the melted chocolate to a large mixing bowl and add the baking mix, milk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining chocolate chips and beat again on low speed until they are incorporated.
4 Using a tablespoon, drop the dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
5 Let cool on the baking sheets for 4 to 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 1 week.
Choosing Cookie Baking Sheets
The pans you choose for baking cookies have a greater effect on the cookies than most people realize: Too thin and your cookies burn easily; too thick and they may need extra time in the oven. More often than not, when folks have burned cookies, a too thin, old baking sheet is to blame.
When it comes to baking sheets, I prefer stainless steel, preferably commercial grade. You can find these in department stores, but I purchase mine at less than half the cost by checking the restaurant supply section in warehouse stores such as Sam's or Costco. I've been using these baking sheets for over a decade now, ever since I first happened upon them, and they still look like new.
Avoid baking sheets with nonstick coating if possible, mainly because it really isn't necessary. Cookies that don't require it won't stick anyway due to their butter content. Cookies that require greased baking sheets will come right off after a simple application of cooking spray or a light swiping of vegetable shortening. Nonstick baking sheets are also more difficult to clean: Residue left from oils tends to form a sticky film rather than wash right off as it does on stainless ones.
If possible, every kitchen should have at least two half-sheet–size (18x13-inch) stainless-steel commercial-grade baking sheets. I prefer to have four on hand, since I bake in large quantities and use them for so many things.
Flop Cookies
We all make mistakes in life. Everyone. Those folks who seem cool as a cucumber, like they have it all together? Yup, them, too. The difference between success and failure lies in how we handle our mistakes. Do we kick the dirt, plop down, and sag our shoulders in defeat, or do we look at it as Thomas Edison did: "I have not failed. I've just found ten thousand ways that won't work."
It's our spirit that defines, in many ways, how our lives play out. What some choose to view as defeat, others choose to use as a stepping stone. The hope, of course, is that as we grow older we will make fewer mistakes. But the good news is that continuing to make mistakes as we grow older means that our knowledge is growing at a pretty rapid pace. Everything we do that doesn't work out as planned makes another huge deposit into that bank of knowledge. That's how you get to be a wise old person, which is my ultimate goal. (Actually, my goal is to be a wise old person living on top of a mountain somewhere in Tennessee, but I digress....)
Sometimes, though, what we view as a mistake others will consider a success, and so we just stand off to the side, scratching our heads and looking at them like they're crazy. And that is where this cookie recipe enters the picture. I found it in one of my mama's old cookbooks and decided to tweak it to make it easier and more streamlined. The result was a soft, chewy cookie that tasted great but didn't rise as much as I'd like.
I took one bite and thought they were delicious but still — they weren't "pretty." So I chalked it up to an experiment with plans to remake the recipe and get it right later that evening.
And then my kids and husband walked in the door. I didn't have time to tell them the cookies were a flop before the smell had them grabbing cookies off the plate. Their eyes rolled back in their heads. The kids pronounced the cookies "one of the all-time best" and told me I had to make them more often (and why hadn't I made them before?).
I looked at them in utter confusion and told my husband they were flops and I was going to remake them. He looked at me like I'd grown two heads and decided to shave one of them into a mohawk.
"Are you crazy? These are amazing! Don't you dare change these cookies!" he said.
They were gone by that evening, and the next morning, my son, Brady, woke up asking if we had more. It quickly became apparent that I had to give up on improving the recipe because, as fate would have it, my family liked my mistake just as it was. So here ya go. One of the best-tasting flops you ever had. Makes about 4 dozen cookies
3 cups cornflakes, crushed
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
2½ cups brown sugar (light or dark)
2½ cups self-rising flour (see recipe)
1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut (unsweetened will work)
¼ cup milk Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the baking sheets
1 Place the cornflake crumbs in a small bowl and set aside.
2 Combine the butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, coconut, and milk and beat again until well blended. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until cold, 2 to 3 hours.
3 Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
4 Form the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in the crushed cornflakes to coat, placing them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
5 Bake until lightly browned on top, being careful not to burn them, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
Flop Cookies will keep, covered at room temperature, for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Don't Forget to Linger
It's hard to believe that my son is in eleventh grade this year. Another year and he'll be graduating high school and off to college. Not long after that my daughter will follow suit, and my days of watching them begin new grades will be behind me. No more scavenger hunts for school supplies, no more class parties to bake treats for, no more homework to help with, and no more field trips. I miss them already!
It seems like just yesterday I was holding my babies and anticipating their first steps. We tend to think this perception is only in our minds, but my friend Maralee McKee pointed out something in her book, The Gracious Mom's Guide to Authentic Manners, that floored me, and I'm sure it will do the same to you. "Children only live under our roofs for about 20 percent of our lives ... which means about 80 percent of our lives will be spent without daily contact with our kids."
Oh, my heart! No wonder it seems as if they've grown from babies to teenagers overnight. In the grand picture of life, they almost have. After reading that, I felt a renewal in my commitment to really be present when we're together, to remind myself to look in their eyes when they speak to me and take the time to listen — even when I truly have no idea what my tech-savvy son is talking about. The truth is that I am so deeply interested in and fascinated by their lives, but it's easy for me to become preoccupied and forget to show them that.
So now, when I send my kids off to another year of school and know I'll do this only a few more times (not like I'm counting though, right?), I am determined to live in the moment. Twenty percent of our lives. Ask your grandparents how quickly it passed and take that to heart.
This evening, knowing that we have only this small percentage, I'll sit down and hold out my hand, grasping the others to form a circle around our table as we give thanks, making sure the kids hear that one of the things I am most thankful for is them.
Tonight, when we have supper, I'm going to remind myself to eat a little slower, ask a few more questions, and take time to linger with the people I cherish most. Because if there is one thing my grandparents taught me, it is that at the end of the day, happiness isn't found in our schedules or to-do lists — it's found in what we choose to linger over.
The sweetness of life is in the lingering.
Milk-Dunkin' Peanut Butter Cookies
Before my husband and I met, he used to keep a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread at his desk to make peanut butter sandwiches for lunch — every single day! You would think that he would get tired of peanut butter sandwiches, but to this day, even though I cook supper every night, my night-owl husband just can't resist the allure of a peanut butter sandwich once in a while before bedtime. I try to help satisfy his craving in other ways as often as I can, so these soft peanut butter cookies come in handy! They are especially good to have on hand for road trips. In fact, my kids will likely remember these as the cookies that I always gave them from the front seat of the car during our many travels as a family. Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the baking sheets
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar (preferably dark)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup peanut butter chips (optional)
1 Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
2 Place the shortening, the 1 cup of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and peanut butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and chips, if using, and mix until incorporated, about 2 minutes. The dough will look a little crumbly.
3 Form or scoop the dough into ½-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
4 Place the remaining granulated sugar in a small bowl. Dip a fork into the sugar and press into each cookie to form a crisscross design.
5 Bake until lightly browned around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes.
Milk-Dunkin' Peanut Butter Cookies will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks.
Real or Imitation?
I often use imitation vanilla instead of pure vanilla extract. The primary reason for this is cost. I can purchase a large bottle of imitation vanilla for only a fraction of the price of real vanilla, and no one in my family is able to tell the difference. I know a lot of my readers prefer real vanilla and many even make their own. Occasionally, I will pick up a bottle of the "real stuff" and enjoy it until it runs out. That is when my handy imitation vanilla is always waiting in the wings. I applaud using what works best for you either way!
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Sweetness"
by .
Copyright © 2016 Christy Jordan.
Excerpted by permission of Workman Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Preface,
Why Is It That We Cook?,
Chapter 1: From the Cookie Jar,
Chapter 2: Deeply Delicious Brownies and Bars,
Chapter 3: Poke Cakes, Pound Cakes, Layer Cakes, and Love,
Chapter 4: Homemade Pies Made Easy,
Chapter 5: Cobblers, Puddings, and Sweet Rolls,
Chapter 6: Quick Breads, Muffins, and Breakfast (or Anytime) Treats,
Chapter 7: Old-Fashioned Fruit Salads,
Chapter 8: Simple Candies and Sweet Snacks,
Chapter 9: Sweet Sippins,
Chapter 10: Pantry,
Acknowledgments,
Conversion Tables,
About the Author,