Pinwheel Cookies

I wonder if it's the spiral pattern in these cookies that made them such a favourite with my kids while growing up. It might just be the chocolate vanilla combination along with their crisp texture.

Whatever the reason, many years later, everyone's face still lights up when they discover a batch cooling on the counter. One family member still opts for a cookie jar full of pinwheel cookies in lieu of a birthday cake.

This cookie dough is tasty and inexpensive to make but yields great results.

It's the perfect dough for any cut out cookie because it retains its shape very well. In other words, you don't cut out a gingerbread man shape and end up with a grizzly bear after baking.

This dough works so well in this respect that I've expirimented beyond the familiar pinwheel shape.

Let this simple dough and an assortment of interesting cookie cutters spark your immagination. See some of my ideas below.

(Click on the photos for a larger view)

But I think the original pinwheel cookie will always have a special place in the memories of those who have enjoyed them.

Pinwheel Cookies

1/2 cup margarine softened to room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 extra large egg
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 (one ounce square) unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
Milk to brush between layers of dough

1. In a medium bowl cream margarine, sugar and vanilla until fluffy, beat in egg.
2. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Blend dry ingredients into creamed mixture with wooden spoon or spatula.
3. Divide dough in half. Blend melted chocolate into one half of the dough.
4. Between two sheets of wax paper, roll each half into a 12x 10 inch rectangle. (approximate size)
5. Brush chocolate layer with some milk then place white layer on top of the chocolate one.
6. Brush white layer with milk then starting at the widest end roll tightly like a jelly roll.
7. Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
8. Cut into 1/4 inch slices and bake on ungreased cookie sheets in a preheated 375 F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• If you don't have any chocolate baking squares on hand, substitute 3 heaping full tablespoons of semisweet chocolate chips melted.
• Once you have formed the roll, you can freeze it for later baking. When ready to bake, remove.
• from freezer and let defrost about 10 minutes, slice and bake as directed in recipe.
• To retain round shape of cookie dough use the cardboard cente of a paper towel roll. Cut it open along it's length and place prepared dough inside. Then chill or freeze.
• To maintain uniform thickness of dough while rolling out, use large size clean plastic food bags like Glad bags (not ziplock). Place dough inside and roll with rolling pin right to the edges of bag. Fold over open end of bag and roll dough right to the fold. Then cut open bag along the edges and peel off. This works well for any cut out cookie recipie as well as the pinwheel dough layers.
• You can add a few drops of food colour to the white dough and replace the vanilla extract with any extract of your choice for a different flavour. For the red hearts, I mixed some cinnamon and red food colouring and added it to the white dough. Worked well for Valentine's Day cookies.

(Click on the photos for a larger view)

Cream Puffs: The Story of Sweet Success

Had to think a while about my first entry. There’s so much I want to share, but first things first. I’ve decided to honour the person who encouraged me to start this blog and provided the technical support needed to actually set it up and get it going.

So Elizabeth, a big thanks as I feature your favourite dessert.

I’ve always believed that food experiences make for some of the best memories and hopefully not too many bad ones. Cream puffs and sweet success are a combination of words that can only bring a huge smile to Elizabeth’s face for years to come.

During her university years, each time she passed a set of exams or graduated, actually after any notable accomplishment a white pastry box would appear in the fridge.

It was tied up with pretty ribbon and had a tag attached on which was written “sweet success”. Actually, those were the words written on the first tag. Subsequent tags read “more sweet success and more and more sweet success etc.” Needless to say, I’ve made a lot of cream puffs. I think she’s working on something else as I write this so she can get more cream puffs.

My childhood recollection of cream puffs is quite different but just as memorable.

In those days, you could buy a prepackaged box of ingredients. You actually got two sticks of a shortening and flour mix, they were about the size of two sticks of butter. You would crumble them into a bowl and then beat in four eggs one at a time.

We didn’t own an electric mixer. The next best thing on hand was a sturdy wooden spoon.

So we only baked cream puffs when we could talk my father into providing the manpower needed to incorporate those eggs into the ingredients from the box. Most times he would comply but I do remember a few disappointing occasions.

My recipe for cream puffs is simple and I’ve used it for many years. How could four simple ingredients that are actually staples in most kitchens be transformed into such delightful morsels you might ask? You’re going to have to find out for yourself. I’m going to the kitchen to bake a batch so that I can post a picture for you.

Yes Elizabeth, I’ll save you some but this time the “sweet success” is all mine!

Cream Puffs Recipe

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup water
6 tablespoons corn oil
¼ teaspoon of salt
4 large eggs

1. Bring the water, oil and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and add the flour all at once.
2. Stir until it forms a ball. Transfer batter to a clean bowl and cool for a minute or two then with mixer beat in eggs one at a time making sure that each egg is well mixed in before adding the next one.
3. Place batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip or plain round tip and pipe onto a greased and floured cookie sheet. (either cream puff shape or small éclairs)
4. Bake in a preheated 425 F oven for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 to 35 more minutes or until golden brown.
5. Remove from oven and immediately make a slit in each puff to let steam escape (don’t cut it right through)
6. Cool completely on a rack. Fill with sweetened, vanilla flavoured whipping cream (35% cream)
7. Sift icing sugar or melted chocolate over the tops. Makes about 24 to 30 depending on the size you make.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Instead of greasing and flouring pans, parchment paper works very well, also less cleanup.
• Remember that cooking times given are approximate since oven temperatures and size of puffs vary.
• Fill with your favourite custard or even ice cream instead.
• No piping bag? Drop batter from a tablespoon instead in the shape you want.
• These are more like 2 or 3 bite cream puffs, you can make larger ones if you want. The good news about this size is that you can actually eat 2 of these before you start counting the calorie intake .
• When refrigerating leftovers, do not close in airtight container, cover loosely with wax paper to prevent puffs from getting soggy.
• After making a slit in them ,while they are still on the cooling rack, return them to the warm oven for 15 to 20 minutes (oven must be turned off.) This will give you a drier crisper shell that will resist getting soggy as fast.

Now enjoy your “sweet success”

A Blog is Born

Congratulations, it’s a blog!

Finally, after weeks and even months of decision making, planning and the pain of being computer challenged, the time was approaching.Coming up with the right name further delayed the delivery, nothing sounded quite right. It had to be something I felt comfortable with. Finally, quite incidentally I might add, it came to me.

A few weeks ago, my daughter Elizabeth told me that she woke up one morning to the sounds of me moving around in the kitchen downstairs.This would be quite normal except for the fact that she has been married for the last year and a half and lives twenty minutes away. I thought it was kind of funny but must admit that I felt good about having instilled in her a memory that would be with her for a long time.

A few days later I was rattling around in the kitchen around 5:00 a.m. while my husband and son were still upstairs sleeping. I wondered how they could sleep through all the noise I was making. Well of course, they could tolerate the discomfort of a little noise at such an ungodly hour if the reward was a yummy breakfast and a focaccia or two to take for the days’ lunch.

At that moment I decided on the name. At my house someone is almost always in the kitchen.

That would be me.

In the days and months to come I hope to share some recipes that have become family favourites at my house throughout the years.

Someone’s in the kitchen…………………come on in!