Toffee Pecan Cookies and a Giveaway

Every once in a while an email lands in my inbox that gets me excited just by reading the subject line. This was the case when Elizabeth from Tate's Bake Shop contacted me to inquire if I was interested in reviewing some of their cookies and cookbook. Cookies and a cookbook, ummm, yes please! What made this even more exciting was the fact that I had known of Tate's Bake Shop cookies for quite some time, but have never had the pleasure of trying them myself. The bakery was founded by Kathleen King and is located in Southhampton, NY. The cookies are actually quite famous and have been featured in Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and InStyle Magazine, just to name a few.

The package arrived promptly and I couldn't wait to taste test. Of course, I had my trusty crew (my husband and kids) help me with this enormous "chore".  The first thing I recognized when opening the cookies was the fact that not one of them were broken or chipped, which might be due to the fact that they are all hand-packed with care. They contain all natural ingredients that you can taste with every bite. The cookies are actually quite flat and crispy compared to most cookies my family has been used to.  The smell is incredible on these cookies, they are buttery with lovely caramel undertones. Considering the cookies my family usually prefers, it was quite a surprise of how quickly they were gone, but they were quite addicting. The front runner by far were the White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut cookies, followed by the Chocolate Chip and then Oatmeal Raisin. My husband and I really loved the Oatmeal Raisin since it has the perfect amount of spice to it without any of them standing out or being overpowering, but the kids crowned both of the chocolate varieties the winner. 

I've also had the pleasure of reviewing Kathleen Kings cookbook. There are quite a few recipes inside that I have bookmarked already. All of the recipes are down to earth with readily available ingredients. When trying to figure out which one to bake first I was faced with quite a hard decision, but ended up picking the Toffee Pecan Cookies. They sounded perfect for the season and quite frankly, ended up being absolutely divine. My daughter, exclaimed that these cookies are so awesome you don't even miss the fact that they don't include chocolate, while my youngest proclaimed "now that is a good cookie, it tastes just like a cookie should", which is pretty much the highest compliment ever from a 9 year old boy ;o)

The cookie and cookbook review was made just a little sweeter since Tate's Bake Shop is also giving away the same cookie gift-pack and cookbook to one lucky reader. Keep them for yourself, or give them as a gift, the choice is yours.

*This Giveaway is Closed*

To enter the giveaway here is what you need to do (Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry):

To enter: Since 'tis the season, let me know your favorite cookie to eat or bake during the Holidays in the comments section

For Bonus Entries (again, please use separate comments):

• Like Tate's on facebook and let me know in the comments that you did
• Follow me on Google Friend connect and let me know that you do, or did
• Like Susi's Kochen und Backen Adventures on facebook and let me know that you do, or did
• Follow Susi's Kochen und Backen on Twitter @susiiscooking and let me know that you do, or   did
• Tweet about the giveaway yourself and let me know that you did

If you play along you can get up to 6 entries for this giveaway

• Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only, no P.O. Boxes please
• Giveaway is open until Monday, December 13th at Midnight Pacific time
• I will pick a winner via Random.org and will announce the winner on Tuesday, December 14th

Also, Tate's Bake Shop has graciously offered a 15% off coupon for all of you readers through the 31st of December. All you have to do is enter the code "cookie" during check-out on their website

Toffee Pecan Cookies 

(Printable Version)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups instant quick oats
1 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 cups toffee bits


Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two cookie sheet or line them with Silpat (parchment paper will work as well).

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and oatmeal. Set it aside.

In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugars till creamy. Add the egg and mix well. Add the vanilla and mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat them till they are combined. Don't overmix. Stir in the toffee bits and pecans.

Using two tablespoons, drop the cookie dough two inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet.

Bake them for 12 to 15 minutes for chewy cookies and 18 to 20 minutes for crunchy cookies. The crunchy cookies will be browner in the middle and firmer to the touch.

Adapted from: Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

Have you ever taken the time and looked at the ingredient list of store bought granola bars?  I have, and I was truly appalled to find so many strange ingredients listed in the nutritional info of several well known brands. Shouldn't something so wholesome be well, wholesome? Shouldn't you be able to feel good if you are packing them for your kids lunch or as a snack? I certainly thought so, and after seeing quite a few fantastic looking granola bars pop up on some of the blogs I read, I set out to find a version my family would love.

I didn't have to look further than Foodnetwork.com which had a basic granola bar recipe from the incomparable Ina Garten. I figured it was a great starting point. I loved the simplicity of her ingredients in the bars and only added a few of my own touches to end up with something that my kids think is "sell-worthy", but then again, they are kind of biased and I pay them to say things like that.

I used the recipe as more of a guideline and encourage you to do the same. The sky is the limit as far as flavor combinations are concerned. There are truly so many options when it comes to this recipe. You can chose any nut (I used almonds) but anything from pecans, to walnuts or pistachios would be wonderful. The dried fruit part is equally adjustable to your taste preferences. I used dried cranberries, but again anything from raisins to dried apricots or cherries would be lovely. I do think a couple of things are key though. Use only high quality ingredients in this recipe, they are a must for flavor. Also, watch the oats and nuts along with the coconut closely while toasting in the oven, you definitely don't want to burn it. The recipe calls for toasted wheat germ, I just toasted it on top of the stove in a dry pan but it also requires a watchful eye. There is not much difference in the time between a perfectly toasted batch and burned wheat germ, sometimes that means only a matter of seconds. Last but not least, I rounded out my granola bars with semi-sweet chocolate chips and some roasted sunflower kernels.

These bars are wonderful! Once baked and cooled they can be stored in an air-tight container for at least a week, that is, if they last that long. This is going in my recipe file and I will be making them many more times. The best compliment was probably from my husband though, who is not a granola bar eater like the rest of us, but who fell in love with them and has been eating one every day for his breakfast. I definitely know they are good when that happens.

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut, loosely packed

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

3/4 cup sunflower kernels, roasted

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and line with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the toasted wheat germ and sunflower kernels.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the cranberries and stir well. Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes then stir in the chocolate chips. If you do this any earlier they will just melt.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into rectangles or squares. Serve at room temperature.

Adapted from: Ina Garten

Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies

With the beginning of the school year already looming over our heads (my three children go to year round school), lazy days are coming to an end for us. I'm already back into school mode with Meet the Teacher nights, schedules and organizing pick ups. This year will be a bittersweet one since it is our oldest's last year in high school. With all of this excitement ready to start here soon, it is important to have healthy snacks on hand since days can get very busy. 

I've mentioned before that my kids love eating fruits and vegetables, but like any kid, they also crave sweets like cookies. While we do have the occasional treat, most of the things I've made for the blog (with the exception of ice cream) has been given to friends, neighbors, and colleagues. There are only a few things that were gone so quickly I didn't have a chance to hand it out (like Nanaimo Bars).

While I was looking for a cookie recipe to make for the kids that would be sweet and treat like but with healthier ingredients and not too terribly high in fat and calories, I came across these Iced Applesauce Cookies in Martha Stewart's Cookies book. The recipe sounded promising, and after a few small modifications, I had a great cookie that was happily eaten by everyone.

To make it more appealing for my kids, I swapped the raisins for craisins since none of them care for the first that much.  I also reduced some of the sugar (they were still plenty sweet), and used all natural applesauce. I also exchanged some of the all purpose flour and replaced it with some whole wheat flour. The glaze for this cookie called for a whopping 1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar which I was able to scale back to only 1 cup along with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. This still yielded more than enough glaze for all the cookies.

This is a great after school, on the go, or even lunchbox snack that I truly feel good about giving to my kids.

Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies

(adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies)

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 large eggs

1/2 cup all natural applesauce

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup stone ground whole wheat flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup craisins

For the icing:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon water

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined. Add egg and applesauce; mix until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in oats, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix in craisins.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until golden and just set, 13 to 15 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool ion sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack set over parchment paper; let cool completely.

Make icing: Whisk confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, and water until smooth. Drizzle over cookies; let set. Cookies can be storied in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days. Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

Breakfast time is serious business at our home. My kids are unhappy if there isn't a good variety to choose from. They are quite satisfied if I have a couple of cereals to chose from or my breakfast burritos are in the freezer. I also tend to make muffins and freeze those for easy grab and go breakfasts, but with the temperatures outside being already hot in the morning, breakfast isn't as appealing as usually.

Since I believe that a well balanced breakfast is important to start the day right, I'm trying to come up with different choices for those already steamy mornings. This is where the Strawberry Oatmeal Smoothie comes in handy. This smoothie is very easy to make, super filling, and perfect even if you are on the go.

The ingredients in this smoothie harmonize well together, but it also lends itself to a variety of different ingredients. Look at it like a blank canvas and just pick and choose whatever sounds good to you and your family. For example: soy milk, replace it with regular milk or almond milk. Don't care for bananas? Use a different fruit. Don't have strawberries? Go with raspberries or blackberries. Instead of honey, use brown sugar, white sugar, maple syrup or agave nectar. The possibilities are endless.

This smoothie has been a staple for breakfast and even a few lunches for a couple of weeks now, and so far the kids have not grown tired of it and all it's endless combinations. The recipe makes 1 very large or two smaller smoothies but can easily be doubled. 

I hope you'll give this smoothie a try and enjoy it for your next breakfast as much as we do.

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

 ~makes 2~
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup Vanilla soy milk (I use the light kind)

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 banana, broken into chunks

14 frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 to 1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

In a blender add rolled oats. Process until almost powder like. Add soy milk, yogurt, banana, strawberries and blueberries, vanilla and honey. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Ice Cream Fridays: Oatmeal-Raisin Ice Cream

Today I'm introducing you to Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday during the next few months (or until I get tired of it) you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see. Who knows, you might just get lucky and it will be featured the following week.

To kick this series off I chose Oatmeal-Raisin Ice Cream, which is another amazing recipe from the incomparable David Lebovitz. This ice cream is so delicious, that once you have your first bite you might never consider eating any other frozen confection.

There are practically three components to this ice cream, but all of them are easy enough that you can work ahead and let them hang out for a few hours if needed. First you have your plumped up raisins, then the oatmeal praline and last but not least your ice cream base. Even though this recipe is more labor intensive then vanilla ice cream, I didn't mind the work. I made the oatmeal praline first, then started on the raisins, and while those got nice and fat I worked on the custard which then had to cool for a few hours before churning everything in my ice cream maker.

This ice cream took us all by surprise, and is probably one of the best ice creams I have had in the last year. It tasted just like an oatmeal raisin cookie but in ice cream form. My husband couldn't get enough of this one, and I'm already planning on making another batch soon. Please give this one a try, you won't regret it!

Oatmeal Raisin Ice Cream

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

Raisins:

1/4  cup (60 ml) water

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup (80 g) raisins

2 teaspoons dark rum

Ice Cream:

1 cup (250 ml) whole milk

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream

1/3 cup (70 g) packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 large egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Oatmeal Praline (Recipe to follow)

Directions:

To prepare the raisins, heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Add the raisins and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until all but about 2 tablespoons of the syrup has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the rum.

To make the ice cream, warm the milk, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk the cream, brown sugar, and cinnamon together into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as your stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Mix in the vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the raisins and Oatmeal Praline.

Oatmeal Praline

(makes 1 cup)

3/4 cup (75 g) rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 cup (100 g) sugar

Pinch of coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with foil, spread the oats evenly on the sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice while baking, until the oats are fragrant and nicely toasted. Remove from the oven.

Spread the sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed skilled and cook over medium heat, watching it carefully. When it begins to liquefy and darken at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to stir it very gently, encouraging the heat of the liquefied sugar around the edges to moisten and melt the sugar crystals in the center.

Tilt the pan and stir gently until all the sugar is melted and the caramel begins to smoke. Once the mixture is deep golden, remove it from the heat and immediately add the oats to the skillet (lift the foil to guide them in quickly). Return  the foil to the baking sheet.

Stir the oats gently but quickly, coating them with the caramel. Scrape the oats onto the foil-lined baking sheet and spread them as well as possible. Sprinkle with the salt and let cool completely. Once firm, break the pralined oats into small pieces by pulsing them in a food processor or placing the pieces in a heavy-duty plastic bag and smacking them with a mallet or rolling pin. 

Adapted from: The Perfect Scoop