Growing Up Creative

My kitchen counter

I came home late today after  a     l   o   n  g    meeting at a kitchen and bath place helping some clients with choosing materials and fixtures for their dream house. I was greeted with hugs and kisses (not just from the dog) and a big cry for baking cookies (our house specialty).
There was no way in the world I could say ‘NO’…so, I set Ori down on my not so dreamy kitchen counter, next to my tiny sink, and not so user friendly faucet. I was thinking of the kitchen I have just finished accessorizing. And you know what, I wasn’t wishing to have their kitchen not for even a second.
The cookies came out great as usual.
You can find the recipe here.
 






tali

Ruthi’s mom chocolate cake

Baking with Ori

 

I had a friend many years ago - Ruthie. Her mom was a math teacher by day and a wizard baker by night. Friday afternoon came and she would put on her apron and bake like there was no tomorrow. She shared 3 of her recipes with me and I am sharing the first one with you.

Ruthi’s mom amazing chocolate cake.
Note: This cake has only one spoon of flour which can be easily substituted with rice flour or matzo mill for Passover.

Ingredients:
200 gr (7 oz) bitter sweet chocolate
200 gr butter (a little less than 2 sticks)
1 spoon (more or less) Vanilla extract
1 spoon (more or less) Rum
1 spoon (more or less) Cognac 
¾ cups of sugar
6 eggs
200 gr (7 oz) crushed walnuts (optional)
1 spoon of flour
1 tea spoon baking powder

How to:
Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
After it is melted turn off the stove, add vanilla, rum and cognac.

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites, gradually add the sugar. Beat until egg whites are firm.
Add the chocolate mixture to the egg whites.
Add the yolks

Pour a third of the mixture into a separate bowl and put a side.

Add walnuts, the flour and the baking powder to the rest of the mixture.

Pour into a pan, bake in medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.
When it is done, pour the rest of the mixture onto the cake, and wait until it cools down before eating (if you can)

Enjoy.

The real treat for me nonetheless was not the cake but baking with Ori.

Cookies on a stick

For Zoe’s preschool graduation, a couple of years ago, Ms. Pickles the preschool cook, baked the kids a cookie on a stick.
Today we have finally tried it ourselves. Well, they didn’t come out as nice, but they are all already gone! The preparation was accompanied with much excitement and an unavoidable built up anticipation for the reinvented old school cookie, irresistible with a glass of milk.

You will need:
20 Craft sticks or popsicles sticks
A glass of milk per child/ or a child at heart

For The dough:
125 gr/ approx one stick of unsalted butter
½ cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tea spoon vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
½ tea spoon baking powder

How to:
Mix all the ingredients. Let cool in the refrigerator for approx 30 minutes (cover it up so it doesn’t dry)
Form a small ball of dough
Insert a craft stick/ Popsicle stick into center of dough.
Flatten dough keeping stick in the center into desired shape; we have made hearts, circles with dough pieces pasted on top for face features, and stars.
Bake with the stick till the cookies are golden. The stick should not burn, only turn a little yellow. If the stick appears brown, lower the heat a little and keep on baking.
After the cookies were done we have decorated them with royal icing and sprinkles on top. 

For Royal Icing:
Mix egg white with sugar powder, keep on adding sugar powder till the mixture is thick.
Apply on top of cookies. Decorate with sprinkles; let the icing harden.

Note: the dough recipe is for sugar cookies. It is a recipe I have been using with great success. you may use any other butter cookie recipe or sugar cookie recipe for that matter.

Enjoy it (and share with friends)