Cookies We Love: Galletas con Chochitos (Mexican Butter Cookies with Sprinkles)

It’s cookie baking time once again and this year I am lucky enough to bake with the same special group of baker’s that I have baked with in the past!  So excited!!! 

Special thanks to Courtney of Coco Cooks for organizing us again this year!

It’s cookie baking time once again and this year I am lucky enough to bake with the same special group of baker’s that I have baked with in the past!  So excited!!! 

This year's challenge will feature a minimum of four types of cookies, spread out over four weeks ~ all chosen from Saveur's Smart Cookies: Favorite Holiday Treats From Around the World feature. As in years past, each of us will choose our cookies at random, independently from one another. We may post the same cookies on the same weeks, or we may all post something different. In any case, it will be fun to see everyone's take on the same set of recipes. I know I'm looking forward to it!

Who's involved in this completely fabulous baking group? Here's a complete list:

• Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes
• Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen
• Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook
• Judy of No Fear Entertaining
• Kelly of Sass & Veracity
• Michelle of Big Black Dog
• RJ of Flamingo Musings
• Tiffany of The Nesting Project
• Courtney of Coco Cooks
• Sandy of At the Baker's Bench

Be sure to visit each of these blogs weekly and see what the other baking bloggers are up to!

My very late cookies for this week are…

Galletas con Chochitos (Mexican Butter Cookies with Sprinkles)

These are so cute and we all loved them!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter,
   softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract, preferably
   Mexican
3 egg yolks
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Multicolored sprinkles, for
   decorating

Directions:

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a mixer, beat together sugar, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add yolks one at a time; beat. Add dry ingredients; mix. Roll dough into a 12"-long cylinder. Cut cylinder into 3 pieces; roll each into a 12"-long cylinder. Cut each cylinder into twelve 1"-long pieces. Roll each into a ball; transfer to a lined baking sheet. Flatten each into a small disk; using your finger, poke a hole in center of each disk. Chill for 1 hour. Heat oven to 300°. Brush each ring with egg white; dip into sprinkles to coat. Return to baking sheets; bake for 15 minutes. Let cool.

MAKES 3 DOZEN

Royal Foodie Joust

Well I have to say that this has probably been one of the toughest challenges that I have done so far. I have been trying to participate in as many challenges as was humanly possible this time of the year. The Royal Foodie Joust is one of my favorites! It is hosted each month By Jenn-The Left-Over Queen. I think this is my 3rd Joust and I am not sure if it was the season or the ingredients but this took me forever to do! The ingredients this month were chosen by Emiline and boy were they tough. I had to make something that had Pomegranate, Mint and Pistachios???!!! I had no clue as to what I was gong to do...then it came to me. I could make brownies out of this one!!! I have an ongoing, long time love affair with brownies. I can honestly say that that is the one food that I have eaten over and over and never really tasted a bad one. Think about it. It is the perfect marriage of rich chocolaty fudge like cake. Anyway enough about brownies and onto the recipe.

These turned out way better than I ever could have even imagined and I will most definitely make these again! Probably one of my favorite recipes now!!!

Mint Pomegranate Brownies

Hope you all enjoy! I will be back asking for your votes come the first of the year!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Halloween Pumpkin Cookies

Halloween is coming up fast and I am always looking for some new recipes. We have all had the sugar cookies decorated but this year I found something different!

You can search for more cookie recipes and aticles on www.cookierecipeonline.com .

Halloween Pumpkin Cookies
by Diana Rattray

These pumpkin cookies are topped with a browned butter icing and chopped walnuts. Halloween cookies are great for a party or any other Autumn get-together.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nuts
Browned Butter Icing, below

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and smooth. Beat in eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. In another bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to the first mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in chopped pecans or other nuts. Drop cookie dough by spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets, or use Silpat-type sheets or parchment paper to line baking sheets. Bake pumpkin cookies at 375° for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool cookies on racks then spread with browned butter icing (below).

Browned Butter Icing

6 tablespoons butter
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, unsifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk, or enough for spreading consistency
chopped pecans or other nuts

Brown butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; remove from heat. Blend in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Beat in milk to desired spreading consistency. Frost the Halloween cookies and sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.

Let me know how you like them. You may get around to making them before me!!!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/