Cowboy Cookies

When I was looking up the Silo Cookies recipe, I came across a few comments from people saying it reminded them of Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies, which remind me of Ranger Cookies that my Aunt Barbara's mother used to make. Cowboy Cookies have rolled oats and cinnamon and Ranger cookies have Wheaties. I don't like buying a box of Wheaties just to make the cookies since you only need 2 cups, and then the rest of it goes to waste in my house. I'm much more likely to have rolled oats on hand, so I wanted to give these a try.

The original recipe makes a lot of cookies, so I only made a half recipe. In order to do this, I had to split 3 eggs to get 1.5 eggs. I took 2 eggs, beat them together and then removed 2 Tablespoons. You could also weigh an egg and split it according to weight.

Like the Silo cookie recipe, I mixed the chocolate chips, rolled oats, coconut and pecans together in a bowl first before adding them all to the cookie batter, to ensure they were mixed in well.

I used my large cookie scoop (that I usually use for muffin batter) and got 25 cookies out of this recipe. I put 8 on a cookie sheet at a time to give them room to spread since they are big cookies. This dough does not say it needs refrigerated, but while the first tray was in the oven, I put the other 2 trays in the fridge until it was time to bake them. If you have the time, I suggest letting each tray chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking, as it helps prevent the batter from spreading like it did on the first tray that I did not refrigerate.

I baked them for 15 minutes, until they were a little brown around the edges but still looked undercooked on top. I took them out of the oven and then let them sit in the pans for about 10 minutes before touching them. They finished baking that way and then looked perfect! These cookies were really good and I'm glad I gave them a try.

Cowboy Cookies

Adapted from the Washington Post's version of Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookie Recipe

 

This recipe is a half recipe of the original, which calls for 3 eggs. To get half of 3 eggs, you can either just use only one egg, or beat two eggs and remove about 2 tablespoons.

The bigger the cookie, the more chewy it can be. So if you like chewy cookies, make them big.  If you want a chewy cookie, cook them until the edges are browned, but not the whole cookie. If you cook the cookie until it is all nicely browned, it will be more crisp.

 

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (6 ounces) butter, at room temperature

¾ cup white sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

1½ large eggs, beaten (See Recipe Note)

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (we used shredded)

1 cup chopped pecans

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F: Place racks in upper and lower third of oven. Line two large baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.

 

Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

 

Make the cookie dough: Place butter in a standing electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth and light, about 1 minute. Slowly add in the white sugar and brown sugar, and beat to combine, about 2 more minutes. Add half the eggs, beat, and then add the other half and beat again. Add the vanilla extract and beat again. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture, until just combined. Add the chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans, mixing until just combined.

 

Scoop out the cookies: If you want large cookies, drop about ¼ cup lumps of the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, separated by 3 inches to allow for enough room for the cookies to spread as they cook. For smaller cookies, use about 2 tablespoons of the cookie dough per cookie.

 

Bake the cookies: Bake at 350°F for 14 to 18 minutes for large cookies, or 13 to 16 minutes for small cookies. Rotate the pan halfway through baking, front to bake and top to bottom.

 

Simple Tip! If you are using a dark baking sheet, it will absorb more heat, and you won't need as much baking time. Also, the top rack will bake more quickly because heat rises.

 

Cool the cookies: Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then remove the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

 

You'll likely need to work in batches, depending on the size of your oven and your baking sheets.

 

Yield: 25-36 cookies.

Credit: White House Archives

Silo Cookies

I recently saw a reel on the Magnolia Network Instagram page about Silo Cookies. I've been wanting to make them and finally did today. I followed the recipe exactly, other than using a 1.5-ounce cookie scoop since that's the biggest size I have (it was plenty big - I usually use it for muffin batter). The recipe says this makes 18 cookies but I got 28 cookies out of 1 recipe, and they took a few minutes longer to bake (15-16 minutes or so).

Note that the cookies need to be refrigerated for at least 30 minutes before baking. I originally put 12 cookies on each baking sheet, but then realized how much they might spread, so I ended up baking only 8 on a cookie sheet at a time, which worked well.

These cookies were really good and I love that they have so many different things in them. Even my picky eater who usually only likes chocolate chips in his cookies loved them! The only things I might try different next time is using Crisco in place of butter (like I do when I make chocolate chip cookies), or using half Crisco and half butter, and maybe increasing the walnuts to 1 cup.

Silo Cookies

Recipe courtesy Joanna Gaines

 

“The credit for this recipe really belongs to Chip and the kids. They each have a different favorite cookie, so one day, I dumped in everyone's must-have ingredient: nuts for Chip, peanut butter for the girls, and chocolate for the boys. It was a complete win across the board. So it became our family's signature cookie, and the first item on the menu when we opened Silos Baking Co.”—Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table, Volume 2

 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 cup packed light brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1½ cups rolled oats

1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

1½ cups peanut butter chips

½ cup chopped walnuts

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

 

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until well incorporated. 

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture to the mixer and beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low, add the oats, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and walnuts and beat until incorporated, 15 to 20 seconds.

 

Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto one of the prepared baking sheets, placing the scoops side by side. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

 

Baking in batches, and leaving the dough balls in the refrigerator until needed, set the dough balls 3 inches apart on the second prepared baking sheet and bake until browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining cookies. 

 

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

 

Yield: 18-28 cookies.

Waffles

Tonight I tried a different waffle recipe than the one my husband recently made. The two recipes are very similar with slightly different ingredient amounts. The only thing I changed is that I used 2 tablespoons of sugar instead of 1/4 cup, since we were eating these for dinner. I paired them with Kerrygold butter, maple syrup, fresh fruit and bacon and everyone loved them!

I weighed my flour instead of measuring it, so I left the grams measurements in this recipe. You can use either butter or oil (I recommend light olive oil over vegetable oil) in this recipe, or half of each. Using oil instead of butter will make the waffles more crispy. I used butter and they were delicious, but I will definitely experiment with the other two ways and see what we like best. It's also recommended to heat up the milk a little bit to room temperature because cold milk and melted butter don't mix well - the butter will solidify and clump up.

This made 6 waffles, which was just enough for my family of 4. The only other thing I will do differently next time is make a double recipe so we can freeze some.

Tip: Do not use sprays like Pam on your waffle maker! They make a mess and they cause more harm to the appliance than good. They leave a sticky residue that is very difficult to get off. Instead, don't use anything at all - the nonstick waffle maker shouldn't need anything other than the oil or butter that is already in the batter.

Waffles

Recipe courtesy “Preppy Kitchen” Blog

 

Try the best waffle recipe ever! Throw the no-fuss batter together in mere minutes, and then load up your perfectly crisp, tender waffles with your favorite toppings.

 

2¼ cups all-purpose flour (270g)

¼ cup granulated sugar (50g) – or as little as 2 Tablespoons

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

2 cups milk (480ml), room temperature

½ cup unsalted butter, melted (113g) or ½ cup light olive oil or ¼ cup of each

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Preheat the waffle iron. (If you can choose settings, I recommend a darker or higher heat setting for a crispier waffle.)

 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir together just until combined – do not over mix.

 

Add about 1/3 cup of batter for each waffle to the hot waffle iron. (The amount will depend on the size of your waffle maker so feel free to experiment with how much you add.)

 

Cook until golden brown. Place on a wire rack until ready to serve so they stay crisp. Serve hot with maple syrup and butter or your favorite toppings.

 

 

Yield: This recipe yields approximately 6-10 waffles, depending on the size of waffle maker used.

 

Notes:

Sugar. I use ¼ cup of granulated sugar, but if you want less sweetness, you can use as little as 2 tablespoons.

Use room temperature eggs if possible. This is not a make-or-break situation! If you are making this waffle recipe first thing in the morning and need to use eggs straight out of the refrigerator, your waffles will still turn out delicious! But if you have the time, set the eggs out 30 minutes to 1 hour before you start the waffles.

Weigh the flour. If you don’t feel like whipping out the kitchen scale at breakfast time, you can measure the flour right out of the bag, but give it a light fluff and spoon it into the measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. Never scoop directly into the bag. For this method, use 2 cups of flour. If you do use a kitchen scale, measure 270 grams, which is actually 2¼ cups of flour. I’ve tested this recipe countless times, and both of these methods of measuring flour yield perfect waffles.

Don’t over-mix the batter. Once the wet and dry ingredients are just incorporated, the batter is ready. It might be a little lumpy, and that’s okay! Those lumps will actually help with the fluffy texture.

For waffles that stay crisp: Place the cooked waffles on a wire rack when they’re ready. If you pile them up on a platter, they release steam and soften up. You can also warm the oven to 200°F and place the wire rack in the oven to keep the waffles warm.

Between waffles, let the waffle iron heat up again. A warm waffle maker will not give you crisp waffles: You need it screaming hot, so give it at least 30 seconds between each waffle to heat back up.

Homemade Waffles

We were given a waffle maker as a wedding gift that we have not used much in the past 10 years. We have the discontinued Waring Pro Double Waffle Maker, pictured below, which makes two 7" round Belgian waffles at a time. If you don't already have a waffle maker, a highly rated one is the Breville Smart Waffle 4 Slice, which makes four 4" square Belgian waffles at a time. There are plenty of less expensive options as well. These mini waffle tongs we were also given as a wedding gift are really helpful to get the waffles out without scratching the nonstick coating on the waffle maker.

My boys love pancakes so I usually make those instead. Waffles are delicious too, but they haven't been requested much in our house - or at least they weren't until now. One of my sons found our waffle maker yesterday morning and asked my husband to make some for breakfast. He found this waffle recipe and it was really good so I wanted to share it.

My mom still uses my grandmother's waffle recipe, which is also delicious. Her recipe uses oil along with egg whites whipped to soft peaks, so the recipe below is a little faster to make. I like softer waffles and I thought these were perfect! I topped mine with Kerrygold butter, maple syrup and fresh berries. This quickly reminded me of my freshman year at Towson University when I would frequent the Belgian waffle station in the dining hall and top my waffles with the same as above, along with some whipped cream.

My husband only made one recipe for our family of 4 which gave us just enough waffles for all of us, but I think from now on we will make a double recipe so we can freeze some leftover waffles. He set our waffle maker on setting 4 which was perfect for how I like my waffles. Keep in mind that the settings are different on every machine, so you will have to determine which setting(s) work best for you and your family. The amount of batter you should pour into your waffle maker differs depending on what you are using as well, so refer to your appliance's manual.

Tip: Do not use sprays like Pam on your waffle maker! They make a mess and they cause more harm to the appliance than good. They leave a sticky residue that is very difficult to get off. Instead, don't use anything at all - the nonstick waffle maker shouldn't need anything other than the oil or butter that is already in the batter.

This recipe was delicious and I hope we'll be making them a lot more often now!

Homemade Waffles

Recipe courtesy “The Cookie Rookie” Blog

 

Whip up a simple batter in minutes, pour it into a waffle maker, then finish your golden homemade waffles with syrup, butter, and toppings of all kinds!

 

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

¼ cup granulated sugar

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

1¾ cups milk

¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick), melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until combined.

 

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Start in the center and whisk until just combined (do not over mix). A few lumps are okay.

 

Allow the waffle batter to rest for a few minutes while you heat your waffle iron to medium-high heat.

 

Add about ¾ cup of batter to your waffle iron and cook until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with toppings of choice.

 

Yield: This recipe yields approximately 4-6 waffles, depending on the size of waffle maker used.

 

Notes:

Mix the batter until just combined. Over mixing can lead to tough waffles. 

 

Lumps in the batter will actually produce a lighter waffle that rises higher.

 

Adjust your waffle iron as up and down as needed. Our waffle iron ranges in 1-5 in heat and we like setting #4.

 

If you have time, allow the waffle batter to rest for a few minutes (about 5-10 minutes) after mixing. This lets the flour hydrate and leads to fluffier waffles.

 

Don't overfill the waffle iron. Pour in just enough batter to cover the waffle grid without overflowing.

 

Don't be tempted to open the waffle iron prematurely. Wait until the waffle has had a chance to cook through to avoid tearing.

 

If you're making a batch of waffles, you can keep them warm in a 200°F oven while you finish cooking the rest.

 

Store homemade waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Waring Pro Double Waffle Maker

Waring Pro Double Waffle Maker

Breville Smart Waffle 4 Slice

Breville Smart Waffle 4 Slice

Ooni Cold-Proof Pizza Dough

This year we had our fourth annual 4th of July pizza party. Last year I made 4 recipes (16 12" pizzas) and made all of the pizza dough the morning of the party. It worked out fine, but this year I wanted to invite more people which meant more pizzas, so I wanted to try the Ooni cold-proof pizza dough. This is basically the same Ooni pizza dough recipe I have always made but with less yeast, and it proofs in the refrigerator for 24-72 hours (rather than on the counter for 2 hours), then you divide it into individual dough balls before the final 5-hour rise (rather than 1 hour) where it comes to room temperature before stretching the dough and topping and baking the pizzas. This is the perfect recipe to use if you can plan ahead and don't want to do all of the work in one day, which is ideal when making so many pizzas.

I highly suggest weighing the ingredients for accuracy - I weighed everything but the yeast, only because my scale doesn't have decimal weights for grams.

Since my party was on a Friday, I made 6 recipes of dough (two triple recipes in my Ankarsrum mixer, which is enough for 24 12" pizzas) on Tuesday, and then took them out of the fridge around 12:30pm on Friday and divided the dough into 24 250-gram dough balls. It would help next time to separate the second batch into dough balls 30-60 minutes after the first batch, so that dough doesn't over proof by the time I use it. My last dough ball was only about 165 grams, but my husband used it to make a dessert pizza so it worked out well. I started making the pizzas around 5:30pm and it took about 2 hours of pizza making before they were all finished baking. We had 5 pizzas left over, which was great because it meant I didn't have to cook the following night! I gave one to my brother-in-law who was working and sent some leftovers to my brother, so we fed 25 people in total.

This was my first time making this much dough in my Ankarsrum mixer, which I bought last year right after we had our 4th of July party (last year I made 4 recipes the morning of our party, one at a time, in my KitchenAid mixer, which took over an hour and strained the motor). This new mixer didn't struggle at all with 3 recipes in each batch! I mixed each batch of dough for about 15 minutes, so it took me almost half the time as last year to make a lot more dough. I realized that I need some bigger bowls to proof the dough in the refrigerator, but other than that this worked out much better than last year, and the dough was much easier to stretch and work with too.

This year I kept it simple with the toppings, because last year when I had onions and peppers and fresh tomatoes I hardly used them - everyone just kept asking for cheese, pepperoni and sausage pizzas. So I mostly made those three again this year, but I also made some with pepperoni and sausage, sausage and olives, and two with fontina cheese, prosciutto and arugula.

Once the first pizza was in the oven and I took a picture of it, I didn't take any more pictures since I was busy making pizzas. My husband took a few photos of the baked pizzas which I included below.

From now on, as long as I can plan at least 24 hours in advance, I'll be making this recipe instead of the regular recipe, because this dough was so much easier to work with, and the pizza was the best I've made yet!

Ooni Cold-Proof Pizza Dough

Recipe Courtesy Ooni

 

Good things come to those who wait, and pizza dough is certainly no exception. Cold-proofing, also known as cold rising or cold fermentation, is a great technique for anyone who wants to up their pizza-making game. The dough goes through a simple process (just leave it in the fridge!) of slow fermentation – usually 24 to 96 hours – and that extra time brings several tasty benefits:

enhanced flavor development, improved texture and structure, and dough that is easier to handle.

 

Although cold-proofing requires a bit more time and planning, the technique is super accessible, and the results are well worth the wait. Note: don’t wait too long, as there is such a thing as over-proofing! (Three to five days is generally the longest you’ll want to go.) Just mix the ingredients together, cover, then pop the pizza dough in the fridge, and let the yeast work its magic. Soon enough, you’ll have a more flavorful (and enviable) pizza to dig into.

 

This recipe is similar to our Classic Pizza Dough but with the quantity of yeast adjusted for cold-proofing.

 

1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon (368 grams) lukewarm water

⅓ teaspoon (1.6 grams) active dried yeast, or (scant ½ teaspoon) 1.4 grams instant dried yeast or ½ teaspoon (4.1 grams) fresh yeast

5¼ cups (613 grams) “00” flour, plus extra for dusting

3 teaspoons (18 grams) sea salt

 

Tip: We recommend using your Ooni Dual Platform Digital Scales for maximum accuracy.

 

Note: This recipe takes time. For the best-tasting pizza dough, be sure to set aside 24 to 72 hours for the cold proof before you begin cooking. We always suggest checking the activation instructions on your yeast packets and testing accordingly. 

 

Add the water and yeast to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and whisk until thoroughly blended. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl, then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.

 

If using a mixer: Fit the mixer with the dough hook and place the flour in the bowl. Turn the machine on at a low speed and gradually add the yeast mixture to the flour. Once combined, leave the dough mixing at the same speed for 5 to 10 minutes or until the dough is firm and stretchy. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap (cling film).

 

If mixing by hand: Place the flour in a large bowl and pour the yeast mixture into it. Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough starts to form. Continue mixing by hand until the dough comes together in a ball. Turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead with both hands for about 10 minutes, until it is firm and stretchy. Return the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (cling film).

 

Place the covered pizza dough in the fridge to cold-proof for 24 to 72 hours. When the dough has roughly doubled in size, remove the dough from the fridge.

 

Divide the cold-proofed dough into 3 or 4 equal pieces, depending on what size you want your pizzas to be, either 12 inches (30 centimeters) or 16 inches (40 centimeters) wide. Shape each piece into a ball, and place each pizza dough ball in a separate bowl or tray. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for 5 hours on your kitchen counter so they can come up to room temperature and double in size.

 

Once the second proof is complete, preheat your oven to between 850°F and 950°F. Use the infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temperature of the middle of the stone.

 

Place your first dough ball on a lightly floured surface, flour your hands and use your fingertips to press the dough into a small, flat disc. Working from the center, push the dough outwards while spreading your fingers, making the disc slightly bigger. Pick up the dough and gently pinch it all around the edge, allowing gravity to pull it downwards into a 12-inch (30-centimeter) circle. Neapolitan-style pizza bases are very thin, so you should be able to see through the base when you hold it up to the light. Take care when doing this – you don’t want it to tear.

 

Once the dough is fully stretched, lightly flour your pizza peel and lay the base on it. If you see any small holes in the dough, gently pinch them back together.

 

Once you’re happy with the base, add your toppings and bake in the oven according to the recommended temperature given in your recipe of choice.

 

Yield: Four 12-inch (30-centimeter) pizzas (for 250-gram dough balls) or three 16-inch (40-centimeter) pizzas (for 330-gram dough balls)

Triple Recipe (12 12-inch pizzas):

1104 grams lukewarm water

1 teaspoon (4.8 grams) active dried yeast

1839 grams “00” flour, plus extra for dusting

54 grams sea salt

Triple recipe of dough ready to be refrigerated for 3 days

Triple recipe of dough ready to be refrigerated for 3 days

Triple recipe of dough ready to be divided into 12 250-gram dough balls

Triple recipe of dough ready to be divided into 12 250-gram dough balls

24 250-gram dough balls (6 recipes of dough)

Sitting at room temp for 5 hours before using

Ready to start stretching and topping

First pizza in the oven

Sausage pizza

Cheese pizza

Pepperoni pizza

Fontina pizza (topped with prosciutto and arugula after baking)

Sausage & olive pizza