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.

Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake

This coffee cake recipe is my Grandma Filomena's but my Aunt Lucia used to make it all the time. I haven't made it in many years but we are getting ready to go on vacation so I made one today to bring with us. It's the perfect recipe to make ahead of time, freeze and bring on vacation for breakfast. And best of all, while I'm at the beach, it's a recipe that makes me think of two of my favorite women who are now in Heaven. It brings back a lot of memories of beach trips with both of them when I was younger. I also realized we will be at the beach this year on my Aunt Lucia's birthday, which is what inspired me to make it for this trip.

The only change I make is that I add half of the batter, half of the cinnamon/walnut mixture, then the other half of each (rather than in thirds). When flipping this upside down to take it out of the pan, some of the topping falls off. If you swirl the top a little bit after adding the cinnamon/walnut mixture, not as much topping will fall off!

Edit July 2024: I changed the original recipe to add the dry cake ingredients last. The original recipe says to add the layers of cake and topping in thirds, but I do it in halves.

Note: my cousin Patrick told me his mom used to double the amount of sour cream. I’ll have to try that next time.

Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake

 

CAKE:

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

TOPPING:

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

½ cup sugar

 

Cream butter and 1 cup sugar. Beat in eggs. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In separate bowl, mix the cinnamon, walnuts, and ½ cup sugar.

Grease and flour a 10” tube pan; pour in 1/2 of the batter, sprinkle with 1/2 of topping mixture; finish with remaining batter and then remaining topping.

 

Bake at 350˚ for 40-45 minutes.

 

Freeze if desired. To serve, return to room temperature; can be warmed in 350˚ oven.

 

Serves 10.

Pumpkin Roll

Last year we had a new dessert at our Thanksgiving feast - a Pumpkin Roll that my mom made. This year I tried it out. I made two pumpkin rolls, and there was only half of one leftover (thankfully, so we could enjoy it a day or two longer!). This was easier to make than I thought it would be. My mom helped me out a little with getting the wax paper off the cakes and rolled them up. The only thing I will do different next time is chop the walnuts finer, as they were a little big. Other than that, this is a great dessert that is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

I don't have photos from when I made the cake, but this blog has some great step-by-step directions.

Libby’s® Pumpkin Roll 

                                                                   

CAKE

¼ cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

FILLING

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

6 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

FOR CAKE:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 15” x 10” jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar. Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel so the cake will not stick when rolling it up.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes). Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:
Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Unroll cake after it has cooled

Prepare cream cheese filling

Spread filling over cake

Re-roll cake

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top

Photos by JoJo

Cranberry-Orange Muffins

I needed a recipe to use the rest of the cranberries that were leftover from my apple cranberry pie. My sister suggested making cranberry-orange muffins. I found two recipes that were pretty similar, except one had a streusel topping. I was in a bit of a hurry, so I decided to save that one for another day and make the recipe I found on Williams-Sonoma's website. These muffins took no time to make. I cut the cranberries in half, zested the orange, and chopped the walnuts. Everything else was just a matter of measuring and mixing. You do not need to use a mixer for this recipe, which makes it even easier. I always use baking cups to line my muffin pans and fill the cups with batter using an ice cream scoop. I thought these muffins were pretty good. If you don't mind the tart taste of cranberries, you will like them too! This is a great recipe to use in the fall or winter.

Cranberry-Orange Muffins

Recipe Courtesy Williams-Sonoma

Harvested from bogs when cold weather arrives and available throughout the winter months, tart, fresh cranberries are a signature fresh fruit of autumn and early winter. They are packaged in 12-oz. plastic bags that contain 3 cups of berries. Cranberries can be enjoyed throughout the year by freezing them in airtight freezer bags; they keep up to 1 year in perfect condition. The combination of tart cranberries sweetened with oranges, another fruit of winter, is one of the classic flavor pairings in baking.

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Grated zest of 1 orange

1 egg

4 Tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, or walnut oil

½ cup milk

½ cup strained fresh orange juice

1½ cups fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries, halved

½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Preheat an oven to 375°. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray, or line with baking cups.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, milk and orange juice until blended. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Using a large silicone spatula, fold in the cranberries and nuts just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them level with the rim.

Bake the muffins until golden, dry and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the muffins cool for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 muffins.

Fresh cranberries

Orange zest

Chopped walnuts

Halved cranberries

Stir together dry ingredients & orange zest

Whisk together wet ingredients

Mix dry & wet ingredients together with a spoon

Fold in walnuts & cranberries with a spatula

Fill muffin pan

Fresh out of the oven!

Photos by JoJo