La La Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Since it's Summer I decided that Lemon seems to be the flavor these days.  Although it has been exceptionally hot all over the United States, I couldn't give up baking!  I know the heat varies throughout the Summer months nationally but I have to tell you reaching a heat index of about 105'F with about 90% Humidity is just utterly disgusting!  Just standing you have sweat pouring down your body.  The air is so thick you feel like you're suffocating and all your joints ache!

I feel so bad when the weather is so horrible for my husband since he has to walk and deliver the mail.  He walks about 12 miles a day carrying packages, mail, magazines and advertisements.  It adds up and the bag gets heavy.  I know I couldn't do his job.  So think of your mailman during bad weather whether it's cold, hot, snowing or raining.  They go through a lot especially when the are on foot.  So offer them a cold beverage and remember them during the holidays.  It really is a stressful job!

So back to this recipe.  I added this recipe to my line up of cookies to bring to a graduation party that was so much fun!  My platters looked abundant and nice.

These cookies are like a marshamallowy cloud with a hint of lemon that is not overpowering to even the people who don't eat lemon desserts.  The kids loved them as well as the adults.  What is even more awesome that these are using the biggest short cut....CAKE MIX!  You can't even tell and they are so yummy that I was blown away.  The whole concept of using Cake Mix for something other than making a Cake was not so believable by me, but you have to try!  After all if it's approved by Sandra Lee of Semi Homemade and all her cut corners ideas, than it's good enough for me!

So I used the same concept as I did my Snickerdoodles but did a Lemon Cookie.  These are puffy and soft as well.  They are super easy and a great quick cookie to make in a flash.  With all my cookies to keep them uniform I use a cookie scoop.

So here we go!

La La Lemon Crinkle Cookies
1 pkg. Lemon Cake Mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Powdered Sugar to roll dough ball in


Preheat oven to 350'F. Mix cake mix, oil, eggs, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice together.

Dough will be very stiff. 

Scoop dough or pinch dough and roll into balls.

Roll around in a bowl of powdered sugar.

*Great for kids to chip in!

Place dough balls on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

 *My daughter did such a great job and got powdered sugar on her and her face!  =)

Bake cookies between 10-14 minutes until cookies are set and barely golden around edges and crackle shows on cookies. Do not over bake.

Remove from oven and let cool and transfer to cooling racks.


This was a great recipe to get my daughter involved to make some memories just like I was a little girl helping my mom.  The tradition continues....


My daughter loved the cookies so much she kept stealing them and I had to eventually put them away in an air tight container so I can plate them up on the platters the next day for the party.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Annamaria

Thick and Soft Snickerdoodles

OMG!  It's not easy to have a perfect tasting cookie and be simple on top of it all!  But this has to take the cake, in fact it's made with Cake Mix!  Yep, I said it Cake Mix!  They are one of those cookies that you're like No way, you make it with cake mix!  That was what I thought when I made them.  

We all love them and they go fast so I suggest doing a few batches.  It's a buttery, sugary and cinnamon goodness.  The cinnamon and sugar on the outside creates a great crust with a yummy soft goodness inside!  A comfort cookie!  You have to make these!  So yummy!

I'm in love!

Thick & Soft Snickerdoodles
1 package Classic Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Coating:
3 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine 3 Tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in small bowl, set aside.

Combine cake mix, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, eggs and oil in large bowl. Stir until well blended.

*My daughter was awesome at mixing!

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Place balls 2-inches apart on cookie sheets.

*That's powdered sugar from cookies I made right before the Snickerdoodles! =)

Bake at 350ºF for 8 to 9 minutes or until set and look crackled on top.

Cool one minute on cookie sheets. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Here they are about to be hidden from the cookie monsters in my house.

Powdered Sugar gets everywhere!

Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice,
Annamaria

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Biscotti di Regina; Italian Sesame Cookies

A friend's son is graduating from High School!  I can't believe it!  I remember when he was a baby, a toddler, a teenager and now he's a high school graduate!  He's grown in to such a handsome man!  We got the invitation in the mail and I couldn't believe it was him!  Where did the time go?  Seriously?  I didn't believe it was him.  I just remember this little munchkin with his prophetic opinions.  =)  

Well time does pass and funny thing is that his mom has known me before well I was born.  She grew up with my sister in a group of friends.  All of them were like my older sisters.  They took me everywhere and were so good to me all through my life and still have a place in my heart after all this time.  I've seen them grow up, get married, have careers and now see their children grow up!  Now I feel like I'm one of the girls now.  I wish only that I could see them more often.  Thanks to Facebook, we can keep in touch more often! You know life gets busy and like I said boy does time fly!

I offered that if anything is needed like bakery or whatever let me know.  Rosa took me up on my offer and these are one of the cookies I made.  These cookies are on every Italian cookie tray!  A traditional Italian Bakery Cookie and also a Christmas Cookie.  They are so easy to make that these can be made all the time and are perfect to be served with Tea, Coffee or even just on their own.

Don't let the sesame seed derail you from trying these cookies, they provide a nutty flavor and texture.  I mean who eats cookies with Sesame Seeds, well Italians do for starters.  Sesame Seeds are a Mediterranean staple.  Of course it's not a surprise that these cookies are of Sicilian origin.  We enjoy them countrywide and in among all Italians no matter where you are from.

Most people secondly would also dodge the traditional Anise flavor in them.  I am the same way when it comes to Anise, but Anise could be used well or bad.  In this recipe it's perfectly played.  If you are insistent on avoiding Anise, you can certainly use Pure Almond or Vanilla Extracts.  There is also a great  extract called Fiori Di Sicilia (Flower of Sicily) that you buy online to substitute the Anise.  It's a Citrus, Vanilla and Floral notes in the extract.  Perfect for this cookie as well.

I highly recommend you store these in a tightly covered container to maintain their flavor and freshness and perfect for freezing!  If you want you can also skip shaping the cookie into a log and make them into balls.

I hope you give these cookies a chance, I don't think you will be disappointed!

**Just in case you have a hard time finding sesame seeds, don't waste money on the little jars from like McCormick and such those are just to accent, they don't have enough in the jar and cost too much, go to a local Asian food store or ask your local Grocer or Bakery to sell you them!  I found every other seed except Sesame Seeds and my local Grocer's Bakery sold me a Pound so cheap!

PS:  Congratulations Max!!!!

Biscotti Di Regina

2 sticks of Unsalted Butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar 

1 egg, room temperature 

2 teaspoons PURE Anise extract 

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/4 teaspoon baking powder 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

1 cup sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.

Beat in the egg and anise extract until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well incorporated with a mixer.

The dough will be soft, but will hand roll easily. Pinch off pieces of dough slightly smaller than a walnut, and roll them into small logs. Roll in sesame seeds.

Place cookies one inch apart on a cookie sheet. Cookies will not spread very much.

Bake for 14 to 20 minutes (depends on your oven strength, mine runs a little hotter) in the preheated oven, or until bottom and sides of cookies are lightly toasted.

Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Mmmmm!

*Yes that is a Halloween Platter Plate from Corelle!  LOL!

Dolci Sogni

(dole chee sewn yee)

Sweet Dreams in Italian,

Annamaria