Wednesday, July 9, 2008

consecutively

It's 107˚ today. And I'm baking cookies. I question the sanity of this, too, but I made a promise, and I always aim to please.

Cookie of the Week -- week two

Milk Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 c unsalted butter, softened :: 2/3 c granulated sugar :: 2/3 c brown sugar :: 2 eggs :: 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract :: 2 c all-purpose flour :: 1 tsp baking soda :: 1/2 tsp salt :: 2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips :: 1-1/2 c macadamia nuts, roughly chopped.

Cream the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Stir in chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Mound in 2 Tbsp. portions onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake in a preheated oven at 350˚F for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges and set in the middle.
This recipe is my own modified version of one I found online a while back. These are smaller cookies, and I decrease the amount of vanilla extract. They are chewy and crunchy and supremely rich. I can only eat a couple before I get a little overwhelmed. I don't know yet if the kids will like them, since usually they don't even like walnuts in the chocolate chip cookies I make. I will get their input once they get home with the husband.

And a note: Now that I am making a cookie a week, I'll also need to half the recipes I use. 5 dozen cookies just isn't necessary. In fact, even when not baking a batch a week, I usually have to throw out quite a few cookies. Just don't tell my mother-in-law I still do this. Once, while she was sitting in my kitchen, I tossed a couple dozen cookies out. She almost fished them out of the trash!

Knitting is happening here. It always is, really, but sometimes happens at a break-neck pace and at other times, it's snail-speed. I finished one of the Miniature Cowichan Cardigans Sunday night. Yesterday, I cast on for the second. I may have to make a few more, since I have nieces who also collect American Girl dolls.

Mini Cowichan Cardigan from
Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2007
yarn: Cascade 220

This is for Annika's doll. Annika adores pink and selected this lovely shade of magenta for her doll's sweater. The color would sort of tire me out and I'd have to put it down once in a while, but all in all, I loved working the pattern. Of course, said pattern is no longer available online, as I found out all too late; thank goodness for blog friends that store PDF's forever.

Laurel's color selection is a softer turquoise. The twisted rib hems and cuffs are my favorite part to knit up. I'm hoping to have it done in a week's time.

11 comments:

Jane said...

I always bake on the hottest day of the year. Not sure why...maybe 'cuz i'm hundered down in the air conditioning. The American Girl doll sweater is so sweet. Wish I had someone to knit it for. Stay cool!

Jane said...

oops meant to say hunkered down!

Anonymous said...

Those cookies look scrumptious! I love the little sweater, although I would go batty knitting with magenta too. I hate when free patterns are taken down. What's the point?

peaknits said...

Yum! and fun sweater - my daughter will surely think Nicki from AG needs one too:)

Anonymous said...

haha! a couple weeks ago i decided to wash out my air filters for my house a/c, which means shutting it off until the filters are dry...and that was also the day i decided to bake a pie.

air off + oven on = dumb.

did i mention that i live in Arizona? ack.

Annie said...

Those cookies are making my mouth water. If I made those I would be the only one eating them. Picky children and husband.
Love the cowichan. I need to knit something for my daughter's dolls.
very sweet.

a friend to knit with said...

another delicious looking cookie.
i do remember when my kids were younger, and we wouldn't eat a whole batch. but now, the cookie jar is completely empty before the next week rolls around.
you are just too sweet to make those sweaters.
a keepsake for sure.
my grandmother sewed all of the clothes for my baby doll. i still have the doll. and her handmade clothes. the outfit that she came in is long gone.

Sandy said...

Cookies and knitting just seem to go together, don't they?
I love the colours you chose for the dolls clothing.
I was given some hand knitted sweaters for dolls too, and I cherish them still.

Anonymous said...

Cookies, coffee, knitting = bliss. :)

Denise said...

I loved your cookies from last week too. These look just as delicious. How sweet to knit for the dolls.

Philigry said...

oh, yummy! those look yummy, and the sweater is so darn cute!