Erin's Goodies

Get Along Little Doggies

I give you: Cowboy Cookies

This recipe hails from the October 2008 edition of Martha Stewart Living. [I am not a die-hard Martha fan, but I do thoroughly enjoy her craft and baking ideas.)

These cookies remind me of the kitchen-sink cookies my Gramma used to make, which involved any tidbits that happened to be in the kitchen when she was making cookies.

They’re comprised of:

• old-fashioned oats
• semi-sweet chocolate
• pecan pieces
• shredded coconut

I will admit that I made a blunder with this recipe – I forgot to add the brown sugar! *shakes her head in disbelief* How I managed to forget an ingredient, I will never know. Lucky for me though, the other ingredients are sweet enough to balance out the forgotten sugar.

Surprisingly still scrumptious!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve been buying chocolate chips like they’re going out of style – what girl can resist a chocolate sale?

So with a multitude of bags in the cupboard, I felt that it was finally time to make chocolate chip cookies. I got this recipe from one of my Mom’s cookbooks and it’s about as basic as a recipe gets (which makes it one of my favourites!)

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup margarine
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• dash salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 pkg milk chocolate chips [my mom makes them with white chips and they’re delicious too!]

Mix all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 325F for 8 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.

[side note: I kept these cookies in the oven for closer to 15 minutes – because 8 minutes was hardly long enough]

Sprinkles, Sprinkles Everywhere

…with sprinkles. I admit it.

I was organizing the ‘baking cupboard’ the other day and decided that it was time to take an inventory of my supplies (including my decorating stash). I took all my lovely little sprinkle friends and put them neatly into these cute tupperwares.

They’re now in stacks of : coloured sugars and holiday sprinkles

Speaking of holiday sprinkles, I wonder if I can find some little turkey ones for Thanksgiving…

Salty Snacks

I do believe it’s Snack Time!

Cheerios, Crispix, peanuts and pretzels are perfectly good pickings on their own – but toss them with some lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings and you’ve got (ta da) Nuts and Bolts!

Perfectly Golden Apple Crisp

Hello fall!

I love this time of year; when the leaves start changing, there’s a nip in the air and I can finally turn the oven back on guilt-free!

The taste of fall definitely appeals to me too – cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves… yummy! And after a sunny Saturday of apple picking,  how could I not make apple crisp?!

I made this for Sunday night dessert at my parents’ house, and there wasn’t a crumb left!

After a recent trip to Vegas, I have renewed my love for cupcakes, and here’s why: The Cupcakery! I ask you, what could possibly be better than a bakery specializing in gourmet cupcakes? Nothing comes to my mind!

After walking by several times and admiring their spotless glass display counters and endless jars of sprinkles, I had to partake in some of their goodies. Having to narrow my selection from 20+ cupcakes down to 4 proved to be a difficult task, but one that I was willing to accept. Here’s what I picked:

(Clockwise from upper right): Grasshopper, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, Southern Belle and Oh, My Ganache!