Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cookies

How do you get speculaas to release from their molds?

reticulatedspline — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:46:01 -0800

How do you get speculaas to release from their molds? Got a giant wooden speculaas mold of a boat from my mom as a pre-Christmas present. It's about 10x15 inches, and has lots of carved texture on it that the dough just does not want to let go of when I try to drop the molded result onto a cookie sheet. I've tried dusting the mold excessively with flour before pushing the dough in and that doesn't seem to help much. I've tried being very gentle about packing the dough in, but that doesn't help much plus it loses a lot of the detail on the bits that do release. I've tried slamming it down very hard on the sheet, but that only seems to make a lot of noise. I've tried tapping it on the back with a hammer after I've upended it. Still no luck.

Any Dutch hive mind-ers have any good techniques for getting the dough to release? I've contemplated using cookie spray, but not sure if that would ruin the wood...

want some cookies with your butter??

Juicy Avenger — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:24:59 -0800

Ruined cookies, ruined Christmas! Baking fail. So I've royally screwed up the directions on only the simplest of box cookies in the world. This Duncan Hines "family recipe chocolate chip cookies" calls for 1 egg and 1 TABLESPOON of butter, BUT deceptively shows a picture of a WHOLE STICK in the ingredients list. I'm a visual learner. And apparently a slow one. So I took it at face value and melted a whole stick in there, mindlessly, until I was like "huhhh these look a little greasy......D'OH!" So, now I've added a cup of flour to try to absorb the excess butter and am baking a test batch. Is there anything else I can do to try to salvage the rest? Master bakers, help?

Dominosteine in Vancouver?

findango — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:52:05 -0800

WeihnachtsFilter: anyone have a confirmed source for Dominosteine in Vancouver? I will try European Specialty Food Imports, but they are closed (or not answering the phone) today.

Thanks!

Help me find this recipe from the old Joy of Cooking, please!

littleflowers — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:49:36 -0800

I am looking for a recipe from the OLD Joy of Cooking, ca.1970 My copy is in storage, and I've searched all the likely sites for this scrummy recipe that is Christmas to me.

It's basically a shortbready crust, lightly baked. You top it with chopped pecans that have been cooked with sugar, cinnamon and egg whites. Those are spread on the top, and then it's baked again.
I'm pretty sure it has a star beside it, to designate it as a good for the holidays treat.

It's not Dream Bars or Angel Bars.

I'd really love to make these this year! Thanks!

You are talented in many ways. In bed.

iamkimiam — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:15:15 -0800

Give me your best fortunes! I bought some beautiful ceramic fortune cookies to give as holiday gifts this year. I need some good fortunes to put inside them. I'm looking for short phrases that are sweet and funny. Nothing directly sexual or romantic, but bonus if they sound better with 'in bed' at the end.

help me tame my naughty shortbread (not a euphemism)

mr. remy — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:45:29 -0800

How do I keep my shortbread cookies from spreading? My shortbread cookies go into the oven neat and square, and come out blobby and round. I have tried chilling the dough before putting it in the oven, starting out the baking at a high temperature, and different shapes of cookie... but they always come out kind of flabby and amorphous. What works in your kitchen?

What is the recipe for these grandmother cookies?

Deathalicious — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:08:06 -0800

I'm looking for a recipe for a very specific cookie I ate as a youngster. They were made by the grandmother of someone at my Jewish summer camp, so it's possible that they're a traditional Jewish cookie, but I've never seen them since. We all called them __ Grandmother cookies, where __ was the name of the camper in question. They always arrived in an empty Quaker oats canister.

They are, basically, rings -- rolled up dough that's been sliced thin and baked as a cookie. They are rock hard and have a very faint cinnamon taste with a bit of nuttiness as well (it's amazing that I can still remember the taste from over 15 years ago).

I want to stress the rock hard element. They were nothing like the pastry-like rolled up cookies. I'm aware there are cookies like that and they always get me: I see a rolled up cookie like that, pop it in my mouth, and it instantly disappoints because they aren't the grandmother cookies.

So please, does anyone know this kind of cookie? Because I would love to know the recipe.

So, here are the key elements, best as I can remember them:

hard as a rock
cinnamon
very nutty flavor
relatively tiny -- maybe as wide around as a half dollar or silver dollar
the dough itself is very sweet (I know in many cases the sweetness comes from the filling between the layers; in this cookie, it does not)
Very clearly layered in the ring, which is to say it was very obviously rolled up and then baked, and in fact you could snap off pieces of the ring
addictive as crack

Session-only cookies in Firefox

Solomon — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:43:18 -0800

Is there a Firefox addon that will mimic the behaviour of Cookie Monster, but give me extra functionality? I love Cookie Monster, but it's missing what is for me a vital feature - the ability to make certain site's cookies session only, even if they're set to expire at some point in the future. I love the way it handles cookies otherwise.

As an example, I want to make foo.com's cookies session only, even if they aren't by design, so that they're removed when the browser is closed. CM will allow me to accept or deny all cookies from foo.com by default, or only accept session cookies, but foo.com only has permanent cookies. I want the cookies from this specific site to be removed at the end of the session, while leaving other sites cookies alone.

Is there some way I can achieve this?

I don't want to have to rely on any user intervention. Running anything manually to remove those specific cookies every time I restart my browser isn't a realistic option.

[Christamas-Cookie Filter] is the gingerbread cookie OBSOLETE?

dorgla — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:28:46 -0800

Here in Seattle, when you want to buy a single gingerbread person (or tree or sheep, or whatever,) you are basically OUT OF LUCK in 2009. No, I do NOT want to buy a whole package of them, or bake a batch. I just want to saunter into a bakery or coffeeshop and buy ONE cookie. No, not the huge, soft, ginger cookies which are admittedly delicious, but are no substitute as far as the texture of a good gingebread "person" is concerned. I'd bake some, but let's face it, who can eat just one? And I'd like to minimize the holiday weight-gain carnage this year. So far, I've searched three different Seattle neighborhoods: downtown, Ballard, and Greenwood. Zip.

Help me make gingerbread friends!

pinksoftsoap — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:03:57 -0800

Calling all bakers: I need much help! I have convinced myself to pursue what may be a too-ambitious project for the holidays, that is, baking gingerbread men and women decorated to look like my friends. I do not bake. HOWEVER, I am quite crafty and creative otherwise. (This is a surprise so I am on my own.) I am hoping to make about 20 cookies (one per friend), slip them in little plastic baggies and give them out as gifts. I have many questions that google offers too many answers to:

1) What is the yummiest gingerbread cookie recipe you have ever baked/tasted that would still be able to hold a gingerbread person form? Taste is important - I have had really cool looking cookies from the bakery that taste like sawdust.

2) Where can I get affordable cookie cutters/decoration supplies in New York? What size should I get that would make the gingerbread people large enough to decorate with detail but not too large that I end up having to bake tons and tons of dough?

3) What do I use to decorate them that wouldn't be too hard to do? Ideally they would end up looking more like this: http://www.coppergifts.com/productcart/pc/catalog/cg1-3166_2_300.jpg rather than this: http://www.coppergifts.com/productcart/pc/catalog/cg1-4744_1_300.jpg

4) How much earlier can I bake these cookies before giving them out without them tasting stale?

5) Any process tips? I imagine I will do all the baking first so I end up with a bunch of naked gingerbread people and THEn proceed about taking my time in decorating.

6) What essential supplies do I need to buy? I do not bake so I pretty much have nothing. So far, I am planning to borrow a folding table for space, pick up a rolling pin, borrow a mixer..

I am committing next weekend for this project and hoping to procure everything I need by then. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Very simple peanut butter cookie recipe for kids?

malhouse — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:47:36 -0800

Trying to find a very simple, quick peanut butter cookie recipe I made in 7th grade Home Ec. They were almost more like drops than cookies; very moist and chewy/gooey. It's possible they had no flour. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

A cookie cutting mat?

Unsomnambulist — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:49:14 -0800

I need to roll a bunch of cookie dough and then use cookie cutters on them. The problem: the table I'm using is a sectional table with lots of cracks that not only make the surface bumpy, but that all the flour will fall through and make a mess. Does an affordable product (or project) exist to help resolve this - like a large, roll up, mat? (BTW, I've tried to cover the surface with wax paper or plastic, but even after taping down still end up tearing or not working for other reasons.)

Mmm, cookies.

SuzySmith — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:13:49 -0800

What cookies should I bake for my family this year? What have been your most successful cookies and/or cake or other holiday sweet? Last year I was out of commission baking wise. Normally I bake about 60 dozen cookies for family and friends. The basics are: chocolate chip, peanut butter, and a sugar cookie.

Everything else is up in the air.

Thanks in advance.

Where can I find Mother's Cookies (or something similar) in New York?

gchucky — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:46:32 -0800

Where can I find Mother's Cookies (or something similar) in New York? There used to be a brand of cookies called Mother's Cookies, and their most famous cookies were the Circus Animal ones. The company went bankrupt but was purchased by Kellogg's soon after, and production has resumed - but the cookies are only being sold on the west coast.

While in LA with my girlfriend recently, we found the cookies on sale and bought two bags. But we're at home in NYC, and the cookies can't be found here. I've checked pretty much all of the grocery stores I can think of, to no avail.

Does anyone know where I can get these here? As an alternative, are there any cookies on the market that are similar to Mother's that are readily available?

Snickerdoodle Emergency!

padraigin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:29:06 -0800

Quick! Help me continue my snickerdoodle baking extravaganza now that I'm out of cream of tartar! I am making about a million cookies for Halloween festivities at my kids' school tomorrow.

I ran out of cream of tartar and need to make one more batch of dough.

My snickerdoodle recipe calls for one teaspoon of baking soda and 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar.

I have baking powder. My cookbook (America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, where the snickerdoodle recipe I'm using is found) indicates that one teaspoon of baking powder can be replaced with 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.

I don't get how 1/4 teaspoon of anything plus 1/2 teaspoon of anything equals a teaspoon of something else, but I need to know if I can substitute baking powder for the baking soda/cream of tartar combo in this recipe without totally jacking it up, and if so, in what proportion?

Where to get spiced wafers in NYC?

May Kasahara — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:14:45 -0800

Is there anywhere in the NYC metro area that sells Sweetzels Spiced Wafers? I loved these when I lived in Philly, but they seem to be very hard to find outside of Pennsylvania.

Are My Green Cookies Going to Kill Me?

RedEmma — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:54:06 -0800

What turned my cookies green? I just baked some sunflower butter cookies, and after cooling, the insides turned a green a few shades darker than this page. I adapted a peanut butter cookie recipe: included the sunflower seed butter (which has a few seeds in it), margarine, flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and one egg. When they first came out, they looked normal inside, though they were more cakey than crispy. By two hours later, any part of the cookie not exposed to air turned a deep shade of green. I have eaten three with no apparent ill-effects, though I do have a funny taste in my mouth which may be entirely psychosomatic. I do not believe that anyone in the house wants me dead.

WTF?

What am I eating?

Jaie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:20:02 -0800

A coworker brought us two boxes of sweet-ish treats from China. She doesn't know what they are either. We're not overly worried about the ingredients, we just want to know a little bit about what we're putting in our mouths. Traditional Chinese foods? New-fangled stuff they only sell to tourists? How are they made? What are they called, are they meant to be part of any special meal/holiday/celebration, etc.

The first box (although I may have inadvertently switched the boxes and their original contents) are little (maybe 1" square?) white things that look like unbaked biscuits, although they are hard and have a texture like shredded wheat. Or maybe it's something spun? Very little flavor, very slightly sweet. Front of box here. Back of box here.

The second box held numerous rolled treats, some coated in sesame seeds. No filling. Hard, but not really crunchy. Too sticky to be crunchy. More flavorful than the others. Most of them have been eaten, but you can see one still in there. Front of box here. Back of box here.

Google Analytics not tracking?

serunding — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:35:38 -0800

Did clearing my cookies and cache prevent Google Analytics from tracking my blog? I have a fairly new blog and I installed Google Analytics about 3 weeks ago. This morning (Tuesday), it showed that there no visitors to the site yesterday (Monday) which I know is not right because there were a couple of comments posted yesterday and previous stats show that the blog does have a small number of regulars.

I am wondering if clearing all my cookies and cache (in order to install a widget) which I did on Sunday night caused this aberration, i.e. Google Analytics could not track the statistics due to the clearing. And if so, what I can do to enable Google Analytics again? Google Help didn't, erm, help. If you can't already guess from my language, I am not totally tech-savvy, so please be gentle :) Any help is appreciated - thanks!

Need gluten-free, milk-free delicious cookies!

flawsekno — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:10:59 -0800

Need gluten-free, milk-free delicious cookies! A friend of mine was just complaining about the not!deliciousness of her gluten-free, milk-free cookies. (She can't eat gluten or dairy products for health reasons.) Bad cookies are a blemish upon this good earth and I refuse to believe that all of the human race's creativity and desire for delicious cookies has not come up with a good cookie recipe with those restrictions. Prove me right and give some recipes! :D

Who has the best CHEWY peanut butter cookies?

invisible ink — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:41:12 -0800

Please help me find the perfect, CHEWY, peanut butter cookie. Requirements inside. Health Valley has discontinued my favorite Wheat and Dairy-Free Peanut Crunch Oatmeal Cookies, so I'm on the prowl for a new brand. Here are my requirements:

The consistency should be more chewy than crunchy.

Main ingredients must be peanuts and/or peanut butter. No chocolate chips, chunks, etc.

No high-fructose corn syrup

All natural ingredients

Preferably organic

Available in southern California. I have access to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Online delivery is also a plus!

Thanks in advance:-)

What to make when supplies are short?

BusyBusyBusy — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:48:52 -0800

Are there some tasty dessert recipes I can make that don't require baking or any of the things I have trouble getting in Ghana? I love desserts, and would like to make some for my lovely hosts here in Kumasi. I probably could find some ingredients if I really searched, but I'd prefer to make things using what is readily available. I cannot use an oven or a microwave, but can cook on a stove top.

Things that are available are... oatmeal, sugar, peanut butter, cocoa, margarine, digestive cookies, condensed milk... I also brought with me a few boxes of chocolate instant pudding.

Things that are available, but inconvenient to get are... butter, milk, breakfast cereals (rice krispies, special k), flour (I have about 2 cups).

Things I cannot find are... chocolate chips (though I could get chocolate bars), flavorings like vanilla or almond extract, marshmallows, corn syrup, brown sugar, cream cheese.

I've had some trouble finding recipes on the internet that fit this strange criteria. So far I've made oatmeal no-bake cookies, which I loooove, but I would like to make something different this time. Thank you so much for your ideas and help!

Tried and true fat-free baked dessert recipes that don't suck?

vytae — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:21:02 -0800

I'm looking for fat-free (or super low-fat, like under a gram per reasonably-sized serving) recipes for baked goods that you've personally made and enjoyed. Cookies, cakes, quick breads, etc. are all fair game. Bonus points for chocolate stuff. I've heard all the usual tips about using apple sauce, prune baby food, black beans, instant fat-free pudding, etc. in place of the oil. I'm not averse to those things, but I'm having trouble finding any recipes using these techniques that aren't followed by 150 reviews saying how disgusting the results are. So: I'm not looking for general low-fat baking tips, I'm looking for specific recipes that you've actually had good results with. I don't expect the results to taste exactly like the real thing, I just want a non-gross approximation, and I trust the taste of my fellow MeFites more than a slew of random complainers on the internet cooking sites.

(Also, I understand that 2 bites of the real thing may be more satisfying than a huge piece of some nonfat substitute. And that adding sugar to make up for lost fat yumminess doesn't reduce overall calories. And that low-fat diets aren't a cure-all. I'm hoping to head off any derails here at the pass - just recipes, please! Thanks!)

Look Ma! My cake glows!

santojulieta — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 08:59:44 -0800

How can I include Mountain Dew as an ingredient in baked goods? I recently asked about making interesting and weird cookies and got a lot of awesome resources.

Well, the results are in, and the male masses have asked for Mountain Dew baked goods. I've found a recipe for Mt. Dew cake, but what else could I do? How would I go about simply adding Mt. Dew as an ingredient to baking recipes?

Bonus points for suggestions about frosting/icing and Mt. Dew ice cream.

Tina, you fat lard, eat your cookies!

santojulieta — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:09:00 -0800

What is the strangest, yet most delicious, cookie recipe you know? As the only girl in my department, I feel it's my duty to provide a healthy dose of baked goodness on a semi-weekly basis to my coworkers. My boss is getting atonement cookies for having to work so long last week, and I need a really unique recipe for them. I wouldn't mind making a few different types, and I'm thinking about making some sort of chocolate & cayenne cookies for that added kick. What would you suggest?