Raspberry Vinegar Cookies

Yep, vinegar! This is another new recipe - once I saw the name, I had to try it. And contrary to what you might think, they taste nothing like vinegar. They're more like a cross between a buttery shortbread and a sugar cookie. I made a 1/2 recipe to try it, and that made about 1 1/2 dozen cookies.

RASPBERRY VINEGAR COOKIES

1 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. raspberry vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. rum extract
1-1/2 cup of flour, PACKED
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vinegar, baking soda and vanilla, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour and mix thoroughly; add nuts, if desired. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper instead). Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until tops are lightly golden. Cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

This recipe was taken from Devil's Food Cake Murder, a novel in the Hannah Swenson series by Joanna Fluke (Hannah is a bake shop owner who spends remarkably little time in her busy bakery.)

Butterscotch Nests

Instead of a make-ahead cookie, today I'm featuring a make-at-the-last-minute cookie. Butterscotch Nests are easy enough that a 2 year-old can help, and they're not just for Christmas. For Halloween, you can use black jelly beans or brown M&Ms to make a vulture's nest. Have the kids color a small picture of a turkey and perch it on top to make turkeys-in-the-straw for Thanksgiving. For Easter, use pastel blue jelly beans to make a robin's nest. At Christmas, I use red and green M&Ms to add some color, but even without any extra touches these sweet, crunchy cookies appeal to kids.

BUTTERSCOTCH NESTS

11-oz. bag of Nestle's Butterscotch Morsels

Large can LaChoy chow mein noodles

Jelly beans or M&Ms (optional)

Microwave the butterscotch morsels in a large bowl, stirring often (morsels can hold their shape even when completely melted). Stir chow mien noodles into melted morsels. Using two spoons, quickly drop mixture in clumps onto a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper. If you plan to add the candy "eggs", press down the center of each clump. Before cookies set, press "eggs" firmly into each clump. Let cool at room temperature before storing or freezing in a tightly covered container.  NOTE: These cookies set up very quickly. If you are adding the jelly beans or M&Ms, it's very helpful to have two people working together, one dropping and the other pressing in the decorations. 

Forgotten Cookies

Forgotten cookies never seem to be forgotten around our house. Invariably, I end up making a second batch just before Christmas to replace the cookies that have mysteriously disappeared. The combination of the sweet meringue and the slightly bitter chocolate seems to tempt everyone. Since I don't have much use for the yolks that are left behind, I have been using powdered egg whites instead of the real thing and they have worked quite well.  I used to be able to find coffee-flavored meringues at a local grocery, but they no longer carry them. I found that adding 1 tsp. of instant coffee dissolved in 1 tsp. of vanilla to the recipe and leaving out the chocolate chips makes a good coffee meringue.

FORGOTTEN COOKIES

2 egg whites

3/4 cup granulated sugar

16 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whip egg whites in a deep bowl at high speed. When soft peaks form, gradually add the sugar, then gently fold in the chips. You can add a few drops of red or green food coloring if you want. Drop by heaping spoonful on greased or parchment paper-covered cookie sheets. Place in a preheated 375 (F) oven and turn off heat. Let sit until oven is cold.
WARNING: Don't actually forget the cookies! You will be very disappointed when you preheat the oven for something else and open the oven door to find your meringues have been baked again. The results aren't pretty!