not quite a success- yet not a failure: Nana's Italian Knot Cookies

It's been another fun-filled (that's the word I use in place of "crazy" to make myself feel better) week here at the Venittelli House.  I had such grand intentions to post more frequently but with everything going on I just haven't made anything post-worthy!  ayiah!  And this one thing I did make didn't come out that great....boo!

Monday Ian took Trevor and Liv down to visit his Nana for the afternoon.  I think one of the main reasons Ian likes visiting his Nana is these cookies...Nana knows this and never disappoints.  Ian came home with an entire tray full of these Italian Knot Cookies...probably over two dozen.  We all nibbled on them Monday night...Tuesday came and Ian went back to work...but the rest of us were home- Snowday (#6 of the winter!)  Around 11am I realized the tray was looking a little sparse...so I looked closer and sure enough, there were about three left!  The kids must have been sneaking into the kitchen, taking cookies more often then I realized...sneaky little monsters!  

I felt a bit bad that there were so few left of Ian's favorite cookies for when he got home...and then it dawned on me...."Ian's Nana gave me this recipe back when we first got married!  I can make more!!"  Now I have never made these before...which is why I am not completely heart-broken that they did not turn out perfectly.  

Ingredients:

(cookies)

3 3/4c flour

3/4c sugar

5 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1/4c vegetable oil

1/4c milk

1tsp vanilla extract

1 stick butter melted

(Butter Icing) 
1/4lb butter softened
1tsp vanilla
1 box (~3-4c) confectioners sugar

Directions

1. Sift flour, sugar and baking powder into a large bowl.  Make a well in the middle of this flour mixture. 

we used a bowl big enough to fit over Liv's head...don't worry- we washed it.

  2-in a separate bowl lightly beat eggs.  Add the eggs to the well of the dry ingredients.  Add melted butter, milk and the rest of the wet ingredients to the eggs in the well.  Mix well.

3. take the dough  out of the bowl and knead until it's smooth.  Add more flour if the dough is too sticky, you should be able to handle the dough without it sticking to your fingers.

4. Take a small amt of dough and roll in the palms of your hand like you are making a rope.  This was my first mistake.  I used a cookie scooper...waaaay too big!!  Next time I will use the cookie scoop, one scoop per 2 cookies.. once the rope is formed twist or tie into a knot and place on a cookie sheet.

5-Bake for 10-15min (I avg about 11-12) @ 350.  Tops should be light golden, bottoms may be a bit darker.  Once done take out and let cool on cooling rack.

these were about double the size they *should* be..now I know!

Now to make the butter icing-

Mix the three ingredients using an electric mixer, add more powdered sugar if too wet, add a little milk if too dry.  Icing should be spreadable but not too thin that's it's dripping from a spoon.  Once the right consistancy is reached either dip cookies in or spread icing on cookie to coat.

 So even though they did not come out aesthetically perfect, they were still tasty...tasty enough that they are completely gone in less than 24hrs.  Oh my god...now that I just typed that out I realized my kids and husband ate a lot of cookies the past two days!!!  okay, I had a few too.

source- Nana Rose

Enjoy!
xoxo
Andrea

Facebake

There's a post going around Facebook along the lines of: The first five people who comment on this post will receive something handmade by me in 2011. In turn they must post this as their status.

At first I wasn't so keen on the idea...but then I saw the cutest little Sculpey pets made for this by my friend Jeanette. They're really super adorable and I wanted in on it! So I took the bait and within minutes had 5 people who wanted handmade stuff.

Since I just learned to knit and it would take me a century to make 5 of something (not to mention that I'm very selfishly knitting myself a blanket right now) I decided to do what I do best (no, not talk!) BAKE!

Parallel to this Facebook thing I am also in an unofficial and very one sided (mine) baking competition with the wife of a guy who works with my husband. My husband messaged me at work the other day that he had just tasted the best brownies. Seriously? The best? I doubt it but just in case I'd better make some and make them more awesome than anyone else can make them!

I decided to make Cranberry Cinnamon Chip bar cookies from

Our Best Bites and brownie covered Oreos from Picky Palate and they both turned out awesome!

I couldn't find cinnamon chips for the Cranberry Cinnamon Chip Bars so I used double the white chocolate chips suggested and then dusted the coconut layer with cinnamon. Also, I couldn't find cranberries quick enough in the grocery store (Dino was with me and fading fast!) so I bought dried mixed berries and last I substituted almonds for the nuts because that's what we like around here. With all of those changes they still turned out great!

The brownie covered Oreos were the greatest brownies ever that my husband told me about. They're really easy and fun to make. Since I'm shipping them I made them in cupcake wrappers and I used Double Stuff Oreos. I've gotten the thumbs up by both guys tonight so I do believe I win!