‘Tis the time of year for making that special family cookie recipe. Did you ever wonder why a recipe didn’t turn out the same way as when your mom or aunt made it? You followed the same recipe, but it looked and tasted different. What happened?
Using the right measuring tool can make or break a recipe. At times, we may be in a hurry and use a dry measure cup for a liquid measure cup. Could that be the difference? Yes, it could.
Dry ingredients should be spooned into a measuring cup and excess leveled using the straight edge of a knife.
Use clear measuring cups to measure liquid ingredients. Check at eye level to make sure correct amount is measured. Liquid should just touch the measurement line.
Use measuring spoons to measure teaspoons or tablespoons. Do not use eating utensils as the measurement may not be the same.
These recipes below are Penn State Extension annual cookies recipes. Remember, it is not recommended to taste cookie dough which contains raw eggs. Salmonella, a foodborne pathogen, is destroyed by heat, but may be present in the cookie dough prior to baking.
Have a safe and holiday season and remember to measure ingredients correctly. It can be the difference between a successful cookie or a flop.
Chocolate No Bake Cookies
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup 1% milk
1/4 cup margarine
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (if you like)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups dry oats
Place sugar, milk, and margarine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. If using cocoa powder, add that, too. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter until peanut butter is melted. Add oats and stir well.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet coated with non-fat cooking spray or covered with waxed paper. Chill for 1 hour.
Pumpkin Squares
16 ounce can pumpkin
4 eggs
3/4 cup of canola oil
1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour or regular flour
1 TBS ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ cups brown sugar
¾ cups rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
In a mixing bowl, stir together the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs and oil until well mixed. Combine flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into nonfat sprayed 13 X 9 baking pan. Bake at 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Makes 24 bars.
Chewy Raisin Squares
½ cup soft margarine
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked quick oats
½ cup raisins
Beat margarine and sugar together until creamy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in oats and raisins. Spread in nonfat sprayed 8 inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut into squares when cool. Makes 16 squares.
