I started baking cookies when I was 10 or so, and I always liked to make them soft and chewy in the center and crispy on the edges. Can’t you just smell the homemade cookie flavors wafting through the air of your own childhood? There is something about a home-baked cookie that is so comforting…

But I digress.

Back to the BIG cookie strategies. If you want to make a big cookie, you need to try some of these tips:

1. You have to start with a recipe where the dough is not too sticky so you don’t have overspreading. If the recipe you are using usually spreads a lot and the cookies are thinner, you will want to add more flour to get a bit stiffer dough. This will produce a cookie that is thicker and will hold together better.

2. If the cookie recipe calls for only baking soda, substitute some of it for baking powder. Not all of it, just some. I can’t tell you exactly how much, but by adding some baking powder into the mix, you get another rise later on in the baking process that helps the cookies set up better.

3. Shape by hand, making sure the cookies are roughly the same size. I weigh each cookie by hand, but if you are at home and don’t have a scale, just estimate by holding one in each hand and comparing. Place evenly on the pan; once they are shaped, press down lightly and evenly. (For a 4 ounce cookie I put 6 on each 10?14 cookie sheet.)

4. Try baking at a slightly lower oven temperature, so the inside has a chance to bake through before the outside is burnt to a crisp.

5. You may need to have a bit of patience with yourself when trying something new, as things don’t always turn out as expected the first time. Always write down what you did, and evaluate the result. Were they underspread and too hard? Maybe next time don’t add any extra flour, or bake for a bit less time.

6. If all else fails, you may want to call in the professionals. For a reasonable price, we will send you enough BIG COOKIES to have some BIG FUN for weeks to come. After all, there are things YOU do better than WE do … so spend your time doing what you’re best at! I guarantee you’ll enjoy life more and spend less time in the kitchen trying to figure out how to bake big cookies!

So there you have it, my best advice on making a cookie grandma would have been proud to serve. It’s easy, and I’ll bet you can do it!

But if not, get in touch with us at OregonCookies.com and we will fix you right up! In the meantime, we’ll be sweetening the universe one cookie at a time!

Lobsters can for instance be broiled, cooked or steamed with excellent results. If you are hesitant of how to go about, there are many cooking sites that will teach you how to cook lobster following pedagogic step by step instructions. Lobster tails are fairly easy to prepare and cook once you get the hang of it. As mentioned above, there are many different methods and if you ask three different chefs you might get three different answers about how to cook lobster tails. If you are using frozen lobster tails most recipes will require you to thaw the tails prior to cooking. Remove the frozen tails from the freezer and put them in the refrigerator 24 hours before you plan to start cooking. If they are not thawed when you cook them, the meat can become very tough. How to cook frozen lobster when you’re in a hurry? Place the frozen lobster in a plastic bag and put the bag in cold water in the fridge.

Cooking with flax seed is not difficult and there is a myriad of different ways to bring back this beneficial seed to our diet and there is also a myriad of different flax seed recipes available. You can for instance make a flax seed smoothie or sprinkle ground flax seed over your breakfast cereals. If you are fond of baking, you can make your own flax seed bread by adding flax seed to your favourite bread recipe. The flax plant hails from a region that stretches from eastern shores of the Mediterranean to India and is believed to be one of several crops firsts domesticated by the people living in the Fertile Crescent. Eventually, flax seed cultivation spread and we do for instance know that it was extensively cultivated by farmers in ancient Egypt. The flax plant is not only popular for its seed; the fibres are used to make linen cloth. This trait was of even higher importance before cotton and synthetic fibres became readily available.

Why not try some of the many variants of Blackened Tilapia? One way of cooking Blackened Tilapia is to simply heat up an iron skillet over strong heat for 5 minutes while you prepare the seasoning by mixing together 3 tablespoons of paprika powder, 3 teaspoons of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of lemon pepper, 1.5 teaspoon of grounded red pepper, 1.5 teaspoon of dried, crushed basil, and 1 teaspoon of dried thyme. Melt 1 cup of unsalted butter and dip 4-6 tilapia fillets in it. Coat the buttery fish with the seasoning mix. Place the fillets in the hot skilled and fry them 2 minutes per side. It is not a good idea to use anything else than a real cast iron skillet when making blackened tilapia since other types of skillets and frying pans might not be able to handle the high heat that is required.

Flax seed oil should not be used as frying oil, but there is a rich profusion of other ways to make use of this beneficial oil. You can for instance use this easy flax seed oil recipe to make pancakes with flax seed oil. Sift together 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. In another bowl, combine 1 slightly beaten egg with 1 1/2 cups of milk and 2 tablespoons of flax seed oil. Add to flour mixture and stir until smooth. Fry just like you normally fry pancakes. Since there is oil in the batter, you can use less grease than normally in the frying pan, using roughly 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. The flax seed oil will give the pancakes a delicious nutty taste.

What is more, there is not need to visit a supermarket – all you need is an electronic credit or debit card and basic computer skills under your belt. There is an enormous amount of shops that sell wine and other liquors online and if you place a large order you can always count on a substantial discount. As easy as that! No need to get up from your seat and think of the opportunity to place wine bottles boxes into your car! The managers will do everything for you and very fast.

You may ask: “Why are the prices lower than at supermarkets?“. But the answer is very simple: online liquor stores offer you good quality beverages, strong alcoholic drinks, wine, liquors and other drinks even substantively cheaper than at supermarkets as they do not have to pay for the rent, just for a warehouse and they are selling mostly wholesale.

That is why no matter who you are (an amateur or a gourmet) – these online liquor stores will cater for any taste and any purse!

Ingredients for 2:

300 ml milk
50 gr of dark chocolate
3 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of farina
4 dark chocolate truffles

How to prepare:

Melt 50 gr of dark chocolate in a pot /better with thick bottom / on a low temperature and add 250 ml of the milk slowly.
In a separated cup mix well 3 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp farina /dry / and add  the other 50 ml of the milk on trickle .
Add this mixture again slowly to the melted chocolate and whip until it starts thickening /the temperature of the hot plate has to be low/ . Pull the pot aside and keep whipping 2 minutes. Pour the cream in two wide stemmed glasses and leave it to cool.

Put chocolate truffles on a bread-board and with a very sharp knife slice very thin pieces, they will roll if you slice them thin enough. Garnish the cool cream with the sliced truffles.

If  you have a sweet tooth you definitely will enjoy this delicious combination.
You can even prepare this dessert as a sweet surprise for Valentine’s
day, just add a red ribbon to the stem of each glass as a finishing touch.

Original Cooksites.info recipe.
Please keep in mind that all original content on Cooksites.info is copyrighted material. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Cooksites.info is prohibited.
For permission to republish a recipe please contact us.

Below you can find the list of the ingredients you will need to prepare this dish
and how you can cook it:

Ingredients for 8 portions:

1 kg of minced meat /can be pure beef or 50% pork/ 50% beef /.
10-15 pickled gherkins
3 boiled eggs
10 carrots
1 fine chopped onion
3-4 medium sized potatoes
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
2 tbsp of bread-crumbs
1 egg
1 white of egg

Flavouring:

pepper
salt
savory or thyme depending on your preferences

How to cook:

Mix well using your hand the minced meat with 1 egg, fine chopped onion,
and season with salt, pepper and savory /thyme/. Leave the mixture in a fridge for an hour. In the mean time chop lengthwise the pickled gherkins and 1/2 of the carrots and slice the boiled eggs and potatoes.

Take the minced meat mixture out of the fridge and divide in two. 
In a large baking tin put vegetable oil and roll out one part of the minced meat in the centre of the baking tin, put chopped pickled gherkins and carrots, sliced boiled eggs and a bit of pepper so that they to cover the meat but not too close to the ends because you need them to wrap the roll.
Put the other part of the minced meat over it and tuck the ends to form a roll.
Glair the roll and powder with bread-crumbs /this mill make the roll crunchy/.
Put the sliced potatoes and the rest of the carrots divided in halves around the roll, season them with salt and pepper and put everything in an oven for 45 min. at 200C, after that set the oven on a grill and bake for 10 min at 180C.

Serve the roll sliced and garnished with potatoes and carrots.

Hope you find it tasty!
Bon appetit! 

Original Cooksites.info recipe.
Please keep in mind that all original content on Cooksites.info is copyrighted material. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Cooksites.info is prohibited.
For permission to republish a recipe please contact us.

When it comes to food, a simple appetizer can make an elegant statement. Choose flavorful ingredients right from your pantry, such as raisins.

The sweetness of raisins adds a wonderful depth of flavor to savory dishes, and they become even more succulent when plumped in juices or wine.

Try this easy and delicious raisin recipe for your next holiday party. California Raisins, port wine and rich pecans make a decadent filling for Brie cheese wrapped in a warm, flaky puff pastry. Simply plate the Brie with an assortment of crackers, a sliced baguette and apple or pear slices for an impressive holiday appetizer.

Baked Brie with

California Raisins

Makes 20 servings

1 wheel of Brie cheese (about

two pounds), chilled

1/4 cup California Raisins

1/4 cup port wine

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons toasted pecans

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

Bring port wine and raisins to boil in a saucepan, then remove from heat, and set aside to cool. In a small bowl, beat egg yolk with water for egg wash, and set aside.

Divide Brie into two layers and separate. Coarsely chop raisins, mix with toasted pecans and spread evenly on bottom layer of Brie. Cover with top half of Brie. Roll out puff pastry on lightly floured surface until large enough to cover Brie completely. Place filled Brie in center of dough and wrap Brie, sealing overlapping edges with egg wash. Arrange on greased baking sheet, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

To serve, preheat oven to 400 degreeF. Brush top and sides with egg wash, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand a few minutes, and serve with baguette slices or toasted croutons.

Looking for Christmas Recipes ? Visit Foodclassics.com.

For more mouth-watering California Raisin recipes perfect for any occasion, visit www.LoveYourRaisins.com.

(NewsUSA)