The Best Friends In The Universe

I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but I have the best friends in the entire universe. Yesterday I dropped off a basket of cookies and when I returned to the office less than an hour later, the coolest e-card was waiting for me. My goofy friends sent the hugs I dropped off right back to me.

The cool friend stories don't end there. Kenda, Vicky and my mom all pitched in to help me cater Bree's rehearsal dinner when I broke down from the loss of my good friend, Mary Helen. They endured hours on their feet with nothing more in return from me than a great big hug and thank you. Vicky even stayed behind and cleaned my kitchen.

A couple of weeks ago when I was having a major panic attack about the annual Christmas party, Vicky dropped everything to help me pull it off. She organized things, cut veggies, basically did anything I needed, but most of all she calmed me down and made everything OK.

I have always been one that had a very difficult time accepting the help of others. I wanted to be the one giving the help. The last few weeks have taught me an important lesson...that it is OK to accept help. I also was reminded of something I always knew. I HAVE THE BEST FRIENDS IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!

Many Hugs,

Kathy

Chocolate Crackles Cookies

Another one of my favorite cookies to make during the holidays is from a recipe I found in a holiday Martha Stewart magazine years ago. It also appears in the Martha Stewart's Cookies cookbook.

Chocolate Crackles Cookies

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

2. With an electric mixer mix together butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla, and then the melted chocolate. Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture in two batches alternating with the milk. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Wrap each in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Divide each piece into (16) 1 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar to coat, then in confectioners' sugar to coat. Space 2 inches apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment.

4. Bake until surfaces crack, about 14 minutes, rotating cookie sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

This cookie is very striking to look at. It has an intense chocolate taste, but is light at the same time. Enjoy!

Many hugs,

Kathy

Christmas Cookies Coming Soon!

The month of November was filled with lots of relaxing, eating, some baking, but not much in the way of new cookie recipe postings. I promise many good things are coming for the month of December...Mrs Cohen's Crescents (kind of like pecan sandies, but better), Congo Squares, Kevina's Peppermint Bark Cookies, Holiday Decorated Sugar Cookies and much more...

This week is Christmas Open House Party planning, decorating and cooking time. So give me until next week and the recipes will be posting, cookies will be baking and hopefully many smiles and hugs will be collected.

On Thanksgiving, Geni delivered a HeartSong Cookie basket to her mother-in-law and shared the photo with me. More smiles for my collection...how cool!

Many hugs,

Kathy

More Cookies, More Smiles

I keep baking and the smiles keep coming.

Many hugs,
Kathy

Thoughtful Handmade Perfection

Last week I received a very special thank you gift for catering my friends Bree and Jason's rehearsal dinner. For the last couple of months Bree's mom had been crafting the gifts...a hand woven cookbook basket and cheery apron. Her thoughtfulness amazed me. Both will be cherished for many years to come. Thank you Phyllis!

Many hugs,

Kathy

Cookies Never Go On Vacation

This week Mike and I are on vacation in Raleigh, North Carolina visiting my son Ryan. Ryan's birthday was on Tuesday, so Monday I pulled out the chocolate chunks, pecans, butter, sugar, eggs, flour and baked away. This time I used some dark brown sugar for extra depth of flavor and added almost two cups of toasted pecans instead of the usual 1 1/2 cups. The result was quite good and actually approved by the star quarterback at NC State - Russell Wilson. Tim who? Russell is my new favorite quarterback. He likes my cookies!

Many hugs,

Kathy

My Cherished Collection of Smiles

Some people collect antique banks (my dad, for one). Some collect fine art. Others collect Jaguars (my friend, Mark). I collect smiles. Recently my collection has been growing by leaps and bounds.

The joy I see on the faces of my HeartSong Cookie recipients is priceless. It is the reason I end almost every day in the kitchen baking cookies and begin almost every day assembling baskets. It is the reason baking ingredients covering my dining room table are a permanent addition to my decor.

Yes, I get tired, but the smile I receive at the end of all the effort keeps me going and going and going...

Keep smiling and I will keep baking!

Many hugs and smiles,

Kathy

A List of Fall Favorites

Several friends have requested a list of cookie flavors I am currently baking. Tonight I posted five of my favorites included in the fall baskets on my new website - www.heartsongcookies.com.

For questions or special requests, please contact me at heartsongcookies@cfl.rr.com.

Many hugs,

Kathy

Finally...A HeartSong Website

A couple of weeks ago I registered a website domain for www.heartsongcookies.com. Yes...I finally have a website!

However, I have not had a spare moment to do anything with the site. Tonight at least I posted a welcome and hope to upload some more photographs over the next couple of weeks.

Many hugs,

Kathy

Happy Fall Goodies

This week I delivered a lot of hugs to my clients and friends.

For my friends participating in a 60 mile walk over the weekend to raise money for breast cancer research, I filled a hot pink backpack with HeartSong Cookies to give them a carb load for the trek.

Others received fall or Halloween themed baskets similar to the photograph taken by my friend, Vicky. All the baskets and backpacks seemed to have the same effect. They made people happy. And in turn they made me overjoyed. What a wonderful world we live in!

It seems like an eternity since I actually posted a recipe on this blog. One of the favorites in my recent fall baskets was the Cranberry Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie. It is basically my base cookie recipe with dried cranberries, dark chocolate chips and toasted pecans added.

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 1/2 Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 cups toasted pecan, toasted whole, lightly salted with a sprinkling of sea salt, then chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat butter, all sugars and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy. Add eggs, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed. Add flour and beat until just combined. Overmixing will result in a tough cookie.

3. Drop by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly brown around the edges, rotating midway through the cookie time. Cool on pan for 5 minutes. Then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Tip: The cranberries add a festive touch to the cookies and work great for fall and holiday entertaining and gift giving. White chocolate chips can be substituted for the dark chocolate chips. Your favorite nut can be substituted for the pecans. I made Cranberry White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies this week to rave reviews. Have fun blending your favorite taste components.


Happy Halloween!

Many hugs,

Kathy

Bringing Home the Baking

Today over lunch with Kenda, I received an amazing birthday present to further my goal to start my HeartSong Cookies business. Kenda gave me the book Bringing Home the Baking, How to Start a Licensed Home-Based Baking Business by Quincella C. Geiger. I am anxious to start reading the book this evening, so will keep my posting brief.

Some of the people that received the baskets I made for Matt have requested a way to contact me. I love to bake cookies for friends and if you have any special requests, you can e-mail me at - heartsongcookies@cfl.rr.com

Many hugs,

Kathy

I Made It!

This afternoon I delivered the last basket in Matt's Fall Cookie order. I felt relieved and very satisfied with the results. Thanks Matt for believing in me!

Many hugs,

Kathy

Almost At The Finish Line

For the last couple of weeks I have been working on my first big cookie order for my friend Matt. He asked me to make 9 baskets of various sizes and 21 cookie bags, all with a fall theme.

Last night I baked 168 cookies for the 21 bags and packaged them this morning. Judging by the look on Matt's face and the hug I received, I think he was pleased. It made the lack of sleep very worthwhile. I only have one more basket to go and that is on tonight's agenda.

Matt is a very talented graphic designer and created a beautiful card to accompany the baskets. I know my iPhone picture won't do it justice, but I just have to share. The leaf on the card is real. His parents sent him leaves from up north to affix to the card. I love the quote that he used. I just hope my cookies lived up to the sentiment.


Many hugs,


Kathy

Matt's Fall Cookie Baskets

A couple of weeks ago my friend Matt asked me to make cookie baskets for his clients. I was thrilled and embarked on making the baskets as beautiful as I could and filled with tasty cookies. I baked Toasted Pecan Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Tri Berry, Apple Cinnamon Crunch, Chocolate Chip Cranberry Pecan and White Chocolate Blueberry Pecan Cookies. Then I wrapped two cookies in each treat bag, tucked them in fall baskets, wrapped the basket in tulle and tied with fall ribbon.

Many hugs,

Kathy

Pumpkin Raisinet Cookies

To me nothing says fall better than pumpkin...anything pumpkin. Tonight I decided to try a new pumpkin cookie recipe I discovered on the Nestle site to see if it was worthy to add to my fall repertoire. The cake-like texture made it very different than any of my other cookies, but still very good.

Pumpkin Raisinet Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 can (15 oz.) Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups Nestle Raisinets Milk Chocolate-Covered Raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts

Vanilla Glaze

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in Raisinets and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle with Vanilla Glaze.

Vanilla Glaze

Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 1/2 tsp. vanilla in small bowl; mix well.

Many hugs and fall moments,

Kathy

Nellie's Cookie

Yesterday when I walked into work at Costco, I received the most amazing gift. Nellie, the Manatee Coffee demonstrator and fellow avid baker, had baked the night before. She told me to stop by her demo area for a treat. Carefully wrapped in parchment, were 2 beautiful sandwich cookies for me to enjoy later...5 minutes later. Two light butter cookies were sandwiched together with caramel and the edges rolled in finely shredded coconut, almost like coconut dust. This cookie was one of the best I have ever tasted. It was so good it literally melted in my mouth. I ran over to Nellie's area again, this time to request the recipe. Nellie's parents were German and she was raised in Argentina, so her recipe is in the metric system. She promised to copy it down for me next week. Somehow I will translate it into something I can post and bake. It is just that good! The power of good cookies was out in full force yesterday. Time for a happy dance.

Many hugs,

Kathy

A Very Special Request

Yesterday I spent a couple of the best hours ever...in a hospital room in the cancer center at Florida Hospital Altamonte with my hero Mary Helen, her boyfriend Ron and my friend Rita. Mary Helen is in a battle with cancer and cancer is hitting her with everything its got. And yet, I have never seen a person exude more life and positive energy than MH did. We talked about politics, my silly blogs, the horrible hospital food, dogs, tumors, pain. We talked about life. We laughed...a lot! We cried...a little.

When I mentioned that I wanted to re-invent myself and maybe becoming a nutritionist to fix the horrible hospital food situation was the way to go, MH asked me to leave...to leave right now...to start culinary school. I would love to oblige, but financial reality won't let me. She then asked for some cookies. This I can do. I happily baked Tropical Escape Cookies and Toasted Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies and dropped them off to the hospital this morning.

Yesterday was a magical day thanks to my hero, Mary Helen.

Many hugs,

Kathy

Flu-Fighter Cookie

Friday night I decided to bake a type of breakfast cookie to take to Saturday's breakfast tailgate and opted for the Flu-Fighter Cookie recipe I found in this month's Food Network magazine. The flavor of the cookies is quite good and they look great, but were a little on the dry side. I think next time I might add a little more butter, molasses and Greek yogurt.

This recipe includes five key immunity-boosting ingredients.

Ginger - People in China, Japan and India have used ginger medicinally since the 1500's. The herb has some antiviral compounds and its antihistamine properties help combat congestion.

Cranberries - You have been told to eat an apple a day, but a cup of cranberries a day provides twice as many antioxidants, which help your body fight off cell-damaging molecules (free radicals).

Oats - Old-fashioned oats are rich in selenium, a nutrient that helps your body fend off harmful free radicals including the ones your body produces when you are sick.

Walnuts - A 1-ounce serving of walnuts has 1 mg zinc and zinc helps keep viruses from reproducing in your body.

Yogurt - Active cultures from yogurt help balance the bacteria in your digestive tract, boosting your ability to absorb healthful vitamins and minerals.

Flu-Fighter Cookies

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cup golden raisins
1 1/4 cups dried cranberries
1 1/4 cups roughly chopped toasted walnuts

1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the molasses, yogurt, ginger and lemon zest and beat until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture to make a sticky batter. Do not overmix. Fold in the oats and half the raisins, cranberries and walnuts. Mix the remaining dried fruit and nuts in a bowl and set aside.

3. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Top each with some of the reserved dried fruit and nut mixture and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 F.

4. Bake the cookies until dark golden, but still soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Many hugs and fewer sniffles,

Kathy

Hula Hat Cookie Presentation

Working seven days a week is interfering with my cookie adventures and experimentation. However, I did find some time last night to bring out one of my previous favorites...Dani's Tropical Escape Cookies. Unfortunately I did not have any fresh limes in the house, so I substituted orange zest for the lime. It was a good substitute in a pinch, but I prefer the tanginess of the lime.

Since presentation is very important to me, I am constantly on the lookout for interesting plates, baskets or vessels to package the cookies. I discovered a cool hula hat and tropical themed treat bags at the local dollar store. The brim on the hat makes a perfect place to tuck these tropical delights. Aloha...and could you sent a Mai Tai my way?! All of a sudden I am in the mood for a drink with an umbrella.

Many Hugs,

Kathy

Cookie Adventure Epiphany

My life's adventure is filled with many wonderful people that mean the world to me. Two very different, but equally amazing women keep popping up in my recent cookie adventures.

They offer me encouragement and support. They prod...they poke...they challenge me to go after my dreams. They listen to me whine about my financial challenges and personal insecurities. They are undaunted! They believe...in me.

Carolyn and Kenda, thank you for all you are and all you do! I do believe that anything is possible and I am taking you along for the ride.

You are both epiphanous (enlightening)!!!!!!! And yes, I just made up a word in your honor.

Many hugs,

Kathy

Graduation Cookies

My son, Ryan, made one request for his college graduation weekend...cookies to share with his friends. I was more than happy to accommodate his request. I whipped up a batch of two of my favorites from previous postings - White Chocolate, Blueberry, Pecan Cookies (April 3, 2009) and Toasted Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies (February 26, 2009). Graduation weekend was a great time and the cookies were pretty good too!



Many hugs,



Kathy

A Day To Remember

Last week I decided to ask family and friends to an Easter brunch at our house to celebrate the day. Since time and funds were low, each invitee was asked to bring something. My brother made an amazing cheese grits casserole to go with my shrimp and andouille sausage. Mom brought a ham and champagne glasses. My mother-in-law, Jo brought her special deviled eggs and fresh fruit. Friends, Carolyn and Alana, brought orange juice for mimosas and the cutest mini cupcakes. And friends, Kenda and Mark, brought a delicious potato salad. I added the "HeartSong" touch with banana muffins and white chocolate blueberry pecan cookies. Food was plentiful and very good, but the best part of the day was the company. At the end of the day I hugged my husband Mike and reflected..."We made some people happy today and that is a very good thing!"

Many hugs,

Kathy

Easter Sugar Cookies

All holidays must be commemorated with sugar cookies! Actually, it is just my excuse to play with cookie cutters and sprinkles. You can find the recipe in a previous posting from February 12. Happy Easter!



Many hugs,



Kathy

Priceless!

This week's cookie adventure took shape in a most unexpected place. As I stopped at a light on Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando, I noticed a gentleman standing by the intersection holding a sign..."Hungry". I could not overlook his hopeless expression. He seemed genuinely hungry. I knew I was very low on funds and reluctantly started to drive on.

Then I remembered the bag of chocolate chunk cookies that were in the back seat from the day before. I rolled down the window and told the man I did not have any money, but had a bag of homemade chocolate chunk cookies. Fully expecting him to be disappointed by my lack of money, I was pleasantly surprised by his reaction. "HOMEMADE?!!!!" he said, in a delighted inquisitive tone. He rushed to my window to take the bag of cookies and treated them with reverence like I had given him something of great value. A big, toothless grin and thank you was what I received in return...PRICELESS!

Many hugs,

Kathy

Cookie Welcome Basket

This week I finally got my first paying cookie gig. My friend, Carolyn, asked me to make a cookie basket for a new tenant in her mom's condo. I was thrilled! I baked three different types of cookies and dressed them up in "heartsong" style. Hope her tenant likes the cookies at least half as much as I enjoyed making them. Thanks Carolyn!

Many hugs,

Kathy

Gator Breakfast Adventure

Several week's ago I was honored with a request from Lorraine, my most enthusiastic cookie fan, to cater a breakfast meeting for my Alma mater - University of Florida. I was intrigued with the prospect of finding a healthy breakfast cookie and some really tasty muffin recipes. After a week of "research and development" and a couple of flops, I ended up with three recipes. Since tonight I am functioning on 2 1/2 hours of sleep, I will post my favorite of the three and follow up this weekend with the rest. Thanks Lorraine for believing in me. I had a blast!

Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Cream Frosting

Muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 ground nutmeg
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Frosting:
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the mashed banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just blended.

3. Divide the batter amoung the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean with no crumbs attached...about 25 minutes (my oven took 28 minutes). Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly. The muffins are amazing warm without the frosting, but even better topped with the creamy sweet mascapone confection.

4. To frost the muffins: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone cheese and follow with the honey. Spread the frosting over the muffins and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts.

Tip: I used (2) 12 cup muffin pans and yielded 24 muffins. They did not have large puffy tops, but were plenty big enough for me. To frost 12 muffins, I doubled the frosting recipe...would probably need to triple it to frost all 24. My brother suggested I try adding mini chocolate chips to this recipe. Mmmmmm, sounds good. Maybe next week...

Enjoy!

Many hugs,

Kathy

Luck of the Irish Cookies

With the state of our world right now, I think we all could use a little luck of the Irish. This weekend I baked Sandy's Sugar Cookies from a previous blog posting and dressed them up in their best Irish finery.

Many hugs,

Kathy

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Dennis

My friend Dennis makes the most amazing chocolate chip cookies. Last week he shared the recipe with me and I finally had the opportunity to make them this weekend. Unfortunately I cooked mine a little too long, but they were delicious anyway. Dennis, thanks for sharing!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup real butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups nuts (I used toasted mixed nuts)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups oatmeal (then grind in a blender)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream first five ingredients. Mix in dry ingredients, except chips and nuts...add them last. Combine all ingredients. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully!

Tip: While they tasted great, my first attempt was a little dry. I baked mine for 13 minutes, but will cut it down to 11 or 12 minutes next time. I also measured the 2 1/2 cups of oatmeal after it was ground. Next time I will follow Dennis' directions and measure the raw oatmeal instead, prior to grinding.

Many hugs,

Kathy

Mary's Nutella Cookies

While I am not a huge fan of peanut butter and chocolate, I LOVE the chocolate and hazelnut taste of Nutella. Last week I bought the double huge COSTCO size package of Nutella and decided I better find a cookie recipe to make wise use of my purchase. The recipe comes from a fellow cookie blogger, Mary in San Francisco. Her site it really beautiful. Check it out at alpineberry.blogspot.com. The cookies are easy to make and quite good. Enjoy!

Mary's Nutella Cookies

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup Nutella
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted and skinned hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sift together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in Nutella and vanilla extract. Mix in egg.

Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add chips and hazelnuts.

Drop tablespoons of dough 2" apart onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for about 11 minutes or until edges look set. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully remove to cooling racks.

Many hugs,

Kathy

Confessions of a Foodie

For me, food has always had an amazing power to conjure up warm feelings and happy memories. I may not be able to remember dates or birthdays or certain names, but I can remember every special, and not so special eating experience I have ever had.

I blame my grandmother, Mema, for my passion for food. She made having a cup of hot tea an event. She poured the steaming hot brew into a special china tea cup, made sure I scooped up the bubbles with my spoon for good luck, added tiny sugar cubes decorated with sugar flowers, and always accompanied the tea with something sweet. Tea and sweets were her weakness and her passion. Every time I have a cup of tea, those feelings of a wide eyed little girl sharing special time with her grandmother come to mind and I get a big smile on my face.

I had the same big smile this week when I was presented with a gift from my son - a box of crushed almond macaroons all the way from Mike's Pastry in Boston. Immediately my thoughts returned to the November night my son, Ryan, and I visited Mike's Pastry in Boston's North End. The cookies were amazing, but the time spent with my son was the best. All it took was seeing the box to bring it all back. Thanks Ryan for my cookie "hug".

As I keep telling my friends...don't ever underestimate the power of a cookie.


Many hugs,

Kathy

Saving the World from Unhappiness One Cookie at a Time

This week was filled with more ups and downs than the wildest roller coaster ride. On a drive to Tampa, with a journal on the console between the seats, I crafted my first article for submission to EZine. Unfortunately most of my finest epiphanies occur while driving...hence the strategic placement of the journal, and yes, I am fully aware of the stupidity of multitasking while driving. But I was compelled to share my feelings with the world. Here they are, a little rough around the edges, but from the heart.

These challenging economic times tend to bring out the worst and the best in people. I chose to focus on how I can bring out the best in myself and others. After a deluge of daily rants from the media, business associates and friends, I had to do something to change my focus. I turned to my source of comfort...baking cookies, and adopted the mission statement - "I want to save the world from unhappiness one cookie at a time."

I channeled my unhappiness (and believe me I had an unlimited supply) into creating a cookie blog -http://heartsongcookies.blogspot.com/ and feverishly baking. I tried new recipes. I experimented, but mostly I shared.

Lo and behold, conversations turned from the economy to favorite cookie recipes and memories. Adults became kids again. Frowns turned to smiles. Many hugs were given out with each bag of cookies. One friend even shared a dream she had about the cookies I brought to her office.

For at least a moment, the economy was forgotten, diets were forsaken, and life was good.

If only I could capture all those hugs and happy moments in a package with a big bow on top to give as a gift to our society right now. If only...

What I can do, is encourage all of you to channel your energy toward pursuing your passion...whatever it is. From vintage cars to motorcycles, wine to beers of the world, bowling to wake boarding, salt and pepper shaker collecting to painting. Whatever you have a passion for, absorb yourself in it and share with others.

The positive energy you generate will be enough to overtake all the naysayers in this crazy world of ours and for at least a moment, life will be good...with a hug, a smile and a big bow on top.

Many hugs,

Kathy

An Allergen-Free Cookie Adventure

This weekend's cookie adventure took me to Liberty Bakery in search of a tasty cookie for my gluten intolerant friend, Victoria. The bakery was recently featured in an article in the Orlando Sentinel as one of ten inductees into the Culinary Hall of Fame for 2009.


Liberty Bakery was founded in 2007 by Sheila Sollie and Laura Costanzo, each a mother of an autistic child with food allergies and advocates of treatment with dietary intervention. The bakery features a variety of fresh baked cookies, breads, cupcakes and brownies free of gluten, wheat, casein, corn, soy and nuts.


Judging by the reaction of a customer I encountered when I visited their store, Liberty is definitely filling a need in the Central Florida area. The customer clutched the bread that Sheila handed her like it was her most prized possession and kept muttering "Bread, I can't believe I get to have BREAD"!


Although I do not have any food allergies myself, I opted to try a couple of cookies in honor of my friend, Victoria. Sheila recommended the chocolate chip minis and the gingerbread cookies. Both were tasty. I can just imagine how comforting the treats must be if you have been deprived due to dietary restrictions. Check out their web site to try some for yourself - libertybakeryonline.com


Many hugs,


Kathy

Friend's Favorite...Gooey Butter Cookies

Within minutes of telling my friend Chris in St. Louis about my cookie blog, I received a special gift. He e-mailed the recipe for his favorite...Gooey Butter Cookies. After trying out the recipe last night, I see why he loves them. The base of the cookie is a cake mix. It bakes up almost lighter than air into a heavenly, comforting treat.

Chris, thanks for sharing!

Gooey Butter Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 box butter recipe yellow cake mix (I like Duncan Hines the best)
nonstick cooking spray
powdered sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat butter, vanilla, egg and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Mix in dry cake mix. Cover and chill dough for at least 30 minutes. Lightly coat cookie sheet with cooking spray. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into bowl of powdered sugar; roll into balls and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Tip: Chris recommends using a dark cookie sheet for best results. I used my insulated cookie sheets lined with parchment paper instead of spraying with cooking spray and the cookies turned out great. I did bake for a couple minutes longer than suggested to achieve the golden brown color.

Many hugs,

Kathy

Disastrous Visit from the Cookie Monster

Not all cookie adventures are fun. Last night is a prime example. I tried a new recipe from my favorite Martha Stewart's Cookies cookbook with disastrous results.

The recipe was for Pistachio Lemon Cookies. My friend Ali mentioned she likes lemon cookies and I intended to surprise her with some for our lunch meeting today. I was the one in for the surprise. I followed the recipe exactly; molding the resulting "dough"...um, "gravel" into unappetizing blobs and placing on the cookies sheets. "Surely these will bake into the beautiful cookies featured in Martha's book", I thought as I put them into the oven.

When the timer went off, I anxiously opened the oven door only to find...melted unappetizing gravel blobs. Oh well, I guess all winning streaks have to come to an end sometime. Tonight I am going to attempt to start a new streak.

Tip: Do NOT try the Pistachio Lemon Cookies from Martha Stewart's Cookies cookbook!

Many hugs (I need them after last night),

Kathy

Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies

Last night I was too tired to post the recipe for for the Valentine's Day sugar cookies. It is an easy recipe I discovered on the Food Network web site. I ice it with a simple glaze and decorate with festive sugar sprinkles. Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar for rolling out dough

1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt: set aside.

2. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric mixer and beat until light in color.

3. Add egg and milk and beat to combine.

4. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl

5. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 375 F.

7. Sprinkle rolling surface with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from the fridge at a time. Sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick.

8. Cut into desired shape and place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway through the baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack.

Cookie Glaze

2 cups sifted powder sugar
5 1/2 tablespoons milk and 2 tsp. butter heated together
1 tsp. lemon extract
2-3 tablespoons extra hot milk

With a wooden spoon beat sugar with hot milk and butter mixture. Put extra milk on to heat...just in case you need the thin the glaze. Beat in extract. If necessary, add additional hot milk until creamy and spreadable. Work quickly and frost immediately. If frosting begins to harden, beat in another drop of hot milk. Frost thinly and if desired decorate with sprinkles while still wet. Let dry before stacking.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Many hugs,

Kathy

The Not a Cookie Banana Cake with Fudge Frosting

Today I took leftover Banana Cake to my friend Jen and the gang at SeaWorld. They requested the recipe, so here it is guys. The cake recipe came from my sister-in-law, Kevina. The fudge frosting is the one I use on my favorite yellow butter cake. It is so not a cookie, but great none the less. Enjoy!

Banana Cake

1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe bananas
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
2 1/8 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 275 F. (Yes, 275 F.).
2. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
3. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with lemon juice and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
5. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp. vanilla.
7. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
8. Stir in banana mixture.
9. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. I had to bake the cake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Be prepared that it will probably take longer than an hour.
10. Remove from the oven and place the cake directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. Believe it or not, this makes the cake moist.
11. Frost with fudge frosting (recipe below) and sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans. This cake is best stored in the fridge.

Quick Fudge Frosting

12 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels (2 cups)
1/4 cup butter
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk

In a double boiler, over hot, not boiling water, melt the chocolate with the butter. Stir in the sugar and milk; remove from heat. With a wooden spoon, beat until smooth. This recipe will frost a two layer cake or 2 dozen cupcakes. You will have some left over when you frost the top of the banana cake...darn, you may have to eat big spoonfuls of fudge.


Many hugs,

Kathy

Welcome to HeartSong Cookies

For me cookies are much more than a treat. They are a way to give a piece of myself to another, express creativity, package one of life's greatest pleasures...a hug, into a few sweet bites.

Cookies are my way to make a heart sing. Hence the name, HeartSong Cookies.

Each week I will bring you one of my old favorite recipes or a new discovery, with personal tips and ideas.

I hope you savor every bite and feel the hug I am sending your way.

Many hugs,

Kathy