Baking on a Rainy Day

Cookie

Its been a rainy afternoon and I can’t think of a thing better to do than bake cookies! I am sure I could find something more productive, but productivity requires energy and that’s where the cookies come in.

Today, I’m sharing a long time Cafe favorite cookie recipe that I adapted from the back of a few different chocolate chip bags. Because of my deep love of cake, I prefer my cookies to have a similar fluffy texture. Usually, that just means adding more flour and reducing some of the sugars.

First, gather your supplies. Pulling everything you need out of the cupboards and fridge will make combining the ingredients easier and you are less likely to forget a step. Which can be very unforgiving in baking.

Supplies: a mixer, 2 bowls, spatula, wooden spoon, measuring cups, measuring spoon, butter, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, vanilla, eggs, oatmeal and chocolate chips

1 cup Butter (softened / 2 sticks)
3 cups Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
3 cups of Oatmeal (not quick oats!)
1/2 cup of Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In the bowl of a Standing Mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the butter and sugars on high for about 5 minutes until nice and fluffy. While your butter and sugars are mixing,  in a medium bowl measure out the flour, salt, baking powder and blend with a wire whisk and set aside. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter/sugar mixture on low-speed, then add the vanilla. Keeping your mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture until just combined, do not over mix. With a wooden spoon mix in the oatmeal and chocolate chips. Here is where you work on your biceps! Your cookie batter will be thick! It should be tough to mix in the oatmeal. Scoop the batter on to baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Good work out…you deserve a cookie.

Spring showers no May flowers

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Hello, it has been a busy spring! April was so fabulous, I was able to get an early start on the new Kitchen Garden, planting several leafy greens, onions, potatoes, peas, radishes, and my favorite Chioggia beets. Then came May. Rain. Rain. Rain. What happened to April showers bring May flowers?

It has been raining for weeks. The onion bulbs, peas, and radishes are the only things making any real progress. My walk today discovered scallions. Lots of White Lisbon scallions, Red potatoes, (that I thought had rotted), and to much surprise spinach. Nearly a full row of Bloomsdale Spinach! I plan to replant the Little Gem lettuce and Nero Toscana kale seeds mid week if I don’t see any signs of life.

Germinating seeds has never been easy for me without a greenhouse. And to add to the complexity, the back porch of the cafe is covered. Making any space long the southern windows great for reading a book, but bad for catching some rays!  So this year I talked my youngest into letting me borrow his bedroom window. Perfect. Up came the sweet Italian Genovese Basil, the Rainbow Blend Tomato Cherries, and…the anticipate Luffa Gourd. I have never grown a gourd of any kind. During my seed shopping, they caught my eye! It is fun to plant a couple unusual things!

Unusual for the cafe kitchen this year will be Black Krim, and Red Pear Piriform tomatoes, Lemon cucumbers and Japanese Mikado baby turnips. And of course Luffa’s for all the guest! … So you can exfoliate after dinner???

Rain, rain go away……

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Hello!

Hello from the foothills of the snowy Rocky Mountains, home of the Snowbrush Cafe’ . I am excited to be official as I have had the domain semi-registered since last April. My name is Julie Jones.  I am the self-appointed head chef and gardener at the cafe’. I hope to share with readers a monthly story featuring life in and around the cafe, including tips, recipes and photos from my new ‘red-Nikon’ that should be arriving any day now!! You will also meet my apprentice, Marty. He is has been ‘separated’ from the cafe many times…since 2007 yet keeps showing up for work. God knows I love him. Cheers for now and I look forward to my first story.