Meals Made with Vinaigrette's, Marinades and Dressings

Last week I posted my Dry Italian Dressing Mix.  Here are some pictures and ideas of some meals and side dishes made with this amazingly versatile sauce.

Oven Roasted Balsamic Mushrooms and Onions:
I made the balsamic vinaigrette variation and tossed it with mushrooms and onions then seasoned it with Celtic sea salt and fresh ground pepper.  I  roasted them in a 475 degree oven.  Once they were tender I removed them from the oven.  I served them at room temperature on a roasted vegetable platter.

Balsamic Tomato Saute':

Heat balsamic vinaigrette in a pan over medium heat.  Add minced garlic, diced onions and tomatoes; cook until tender and tomatoes begin to break down into a sauce.  Toss with cooked rice or pasta and fresh chopped basil.  I also added mushrooms and topped it with a chicken breast that was marinated in balsamic vinaigrette and grilled (see below).  I do not know why I don't have a picture of the finished product but who knows I was cooking at a friend and we might have had a few sips of beer and a lot of conversation and I forgot to take a picture!

Oven Roasted Vegetables:

In this picture I tossed the carrots with the Italian vinaigrette and a little honey and the asparagus with the balsamic vinaigrette then seasoned with Celtic sea salt and fresh ground pepper. I roasted both in a 475 degree oven until tender/crisp.  I added these to my roasted veggie platter on Father's day.

Cucumber Tomato Salad:

Toss diced tomatoes and cucumbers with Italian vinaigrette.  This also works well with the balsamic vinaigrete or the Greek variation.  I sometimes add feta cheese, goat cheese or fresh mozzarella.  Make it a complete meal by adding some grilled meat or seafood.  Vegetarians can add cooked quinoa.

Ranch Tomato Cucumber Salad:

Toss diced tomatoes and cucumbers with ranch dressing.  Always a kid friendly option!

Use as a Marinade on Meats:

Chicken Breast marinated overnight in Italian vinaigrette and balsamic vinaigrette (the dark ones).

Pork Kebabs:

1. Rub meat with dry dressing mix and some palm sugar.  Brown sugar or sucanat may be substituted. 
2. Just before it was done cooking I brushed it with BBQ sauce and finished cooking.

Grilled Veggies taste great and will not stick to the grill if brushed with your choice of vinaigrete.

Finished Grilled Vegetable Platter:

• Balsamic mushrooms, asparagus and onions
• All other veggies were tossed with Italian vinaigrette before roasting.
• The mozzarella balls were tossed with balsamic vinaigrette and chopped basil
• The goat cheese ball in the center is half goat cheese and half cream cheese with some dry italian dressing mix added for flavor
• I made this platter one day in advance
• After the event I chopped up all of the leftovers including the mozzarella and combined it with the remaining goat cheese then I divided it among tortillas and made vegetable goat cheese quesadillas.  We ate some and froze some for later (see below).

Goat Cheese and Vegetable Quesadillas:

I love quesadillas and frittatas because thay make leftovers into a amazing "planned over" meals.

Roasted Garlic: 

1. Pour Italian Vinaigrette into an oven safe dish. 
2. Cut of top of garlic head and place exposed side down. 
3. Roast in a  475 oven until very soft. 
4. Serve with veggie platter or puree and use as spread.  Roasted garlic may also be added to sauces. 

 I apologize for any spelling errors.  For some reason my post spell check is not working.
Please share any ideas and uses you have for dressings and vinaigrettes.

Have a great week!
Take it One Prep at a Time!
Chef Jackie

Italian Dressing Dry Mix

This dressing mix is great to make ahead and have on hand to make quick dressings and marinades.  It can also be used as a dry rub on beef, pork, chicken or fish.
Take it one prep at a time,
Chef Jackie

Dressing solidified from refrigeration.

Italian Dressing Dry Mix

1 Tbs garlic powder 1 Tbs onion powder 1 Tbs sucanat, or brown sugar (optional) 2 Tbs dried oregano 1 tsp fresh ground pepper ¼ tsp dried thyme 1 tsp dried basil 1 Tbs dried parsley ½ Tbs Celtic sea salt (may need more) INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING ¼ cup cider vinegar 2/3 cup light olive oil 2 Tbs water 2 Tbs dry mix

1.   Combine ingredients and store in a glass container and label with directions to make the dressing. 2. DIRECTIONS FOR DRESSING: Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake until well combined.

Yield: 1 cup

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Dry Mix.  Yours may look more like dry spices.  I had to put mine in the blender because it got a little stuck together. PREP AHEAD: Place remaining mix in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Label with the directions to make the dressing.

Author: Chef Jackie White

Chef Tips: Shake before using. Oil may solidify under refrigeration. Leave dressing at room temperature until oil is fluid enough to shake and combine. Change your taste by changing your vinegar.  GREEK – ¼ cup fresh lemon juice and add 2 Tablespoons crumbled feta BALSAMIC- ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar and add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard RASPBERRY- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar and add 2 tablespoons raspberry preserves

Ranch Dressing

Last week I talked about making homemade dressings.  This week I would like to share my ranch dressing recipe with you.  I taste just like the one made from the little blue and white packet.

As you can see in the picture below I did decide to purchase a Good Seasons bottle for making salad dressings.  It is awesome because when I make vinaigrette I can just use the measurements on the side to measure my vinegar and oil and then add my own seasonings.  When I make ranch I have to mix it in a separate bowl then pour it in the bottle.  When you buy the bottle it comes with a dry dressing mix.  If you are a purist and don't want to use it give it away; if not use it then start making your own dressings in the bottle.

Take it one prep at a time,
Chef Jackie,

Ranch Dressing

1 tsp dried parsley ½ tsp fresh ground pepper 1 tsp Celtic sea salt ½ tsp garlic powder ¼ tsp onion powder ¼ tsp dried thyme 1 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt 1 ½ cups buttermilk or milk

1. Whisk together all ingredients. 2. Chill 1 hour before serving. 3. Dressing keeps one week. 4. Shake well before serving.

Yield: 2 ¾ cups

Prep Ahead: Measure dry ingredients. This may be done several times and stored in snack size zip locks bags labeled dry ingredients for ranch dressing. Next time you need ranch you will only need to add your wet ingredients.

Author: Chef Jackie White

Chef Tips: Serve on salads, baked potatoes or as a dip. Recipe may be halved. To make a dip, replace milk and mayo with 2 cups plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. VARIATIONS: Dill dressing - Add 2 tablespoons dried dill weed Southwest Ranch - Add ½ cup salsa and a ¼ teaspoon cayenne

Summer Pork Salad

Last summer when I did a salad taste testing this was voted number !  I hope you love it too!  Salad dressing and marinades I always make from scratch because store bought ones have a lot of preservatives, rancid oils and sodium. Really who wants to eat something that last on the shelf for over a year and when you look at the ingredients you don't even know what they are. It was one of the first things I change when I cleaned up my diet.  I no longer worry about them being low fat.  I just concern myself with them being made will real ingredients that were put on this earth for me to enjoy. The taste is more satisfying plus no guilt because I know olive oil and cider vinegar is good for me.  I even make my ranch dressing with real buttermilk!  Yum Yum! Homemade dressings will separate but all it takes is a shake to bring them back together.  Vinaigrette's last about a month and can be used as marinades or in stir fries.  Ranch or creamy dressings usually last about a week. Take it one prep at a time, Chef Jackie Summer Pork Salad

4 pork chops, marinated, grilled and sliced 8 cups mixed greens 2 nectarines or peaches cut into 12 slices each 2 oranges, segmented or 1 cup Mandarin oranges 2 avocados, diced 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes 1 Tbs olive oil 3 Tbs slivered almonds, toasted or sunflower kernels Dressing-Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar 2 Tbs honey ½ Tbs Dijon mustard 2 Tbs mayonnaise 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp Celtic sea salt ½ tsp fresh ground pepper. 3/8 cup Just under ½ cup olive oil (3/8)

1.  In a large bowl combine all ingredients except dressing. 2.  In a small bowl combine balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, chili powder, salt and pepper. 3.  Slowly whisk in oil until incorporated. 4.  Toss desired amount of dressing with salad and serve.

Yield: 4-6

Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Prep Ahead: Season pork with salt and pepper or ¼ cup basic vinaigrette and cook, cool and slice pork; or use leftovers. Slice nectarines. Segment oranges. Dice avocado. Toast almonds. Make dressing.

Author: Chef Jackie White

Chef Tips: For fancier presentation only toss the greens with dressing and divide amongst salad plates. Arrange remaining fruits and vegetables on top and drizzle with a little dressing. Fan cooked pork over the top of the salad.

Very Berry Steak Salad

Berry season is upon us. It is time to combine two of my favorite foods grilled flank steak and fresh berries!  See my previous post A Berry Good Idea to learn how to keep you precious berries fresh.

Have a great week and take it one prep at a time,
Chef Jackie

Very Berry Steak Salad

Celtic sea salt and pepper 1 1/2 pounds flank steak (1 whole) ½ cup basic vinaigrette (see below) 1 cup blueberries 1 cup raspberries ½ cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional) 8 cups baby spinach, cleaned ½ cup crumbled soft cheese: feta, blue cheese, or goat ½ cup red onions, sliced thin Raspberry Vinaigrette ½ cup raspberries 4 Tbs white or apple cider vinegar ¼ cup olive oil 2 Tbs honey Celtic sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Season flank steak with salt and pepper. 2. Place in a large zip lock bag or 13x9 dish with basic vinaigrette. Marinate overnight turning once or twice. 3. Grill steak on a hot oiled grill grate to desired doneness. Rest steak 5 minutes before slicing. 4. Meanwhile, in large bowl combine remaining salad ingredients and set aside. 5. In a blender combine all raspberry vinaigrette ingredients except oil until well combined. While blender is running slowly stream in oil until well blended.  Chef Quick Tip: If desired combine raspberries and honey with 1/2 cup of basic vinaigrette in a blender and omit vinegar and oil. 6. Remove from blender and strain to remove raspberry seeds. 7. Season dressing with salt and pepper if needed. Also adjust honey to desired sweetness. 8. Toss desired amount of vinaigrette with spinach salad and divide among plates. Slice flank steak on the bias and fan out steak on spinach salad.

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Prep Ahead: Make basic vinaigrette and marinade steak. Grill steak. Toast and chop nuts. Crumble cheese. Slice onion. Make raspberry vinaigrette.

Source Author: Chef Jackie White

Chef Tips: Any protein may be used in the place of the steak. Sunflower kernels are a great replacement for nuts in this dish. Serve this salad at the peak of berry season; June-July. Stevia or maple syrup may be used as a substitute for honey. Add as much as desired to obtain the flavor you want. Basic Vinaigrette ½ cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar ½ cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tsp maple syrup ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper In a jar with a tight fitting lid combine all ingredients and shake well before serving. Yield: 1 ¼ cup Preparation Time: 5 minutes Prep Ahead: Mince garlic. Source Author: Chef Jackie White Chef Tips: This vinaigrette makes a great marinade for all types of protein. This vinaigrette can be used to make many different salad dressings. Variations: Change your vinaigrette flavor by adding herbs and changing you vinegar. Asian-rice wine vinegar and ginger. Balsamic-Balsamic vinegar and chopped basil. Italian-Red wine vinegar and Italian seasoning. Greek-1/4 cup lemon juice and ¼ cup white vinegar and oregano. Creamy Italian-add 1-2 tablespoon mayonnaise. Parmesan Pepper-make creamy vinaigrette and add ½ cup grated Parmesan and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Grilled Steak Sticks with Vegetables and Chimichurri

My nephew Jake decided to have an international food taste testing for his 11th birthday.  Being a chef I knew he expected something amazing from me (my sister also gave me the heads up).  Our whole family enjoys beef so I brought Argentinian beef kabobs.  I also brought french pastries because Jake requested them.

The french pastries are not exactly made with pure foods but they don't really turn out with whole wheat flour and sucanat.  I love to eat real foods but I also believe in living my life 80/20.  80% of the time we eat really good and are very active but the other 20% (vacations and special occasions) I just roll with the punches.

I have a lot of friends that bring all of their food on vacation so that they never eat anything processed and I admire that but for me that would be stressful. I always try to use the good, better and best method for vacations, eating out and special occasions.  I make the the best choice from what is available instead of stressing myself  out about not eating the right foods.  Sometimes the best choice might even mean bringing french pastries to your nephew's birthday party because he asked you to and you want to make his day special. Of course I had to try them to make sure they were up to par!!!  His party may have been a more 50/50 day food wise but it was 110% fun and yummy!

Grilled Steak Sticks with Vegetables and Chimichurri
This thick herb sauce, common in Argentina as ketchup is in the United States. Chimichurri is a melange of olive oil, vinegar and finely chopped parsley, oregano, onion and garlic, all seasoned with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Served as a condiment, with grilled meat and vegetables.

1 ½ cup olive oil

¾ cup red wine

¾ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons oregano, chopped

9 cloves garlic minced

1 ½  teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper

1 flank steak cut into ½ inch strips

2 small summer squash cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

2 small zucchini cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

1 pint mushroom

1 pint grape tomatoes

3 heads of garlic broken into cloves and peeled

16 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes

• Whisk together oil vinegar, parsley, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper to taste (about 1 tsp of each)
• Place beef strips in a zip lock bag with a ½ cup of sauce.  Turn to coat.
• Place vegetables in a zip lock bag with a ½ cup of sauce.  Turn to coat.
• Marinate beef and vegetables for 15-30 minutes.
• Thread beef on skewers.
• Thread vegetables on skewers leaving ¼ inch space between vegetables.
• Grill kabobs over and open grill for 6-8 minutes for beef and 8-10 minutes for vegetables turning once.
• Arrange kabobs on platter serve with remaining sauce.

Chef tips

Leave space between vegetables so they will cook evenly.

This marinade taste great on pork and chicken too!

I prefer making it with basil rather than oregano but for the party I made it the traditional way.

French Pastries:Cream Puffs and Fruit Strips

Meringue Update

In my post Mother's Day and Carson's Cookies I said I would try to make meringue with palm sugar and let you know if it worked.  The answer is...I didn't.  They cookies never became crispy and I did not like the flavor.  Next I will try to make them with honey and let you know how that goes.

Have a great great week!! 
Take it one prep at a time,
Chef Jackie

Cooking Class at Schoolcraft, Livonia Mi

I still have spaces available for  Beat the Heat Light Summer Meals class at Schoolcraft College, Livonia, Mi.  Click here to register.  The class is May 31st from 6-9  The lead instructor is Chef Kelli Lewton from Pure Food.  I am her sous chef.  Please register ASAP if you plan to attend.

PLC BBQ Sauce and Rub, Grilling Tips

I just love summer and cooking on the BBQ; besides the great flavor it also means a lot less dishes!!  I make everything on the grill; vegetables, pizza and even dessert!

My homemade BBQ sauce is made with pure ingredients; no high fructose corn syrup.  My BBQ rub doesn't contain non-caking agents like the rubs found in stores.  Keeping it pure and simple gives the meat great flavor without of the unwanted extras of store brands.  This BBQ sauce will keep for a month in the refrigerator and the rub is good for a year in your pantry in an air tight jar.  The rub will stick together after some time and may need to put in a blender. 

A Perfect Pair: For larger cuts of meat such as a pork tenderloin I will generously cover it in the rub and refrigerate it overnight; near the end of cooking time I will baste it with BBQ sauce.  Always have extra BBQ sauce to serve on the side.  This sauce taste great on beef, pork, chicken, shrimp and salmon.  Tweak the recipe to your liking by adding more or less of an ingredient to change the flavor and spiciness.

As always take it one prep at a time,
Chef Jackie


Following the recipes there will be a few grilling tips.

PLC BBQ Sauce

½ cup ketchup 2 Tbs sucanat, palm sugar, maple syrup, honey or brown sugar 2 Tbs wheat-free organic soy sauce 1 Tbs cider vinegar pinch cayenne pepper 1 tsp garlic powder ¼ tsp mustard powder ¼ tsp Celtic sea salt ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

1.  In a small sauce pan over medium heat stir together all ingredients. 2.  Bring to a simmer and cook 2-3 minutes. 3.  Let cool slightly before use or cool and refrigerate before use.

Yield: ½ Cup

Cooking Times Preparation Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes

PREP AHEAD: Can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to one month.

ALLERGEN INFO: Casein-free Egg-free Gluten-free COMMENTS: Great corn syrup-free alternative. Store in glass jar with tight fitting lid under refrigeration. Recipe can be doubled or tripled. PLC BBQ Rub 3 Tbs paprika 1 Tbs sucanat, brown sugar or palm sugar 1 Tbs oregano, dried 1 Tbs ground coffee (optional) 1 ½ tsp Celtic sea salt ½ tsp pepper, freshly ground 1 Tbs olive oil Combine above plus 1 Tablespoon olive oil and rub on meat. Yield: Enough rub for 2 pounds meat Preparation Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes ALLERGEN INFO: Casein-free Egg-free Gluten-free COMMENTS: Best served with bone-in-chicken, strip steak and baby back ribs. Make a a large batch and store in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Makes a great gift for house warming's and Father's Day. Grilling Tips: Work clean: Clean grill grate before heating and brush with oil. Make sure all meat or other foods are at room temperature; this will allow the meat to cook more easily without burning or becoming dried out.  Season meats with salt and pepper, rubs, herbs and spices or marinades before cooking. Heat grate to high before adding meat or veggies (hold your hand over the grate if you can't keep it there longer than a few seconds it is ready).  Reduce heat during cooking or cook uncovered. Reduce flare ups: Remove excess marinade from meat before placing on the grill. When turning food move to a part of the grill the has not had food on it.  If you do this you will get a better sear and juicier meats.  Plus you will have grill marks on both sides.  If you do not have enough room don't worry about it.  Everything on the grill still taste better no matter how you get there. It has been said that adding marinade can reduce charring which will in turn reduces the amount of carcinogens. Even thickness of meats and veggies will cook better (no dry spots while other spots are under cooked). Bone-in meats will be juicier. Food safety: Do not serve  marinade or sauce on the side that has touched raw food while grilling.  You can either throw it out or bring it to a boil for a minute or so then serve it.  It is better to be safe!! Allow meat to rest 5 minutes before serving. If you cut into it to early it will loose its juiciness and become dry.  To add flavor to you grilling experience add some wood chips (found in the grilling section of your favorite store)  to your coals or for a gas grill dampen wood chips and place in foil tin under the grate.  Close the grill while cooking to infuse the flavor of the wood.  I love cherry wood! Keep a water spray bottle near by for flame flare ups. Grill clean up:  Remove all food from the grill.  While meat is resting close lid to the grill and cook off and excess food left on grill for at least five minutes at the highest temperature possible.  Open lid and with a wire brush clean grill grate; turn off gas grills.

Mother's Day and Carson Cookies and Cookie Tips

Today I want thank my mother for all of the gifts she has given me and continues to give me every day of my life.  I can remember as a child a teacher asking me “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  My quick answer was “a mother”.  My mom gave me the greatest childhood and I wanted to grow up and do the same for my family.  Once I became a mother people would ask me “don’t you want to use your degree?” “Don’t you want more out of life?”  I thought to myself this is the most challenging and rewarding job I have ever had and I am living my dream!! 

More out of life?  What could be better than spending time with my family?  Don’t get me wrong there were days before I worked outside the home that I longed for my own identity.  Lucky my Mom also has taught me to be true to myself. She always did activities for herself, spent time with her friends, took classes and still managed to raise four happy children.  She would have never judged me if I decided to work when my son was young.  She would have encouraged me to turn my dreams into my reality; because she knew true happiness comes from within and if I am happy I will share that happiness with the people I love.    Always remember to share your gifts, your time and your dreams with the ones you love.  True happiness is infectious!  

Time is something I don’t have enough of and I can’t make more of it. Daily I have to tell myself there will always be more laundry, more dishes and more work but there will never be more time.  This helps me spend my time wisely with the people I love and reap the rewards of time well spent!   

Thank you Mom for the countless hours you have given me to make me the person I am today!  I love you and I am proud to say you are not only my mother but a great friend and someone who inspires me every day to be the best person I can be! 

Cooking together is a great way to share an activity with your family.  Today’s media and society tells us that we need to go somewhere or spend money to have a good time but that is simply not true.  When my family works in the yard together or makes a meal together we are making memories and strengthening our family bond.  Sure, when we make a meal we spend money but that is money we would have spent anyway. As a family we are making a conscious effort to enjoy the simple things and to live life on our own terms! 

The recipe below is great to make with the whole family and will give your family endless snacks.  It makes a huge batch so once the dough is made it can be divided up and everyone can add their own favorite garnish.  If someone doesn’t like chocolate chips (my nephew doesn’t; honestly this makes me question whether or not we are really related!) just omit the chocolate chips and add your own garnish; dried cranberries, raisins or butterscotch chips are just a few ideas.

I developed these cookie to get my son to eat a whole grain cookie instead of one made with white flour.  These cookies have 1/3 the amount of sugar a normal cookie and has protein from the peanut butter and the eggs.  It is healthier than most granola bars and contains no preservatives.  It can be made gluten free by using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats.  I buy them at Kroger on the organic pantry section.

I love these cookies and find myself eating them sometimes after a workout when I don't have time to prepare breakfast.  I get the benefit of the protein from the eggs and peanut butter, whole grain from the oats, trace minerals from the palm sugar or sucanat and magnesium from the dark chocolate. 
Shredded apple, carrots, dried fruit, chopped nuts or coconut can be added to change the flavor and to boost the nutrition.

This recipe makes a huge batch so if your not sure if you will like them make a half batch the first time. 

Happy Mother's Day!
Chef Jackie

Carson Cookies-yield 7 dozen 

Ingredients

6 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 sticks butter, softened or 1 cup softened coconut oil

1-12 ounce package dark organic chocolate chips

3 cups brown sugar, palm sugar or sucanat

½ tablespoon honey or maple syrup

1 ½ pounds of peanut butter or almond butter (3 cups)

4 teaspoons baking soda

9 cups of organic oatmeal or gluten free oats

1 teaspoon salt or Celtic sea salt

Method

1. Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls then combine together by hand or with an electric mixer.
2. Chill dough 4 hours or overnight and scoop dough to desired size.  Bake from cold dough on parchment lined cookie sheets.
3. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes

Tips

• These are a healthier alternative to chocolate chip cookies and store bought granola bars.
• Dough balls and baked cookies may be frozen.
• If you do not like the rough texture of oatmeal use ground oats instead of whole oats.
• Peanut butter thickness varies so if your cookies spread to much; bake the dough from frozen dough balls.
• If using cocnut oil bake from frozen.

Peanut Allergies-Sunflower butter can be substituted for the peanut butter. The cookies will look greenish after baking and will turn more green every day you store them.  When I make them that way I call them Monster Cookies.  Someone also suggested to me to replace the peanut butter with ricotta cheese.  They said it work when they made them but I haven't personally tried it.  Make them at your own risk.

Reducing sugar in cookies recipes-When I want to reduce the sugar in a cookie recipe I half the sugar then add 1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup; this allows the cookie to still be soft after baking.  It doesn't always work but most times it does and nobody even knows there is less sugar in the cookie.

Using palm or coconut sugar will reduce the glycemic index to 35; table sugar is about 65.  What does this mean?  In a nut shell it is a lot healthier for you. 
Palm sugar is found in the supplement section of most health food stores.  It taste like brown sugar. It can also be bought online but I found it to be less expensive to buy in the store.

The lower glycemic index, the great taste and the fact that it is an exact substitute for regular sugar (1 cup palm sugar equals 1 cup regular sugar or brown sugar) has made this my favorite sugar to use.  I am going to try to make meringue and frosting with it.  I will let you know how it turns out!  The draw back to this sugar is it is expensive! It is worth it to me because we do not use very much sugar and it is a much healthier alternative.  It's even been featured on Dr. OZ. 

Using sucanat adds minerals to the cookie.  Sucanat can be found in the sugar section of health food stores and also goes by the name Rapadura. To learn more about sucanat click here.  It is more expensive than white or brown sugar but is less expensive than palm sugar.  It is a good choice for budget and health conscious bakers.

Cookie Tips

Types

• Sliced or refrigerator-Dough can be formed in a mold or rolled in to a log then refrigerated.  Cookies are sliced off of log after several hours of refrigeration then baked. 
• Bar-This cookie is baked in a jellyroll pan (cookie sheet with sides) lined with parchment and cut into a finger, diamond or other shape after being cooled or slightly frozen.
• Rolled Cut Outs-Dough is chilled then rolled to desired thickness and cut with cookie cutters.
• Drop-Dough is dropped from a teaspoon, scooped or rolled into a 1 inch ball.
• Pressed or Piped Cookies-Soft dough’s are extruded from a cookie press or piping bag.

Techniques

Freezing

• Dough’s may be frozen in logs, balls or in containers until time to bake.  Frozen dough breaks less than baked cookies.
• Baked Cookies should be frozen by cookies type in square or rectangular containers.  Wrap containers in plastic wrap then foil to maintain freshness.

Packaging for gifts

• Smaller cookies reduce breakage.
• Distribute heavier cookies on the bottom of container and more delicate cookies on the top.
• Use muffin liners to separate varieties in tin or boxes. 
• Muffin Liners cushion cookies and help prevent breakage. Cookies in muffin liners can be stacked 4 high.
• When using paper or cardboard boxes make sure they are wax lined or grease proof.  

Baking Tips

• Eggs and butter should be at room temperature unless otherwise noted.
• Make dough’s on one day on bake on another day.
• Always use parchment paper or sil-pat mats
• Bake at 350 degrees unless otherwise noted.
• Prepare a shopping list ahead of time and have all ingredients on hand on dough making day.
• Double recipes so you will always have cookies on hand for a snack.