Cookies For the Naughty and the Nice

According to my wife, we are in the midst of the cookie-baking party season. In honour of this tasty occasion, I have posted two recipes, one for those who take their baked goods creating seriously, and one for those who wish to speed along to the wine drinking/socializing part of the get-together.

Nice: Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies
(recipe found on Bake at 350)

Ingredients

360 g unbleached, all-purpose flour
200 g sugar
10 g baking powder
4 mL vanilla extract
2.5 mL pure almond extract
2 sticks salted butter, cold and cut into chunks
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 177 °C. Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. 
2. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom. The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling.
3. Roll on a floured surface to about 1/4" to 3/8" thick, and cut into shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets (freezing the cut out shape on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking is recommended) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.
   
   Note: Click the following link if you want a great recipe to make icing from scratch.

Naughty: Drunken Oreos
(recipe found on Foodbeast)

Ingredients

2 packages Jell-O Oreo Cookies 'n Creme pudding mix
1 package of Oreo cookies
milk
vodka

1. Take the pudding mix, the milk, and a mixing bowl and follow the instructions on the box.
2. Add 180 mL (approx. 4 shots) of vodka to the pudding mix. Whisk it in well, and place the bowl in the fridge to allow it to chill.
3. Place the Oreo cookies on a baking sheet, then unscrew them, and remove the frosting. Rebuild the cookie using the pudding as the new filling. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. 

Who Wants to Host a "Mad Men" party?

The television phenomena "Mad Men" returns on the 25th, and what better way to celebrate the adventures of Don Draper and the rest of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce than to host a viewing party. It's a great way to get into the spirit of everyone's favorite 1960s period piece, and with all the food being served, you don't have to be a fan of the show in order to take part in the fun. When it comes to the food, you can go one of two ways, prepare some of the dishes seen on the show, or prepare something using a recipe from the swinging sixties. A great starting point for old cookbooks is the public library and the remaining Book Markets in Ottawa. It's not a bad idea to going through an old cookbook anytime, really - where else can you get a good grasp of the basics of what are now classic dishes? Foods such as fillet of beef wellington, potato gratin, creamed spinach¹, leg of lamb², or as an alternative, lamb lollipops and Swedish meatballs were featured on various episodes. The spread can be filled out with era specific dishes such as deviled eggs, gazpacho and rumaki³. For dessert, you could go with either a grasshopper pie, or a lime sherbet to complete the retro touch. And what would a Mad Men be without liquor? Put that drink menu you always get from the LCBO to use, and buy what you need to make some martinis and Old Fashioned's. Break out your fancy chip-and-dip bowl, and pretend it's Pete's wedding gift. All that's needed to complete the evening is the wardrobe. Depending on your budget, your best bets are either Value Village, Ragtime, or the "Mad Men" inspired line at Banana Republic to complete the look.

---

^{1 "}TV Dinners: Mad Men Menu and Party Plan"
² "How to Throw a Mad Men Party: Recipes, Cocktails and More"
³  "The Mad Men Party: the Food"