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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Palets de Dames

I wish I could say that I finally finished Baking With Julia but in fact I missed more recipes (a lot more) than I actually made and instead the cookbook usually sat on my counter. Glaring at me. With judgment. Daring me to open it and bake something. But nothing makes you feel better about not finishing a project than starting a new one and so it was with great happiness that the group started a new book: Baking Chez Moi by Dorie Greenspan. So now I can tell myself "Meagan...it is not that you never finished Baking with Julia...you would have...but what can you do...the group moved on...so you must move on with the group".

And so I am moving on to Palet de Dames. Little pucks of sugary goodness.

When I opened my new cookbook and saw this recipe I thought it was going to be the recipe that finally caused me to break down and buy a stand mixer (or at least it was going to be the excuse I gave for buying the stand mixer that I have wanted for so long) but sadly the recipe said that you could use a hand mixer...so out came Betty the trusted hand mixer that I have carried from state to state and country to country.

The batter is super easy to make. A few simple ingredients mixed together.




Now this is where I made my first mistake substitution. In my everyday cooking I use white whole wheat flour and so I do not have all purpose white flour in the house. Nor do I have room in my itty bitty doll house sized kitchen to have an extra container of flour that is only used once in a rare while. Luckily Whole Foods sells all purpose flour in their bulk section so I had planned to buy enough for this recipe...but I forgot. So I decided to go with the flour I had in the house. Note to self...find room in the kitchen cupboards for a jar of all purpose flour because it really does make a difference in cookies. 

After mixing the cookie ingredients together you need to chill your batter for at least an hour. I personally love cookies that you can make in stages. I call them Nap Time cookie since you can make the batter one day while your shortie takes a nap and bake them the next day while your shortie takes a nap. 


Then the cookies are scooped onto a tray and baked. And since I talked myself into a new stand mixer...only to talk myself out of a new stand mixer...I figured I could at least buy a cookie scoop as a small consolation prize. I am not really a gadget girl, well I am a gadget girl but with my doll sized kitchen I am not able to live out my gadget girl life but I figured a cookie scoop was small. And these little french cutie cookies really begged to be of uniform size and cuteness...so I bought one. And while scooping out my first cookie the scoop broke. 

RIP COOKIE SCOOP


I think because I did not have a scoop and instead used a spoon I ended up making them smaller than was suggested. I need a tshirt that says "The Only Thing Small About Me is My Cookies"...or maybe I do not need one. 

But I let them cool and then mixed up the icing (again super simple ingredients mixed with a fork because that is how we roll here in Cali). I dipped one in, not realizing until later that the flat side is suppose to be iced and the round sized left bare, and stuck it right into my mouth. Then I dipped the rest and left them on the counter to dry. I saw other baker's blogs where their children had helped by adding sprinkles to the tops and all I can say is "God Bless those Gentle and Creative Mothers" because the thought of handing my 5 year old a container of sprinkles and letting him go at a cookie causes me to break out in sweat. Because I love him (and I was raised in the art of Catholic guilt) I do let him make "memories" by decorating cookies. Twice a year. Halloween and Christmas. That is it. No more. My OCD heart can not take it. 


Overall they are an OK cookie. A "meh" sort of cookie. The idea is great: a vanilla cake cookie coated in a power sugar glaze but in the end they lack any real flavor. And the flour I used gives them a nuttiness that probably should not be found in a french cookie. However that will not stop me from eating a second one (and most likely a third one too). 

12 comments:

  1. Nap cookies- I love that! So glad that you jumped in again. Sometimes life gets in the way and you cannot beat yourself up about it. You just march on. Today will be my first blog post in almost 2 years, which is shameful considering I started TWD. But, life is hard, and messy, and we do the best we can, right?! Good for you for buying the book and starting up again. :)

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  2. I can so relate to your feelings about not posting for the prior book and looking forward this one. My mom and I (aka Nana) have been good about the Around My French Table recipes - she being WAY WAY better at getting it all done than I have. But we started the Baking With Julia a while back and I think we did two weeks if that. We all have to find our balance. And we can all relate to juggling- just for different reasons. Lovely cookie results and I can not believe your cookie scoop broke- seriously ?? I would have been so aggravated. Gold star to you for soldiering on....

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  3. Your cookies look great! RIP cookie scoop. :( Such a sad kitchen loss!!

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  4. Fun post, Meagan! I actually enjoyed these cookies…not too sweet and perfect with a cup of tea! I did add more vanilla! My motto is always add more! Yours do look lovely! Happy baking…looking forward to our adventure!

    I need to buy myself a cookie scoop!

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  5. Oh that poor scoop.

    My ladies are 19 and 20, and it still causes me angst to let them do some things in the kitchen :-)

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  6. Sprinkles must be contained. Very very carefully. Lovely cookies!

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  7. Your slightly more virtuous whole wheat floured cookies look great. And yay for wanting to keep eating them despite your unforeseen creative license.

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  8. Perfect looking cookies...and healthy! I sort of gave up on the Baking with Julia thing early on so I am happy back to baking with the TWD group again. It will be fun to see how you change up the recipes to make them more healthy! :-)

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  9. Your post made me giggle. I had sprinkles, and it looks like I let a 5 year loose on them but I didn't. It was just me and my awesome decorating skillzz... :) Glad you are baking along! Bummer about the scoop!

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  10. It sounds like this cookie turned your first outing for BCM an adventure! It's too bad your cookie scoop broke on the first try. I hope you can take it back! And for the record, I'm wary of letting myself loose with sprinkles. I think kids are neater than I am!

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  11. Cute post! Your cookies look great and I had to laugh about the sprinkles. I get more on the floor and me than I do on cookies. Thank you for going to Instagram to comment on mine. Oh, and I also used a fork to whisk my eggs. ;)
    Elaine (in California)

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  12. "OCD heart" love it! I was a controlling one in the kitchen too. A bit sorry that I was, though our daughter has turned out to love cooking/baking and makes wonderful dishes herself.

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