Are these the last cookies of the season?

Pretty soon it's going to be too warm to comfortable bake in our apartment. This realization always makes me a bit sad, but fewer cookies means you don't outgrow your pants.

The Surprise Cookie from Martha Steward's Cookies book, is a bit out of my normal comfort zone. Once a recipe starts talking about frosting cookies I usually turn the page and just make some chewy chocolate chip. But Martha's cross section of this cookie totally sold me. It looks like this.

What's that? Marshmallow?!

I tried to resist but come on, Marshmallow sandwiched between two chocolate substances... does that not sound delicious?
The cookie base is cakey but not too sweet, the marshmallow chewy and the frosting is sweet and fudgy enough to kick you in the teeth. Together they blend into a s-more like experience where you can't have just one. I'm hoping my husband finishes these off before too many of them join the other junk in my trunk.

Surprise Cookies
For cookies
1 3/4 cup - Flour
3/4 cup - Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon - Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon - Course Salt
1/2 cup - Unsalted Butter at room temperature
1 cup - Sugar
1 Large Egg
1/2 cup - Whole Milk
1 teaspoon - Vanilla Extract
About 15 Marshmallows Halved

For Frosting
3 cups - Confectioners Sugar
6 Tablespoons - Unsalted Butter at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons - Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons - Whole Milk
3/4 teaspoon - Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Make cookies by sifting together, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Put butter and sugar into the mixer bowl and beat at med-high speed for 2 mins until light and fluffy. Reduce speed and mix in egg, milk, and vanilla. Once these ingredients are incorporated mix in flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time until combined.

Using ice cream scoop or smaller spoon, droop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Mounds should be about 1 3/4 inch. Bake cookies until firm 8-10 mins. Pull out baking sheet and press one half marshmallow into the center of each cookie. Return cookies to oven and bake 2 min more or until marshmallow melt a tad. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.



To make frosting put confectioners sugar in a med bowl. Melt butter with cocoa powder in a sauce pan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add butter mixture to cnfectioner's sugar and mix. Whisk in milk and vanilla.

Spread about 1 Tablespoon (or enough to cover the marshmallow) over the top of each cookie. Let stand about 10 mins to allow frosting to set, then cookies can be packed in a container. I placed some parchment paper between the layers of cookies which kept the icing from sticking to every other cookie it came in contact with.


Enjoy responsibly as they are addicting.

Remember These Socks?

It was somewhat embarrassing to realize these poor Retro Rib socks where started all the way back in January. Second sock syndrome hit hard with these.



Knitting thin weight fingering and number 1 needles is not by favorite thing. But I didn't know this until I bought a lot of thin fingering weight yarn. Curses!



The cuff on the second sock was knit incorrectly, I didn't read the instructions right and repeated the wrong lines. Not like it's all that noticeable in this colorway... Black Rose by Sunshine Yarns. Even though the knitting was not all that enjoyable I'm very pleased with the finished socks. The fuzziness of the soft sock yarn base feels nice on my feet and a ribbed pattern always fits nicely.



Down to one single sock hanging around in my bag. Whoopie!

Score

It's raining today and it rained yesterday and it will rain tomorrow. It's like suddenly we're living in Seattle.

Overall this isn't too bad. Unemployment allows one to do all the fun rain day activities, napping, watching movies, knitting and baking.... all without having to get your shoes wet. The downside is that without sun there are no good FO pictures. Right now I'm holding out hoping some sunshine will appear when my camera operator is around.





I'm all finished, can you tell? No, no you can't.



Don't know about you, but I've been waiting with bated breath for today so that a copy of the new Knit 1 could finally be mine. Angela Hahn's drool worth Leaf yoke top is zooming to the top of the "To knit next" mental list. Connie Chang Chinchio's Tie back shell is also a big favorite. As I page through there are several other little projects that are very appealing. Sock patterns from, Yarnissima, Cat Bordhi, Cookie A, and Grumperina, good show ladies, good show. Got to hand it to Knit 1's editors, they've made the only spring/summer magazine with patterns that make me want to knit now!

The other mag purchase of the day was one I've never noticed before, the British mag Knitting. The little cardi on the cover.... the only thing I wanted to knit from the new Rowan mag. Now I've got the pattern for substantially less money, Score!

Mandatory Rest Period

On Earth Day the two of us stayed up late watching a post apocalyptic movie because quote "That's how we roll". LOL The accompanying movie knitting was the next sweater project, Chic Knit's Twist done up in some chocolate brown Cascade 220. I'm late to the party discovering the merits of 220, but now I see why knitters through out the net are always raving about it. It just knits up so nice that you never want to stop knitting. Which is exactly what happened.... so it should be no surprise that the next day there was a major neck cramp in my neck.



All knitting is banned until my neck muscles settle down, which is totally infuriating but necessary. Yesterday I did allow myself to seam up some of the pieces of the Climbing Vines pullover and pick up the stitches for the neckband. It's looking like I may be able to squeeze this sweater out of 3 skeins of Classy instead of 4. Bonus! Then there will be plenty of yarn left over to make one of the many beret patterns lurking in my queue.



Now all I need is a masseuse to fix my neck and some cooler weather to be able to wear climbing vines outside before summer comes for good. Cross your fingers for me. :)

Heavy Blog Avoidance

The blog has been lonely and the blog has been sad. I must apologize to the blog... but April is a busy month. First the frogs and I got caught up in a little festive celebration.




Then there were surprise Easter socks that couldn't be outed until the recipient received her Easter box.


Embossed Leaves out of Hazel Knits Euphorbia. A few repeats were removed since part of the skein had been used to make mittens.

Other knitting also had to remain a secret until all blog readers were notified that a new baby is on the way.
Baby Chalice Blanket knit in Lorna's Laces Shepard Worsted

And lastly knitting the Climbing Vines Pullover became a painful slog that I didn't want write about. That's almost over now that all the pieces are blocking. There is just the painful finishing process to look forward too. On the plus side the blue is much prettier in person. The final product maybe worth the countless boring hours put into knitting it.

Whoops Forgot Cherry

As I pulled on my Cherry cardigan this morning the thought passed through my mind, "Hey did I flash a finished pic of this on the blog?" Ummm noooo. So this blog post is for all my lovely relatives with out Ravelry access.


Yes my eyes were closed in every picture, argh!

Cherry cardigan knit in Sublime extra fine merino because I'm a little leery about knitting an adult sweater in cotton. The one cotton baby hat I've completed was enough to make my hands cranky.
Most of the sweater is a size 36 except for the bottom. As usual I cast on a the number of stitches for a size bigger and then decreased extra out while knitting to the waist. To do this I usually check my row gauge against the number of stitches that need to be decreased and try to come up with an even number.



Even though the waist detail was started at the right depth according to the pattern it still looks a bit low to me. However that is the only minor issue I have with this sweater. The rest of the fit very flattering and I'm very pleased with how the button bands and neck band knit up on number 2 needles.

Knitting on the Climbing Leaves Pullover didn't happen at all last week. Socks still have held sway when the sewing machine gets put away. I did manage to get a semi good modeled shot of the one finished Majestic sock.


Mmmmm golden cabled goodness.

More Cookies

This week I've had no luck playing around with fabric and the sewing machine. The result is that my knitting is no further and the sewing is in the trash can. So let's talk about cookies instead.

Both of today's cookies come from the "Martha Steward's Baking Handbook." I have warm and fuzzy feelings about this cook book because it gave me the perfect fudgy brownie recipe. It also has a kick ass cinnamon bread recipe and delightful blueberry muffins. The one thing I have noticed is that Martha's baking times are usually way too long. So if you read the cooking time and think hmm that sounds weird then trust your gut and check earlier.

As I mentioned on the 15th the Baking Handbook has my favorite oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. It seems wrong to not share that delightful yummy goodness so here you go...

1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Sweetened, shredded coconut
2 sticks (1 cup) Unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed Light brown sugar
1/3 cup Pure maple syrup
1 Large Egg
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
3 cups Rolled oats
1 cup Raisins

Oven is preheated to 325 - Martha suggest lining the cookie sheets with parchment paper but this isn't necessary.
In one bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt. Then stir in coconut to this mixture. Set aside.

In the mixer bowl beat the butter and the brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mix to combine. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined, about a minute.

With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two batches; mix until jut combined. Add oats and raisins and mix until combined. Martha recommends making 1 1/2 balls of batter on the cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 min or until golden brown.



Last weekend I decided to try a new recipe from this book "Double-Chocolate Brownie cookies." My husband liked these more than world peace cookies from the 15th. They were as brownie as a cookie can get, being kind of chewy with a good chocolate taste. I left the walnuts pretty chunky which seemed to work well with the cookies texture. My husband who usually likes nuts in his cookies ground up didn't complain either. These go in the too yummy not to make again list.

9 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate chopped into 1 inch chunks
3 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate coarsely chopped
6 Tablespoons Unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) chopped Walnuts

Oven is preheated to 375. To begin set 4 ounces of the chopped Semi Sweet chocolate aside.

Melt the remaining semi sweet, all the unsweetened chocolate and the butter together in a double boiler until smooth. Allow mixture to cool for 5 mins.
Once cooler pour chocolate/butter mixture into the mixer bowl and add the sugar. Beat with the paddle attachment for 3 mins. Add in eggs, mix until completely combined. Beat in Vanilla. Add flour and salt and beat until just incorporated. Stir in the 4 ounces of semi sweet that was set aside and the walnuts.

Make 1 1/2 balls of batter on the cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 min or until edges are set but middle is a bit soft. Then eat quickly before anyone else can get their greasy mitts on them.