It's Shake and Bake, and I helped!




I couldn't resist using that blog title. Anyone recall the Shake N Bake commercial with the
little Southern girl and her ridiculously over-drawled accent? Too funny.

Anyway, I shaked and baked on Tuesday with Jenne, who was there to not only make her delish
croissants and cocoa mix complete with homemade marshmallows (!) but also to lend assistance
to what I am sure she thinks is the world's most clueless baker.

Confession: I know not my way around an oven. Cooking I can handle, baking is a whole 'nother science and as most that know me could attest, I'm more of a wordsmith and less of a scientist.
Also not so hot with the math. Sylvan Learning Center helped me with two years of brutal chemistry and algebra tutoring, and that's all I will say about that.

From our shake and bake night came two outstanding products: Tennessee Truffles and Blackberry Preserve-filled Thumbprint Cookies. The Butter Crisps turned out not so excellent - you can taste the cream cheese, but they're not sweet. I want to dip them in Nutella or something to make them really taste like something. Wow, that sounds so amazing as I type the word "Nutella." I think I just salivated on myself.

No words can describe how proud I was of my baking attempts. Jenne informed me I have a genuine French-style rolling pin, which I thought was just a hunk of wood I found in my grandmother Coxey's kitchen a few years ago. Mastering the rolling pin will take some time, as I cursed the baking gods while my dough stubbornly stuck to the rolling pin. Flour was everywhere, and you should have seen my hands covered in chocolate while I hand formed the truffles. Luckily, I had no qualms licking the whiskey-chocolate goodness off and Scott did his husbandly duty as well. It was PG-13, I swear.


My truffle recipe came from the AWESOME New Jack Daniels Cookbook and my thumbprint cookies are out of the latest copy of Cooking Light (omitting the peanut butter - ick!). The "eh" butter crisps are from the Nov./Dec. Cottage Living.

Major thanks to Jenne for the chili and the company, not to mention the helpful tips to ensure I didn't completely f-up my master plan of Christmas Cookies '07.


Hope ya'll have a merry and tasty Christmas!!!!

Comments

  1. Are any of these goodies making their way South for the Holidys??
    Yum, Yum

    (ss though we need MORE food around here.....)

    L

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had a great time...who wouldn't with that priceless picture!

    Save me a thumbprint cookie...I bet they are delish!

    Jenne

    ReplyDelete

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