Song: Taste and See: Breakfast: Banana with Rice Cake Sandwich et. al.

Have you ever tried to whistle in vibrato Taste and See | Catholic Communion Hymn | James E. Moore Jr. | Choir with Lyrics | Sunday 7pm Choir while making breakfast?

Breakfast: a freeform sliced half banana, strategically placed on a rice cake spread with sunflower seed butter topped with a graham cracker square (omit this step if gluten-free). Store bought toffee cashews that tasted like petroleum, next time I will make them myself. A 2-cup mug of 2 min. nuked water with lime peel and a sundried tomato. Next time skip the sundried tomato.

CB

Breakfast: Apple, Potato Bread Sandwich

Homemade placemat on the table.

One half of a granny smith apple with a pat from a stick of M80 butter. (M80 is a local restaurant)

Two ends of potato bread toast with a smattering of sunflower seed butter. One with a little honey.

The last remains of Spicy Maple Cashew Mini Artisan Crisps, from Albertson's, including the crumbs on my fingers.

A 2-cup mug of 2-minute nuked tap water.

Yum Yum

P.S. The crisps, aka crackers, can serve many purposes and have a slight sweet date-like taste. M80 is a local restaurant in Missoula, and their butter blend is especially noteworthy. I wish I had their recipe. I was using my imagination and currently sticks of M80 butter are not available., At the M80 restaurant only about a tablespoon of their butter is accompanied with some meals. I"ll make that a project of mine and try to get their recipe or something close to share with us.

CB.

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon hazelnut extract

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Add hazelnut and vanilla extracts, and salt; mix well. Gradually add flour, and fold in the hazelnuts.

Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball. Place 12 dough balls on an ungreased baking sheet and flatten each slightly with a fork.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 36 cookies.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, adapted from the Pecan Sandies recipe.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

1 1/2 cups pecans

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

Place the pecans and 2/3 cup powdered sugar in a food processor. Pulse the pecans and powdered sugar, until the nuts are finely ground, about 2 minutes.

In the bowl, add the pecan mixture, the butter, and vanilla. Mix until everything is well combined.

In another bowl mix the flour and the salt together. Slowly add the flour mixture to the pecan mixture and mix on low speed until everything is well incorporated.

Scoop up tablespoons of the dough and and roll the dough between the palms of your hands into a ball. Place the balls on the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake the cookies for about 18 to 20 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

Dip the cookies in about 1 cup of powdered sugar to coat. Enjoy.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, adapted from Joanna Cismaru of Jo Cooks

Franciscanized Lady Jacoba Almond Cookies

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup sliced almonds

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Beat in egg and vanilla and almond flavoring.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon; gradually add to the butter mixture and mix well. Shape into 2 6 inch rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Unwrap; cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place on greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Press almonds in lightly on top of cookie.

Bake 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes until lightly brown. Cool for 2-3 minutes before removing to wire racks. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

Submitted by Ann Schellinger OFS, from Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Andrianna Schouten

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Yield: about 30 biscotti

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup mini chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate)
Additional chocolate, for drizzling (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter and sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Blend in the vanilla.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed between additions.  With the mixer on low speed, blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Stir in the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks until evenly distributed.

Divide the dough in half.  Shape into logs on the prepared baking sheet, about 11- by 3-inches in size, spacing at least 3 inches apart.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven while maintaining the oven temperature.  Let the logs cool for 10 minutes.  Slice the logs diagonally into slices about ½- to ¾-inch thick.  Lay the slices, cut side down, on the baking sheet.  Bake, turning once, until the slices are slightly crisp, about 20-30 minutes more.   Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.  If desired, drizzle cooled biscotti with additional melted chocolate.  Let set before serving.

Source: Annie's Eats Blog

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until blended, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until it is incorporated. Mix in the 2 cups of chocolate chips with a spatula.

Using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup with a 1/4 cup capacity, scoop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 3 inches apart.

Bake cookies one sheet at a time for about 18 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will become crisp as the cookies cool.

The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Yields: 12 big cookies.

Cathy Burleson, OFS, St Anthony of Padua

Adapted from book, Big Fat Cookies

Pecan Sandies

2 cups butter, softened

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons water

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups chopped pecans

additional confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 300F.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add water, vanilla, and almond (optional) extracts, 1 tsp salt and mix well. Gradually add flour; fold in pecans.

Roll dough into 1-in. balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets and flatten with fingers, or flatten with a fork in the middle of the dough.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bottom edges are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar.

Adapted from an online recipe