First Blog Post!

Welcome Blog Followers!
First of all, thanks for coming and checking out my blog, I hope that I can entertain with my kitchen challenges and mishaps (of which there seem to be many...Always!)

I moved to Israel in July to being my year abroad, and although I have always known that Food styling and culinary school were in my future, I think the new foods, new smells and new colours made me realize how truly passionate I am about food!

My Kitchen could be worse, it's fairly sizable, and yet I share it with three other girls, who thankfully, are fairly clean. We have a stove top (that's right no Oven, a real real tragedy) a Microwave, and now, a New and blessed addition, is our toaster oven. I have made such wonderful things with this small oven in the last two weeks that's it's hard for me to remember how I survived without it!

The first thing I new that I would have to experiment with is Baking; Another addition to my cooking challenges are my many many Allergies.

Here is a list of allergies so that the ingredients to some of my recipes don't seem Odd:
Gluten intolerant, dairy intolerant, all nuts (Not Peanuts, as they are legumes :) ) all seeds, coconut, tomato, and here is the kicker - Chocolate.

So, the first challenge I presented myself with was "Olde Fashioned Sugar Cookies" - Here is the recipe:

Sugar Cookies
Yields: 2 dozen

2 cups granulated sugar*
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
14 Tbsp (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Spread 1/2 cup of the sugar* in a shallow dish for coating and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

Beat the butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl & beaters as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Give the dough a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure dough is combined.

Line large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using wet palms, roll 2 Tablespoons of dough at a time into balls, then roll in sugar to coat. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies with the buttered bottom of a drinking glass, then sprinkle and remaining sugar over flattened tops.

Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and just beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Allow cookies to cook on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

* I substituted the 2 cups of Granulated Sugar, for 1.5 cups of packed dark brown sugar - making them extra chewy! :)

Now, being someone who celebrates Christmas, and living in Israel means the Festive Spirit is non existent, because I have been missing the festivities so terribly, christmas themed Sugar cookies were in order. The toaster oven proved 100% and a lot of fun!! The cooking time and temperature proved the same as on a regular oven, and they turned out perfectly crispy and brown on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside - due to my allergies, and the fact that the cookies contained both butter and flour, I never tasted them, but my friends and roommates enjoyed them thoroughly.
I have taken the liberty of photographing my kitchen, and my fridge sharing among 4 women, so that you can truly understand my hardships
Another aspect of this blog is that I intend to add the Recipes, or a link to the recipe of all the meals I share on my blog!
Again, thanks for checking out my blog! And happy reading!