cookies

Rainy Day Cookies Oatmeal! /  by George Geary

California is in the middle of 4 days of rain. A storm that is dumping so much rain that our yards and streets have turned into rivers. When it rains, I think of warm cookies. This past weekend, I made oatmeal (the old-fashioned way) and thought about making a few dozen cookies today. Here are two recipes: one, and you add chips or raisins into the batter. Enjoy!

Retro Raspberry Butter Cookies /  by George Geary

Lately I have been looking at 1960s Food magazines and recipe for cookies. Life was simple and the cookies were part of Americana. I update the recipes to include butter instead of “oleo”. I also added vanilla extract for added flavor. Here are Raspberry Butter Cookies adapted from a 1959 Woman’s Day Magazine. I hope you enjoy!

Retro Raspberry Butter Cookies

Recipe

Woman’s Day December 1959

October 24th FOX5 San Diego ! Hey Pumpkin! /  by George Geary

You will want to serve an array of pumpkin desserts and a flavorful drink this fall. All of these are neighbor and kitchen tested! I will be on FOX5 San Diego 9am Hour Monday, October 24th. If you are not in the viewing area, here it is below:

Van De Kamps Chocolate Cookies /  by George Geary

A strange recipe from the original formula of the VDK Kitchens. A bit of a process, but i you follow exactly, they work and you will have great success. If you recall the chocolate cookies and want the real deal, these are them. Use a scale and get the ingredients you need.

These cookies look big, but they are about 3 inches in diameter. Post a picture on the Van De Kamps Fan Page on Facebook!

Van De Kamps Molasses Cookies /  by George Geary

4th in the VDK Cookie Series. If you have not been following, a former employee of VDK has been sending me the formulas of some of the baked goods. I have been testing and converting them into a recipes for the home use. BUT.. you have to use a scale and grams. It is easier really after you get used to it

If you would like to purchase a personalized copy of Made in California Go to the first page of the website.

Van De Kamps: Cherry Almond Cookies /  by George Geary

Van De Kamps was a very special company here on the west coast. It has been a few decades since a store had a full line of VDK products. If you want to follow the VDK Facebook Page Sign up! I have been working on the recipes that have been given to me by an employee. The batches are for hundreds and thousands of pounds of dough. It is not as simple was just dividing the dough smaller. It is chemistry! I have this in weights mostly so you will need a gram scale. Also, please read the entire recipe “formula” .

The formula and instructions seem like a lot to read, but I want you to have success!

In a grocery store display.

Here are the cookies dipped in chocolate

Made in California! My 15th Book! Peanut Butter Brittle Chunk Cookies /  by George Geary

My newest book is out. But First: I have had a love affair with See’s Candies my entire life. When I was little I recall my aunt being able to pick out the caramel for me. The candy was special, unlike the boxes of chocolates sold at CVS that had the “map” of each chocolate on the inside lid of the box so you knew what you were eating. But once a few chocolates were devoured, the candy code was broken! This year is the 100th anniversary of See’s. It started on Western Ave in Los Angeles. Recently, I was able to obtain the historical plaque the location deserve.

My new book Made in California is my first without any recipes. Food History of the places we all grew up eating, that started in the Golden State. Lots of fun facts, like who created the first Bacon CheeseBurger? Why did Swensen’s Ice Cream go for 600 locations to the 3 of today?

If you would like a personalized copy, you can PayPal ggeary@aol.com for $40 per book (same price as Amazon, but you don’t get those personalized). Tell me whom you would like it personalized to.

Now, back to See’s. I was just on ABC7-El Paso, TX promoting the book. I have been booking many shows that I decided to create a handful of recipes from some of the companies items they sell. Try these cookies out!

Also, Check out the story of the book in the upcoming August Issue of LA Magazine.

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Made in California Book Promotion from ABC7 - El Paso, TX (KVIA)

Made in California Book Promotion from ABC7 - El Paso, TX (KVIA)

Chris Nichols of the LA Magazine reading my latest book here is his story: August LAMag

Chris Nichols of the LA Magazine reading my latest book here is his story: August LAMag

Today, With the Cultural Heritage Sign installed

Today, With the Cultural Heritage Sign installed

1921: The first See’s Candy Kitchen and Shoppe. 135 N Western Ave, Los Angeles

1921: The first See’s Candy Kitchen and Shoppe. 135 N Western Ave, Los Angeles

Southern Banana Pudding Triffle /  by George Geary

Since I am not doing my nightly shows anymore I wanted to make this dessert this week for you. I hope some of you try it even though you don’t see me making it.

The dessert without a name. You all have had some form of it. Bananas, Pudding, ‘Nilla Wafers and whipped cream. I felt it was southern, as one time, I had it from a soul food restaurant steam table outside of downtown Dallas. It was hot, so rich. I jumped in a cab with my good author and southern friend Nancie McDermott, and off we went into an area of Dallas she had heard of a great lady who made killer soul food (Just to let you know if Nancie has a hunch of something good you get in the cab! The cab driver didn’t want to take us to that side of town; she said it was dangerous. We told her that we would buy her lunch. Sure, enough that worked! Food always works! She said she would wait as nobody would come out to pick us up (This is pre-Uber). We got plates of food and a sandwich for the driver, she said. Oh, I guess it’s safe since the police are having lunch here! 

 

Nancie said that her friend Chef Bill Smith of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, NC (he retired in 2019), had it on his menu, and it was trendy, and he called it Good Banana Pudding. She feels it is a Southern home cook’s streamlining of the Classic British Trifle. And I agree. How you make it is up to you. I have seen so many shortcuts, and some are what you may be used to flavor and texture-wise. 

 

First, the cookie: Nabisco’s Vanilla Wafers 1898, which changed in 1967 to “Nilla Wafers as real pure vanilla is not used in them anymore. When a recipe for the pudding dessert was placed on the package back in the 1940s, southerners started using them in droves. This is the dessert you always have at a family reunion, covered dish supper (potluck), or Funeral. I created my own cookie to make that are very flavorful and even have vanilla! 

 

Next, the pudding: Oh, boy. Jell-O came out with Banana Flavored pudding, which eased the making of this dessert. I love to make my Banana Pastry Cream to use instead. Some stores do not carry the Banana Cream, flavor outside of the south.

 

Topping: Most of the recipes today for this dessert have Cool-Whip as the topping. Formerly in the early, non-fast days of the method, it was a toasted meringue. I only use Cool-WhipÔ on morning shows when I can’t have whipped cream melt under the lights of the studio. Today's dessert we will make a meringue.  

 

I hope you will take the time to make this Southern Dessert that I call, Banana Pudding Trifle. 

  

"CC" Chocolate Chip Cookies /  by George Geary

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nestle Toll House Cookies. It was probably the very first recipe you ever made. I bet you do not even have the recipe in your memory bank or written down since you know it will be on the back of the 12oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I don’t think I have purchased a bag of those chips since 1985 (About the time that they stopped melting in the cookie dough and just roll out of the dough when you break a cookie in half). I created a recipe that is a little off the norm… “CC” stands for Chewy and Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies. Read my entire post and shopping tips before you make these.

I always say in my classes..” If you have the best ingredients and tools you can make anything perfect”. The differences in a good cookie and an award winning cookie is the ingredients I use. In the recipe I have placed hyperlinks as to the best items I use. Here is a list and why.

Silpat: These are silicone mats that you make your cookies on. The first came from France. When I worked in my first French ran kitchen the pastry chef had one since they were $50 at the time. They do last a life time.

Half-Sheet Bun Pan: These will fit in most all ovens. They have sides so the cookies will not fall off when you pull them out of the oven. Heavy duty thickness they will last forever. Get a few sets! The Silpats fit perfectly in them.

#20 Disher: Also known as a portion scoop. The number is in the “flipper” which means how many scoops you get out of a quart of something like ice cream or mashed potatoes. DO not use these as ice cream scoops as the flippers will break. The come in sizes 6 to 100. a number 100 is very small.. enough for a bonbon.

Belgium Chocolate Chunks: Pastry chefs have been using these for years. We melt the chunks down for icings and desserts. They are pricy.. But you are worth a real chocolate chunk.

Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract: Ok. let’s face it. Vanilla is skyrocketing. By the time you buy a bottle the price will change in a day or two. Nielsen-Massey is the best on earth unless you make your own from beans that you have harvested in the jungles in Madagascar (Ok I have done this). Honestly, for the full flavor if you use another vanilla you will not get that perfect cookie. And seriously… You use less than 20 cents per batch. It is just the initial outlay.

Nielsen-Massey Pure Almond Extract:: A few years back N-M started making extracts. Lemon, Orange, Cinnamon.. Almond. Not fake tasting what’s so ever. Try all of them!

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I hope you enjoy the cookies.. While most of the nation is under a very cold spell and here in California we have something coming out of the sky that they call “Rain”. Stay safe!

George

Almond 'Nilla Wafers /  by George Geary

We all have had "Nilla® Wafers. But I am sure you have never had these remarkable almond ones. Here is an easy recipe.. The hardest part is using a pastry bag with a round tip. 

Almond flour can be found most of the time at Trader Joes, Major markets in the baking section. I hope you enjoy these.