White Chocolate Mocha Cookies

So, I like challenges from time to time and this week I decided to take one on.  I don't like coffee, not even a little bit; however I do love the smell of it brewing.  Many of my friends don't understand this because they are avid coffee drinkers.  I have had a few request to make a mocha type cookie or have coffee in the recipe somewhere.  So coffee friends I have made such cookie!

White Chocolate Mocha Cookies

1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (or margarine)

1 1/4 c granulated sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 TBS vanilla extract

3 TBS instant coffee granules

3/4 tsp baking powder (for high altitude – just a smidge less)

3/4 tsp baking soda (for high altitude – just a smidge less)

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour (for high altitude add about ¼ c more flour)

1 c semisweet chocolate chips (dump some more in… who doesn’t love a little chocolate)

1 c white chocolate chips (here too… dump some more in)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, instant coffee, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just incorporated, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.

Add in the semisweet and white chocolate chips, just until mixed in - just be sure to not overmix. 

Scoop dough into tablespoon-size balls and place 2-inches apart on baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes.

Let cookies cool five minutes on baking sheet before removing to wire rack to cool completely or eat them warm and gooey off the pan – just don’t burn yourself!! 

October 29, 2011: Molasses Cookies

Winter decided to give us a sneak peak this past week! With 8 inches of heavy and wet snow that peak was more like a smack upside the head!  Now, I love when it snows and the ground is covered with pretty, sparkling snow but Fall is still my favorite season and I would like a bit more before I truly have to bust out the coat!  With this pseudo fall/winter transition I thought the perfect cookie would be Molasses.  I have never used Molasses in anything and I was happy surprised how well these turned out!  Enjoy!

Molasses Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup shortening

¼ cup molasses

1 egg

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (non-elevation locations - 2 1/4 c of flour)

1 ¾ teaspoons baking soda (non-elevation locations - 2 tsps of baking soda)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Heat oven to 325°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar.

Shape dough by rounded tablespoonfuls into 1 1/2-inch balls. Dip tops into granulated sugar. On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls, sugared sides up, about 2 inches apart.

Bake 13 to 16 minutes or just until set and cookies appear dry. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Makes About 2 dozen cookies

Apple Pie Cookies

Fall is here!  The leaves are finally changing colors, the temperatures are cooling off (even though we have had a few days in the 80s yet). Fall is by far my favorite season of all, yet we don't seem to get much of it before the snow flies!  We are suppose to get snow on Wed with a high of only 33, don't get me wrong I love when it snows too - it's so pretty!

I'm not much of a pie fan, nor am i all that good at making pie - no idea why!  Yet I decided for fall i would make apple pie cookies!  They turned out really yummy!

Here's the recipe!

Apple Pie Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

Dough:

1/3 cup sour cream

1 egg yolk, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup butter (or margarine)

Stir together to blend sour cream, egg yolk and vanilla extract. In a separate large bowl stir together flour and sugar. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in sour cream mixture until well blended.

Divide dough in half and chill until easy to handle (1-2 hours or so).

Filling:

1 tablespoon butter (or margarine)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon apple pie spice *

2 medium cooking (I used honeycrisp for about everything) apples, peeled and chopped

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add apples, brown sugar and spices. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are fork tender. Remove excess liquid and cool.

*Instead of apple pie spice you could substitute 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t ground nutmeg, 1/8 t all spice, and a dash of ground ginger or cloves.

Assembly:

Roll each piece of dough to about 1/8 inch thickness and cut with a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter (I used a glass). Fill rounds with a skimpy teaspoon of filling. Fold in half and seal edges with a fork. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet (or parchment paper).

Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until light brown. Remove and cool.

Lemon Sugar Icing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1-3 teaspoons water

Mix ingredients until drizzling consistency. If too thick, add a little more water, if too thin, add more powdered sugar. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

Cookie Challenge 2011: Pina Colada Cookies

It's definitely summer now, today was 90 degrees and it looks like we will be staying in the 80s for a while.  I am thankful for living here with little to no humidity, after living in arid places for the past 7 years I think it would be very difficult to move somewhere that is humid again!  Regardless, this cookie reminded me of the song "Do You Like Pina Coladas" it's been running through my head throughout this afternoon as I baked!  I am contemplating doing drink related cookies for a few in honor of long summer days and fun nights!

Enjoy!

Piña Colada Cookies

 Ingredients:

 1 (8-oz.) cans crushed pineapple, drained (save the juice)

1/2 c shortening

1 c packed brown sugar

1 egg (room temp)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp coconut extract (I didn’t use this and it was okay, but if I made them again I would definitely put this in!)

1 tsp rum extract

2 1/3 c all-purpose flour (2 c. flour for below 5000 ft)

1 1/4 tsp baking powder (1½ tsp baking powder for below 5000 ft)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 ½ c toasted coconut

For icing (optional):

1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 Tablespoons reserved pineapple juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Drain pineapple, reserving 3 tablespoons juice. Set pineapple aside; set juice aside. Toast flaked coconut either in the oven or on stove top, be careful not to burn it. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add pineapple, and extracts; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the coconut.

Drop by teaspoon full of dough 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 – 11 minutes or until slightly golden. Immediately remove to wire racks to cool.

If icing is desired, combine confectioners’ sugar with enough of the reserved pineapple juice to achieve spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cookies.

(Below 5000 ft: Heat oven to 325 degrees and increase baking time by a couple of minutes. Watch them closely and remove at desired doneness.)

Cookie Challenge 2011: Ginger Spice Cookies

Ginger Spice Cookies

Ingredients

4 c all-purpose flour (add 1/3c for over 5000 ft altitude)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

2 tsp baking soda (1 ¾ tsp for over 5000 ft altitude)

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

1 c granulated sugar

1 c packed brown sugar

1 c butter (or margarine) at room temperature, cut into cubes

2 large eggs

1 TBS vanilla extract

4 TBS chopped crystallized ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon, and ground ginger. In a different mixing bowl, add the sugar, brown sugar and butter. With an electric mixer, beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time until well incorporated. Scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula, add the vanilla extract and the crystallized ginger and mix well. Once the wet ingredients are incorporated, add the flour mixture in batches. Mix until the dough begins to form into a ball. Using an ice cream scoop, place the dough onto 2 parchment-lined sheet pans about 2 inches apart. Press the dough with the back of a spoon. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. When the cookies are done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

High Altitude Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

So I will start of this entry with stating the fact that I don't like bacon... so then why on earth would i make a cookie that I wouldn't eat??  Because I take requests and like challenges! :)  So when my neighbors, Wendy and J said how about bacon in a cookie... with chocolate... I thought that sounds like a great challenge!  Knowing that there has been a trend of chocolate and bacon things recently I thought okay why not!  Should be simple enough... take my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and add some bacon!  Please note, I used actual, real bacon... not turkey bacon, not bacon bits but the real stuff!  So bacon aficionados.... ENJOY!!!

 ** if you are not at an altitude of 4000 ft or higher just use a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe as a base**

Ingredients

1 c butter or margarine

1 c white sugar

1 c packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 1/2 c all-purpose flour

16 oz (1 bag) semisweet chocolate chips

2 ½ lbs of bacon, cooked/baked crispy and then crumbled

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, stir together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, and then stir in the vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until blended, then mix in the chocolate chips so they are evenly distributed. Finally mix in bacon (cooled and crumbled).

Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to turn golden, 11 to 14 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

2011 Cookie Challenge: Soft Lemonade Cookies

Spring time in the rockies can be quite a roller coaster.  It was only a few weeks that it was 80 degrees and sunny!  This morning it was snowing and gloomy. I have been loving the rain we have been getting recently, as it is much needed - it's been a really dry winter. I'm hoping my lawn can get ahead start before it gets hot and I have to water regularly. So to brighten the day I made lemonade cookies - in remembering that soon enough it'll be warm and sunny and able to enjoy the outdoors!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup thawed lemonade concentrate, divided
• Additional sugar

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with 1/3 cup lemonade concentrate, beating well after each addition.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Brush with remaining lemonade concentrate; sprinkle with sugar. Cool. Yield: 6 dozen.

2011 Cookie Challenge: Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

These cookies are really rich, you don't need many to really get a good taste and the flavor is wonderful! They are much like those chocolate covered cherries you can find during the holidays only in cookie form! Enjoy and Share! :)

Ingredients

                      1/2 c. butter

                      1 c. sugar

                      1 egg

                      1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

                      1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

                      1/2 c. baking cocoa

                      1/4 tsp salt

                      1/4 tsp baking powder

                      1/4 tsp baking soda

                      maraschino cherries, blotted dry (enough for each cookie)

           


FROSTING:

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

1 to 3 tsp maraschino cherry juice

Directions

In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture (batter will be very firm). Shape into 48 balls, about 1 in. round, and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Push one cherry halfway into each ball, immediately after removing from the oven.

For frosting, melt chocolate chips in milk in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; add cherry juice and stir until smooth. Spoon 1 teaspoon of frosting over each cherry to cover completely (this also helps keep the cherry on the cookie!

Cool on wire racks. 

Cookie Challenge 2011: Breakfast Cookies

These are good enough to have for breakfast... with cranberries, orange juice and oatmeal who could argue with that! :)

3/4 c. butter or margarine softened
1 c. packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. grated orange peel
2 c. quick cooking oats
1 c. all purpose flour
2/3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c. dried cranberries

icing
1 c. powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
 3 - 4 tsp. orange juice

* I made no alterations for altitude and they turned out great!

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and orange peal on medium, until well mixed.  Mix in the remaining ingredients.

Line a pan with silpat or parchment paper. Drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart. Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool completely (about 15 minutes).

In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar, vanilla and enough oj until thin enough to drizzle over the cookies!  Spoon into small ziploc and cut off tiny corner of the bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle icing over cookies.

Enjoy! :)

Cookie Challenge 2011: Chocolate Raspberry with White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Raspberry with White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1/2 c. raspberries, pureed (and a little extra)

3 c. all-purpose flour (3 ¼ c flour at altitude 5000ft)

3/4 tsp. baking soda (1/2 tsp at altitude 5000ft)

3/4 tsp. salt

1 c. white baking chips

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate and raspberries. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 6 dozen.

Cookie Challenge 2011: Pecan Praline Cookies

Pecan Praline Cookies (from food network website):

Ingredients

1/3 c. sugar

2 TBSP water

1 c. toasted pecans, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

1 c. butter, at room temperature

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tspn vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (2 ¾ c. flour for higher altitudes)

1/2 tspn baking soda (3/8 tspn for higher altitudes)

4 ounces white chocolate

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Praline:

In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together constantly the sugar and water. Cook until boiling for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until the syrup is golden brown in color. It is important to remove the saucepan from the heat just as the sugar begins to darken to an amber color. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup pecans. Carefully pour the hot mixture onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Let cool until completely firm. Transfer to a plastic bag, crush with a rolling pin, and reserve for the cookie dough.

Cookies:

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with a hand mixer. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Stir in the flour and baking soda and mix until incorporated. Fold in the reserved crushed praline until combined. Drop 1 tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop of the dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.

While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and stir until smooth. When the cookies are done drizzle the white chocolate over the cookies and sprinkle with the chopped pecans.

mmm.... lemon poppy seed bread!

Lemon poppy seed bread is so yummy! It's light and citrusy and with a light lemony glaze on top its a great breakfast treat or any time of the day!  I have been wanting to make this for some time to see how the recipe holds up to the altitude... it's baking right now and seems to be doing well... we'll see in about 30 minutes how it fully turns out! I finally found poppy seeds at Whole Foods - they sell them in bulk which is cheaper than the glass jar version... save a little money and bring a container with you or they have bags there too!

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe:

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 c milk

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour, sifted

3/4 c granulated white sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 TBS grated lemon zest

3 TBS poppy seeds

13 TBS unsalted butter, softened

Lemon Syrup:

1/4 c fresh lemon juice

1/3 c granulated sugar

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds until combined. Add the softened butter and half the egg mixture and mix on low speed until moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, beating about 30 seconds after each addition.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You may have to cover the bread with buttered foil after about 30 minutes if you find the bread over-browning.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the sugar and lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pierce the hot loaf all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush the top of the loaf with about half the hot lemon syrup. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 10 minutes then invert onto a greased wire rack. Brush the remaining syrup onto the bottom and the sides of the loaf. Reinvert the bread so it is right side up and then cool the bread completely before wrapping. Store at least overnight before serving to allow the lemon syrup to distribute throughout the loaf.

Makes 1 loaf.

Recipe from: http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/LemonPoppyseedBread.html

Cookie Challenge 2011: Oreo Cookies

Oreos are sooo yummy!  Last week I made some cookies and cream chocolate cupcakes with cookie and cream buttercream.  As always I had way more butter cream left - both plain and cookies and cream!  So what to do with left over butter cream??? Make OREOS! :)

Since I had extra buttercream I made 3 different kinds of filling. I left some as plain butter cream, still had some cookies and cream butter and then I also made mint butter cream!

Here's the Oreo Recipe

1 1/3 c. Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 tsp. salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 c. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Prepare the dough: Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt in a large bowl.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, incorporating each ingredient before adding the next. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Refrigerate dough for at least an hour. Then place small round balls (I have a cookie scoop or you can use a tsp) on silpat lined cookie sheets.  Bake for 9 – 9 ½ minutes. When you take it out of the oven use a glass or other flat surface to flatten the cookies.  Remove from cookie sheet and cool.

Here’s an alternate cookie preparation:

Divide the dough into 2 pieces; place one piece between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Refrigerate both rectangles, covered with the parchment sheets, until firm, at least 1 hour or up to several days.

Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the dough into 64 circles. (You can reroll the scraps once.) Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Bake the cookies until they are set and slightly darker around the edges, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.

Buttercream/Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. vegetable shortening

3 c. powdered sugar, sifted (may need more depending on desired consistency)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

heavy whipping cream as needed to get the right consistency

Cream butter and shortening, then add sugar slowly, add in vanilla. continue mixing until well mixed.  Add in heavy whipping cream slowly to get desired consistency.

You can add all kinds of things in with the butter cream

Mint: peppermint extract and green food coloring

Cookies & Cream: Crushed up oreos

Raspberry: either frozen (defrosted and well drained) raspberries or red food coloring and raspberry extract

Almond: almond extract

~ super easy!

Monkey Bread

This is one of my favorite weekend breakfast things to make!  It's easy and makes enough for leftovers throughout the week!

4 cans of refrigerator biscuits (they usually come in a 4 pack all together)
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Combine sugars and cinnamon. Cut biscuits into 4s, add to the sugar mix and coat.  Place into an angel food cake pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Continue with all refrigerator biscuits. Once filled, set aside and make sauce.

Sauce
3/4 c. butter/margarine
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar

Melt butter and sugars together. Cook until well mixed and has thickened. Pour over biscuits and bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven at 350 degrees.

Cookie Challenge 2011: M & M Cookies

These are super easy!  Just take your favorite chocolate chip recipe and substitute m & ms for the chocolate chips! :)

Below is my favorite high altitude chocolate chip cookie recipe:

1 c. margarine - softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 - 3 1/2 c. flour (I use unbleached)
bag of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix margarine and sugars until creamy.  Mix in eggs, one at a time, making sure it's thoroughly mixed before adding in the next. Add vanilla. Next add dry ingredients in order. Finally add in chocolate chips (or M & Ms, and any other mix in you'd like).  Drop ball on to a baking pan lined with a silpat. Bake for 12-15 minutes depending on size of the cookie.

Enjoy! :)

2011 Cookie Challenge: White Chocolate Coconut Cookies

These cookies were really pretty good, I made them more bite sized than a full cookie and I think it worked perfectly in this ratio!

Ingredients

1 tsp baking powder (3/4 tsp for high altitudes)

1 tsp baking soda (3/4 tsp for high altitudes)

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour (2 ½ c for high altitudes)

1/2 tsp salt

1 c butter, softened

1/2 c packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c quick cooking oats

3/4 c shredded coconut flakes

For garnish:

8 ounces white chocolate, melted

3/4 cup toasted, shredded coconut flakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, flour and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy with a hand held electric mixer. Beat in the egg. Add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Fold in the oats, vanilla extract and shredded coconut flakes.

Form walnut-sized balls of the mixture and drop 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined sheet pans. Bake in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.

When the cookies are cool, dip them halfway into the melted white chocolate and then into the toasted shredded coconut flakes. Set them down onto parchment paper-lined sheet pans to dry completely.