Saturday, February 05, 2011

IEP Cookie of the Month - January

As a part of my law practice, I do educational advocacy for families of special needs children. As an advocate I join the school IEP team at the parents' request and work to facilitate parent involvement in developing an IEP (Individualized Educational Program) that works for their child.

A tool of my advocacy trade is freshly baked homemade cookies. I find the cookies provide a little well deserved and needed energy boost after a long day; give the team a common activity to bond over (lots of requests for the recipes, talking about favorite cookies and what the kids like etc.); and give people something to chew on (literally) while they listen to someone else talk - especially when there is disagreement. I haven't gone so far yet as to offer someone a cookie when I need them to stop talking and listen - but the option is always there :0).

Taking a cue from one of my favorite SLP's over at IF ONLY I HAD SUPERPOWERS I am going to start posting one of the cookies recipes I use each month. Why?

1. It is nice to share.

2. I will know where to find them when I want them.

3. When I get requests for the recipes, I can just e-mail the link!

Most of my recipes come from other sources - you will see the credit with the recipe. I do, however, tend to modify the recipes to my own taste. I will post the recipe with my modifications where appropriate.

Without further adieu -

IEP Cookie for January 2011

Orange Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Bon Appétit | February 2003

by chef Cliff Trubowitz

Bump & Grind Cafe, Denver, CO

Modified by Frog's Mom




Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 teaspoons (packed) grated orange peel
* 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
* 1 large egg yolk
* 3TBS heavy whipping cream
* 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
* Turbinado sugar for sprinkling
* 1/2 cup whipping cream
* 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli double chocolate chips)




Preparation:



Place Orange Juice in a sauce pan over medium heat and reduce to by 3/4.

Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar, orange peel, and 1 tsp. reduced orange juice in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in yolk, then cream. Add flour mixture; beat until dough comes together in moist clumps. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Wrap dough in plastic wrap are refrigerate for one hour.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour large baking sheet.

On a floured work surface, roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with round cookie or biscut cutter (a wine glass will work in a pinch).



Place cut cookies on prepared cookie sheets and repeat with remaning dough. Sprinkle unbaked cookies with turbinado sugar.



Bake cookies until golden, about 18 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

In a sauce pan over medium low heat, warm 1/2 cup heavy cream. When cream is warm, add bittersweet chocolate chips and reduce heat to low. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the warm chocolate. Place on rack or greased waxed or parchment paper and let chocolate set.



(Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Orange-Shortbread-Cookies-with-Chocolate-Chips-107723#ixzz1D8013i3Z

2 comments:

CC said...

I sooooo want a cookie of the month at my IEPs. Since I hold about 10 per month, do I get 10 batches of cookies?? That would really make my day. I've heard of this kind of thing in districts unlike mine. But alas....

Frogs' mom said...

Hey CC - If all of your families hired me for their IEP meetings - you'd get cookies all month long :0) But the expense of getting me over there might make it a little prohibitive for most families :o( You could always move to our district!!! Or get over here and do a continuing ed program for our SLP's - I'll bring the cookies!