Flaky Butter Cream Cookie with Filling

These cookies are incredible - so light and flaky - it is more like eating pastry. We make these for almost every holiday. Chocolate is normally my favorite but these are irresistible.

Store them in the fridge due to the cream cheese in the filling.

For the cookie -

1 cup margarine – NOT Butter – will not make the same flaky layers
2 cups flour
1/2 cup half and half
Sugar for tops of cookies
Food coloring (if using)

Mix margarine and flour with fingers until crumbly. Gradually add half and half. If using food coloring to tint the dough add it now. Mix until well incorporated and the dough can be lifted out easily with hands. Place in refridgerator until slightly cooled - 1/2 hour. Flour the counter well and roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutters (Simple shapes work best with this dough) cut out your shapes. Dredge both sides of cookie through sugar. Bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes (until edges are slightly brown – slightly). Cool on a wire rack.

For the Filling -
8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups confectioners sugar
Food coloring (if using)

Combine all filling ingredients. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Once cookies are cooled completely, spread filling on the flat side of one cookie and top with another. Decorate icing with candy sprinkles or colored sugars. Makes approximately 15 creme filled cookies.

Big Chewy Soft Pretzel Recipe

SOFT PRETZELS

1 (.25 ounce) package or 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups warm water
4 cups flour (bread flour or all purpose)

2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Melted butter
Coarse salt and or Cinnamon


In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your kitchen aid mixer, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in the 1 ½ cups of warm water. Add the flour to the mixture and mix until smooth and elastic. This can be kneaded by hand on a floured surface, about 8 minutes. Or, the easiest method, using your mixer with the dough hook attachment – about 8 minutes as well. The mixture will be smooth and stick slightly to the bottom of the bowl. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. If using the dough immediately, cover, and let rise for one hour. If you plan to make the pretzels later store the dough in the refrigerator – covered well. I have kept it in the refrigerator up to one day. When using refrigerated dough take it out at least 1 ½ hours prior.

Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in a large shallow pan.

After the dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces for large pretzels (I normally cut the dough into 24 pieces for smaller pretzels). Roll each piece into a rope, a little thicker than a pencil – some flour is needed on the rolling surface. Twist into a pretzel shape, and then dip into the baking soda solution. Place on cookie sheets covered in parchment paper or prepared with non stick cooking spray. Note – if making salted pretzels sprinkle them with salt at this time. Let rise 15 to 20 minutes.

Bake at 425 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. If you have made salted pretzels brush the tops with melted butter. If you have chosen to make the awesome and delicious cinnamon pretzels dip the entire pretzel in the melted butter – top and bottom. Then, toss the buttered pretzel in a bowl of cinnamon sugar. Let cool on a wire rack.

Note – when forming the pretzels it helps to keep the dough balls covered with a towel – it will keep them from drying out. If the dough does start to dry out before you have formed the pretzels – lightly moisten your hands with water.

1860s Cottage Kitchen

The design/ drawing details of the kitchen in these photos are featured in Primitive Place & Country Journal Magazine Spring 2012 Issue.

The kitchen in this small 1860s cottage was similar to a lot of kitchens we have designed and built in the past. The kitchen area was broken up with several doors and windows so a conventional “Fitted Kitchen” would not fit the space.

I designed the kitchen cabinets in varying styles, woods, and finishes so each had their own personality. We call this kitchen style our “Collected Kitchen.”

The large cooking cupboard is in Museum Moss Green with a white backsplash and curly maple counter tops, The left and right upper doors have antique glass in the top and “dirty dish” panels in the bottoms of the doors. It has furniture style, bracket base feet.

The sink area has a base cabinet that has a soap stone sink and counter top. It has a fully integrated dishwasher that is totally hidden when closed. The upper cabinet is made in poplar and finished with a brown ”Time Worn” stain. It has plenty of space for silverware in the drawers, and everyday dishes behind the doors.

To the right of the sink cupboard we took advantage of a small space and made 3 built-in spice cupboards that are recessed in the wall.

Across from the sink cabinet is an integrated SubZero refrigerator with a Museum Linen White finish. The appliance cupboard to the left of the fridge hides a TV, Microwave, several appliances, a pull out work surface, and several storage drawers. It is finished in a museum putty painted finish with a curly maple countertop.

The hanging spice shelf is black over moss, museum finish, and has a nice collection of antique spice jars.

The island has a curly top and the base has slide-through drawers for access on both sides, and is painted garden green.

This kitchen had a small alcove with a window that made the perfect spot to design a baking center with a hidden mixer lift, drawers and open shelves for ingredients and other baking tools.

The mud room has a smoke-grained 6 door pantry cupboard and a teal-over-oatmeal sink base that holds a white porcelain sink that was salvaged for the original kitchen.

I hope you like our Cottage kitchen and we invite you to check out our article in Primitive Place Magazine, Spring Issue 2012 .

--David T. Smith

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Goods Show in Mount Vernon Ohio

What a GREAT SHOW! We are sharing a terrific booth with Kristine & Kris, with Primitive Place Magazine. This is the best show for Early Antiques and reproductions I've seen in years. Nothing from China or across the water . . . . just as it SHOULD be; American Crafts Made By Americans! What a fine selection of primitives for your home, wonderful painted antiques & collectibles, Holiday items, etc. If you are looking for-that special gift, want to start your Christmas shopping or seeking something to add to your own collection . . This is the place!

Fredericksburg Historic Home Show

Tomorrow is the last day of the Historic Home and Designer Craftsman Show. There was a great group of American artists in the show and we had a great group of buyers come through the show. I even talked to an Architect from California interested in period style kitchens. My salesman sample kitchen was also I big hit. I will be taking it to display at 2 more shows in the next 3 weeks. Check our Events page on our web site for my last 2 show dates of 2011.

I have joined A Primitive Place & Country Journal magazine as contributing writer

 I am honored to work with publisher/editor, Kristine Berg Doss,and look forward to sharing my design skills, knowledge of antiques and history with their readers.

A Primitive Place & Country Journal is the premier home and garden magazine featuring primitive and Colonial home tours, enchanting garden tours, savory recipes, simple craft projects, trash to treasure makeovers and more. Each issue is filled with inspiring photos and creative articles sure to intrigue you.

If you have not subscribed to A Primitive Place & Country Journal, you will not want to miss out!

My first article will appear in their Winter/Holiday 2011 issue scheduled to be released November 1st. Be watching for the big reveal of their Winter/Holiday 2011 cover and sneak peeks this Sunday!

--David T. Smith

Check out this great kitchen project near Boston - New Old Country Farmhouse

This is a great project that we did near Boston. The client wanted a David T. Smith kitchen but was concerned about the cost and hassle of doing a handmade kitchen long distance so she tried to find a local kitchen company to do it. No luck. So she finally called me at the last minute to talk about the project.

It was a large project, kitchen, 2 pantries, bathrooms, and laundry. She sent us drawings, we had a few Web Meetings, and we drew up the project and made our deal. The next day we flew to Boston to make final measurements. We were a little shocked when we got there, because the house was 90% complete waiting for the kitchen. She had almost waited too long.

She was great to work with and once she had decided to use us for the project, she made decisions quickly. We were there for about 4 days. She signed off on the drawings and we went back to Ohio and started making the cabinets that week. About 8 weeks later we had our install guys in Boston eating lobster and installing her kitchen. It was a great job and Paula was great to work with.
As you look at the DESIGN New England Magazine article and the photos here, pay close attention to the detail that is in this project.

Paula wanted to have the house look like a 19th century farmhouse that had been added on to again and again over the years as the families needs changed. That’s exactly what she got. There is detail everywhere you look.

The Kitchen had an AGA stove, a huge soapstone sink and painted and stained cabinets. The Island was HUGE and had drawers on both sides. It was all curly maple with our Time worn finish. There was a built-in pantry in the wall, a pantry room with built-ins on 4 walls and a pie safe appliance cupboard.

There was only one upper cabinet in the kitchen, so the large windows really made the kitchen open to the outside.

Each bathroom and the laundry were also custom designed and each one had its own unique personality.

It was a great project.

David T.