Sacramento Scene Blog

There's some competition festering here behind the scenes of the Fox40 Morning News Show...
And the end result isn't going to be pretty...
I'm already predicting a calorie intake that's off the charts, a spike in blood sugar and ultimately a fight... food fight that is.
So here's the deal... the crew is putting together a "Cookie-Off", a competition that pits the best cookie recipes head to head, or mouth to mouth. Obviously everyone should just toss their cookies (out) now because I am the silent victor. I have the recipe no one saw coming... the Godzilla that defeats the other Cookie Monsters.
Now I can't release the details of this secret recipe... but it does include an oven temperature of 350 degrees.
That said... the competition is tomorrow. Following said competition I will release the winning recipe. Stay tuned.
On a lighter (musical) note, tomorrow kicks off the beginning of the 2008 Friday Night Concerts in the Park, in Sacramento. It runs from 5 to 9pm at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets. The featured performance is "Bucho". Live music, food and beer. Click here for more information: http://www.downtownsac.org/index.php?mvcTask=events&id=17644 Ole!

As promised... the winner of the First Annual Fox40 Morning Show Cookie Rumble...
First Place: Me "Thumbprint Cookies"
Second Place: Photographer Mark Willis' wife "Snickerdoodles"
Third Place: A Tie between Jamie Soriano "Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies" and Producer Tiffany Yasus "Cookie Sandwiches"
Congratulations to all 8 contestants. But as predicted... I win. That's how the cookie crumbles my friends... so brush that (chocolate) chip off your shoulder.
Below are recipes for my cookies and Jamie's...

Natalie's Thumbprint Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:
1 c. sifted confectioner's sugar
2 c. flour
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter

*******Allow butter and cream cheese to soften slightly before beginning. Cream butter and cream cheese together. Gradually add confectioner's sugar and flour. Chill a bit to firm up dough. Roll into balls the size of walnuts. Make a thumb-print indentation in center of ball. Fill hole with a tiny bit of jelly, jam or preserves (we used baby food spoons in a couple of little custard cups with about 2 Tbsp. of jam in each cup). Bake at 375°F for 10 min. They will not be brown. I used the tiniest measuring spoon I could find to make the little imprints in the dough. I bought whipped buttercream icing to put in the center when the cookies cooled. On top, I put a small strawberry slice and blueberry. Yum! People at work said they tasted like a pastry with a light icing. The fruit on top made it very summery.

JAMIE'S CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups Grape-Nuts cereal
2 cups quick-cooking oat
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
Beat butter or margarine in a large bowl, with sugars until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
Gradually add flour mixture, beating well after each addition.
Stir in cereal, oats and cranberries.
Drop by rounded tablespoons on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Have fun!

Come walk for wishes this Sunday at the best time of day, twilight! Fox40 is helping to sponsor the local Make-A-Wish chapter's annual walk, not only a great time to enjoy the beautiful mini lake that's adjacent to Swainson's Hawk Park in Natomas, but also chow down on bbq and ice cream. All proceeds go to grant wishes to kids with life threatening illnesses in our area. The festivities kick off at 5:30pm Sunday and the walk starts at 6:45pm. If you don't care to walk, just stop by and say hi, maybe donate a few bucks... every little bit helps. It's a 3K walk.
Here are directions to the park: 5-N to Arena Blvd, take a left. Continue on Arena Blvd. through El Centro Dr. Take a left on Sardinia Island Way and follow this to the crossing of Lentini Way. Park along the perimeter of the park.