A Minute on the Lips...

Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins

2011-03-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

With a wedding less than 9 months away, I'm having a hard time justifying all the baked goods in the house, unless of course they are relatively healthy and low cal/low fat. Unfortunately, these desserts really aren't much fun to make and can often taste like cardboard. I found this recipe for PB&J muffins and thought I'd give it a whirl- after all, how bland could PB&J anything be?? Considering the recipe called for very little butter, no oil and I substituted the sugar with Splenda (both white and brown sugar) I think that the final product came out quite delish! A great little treat for anytime of the day!

Ingredients:
(makes 12 muffins)

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1/4 cup strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugars, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through vanilla); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Fill each cup half full with batter. Spoon 1 teaspoon jam into each cup. Spoon remaining batter on top to cover jam. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.

A Special Birthday Cake

2011-01-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

Martha rarely disappoints when it comes to finding unique yummy cakes and this almond crunch ice cream cake was no exception! Normally this isn't a cake I would pick out on my own but living with an almond-lover I instantly stopped in my tracks when I saw this cake and bookmarked it to make for Dan's birthday. The sponge cake didn't rise as much as I had thought it would, so instead of making this a 3-layer cake, I had to modify it slightly and make a 2-layer with only one ice cream filling, but overall it came out amazing and made for a very happy birthday boy!

A Break from Christmas Baking...

2010-12-21T19:05:00.001-08:00

A few weeks back I had to take a break from my Christmas baking to make some special cookies for some very special ladies in my life! I figured they couldn't say no if I asked them with a cookie!

Linzer Cookies

2010-12-09T17:02:00.001-08:00

This Sunday marks the second annual KB cookie swap! I always have a hard time narrowing down what cookie I want to make. I even caved and bought a special Christmas Cookie Cookbook in hopes of finding the perfect one. Some are too easy, some are too bland, some have been done a million times over. The cookies I made last year were one of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes ever! If they didn't take so long, I would probably add them into my yearly repertoire. I decided to try something a little easier this year. For some reason this holiday season has gone by so fast. I think part of it is the wedding planning! I thought these cookies would be a great addition to the swap this year. They came out perfect and I doubled the batter to have extras for my Christmas cookie trays!

Ingredients

2/3 cup almonds
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the work surface
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
1 12-ounce jar raspberry jam

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes; let cool.
In a food processor, process the almonds and ¼ cup of the brown sugar until the almonds are finely ground.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and the remaining ¼ cup brown sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the almond mixture, then the flour mixture, mixing until just combined (do not overmix).
Divide the dough in half, shape into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.
Heat oven to 350° F. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out each piece of dough to a ⅛-inch thickness. Using a 2- to 2 ½-inch round cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. Using a ¾- to 1-inch round cookie cutter, cut out the centers from half of the cookies. Reroll and cut the scraps as necessary.
Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Sprinkle the confectioners’ sugar on the cookies with the holes. Spread 1 teaspoon jam on the remaining cookies and top with the sugared cookies. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Pepparkakor Cookies

2010-11-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

The countdown to Christmas is on and it's time to kick the baking into high gear! First up, a Swedish cookie that I'm surprised I haven't made sooner, considering they're my Dad's favorite! This cookie is similar to a gingersnap, but it's a bit more spicy. According to Swedish custom you should place a Pepparkakor cookie in the palm of your hand. Then, make a wish. Using the index finger or thumb of your free hand, tap the cookie in the middle. Swedish tradition states that if the Pepparkakor breaks into three pieces, your wish will come true. If the Pepparkakor does not break into three pieces, well, you'll just have to enjoy eating the cookie in smaller pieces.

Ingredients

2 sticks salted butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup OR molasses
1 egg
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons cardamom (optional)
1tsp nutmeg(optional)
1/2 tsp all-spice(optional)
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest (you can use lemon in place of orange if you prefer)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in egg, corn syrup, orange juice, and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; stir into the creamed mixture until combined.
Place dough in the fridge over night.
Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness, and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies on wire racks.

Punkin' Pie Cake

2010-10-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

I am loving fall baking and the endless recipes I'm finding for pumpkin! It's such a versatile ingredient and can be used in cheesecake, muffins, cake, whoopie pies, cookies... the list goes on. This recipe was absolutely delicious and a little on the "lighter" side substituting out some eggs and using a liquid substitute and a lighter cream cheese for the frosting. The result was a fabulous cake that I will probably be making again when Thanksgiving rolls around, possibly in cupcake form!

Ingredients
Cake:

Cooking spray
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Orange slices (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Dust pans evenly with 2 tablespoons flour.

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until well blended. Add egg substitute and eggs; beat until well blended. Add pumpkin, beating until blended.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cake from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until blended (do not overbeat). Add juice, stirring until blended.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over layer, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top of cake. Sprinkle with pecans, and garnish with orange slices, if desired.

Chris & Erin's Engagement Cupcakes

2010-10-09T05:33:00.000-07:00

Last night we celebrated the engagement of one of my very best friends, Erin and her amazing fiancee, Chris. Chris' sister threw a great bash at the Beverly Depot and I was honored to make the cupcakes for the party!

I made two cupcakes and two different frostings, all of which I've made before and are my go-to fabulous cupcake recipes! The first was a chocolate cake with a butter c ream frosting and the second was a vanilla cupcake with a mocha butter cream frosting on top. For the mocha frosting use the same recipe as linked above and just add 1/4 cup of cold, strong coffee and 1/4 melted & cooled semi-sweet chocolate chips .

Here are some pictures of the cupcakes!
For the little toppers with their initials, I rolled out fondant and cut out little circles with a cookie cutter and piped their initials on it with royal icing. I also love the black cupcake wrappers. I think this is a great way to dress a cupcake up for a special occasion!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

2010-10-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

It's fall and that means it's time for baking with apples and pumpkin! And thank God that canned pumpkin is back on the shelves this year! The shortage last year was terrible and there were so many delicious recipes that I wanted to try but now I've stocked up on it and am ready to bake! First up, some chocolate chip pumpkin muffins that KB sent me the recipe for last week. I've been craving these since the first cool Fall day and this recipe made 24 muffins. Have some now, and freeze some for later- or if you're feeling generous give some to your friends :)

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour (or 1 1/2 cup white flour, 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2/3 cups apple sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can (15oz) pumpkin
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flours, spices, and all the other dry ingredients together. In a seperate bowl mix the eggs, oil, applesauce and pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, then stir in the chocolate chips. Bake for 20 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

2010-09-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

Only one word can really describe this recipe: rich! With two pounds of cream cheese, how could it not be?! That being said, this recipe is for the true peanut butter cup fanatic. I loved the fact that this recipe called for a brownie crust, instead of the crushed cookie or thinner graham cracker crusts out there. You could substitute for another crust, but I don't know why you would. If you know someone who loves peanut butter cups, make this for them and they will probably love you forever.

Brownie Crust:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake filling:

2 lbs cream cheese, softened
5 eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter (not natural-style)
1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 peanut butter cups, cut into quarters

Decoration:

6 peanut butter cups, cut carefully in half
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
Whipped cream (I used homemade with 1/2 cup whipped cream, 1/4 sugar, 1 tsp vanilla- whipped on high for about 3 minutes)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch springform pan with butter.

2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with spoon or wire whisk. Add eggs; stir until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Spread in prepared pan.

3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from side of pan. Meanwhile make cheesecake layer (see below).

4. Immediately after removing brownie from oven, sprinkle milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups over brownie surface. Spoon cheesecake mixture over chips. Turn down oven 325°.

Cheesecake Filling:

5. Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth.

6. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

7. Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth.

8. Stir in vanilla.

9. Pour filling into prepared crust.

10. Double-wrap springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping in.

11. Place springform pan into a larger baking pan.

12. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.

13. Bake at 325 degrees 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned.

14. Remove from the oven and allow to cool (approximately 1 hour)

15. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan.

16. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating and then remove cake from pan and plate.

17. Bring whipping cream to boil in a small saucepan.

18. Remove from heat and add semi-sweet and peanut butter chips. Stir until melted and smooth.

19. Drizzle over cake and then add peanut butter cup halves around the edge of the cake.

Oh Oh It's Magic

2010-08-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since my last blog post! I have to admit I haven't been baking too much this summer. It's hard to get motivated to turn the oven on when it's 90 degrees! One of my oldest friends (we've known each other over 20 years- yikes!) had a surprise bridal shower today and I made these delicious and easy Magic Bars. A few months back I made here these cupcakes for her engagement party. A great way to dress up a brownie or dessert square is to put them in a fun cupcake liner, I also thinks it makes the dessert just that much easier for your guests to pick up and enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 1/3 cups sweetened condensed milk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and graham crackers. Evenly press the mixture into to bottom of the 9×13 pan.
4. Next place the chopped nuts over the graham cracker crust and spread the chocolate chips over the nuts. Add the coconut over all, and pour the milk evenly over the top.
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Cool at least 20 minutes then cut into desired sized bars.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-04-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you don't have to search very hard to find a delicious recipe. I'm a big believer in looking at the recipes on the back of packages and testing them out. Nestle, Ghiradelli... you really can't beat those recipes when it comes to cookies. So the other day I bought some Reese's peanut butter chips and tried out the recipe on the back tonight! It's also the first time that I got to use my new Silpat pad (thanks to my big sis, Krisy!)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2-1/2 sticks butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1 pkg. Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl mix butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Next add salt, baking soda and vanilla. Then add the cocoa and mix well. Add the flour last. Last, add in Peanut Butter Chips.

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet, about 1 tablespoon in size. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Let cookies cool slightly before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Chocolate Crepe Cake

2010-04-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

I love love love making this chocolate crepe cake! The wow factor when you cut into this cake leaves everyone in awe! I've been dying to make this for quite some time. I've only made it twice previously (once for my niece's birthday and once for my friend Melissa's wedding send-off at work) and both times it went over extremely well! For my niece's birthday I candied the hazelnuts as shown in Martha's recipe, but for Melissa's cake I decorated it with fondant starfish and seashells to match her wedding theme. This year I made the recipe again for Easter and didn't decorate it, as I ran out of time... but leaving it as is can be just as good!

This cake isn't something you just throw together. I recommend making it over two days. The crepe batter needs at least four hours to sit, usually I make this the night before. Making the crepes is a very long process as well and you want to give them plenty of time to cool before stacking them.

Also, when layering the crepes with the hazelnut filling, don't over-fill. I was a little overzealous this time around and it caused the cake to fall a little bit.

All and all, a delicious recipe though and an extra special dessert for extra special occasions!

Snickers Cheesecake

2010-04-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

This year, I volunteered to make all of the desserts for my family's Easter dinner. Stay tuned for more posts to come for the frozen lemon pie and chocolate crepe cake, but I decided to post on this delicious Snickers cheesecake first. I love cheesecake, but I prefer the lemon/strawberry ones (with an occasional peanut butter slice thrown in) but I got a special request this year for a Snickers cheesecake, and I had to oblige. It was delish and didn't come out dry at all- which is always a fear of mine when I'm making a cheesecake. A definite repeat recipe! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Crust:

1-1/2 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

1-1/2 lbs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups small pieces of snack-sized Snickers Bars

Topping (fudge sauce):

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp light corn syrup

Directions:

To make crust, combine wafer crumbs and butter. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-1/2 inch springform pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. To make filling, with an electric mixer set on medium speed, combine cream cheese and sugar, beating until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and heavy cream. Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes. Fold in Snickers Bar pieces.

Pour filling into crust and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until cheesecake is almost set in center. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 1 to 2 hours.

To make fudge sauce, combine chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring gently, until mixture has melted. Stir in boiling water, sugar, and light corn syrup, mixing until smooth. Increase heat to medium and stir until mixture starts to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle over chilled cheesecake just before serving.

Carrot Cake FAIL

2010-03-30T17:42:00.001-07:00

For me, there's nothing better than finding a recipe and being consumed with excitement to create it! I would have to say 90% of these ventures are successful, but every so often I come across one that let's me down. I have a tendency to do this to myself anyway- overly hyping something and getting mediocre results back. So when I found this recipe for carrot cake with lime marscapone frosting my heart skipped a little beat and I reread the recipe about five times imagining how amazing this creation would be and that it would rival any other carrot cake that came my way.

So I decided to make this for my mom's birthday party. Not everyone in my family loves carrot cake, so it was a gamble anyway. The recipe calls for a standard sheet cake style and I always love a cupcake (individual, perfect amount, fun piping on top!!) so I decided to make them as a cupcake. I also figured they might last a few extra days in the refridgerator and could put them out for Easter. The cupcakes were a huge FAIL. This recipe was way too moist and they almost fell out of the paper- had no stick what-so-ever. So with the remaining batter I poured it into an angel food pan- again didn't want the plain boring sheet cake look. Another fail. The other thing about this recipe that drove me nuts- all the zesting!! An orange, a lime, grating carrots. I zested so much I took a chunk out of my knuckle.

And to top it off (literally & figuratively) the frosting was sub par. I'm a cream cheese frosting fan and this was just not up to par. Martha said she got this recipe from Jamie Oliver, who I am a huge fan of- not only for his cooking, but for his philanthropic work in London... and he's not that bad looking either... but this recipe was not his finest.

So... my cake ended up as a trifle (really a bowl of mush- but I'm trying to play it up!) I crumbled the cake up and added the frosting. It tasted really delish, but didn't look that great :( Oh well... next time I'll get it right!!!

Strawberry Shortcakes

2010-03-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

With all of the nice weather we WERE having the past few weeks I've been inspired to make more fruity desserts (my personal preference anyway!) Last week we celebrated a friends birthday with some drinks and a trip to P.F. Chang's and afterward gathered back home to have some dessert. I like to try and mix it up when it comes to birthday desserts and make something you may not typically have. Even if I'm making an actual cake or cupcake, I like to find the recipes that add that extra punch leaving people wondering what the secret ingredient was. This time around I decided to make individual strawberry shortcakes. This recipe was actually very easy and can be done ahead, which is great when you're trying to get things done during the work week! It was so easy, that I will probably make it again for Easter this weekend and have a big bowl of homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries on the side and people can assemble their own! Big thanks to Melissa for the photograph of my shortcakes :) I envy her camera!

Ingredients:
Shortcakes:

2 cups self-rising flour
2 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream

Strawberries:

4 pints strawberries, lightly rinsed, hulled and halved
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar

Whipped Cream:

1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp of vanilla

Directions:

For the shortcakes:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet.

2. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.

3. Add the butter. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, rub it into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in the milk until a very soft dough is formed. Do not overwork.

4. Drop the dough in 6 equal portions onto the prepared baking sheet. Lightly pat the dough into rounds—3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter—and lightly brush the tops with the cream.

5. Bake the shortcakes in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

For the Strawberries:
1. Place strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar, then gently toss with a rubber spatula. Let rest for 1 1/2 to 2 hours for juices to develop.

2. Just before serving, whip cream.

3. To serve, slice off the top third of each shortcake. Place the bottoms on 6 dessert plates and top with 1/3 cup of the prepared berries and juice, plus a spoonful of whipped cream. Cover with the top. Spoon over more berries and juice, then dollop with whipped cream. Garnish each with a whole berry and drizzle with any remaining juice.

Penuche Fudge

2010-03-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend I decided to try and make something I haven't done before- fudge! My mom's birthday is coming up and she loves penuche fudge more than anything else so I found a recipe on Martha and decided to give it a whirl. Making fudge is actually a lot easier than I would have thought. The only special tool that's really needed is a candy thermometer to register when it reaches the right temperature, and it tastes just like the fudge you could go out and buy at the strore... I have a feeling my mom will be asking me to make this a LOT more often!

I also love this packaging that I got forever ago and have never found the right things to put in them. Cookies were always too big and I've never made the candied nuts that the recipe on the back has... but they're perfect for pieces of this fudge and could also be a great little gift for Easter favors!

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
5 ounces (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped -- I ommited these

Directions:
Coat a 5-by-10-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line with plastic wrap leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides.

Bring evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 236 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 25 minutes.

Transfer to a mixer bowl, and beat in confectioners' sugar on low speed. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium, and beat until mixture is thickened and smooth, 2 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add vanilla and walnuts.

Spread mixture in pan, smoothing top. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 25 minutes. Unmold fudge using plastic overhang, and discard plastic. Cut into 18 pieces. Penuche will keep, covered, for up to 1 week.

Chocolate Cupcake Shells

2010-03-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to my friend Kelly's "sprinkle." After having two beautiful girls her and her husband are finally expecting a baby boy!! So to celebrate her family threw her a sprinkle- a smaller version of a shower to help her stock up on lots of blue since she has plenty of pink. I had never heard of a sprinkle before but thought it was such a great idea and wanted to make something to celebrate baby Connor's arrival. Since they already had a cake, I thought I would make these chocolate cupcake shells and fill them with lemon and chocolate mousse. The shells are fairly time consuming since you need to let the chocolate harden, so I would recommend starting them early and keeping them stored at room temperature.

Ingredients:

Melting chocolate (found at any A.C. Moore or Michael's craft store)
A little crisco to add to the chocolate while melting- this will prevent it from hardening too fast
2 packets of instant lemon pudding and 2 packets of chocolate instant pudding. Mix according to the instructions.
Whipped cream (either homemade, or canned). For an easy homemade recipe I just use a cup of heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 tsp of vanilla.
Aluminum cupcake holders

Directions:

To make the shells, heat up small quantities of the melting chocolate at a time with a small spoonful of crisco. Take an aluminum cupcake holder in the palm of your hand and drizzle the inside with the melted chocolate. Swirl it around until all sides are covered. Tip the cupcake shell upside down on a baking sheet to let the excess chocolate drip out. Repeat this step after the first layer has hardened (about an hour).
To make the mousse. Mix puddings according to package and let set. Combine whipped cream with pudding and gradually fold until well mixed.
Fill cupcake shells once hardened and decorate with fruit, chocolate shavings, whipped cream, etc.

Lemon Squares

2010-03-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

My mom has been making this recipe for lemon squares from Ina Garten for as long as I can remember. Lemon-y desserts are a huge weakness for me! There's nothing like that tangy, refreshing, sweetness you can only get from citrus fruit! They're also great to make in advance and bring to a party or just save for yourself!

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Gimme a Break...

2010-03-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

So, per usual, I over-bought and had an entire bag of Kit Kats left after this week's trifle. The bag has stared at me all week and I've resisted!! But after the loss of a family member yesterday, I decided it was time to break into them and make a new version of an all time comfort food fave. I said in my post earlier this week, I really don't like making the same thing twice. The only exception I have to this: chocolate chip cookies. I could honestly make these every day and not get sick of the smell or taste! I do try and spice it up now and then, and tonight I decided to add the leftover Kit Kats in lieu of chocolate chips.

And in other exciting baking news: I got a knock-off Silpat pad for my baking sheets from Target and they're pretty awesome! I honestly never knew if they were worth it or not, and now I know they are! My next investment piece will be the real ones!!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 whole wheat flour (I prefer King Arthur brand)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
About 15 individual Kit Kats

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Lover's Trifle- Take 2!

2010-02-28T09:33:00.000-08:00

I received another request for my Peanut Butter & Chocolate Lover's trifle that I made last month for a birthday party and I wanted to try and make it a little different this time. I always have a slight hesitation in making the same thing twice, because I love to try new things and create new dishes that will wow everyone again. So this time I made a few adjustments and tried to mix it up! I think it will be just as good :)

Ingredients:

Either a box of brownie mix, or a homemade batch of brownies. I used this Hershey's recipe. Last time I used chocolate cake, I think the crunchy & gooey texture of a brownie will add a nice twist though!
Whipped cream (either homemade, or canned). For an easy homemade recipe I just use a cup of heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 tsp of vanilla.
Peanut butter sauce (melt one 10 ounce package of peanut butter chips with 1/4 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 tsp of vanilla over low heat until combined, let cool). This time I double this recipe due to a request last time that it needed more sauce!
Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped
Kit Kat bars, chopped (last time I used Reese's Pieces)
2 packages of instant vanilla pudding made according to their directions.

Directions:
Layer the bottom with broken up brownies. Top with vanilla pudding, peanut butter sauce, Reese's peanut butter cups & Kit Kat bars, and a layer of whipped cream. Continue building your trifle with these layers until you've run out of ingredients or room :)

Hope this one is as big of a hit as the last :)

Baking for Lulu

2010-02-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

This is probably one of my favorite baking projects because it combined two of my favorite things. Cookies and Lululemon. For those of you who aren't familiar, Lululemon Athletica is a yoga apparel company based out of Canada. I was first introduced to the company while in Australia back in 2004. A friend of mine always had the cutest sports jacket/pant combos and when she told me the name of the brand it solidified the fact that I needed some of their clothes- STAT!! And so began my quest to hunt down this brand in America. Sadly, they hadn't made their way here yet but I continued to order there product through Canada until a showroom opened up in Boston. Now, with stores all throughout the US they're finally opening a showroom in Newburyport, MA this spring. This store is going to be especially exciting for me to visit because my best friend is the store manager!!! To help celebrate her arrival to the Newburyport area, she asked me to bake some cookies she could bring to her neighbors as an introduction. I think they're going to love the brand (and hopefully the cookies) as much as I do :) Make sure to visit their fan page on Facebook here and keep your eyes peeled for their opening date!
Lululemon Sugar Cookies & Royal Icing

Ingredients:

4 cup(s) sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 cup(s) (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cup(s) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

Directions:

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Divide dough in half; flatten each half into a disk. Wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Let one disk of dough stand at room temperature just until soft enough to roll, about 10 minutes. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to just under 1/4 inch thick, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Cut out cookies with a 4-to-5-inch cookie cutter, transferring shapes to parchment paper-lined baking sheets as you work. Roll out scraps, and repeat. Repeat with remaining disk of dough. Chill cookies in freezer until very firm, about 15 minutes.
Bake, switching positions of sheets and rotating halfway through, until edges turn golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Decorate as desired.

Royal Icing recipe can be found here on Food Network.

Better than Bisquick Pancakes

2010-02-14T07:53:00.000-08:00

Just about every Sunday morning is started off with some pancakes in our household. Dan never used to be much of a breakfast person, but that changed one day last winter when I brought over a box of Bisquick and made blueberry pancakes for breakfast. We slowly added other ingredients to the repertoire- walnuts, apples, chocoate chips, etc.- and last week in Jamaica we had coconut pancakes! I don't know why I didn't think of that before, since coconut is one of Dan's favorite ingredients. So, since today is Valentine's Day and it's also Sunday, I thought I would try and find a recipe to make some homemade heart shape pancakes. And who else should I turn to? You guessed it, Martha. These pancakes were so easy and light and fluffy, I don't think we'll ever go back to Bisquick. It also helped that all of the ingredients were things that we always have stocked anyway. I have a piping bag, so it was easy to use that to make the heart shape on the griddle, but if you don't have one, you can always use a Ziploc bag and cut the end off and draw pretty much any shape you want to make breakfast a little more fun!Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus 1 tablespoon for griddle

Directions:

Preheat griddle to 375 degrees, or heat griddle pan over medium-high heat. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Add egg, milk, and 2 tablespoons melted butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.
Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Test griddle by sprinkling with a few drops of water. If water bounces and spatters, it is hot enough. With paper towel, brush 1/2 teaspoon butter onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain round tip with batter; twist end of bag, and secure with rubber band. Working in batches, pipe heart shapes, drawing V of batter in center of hearts to fill, on heated griddle. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, about 2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute.
Repeat with remaining batter, using 1/2 teaspoon butter on griddle for each batch, keeping finished pancakes on a heat-proof plate in the oven until ready to serve.

Martha's Molten Mocha Cakes

2010-02-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is this weekend and it's probably my second favorite holiday (after Christmas of course!) I'm not sure what it is I love about it so much. I think perhaps it's that it's another excuse to bake beautiful goodies for everyone. These Molten Mocha cakes from Martha Stewart are great because the recipe is only for two and that certainly eliminates all of the leftovers laying around! They were very easy and quick to make, and can be prepared ahead of time and you can pop them in the oven last minute so they are served hot :)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for ramekins
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for ramekins and serving
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon espresso powder
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 6-ounce ramekins, then dust with sugar. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 20-second increments, stirring after each, until melted. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar, espresso powder, and salt. Add chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Add flour, and whisk just until combined (do not overmix). Pour batter into prepared ramekins. (Recipe can be made ahead up to this point.)
Bake until a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from edge of ramekins comes out clean, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out wet, 10 to 12 minutes (do not overbake). Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around inside of ramekins to loosen. Invert cakes onto serving plates. Dust with sugar; serve immediately.

Vanilla/Vanilla Cake

2010-01-28T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have to admit it, I'm a sucker for vanilla cake. I think the majority out there are chocolate cake/chocolate frosting type folks, but not me. Give me vanilla cake any day and I'd be a happy girl (same goes for vanilla ice cream over chocolate)! Most would say I'm boring or plain because I would always choose this less exciting flavor, but I say to those vanilla nay-sayers- it's a classic... just like me! Here's a recipe for a fabulous vanilla cake from Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes (her book is amazing and recipes even better) it has a crunchy outside layer which is delish but is still flavorful and moist! I also used an easy vanilla frosting from Rachel Ray that was a perfect compliment to this cake. For an added flair, I used my piping bag and dyed the leftover frosting and added some pretty flowers around the cake- an easy way to add some excitment to a "boring" vanilla cake. Think of it as that great accessory to a basic dress!

YIELD: THREE 9-INCH ROUNDS, 1 HALF SHEET (13 x 18 INCHES), 24 CUPCAKES

Ingredients:

Cake flour - 2 cups (8 ounces)
All-purpose flour - 1 cup plus 1 teaspoon(8 ounces)
Baking Powder - 2 teaspoons
Unsalted Butter -1 cup (2 sticks; 8 ounces)
Granulated Salt -3 cups (21 ounces)
Salt - 3/4 teaspoon
Pure vanilla extract - 1 tablespoon
Egg whites or pasteurized - 1 cup (8 ounces; about 7 eggs) egg whites in liquid form
Milk - 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350'F. Brush the bottoms and sides of the pans with melted butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add the salt and vanilla.
Set the mixer to low speed and gradually add the egg whites, scraping often.
Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture in two batches, starting with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl between each addition and beat until thoroughly combined. Set the mixer to medium-high speed for about 20 seconds then stop and scrape the sides of the bowl.
Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans or muffin tins. For 9-inch cake pans, bake 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean; for half-sheet pans, bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean; for cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until they spring back after being touched.
Allow the cakes to cool for 20 minutes. Once the cake is cool, release it from its pan by running a metal spatula or knife along the sides of the pan. Flip the cake over onto another pan or cake board and peel away the layer of parchment.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Lover's Trifle

2010-01-24T18:25:00.001-08:00

This trifle is extremely rich and decadent, so anyone with new year's resolutions to steer clear of sweets, this isn't the recipe for you! I think after it was all completed it weighed about 6 pounds and would probably serve about 20 people! You can certainly omit certain pieces or cut corners in different areas. I made everything from scratch, but a boxed chocolate cake would be fine too or cool whip/canned whipped cream. After all, it's all layered together anyways so you can't tell too much of a difference on what was homemade/what wasn't! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

Either a homemade chocolate cake (I used this recipe from Hershey's) or a boxed chocolate cake
Whipped cream
Peanut butter sauce (melt one 10 ounce package of peanut butter chips with 1/4 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 tsp of vanilla over low heat until combined, let cool)
Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped
Reese's pieces
2 packages of chocolate pudding made according to their directions

Directions:

Break up chocolate cake and layer that on the bottom. Top with chocolate pudding, peanut butter sauce, reeses peanut butter cups & reeses pieces, and a layer of whipped cream. Continue building your trifle with these layers until you've run out of ingredients or room :)

Breakfast Pizza

2010-01-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

What better way to start the New Year than with a delicious breakfast pizza? This is great for a brunch as a sweet ending! You can use pretty much any fruit that looks in season right now- it's hard to find some right now- I was lucky enough to find some golden raspberries (they taste the same as the red) but add some extra color! I got the recipe from Giada, so it has a nice Italian twist with the marscapone cheese.

Ingredients:

1 storebought pizza dough
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 tablespoons Cinnamon-Sugar mixture, divided
2 cups mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
2 cups mixed berries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the pizza dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Transfer the pizza dough to the lined baking sheet and brush the dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Cinnamon-Sugar and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool the pizza crust on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the cheese, cream, lemon juice, and zest.
Spread the cheese mixture over the cooled crust. Top with mixed berries and sprinkle with the remaining Cinnamon-Sugar. Slice like a pizza and serve.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

2009-12-20T08:41:00.001-08:00

It's about 15 degrees out and we probably have close to 10 inches of snow outside (I'm afraid to look)... it's the perfect morning for some hot chocolate and yummy blueberry muffins!

Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries (I used frozen since the fruit isn't so great this time of year)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons milk
Sanding sugar for the top of the muffins (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line standard 12-cup muffin pan with muffin cups. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat butter and the sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in vanilla.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined. Do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle sanding sugar on top of muffin batter.
4. Bake, rotating pan halfway though, until muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Best Gingerbread Cookies

2009-12-16T18:36:00.001-08:00

Christmas really isn't complete without gingerbread cookies and this is by far the best recipe I've come upon for them. They're so crispy and light but you can really taste the ginger & molasses! They are great plain, or with a little lemon-y powdered sugar frosting. These are my dad's favorite cookie (and yes, he's somewhat bias). I have to keep making more batches because somehow I get talked into bringing him over a dozen at a time. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Gingerbread cookie:

2 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsulfured (light) molasses
1 large egg

Lemon-y Powdered Sugar Frosting:

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup milk
6 to 8 cups powdered sugar
Assorted food colorings

Directions:
Cookies:
Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat shortening and butter in large bowl into light. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in molasses, then egg. Add dry ingredients. Using spoon, stir until mixture forms dough (dough will be very soft). Divide dough into thirds. Gather each third into ball; flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously flour work surface and rolling pin. Place 1 dough disk on work surface (keep remaining 2 dough disks refrigerated). Press rolling pin into dough several times to flatten slightly for easier rolling. Roll out dough to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness, frequently lifting and turning dough to prevent sticking. Using assorted cookie cutters dipped into flour, cut out cookies. Transfer cookies to ungreased nonstick baking sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Gather dough scraps together and reserve.
Bake until cookies turn brown on edges, about 15 minutes. Let cookies stand on sheets 1 minute. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. Decorate!

Directions:
Frosting:
Combine lemon juice and milk in large bowl. Whisk in 5 cups powdered sugar. Gradually whisk in enough remaining sugar by 1/2 cupfuls to form icing stiff enough to pipe (mixture will resemble stirred sour cream). Transfer 2/3 cup icing to small bowl to use as white icing; set aside. Divide remaining icing equally among 2 or more small bowls; mix food coloring by drops into each bowl, tinting icing to desired shade. If necessary, stir more sugar into icing to thicken.

Cookie Swap Cookies

2009-12-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

I made these Chocolate-Peppermint cookies for a Christmas Cookie Swap that I had this weekend. They involved a few extra steps, so I suggest making them in stages if you're pressed for time. They were very light and crispy though and tasted like a girl scout thin mint! Another great recipe from Martha! Perfect for this time of year!

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
8 large candy canes or 30 peppermint candies, crushed
2 pounds white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, and add egg, then yolk, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract. Slowly add flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out circles, and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll and cut scraps once. Freeze cookies until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disk.

Bake until cookies are dry to the touch, about 12 minutes. Transfer parchment, with cookies, to wire racks, and let cool. (Undecorated cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.)

Sift crushed candy, and separate larger pieces from dust, reserving both. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Remove from heat. Dunk cookies into melted chocolate. Using a fork, turn to coat, let excess drip off, and gently scrape bottom against edge of bowl. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of either candy pieces or dust on top. Repeat, sprinkling half the cookies with pieces and the rest with dust. Refrigerate until set, up to 3 hours. Decorated cookies are best served the same day.

Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

2009-12-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

This is the first of many Christmas-themed baking posts to come!! I made these mini gingerbread cupcakes for a Christmas party tonight. While I love big cupcakes, I feel like at a party people tend to not grab a bigger cupcake. These mini ones are perfect for loading onto a plate and you can pop them in your mouth! I got this recipe from Epicurious and have made it several times, both larger cupcakes and as a three-layer cake! Enjoy!

Cake

1 cup Guinness extra stout or dark beer
1 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

Cream cheese frosting

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
For cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tins or butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans. Bring stout and molasses to boil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Let stand 1 hour to cool completely.
Whisk flour and next 6 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk eggs and both sugars in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in oil, then stout mixture. Gradually whisk stout-egg mixture into flour mixture. Stir in fresh ginger.
Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into centers of cakes comes out clean, about 15 minutes for mini cupcakes, 20 minutes for larger cupcakes and 25 minutes for cake. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead)

For cream cheese frosting:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and orange peel in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Chill frosting 30 minutes. Cover and refridgerate.

Coconut Cream Cheese Pinwheels

2009-11-30T15:44:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Granulated sugar
Strawberry jam

Directions
Using a hand-held electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, 1 cup flour, sugar, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Gradually add remaining cup flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir until fully combined. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper.
Prepare the filling: Using a hand-held electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. With a wooden spoon, stir in coconut and chips. Set aside.

Remove one disc of dough from refrigerator. Roll on a lightly floured surface into an 8-by-13-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. With a fluted cookie cutter, cut into fifteen 2 1/2-inch squares. Place on prepared baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart.

Place 1 teaspoon filling in center of each square. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut 1-inch slits diagonally from each corner toward the filling. Fold every other tip over to cover filling, and form a pinwheel. Press lightly to seal.

Whisk together egg and oil. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush tops of pinwheels with egg mixture. Sprinkle with sugar.

Transfer to oven, and bake for about 6 minutes. Remove from oven and add about 1/2 tsp of jam in the center of the cookie. Return to oven until edges are golden and cookies are slightly puffed, another 6 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring cookies to wire rack. Repeat with remaining disc of dough.

Engagement Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-11-15T08:00:00.001-08:00

Congratulations Sarah & Ian!!

I made these cupcakes for their engagement party this weekend with a swiss meringue buttercream frosting. These recipes are from Elisa Strauss (http://www.confetticakes.com/index.htm) and her Confetti Cakes book, which is amazing!

Confetti Cake's Chocolate Cupcakes:

(makes 24)

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour - 2 2/3 cups
Unsweetened cocoa powder - 1 cups plus 2 taplespoons
Baking Powder - 2 teaspoons
Baking Soda - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Sour cream - 1 cup
Pure vanilla extract -1 teaspoon
Pure almond extract -1 teaspoon
Unsalted butter -2 sticks; 8 ounces
2 Eggs
Strong coffee -1 & 1/4 cup

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350'F. And prepare cupcake pans with liners.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, coco powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitter with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth.
Set the mixer to low speed and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping thoroughly between each addition.
Alternately add the flour and sour cream mixtures to the butter mixture in two batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl after each addition.
Gradually pour in the coffee. Scrape down the bowl and beat until thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans or muffin tins. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until they spring back after being touched.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:

Granulated sugar - 2 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons
Egg whites- 1 1/4 cups
Unsalted butter, softened - 2 1/2 cups (5 sticks)
Pure vanilla extract- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons

Directions:

In the bowl of a standing mixer, thoroughly whisk together sugar and egg whites. Set the bowl over a pot of boiling water. Whisking constantly, heat the mixture until all the sugar crystals have dissolved and the mixture is hot. Get it as hot as you can but be careful not to cook the eggs.

Put the bowl back in the mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Beat on high speed until the mixture forms a stiff meringue and the bottom of the bowl comes to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

Stop the mixer and replace the whip attachment with the paddle attachment.

Set the mixer to low speed and add the butter, a few cubes at a time. When all the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer to medium speed and beat until fluffy.

Set the mixer to low speed and add the vanilla. Once the vanilla is incorporated, scrape the bowl and continue to mix on medium speed until you have a smooth, creamy texture. If the buttercream is too liquid, refridgerate until completely cool and still, then rewhip.

You can use the buttercream immediately, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or refridgerate in an airtight container for ten days.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-11-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

This will probably be the last time I use pumpkin this season since it's almost time to start baking Christmas-y things and pumpkin for me loses it's flair after Thanksgiving. I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins a few weeks ago, but lost the picture. These cookies are cakey though and almost feel like a "muffin top."

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
12-ounces semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies

Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

Ginersnap Cookies

2009-11-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

I made these gingersnap cookies from Martha's Baking Handbook. They called for a layer of raspberry jam sandwiched between two cookies, but they are just as good plain, or I even had one with some leftover lemon curd! A good wintery cookie that is perfect for a cookie swap or tied up in some cute packaging as a little gift!

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg, beaten

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees with one rack positioned in center of oven; line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, shortening, and 1 cup sugar on medium speed. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger.
Add maple syrup to butter mixture; beat to combine. Beat in egg until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low; slowly add the reserved flour mixture, a little at a time, until well blended.
Place remaining cup sugar in a bowl. Measure 2 teaspoons dough; roll into a ball. Roll dough in sugar; transfer to sheet. Repeat, spacing balls 3 inches apart. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Form and bake the remaining dough, If you're making a cookie with jam or another treat, spread about 2 teaspoons over half of the cookies; place a second cookie on top of jam-covered ones, making sandwiches. Serve.

Chunky Peanut Butter and Chocolate Swirl Brownies

2009-11-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't get to use my new mixer for something as big or exciting this wekeend. Was hoping to make some bread or buns again. Instead I whipped these up. A perfect Sunday (or any day) afternoon snack!

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Swirl:

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Topping:

½ cup peanut butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Swirl:

1 ½ to 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 inch square or pyrex dish

Thoroughly stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, peanut butter and both sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture, stir until incorporated, then spread in pan.
Prepare chocolate swirl. Using microwave or double boiler, melt chocolate and butter. Drop by spoonfuls on top of peanut butter batter and drag a knife through the batter to marble.
Bake on center rack for 30-35 minutes or until edges appear brown and center appears set. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

Meanwhile, prepare topping. Stir together peanut butter, vanilla and melted butter. Spread this mixture over the warm (not piping hot, not cool) brownies. Let cool completely.

Prepare Chocolate Swirl. Put chocolate in a heavy duty freezer bag. Microwave the bag for 30 seconds. Knead it with your hands to melt chocolate. Repeat, microwaving another 30 seconds and kneading bag, until chocolate is completely melted. Make sure there are no lumps. Snip a tiny hole in bottom corner of bag and drizzle chocolate decoratively over peanut butter.

Name that Cookie Week 2: Magic Blondies

2009-11-05T17:16:00.001-08:00

This was my very first recipe with the new mixer and it seemed fitting that I used one of Martha's recipes, seeing as she's my favorite baker (other than my mom). Although this technically isn't a "cookie" it had some of Dan's favorite ingredients so I had to give it a whirl! I also loved the fact that they made them in muffin tins. Hopefully this weekend I'll tackle some more challenging recipes with the new mixer! I mean, come on... the thing has a Flour Power rating of 14 cups... which according to KitchenAid means it can mix enough dough for 8 loaves of bread or 13 dozen cookies!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (about 2 1/2 ounces)
2/3 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
9 tablespoons (1 1/8 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. Stir together coconut, chocolate, walnuts, and cherries in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and mix, scraping down sides of bowl, until well combined. Mix in 1 cup coconut mixture.

Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Sprinkle remaining coconut mixture over tops. Bake blondies until a cake tester inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 25 minutes. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

Hellooooo Lover!

2009-11-05T17:12:00.001-08:00

Please welcome the newest addition to our family!

I have been waiting for YEARS for a mixer like this and she finally arrived today!

Big thanks to Mom & Dad for my mixer (an early Christmas present!)

LET THE BAKING BEGIN!!!

Name that Cookie Week 1: Coconut Cookies with Lemon Curd

2009-10-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

We've started a new game at home called "name that cookie" and this was week 1's contender. A recipe from my favorite gal, Martha, it was originally coconut and passion fruit curd but I had a jar of lemon curd and she noted that this could be used instead! I'm a sucker for anything with lemon and Dan's loves anything with coconut... so this was the perfect combo!

Makes about 2 dozen sandwiches

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 ounces unsweetened medium-flake coconut (about 1 1/2 cups)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
1 jar of lemon curd (I used Barefoot Contessa's)

Directions

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Stir in coconut. Shape dough into 2 disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Turn out 1 disc of dough onto a lightly floured work surface; roll to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Using a 1 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut rounds of dough; place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Bake until edges of cookies just turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

Using a teaspoon drop a small dollop on a cookie and then sandwich together. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. (Keep cookies refrigerated)

Banana, Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-10-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

Usually when I have some ripe bananas I bake a bread or muffin. But with a banana bread already in the freezer, I wanted to do something a little different. I also broke my electric hand mixer this weekend while making the cinnamon buns and until I get a new one (hint, hint MOM) I needed to find a recipe that I could easily mix by hand. Voila! Delicous, easy, cookies!

Ingredients

2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium bowl, combine the bananas, peanut butter, and sugars. Add baking powder and salt. Stir. Add flour in 3/4 cup increments, stirring after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Makes 24 cookies.

Dan's Bacon Mac & Cheese

2009-10-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

This blog has mostly been about my baking, I'm much better with measuring and knowing that a certain amount of flour, sugar and butter will get you a great cookie or cake. Dan, on the other hand is a great cook, and can take anything from our kitchen cabinet and create a meal. A skill I'll never have, but it's okay as long as I have him making me dinner! Here's his first guest appearance on the blog with the best mac & cheese I've ever had.

Ingredients

Kosher salt
1 pound pinwheel macaroni
4 cups milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded gouda cheese
2 cups shredded muenster cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 lb package of bacon
1 cup of breadcrumbs, just enough to cover the top

Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain.

Chop the bacon into bite size pieces and cook over a medium heat in a small pan.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small saucepan heat the milk. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to keep lumps from forming. Strain the solids out of the milk and whisk it into the butter and flour mixture. Continue to whisk vigorously, and cook until the mixture is nice and smooth. Stir in the 4 cups of the cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni & bacon and fold that all in to coat the macaroni with the cheese mixture. Scrape into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Chex Muddy Buddy Mix

2009-10-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

I love making desserts that incorporate a cereal, that extra crunch and sweetness is something you can't get from most ingredients. I came across this recipe a few weeks ago while camping. It's super easy to make and great for a crowd! They're addictive though, so be warned!

9 c. Chex cereals (corn, rice and/or wheat)
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Pour cereal into large bowl and set aside. Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in 1 quart microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth (stir after 1 minute). Stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and stir until all pieces are evenly coated.

Pour cereal mixture into large container (with seal) with powdered sugar. Seal securely. Shake until all pieces are well coated. Spread on wax paper to cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 9 cups.

Cinnamon Buns

2009-10-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

I love baking in the fall and winter months. There's not much else to do on the cold, rainy, snowy days (unless you're a football fan...) so you can usually find me in the kitchen. These cinnamon buns by Martha are such a great way to start your weekend off right. You have to start them the night before, but they're well worth it!

Martha's Cinnamon Pecan Sticky Buns

Ingredients (makes 12)

2 packages active dry yeast, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm milk, about 110 degrees
6 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut in pieces, plus more for the pan
3 1/3 cups pecan halves
2 1/4 cups light corn syrup
1 1/4 cups packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine yeast and milk. Let stand until yeast is creamy, about 10 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add yeast mixture and eggs, and mix on low speed until completely combined, about 3 minutes.
Increase the speed to high and add butter, several pieces at a time. When all the butter has been added, continue mixing dough until it is smooth and shiny, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer dough to a parchment-lined 13-by-18-inch baking pan and use your hands to spread the dough out to fit the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
Generously butter one 12-cup or two 6-cup, 7-ounce-capacity muffin pans. Chop 2 cups pecans, and break remaining 1 1/3 cups pecans in half lengthwise, keeping the two types separate. Pour 3 tablespoons corn syrup into each muffin cup, and add about 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to each muffin cup. Add about 2 tablespoons of the halved pecans to each muffin cup, and set the filled muffin pan aside.
Remove dough from the refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Roll out dough lengthwise, 1/4 inch thick by 15 inches long by 20 inches wide. Using a spatula, spread sour cream over the surface of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Dust sour cream with cinnamon, and sprinkle with 2/3 cup brown sugar. Cover brown sugar with chopped pecans, and roll dough up lengthwise to form a roll 18 inches long by 3 inches in diameter.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a sharp knife, slice dough into 1 1/2-inch-thick slices, and place in the prepared pan or pans, either cut side down, until every cup is filled. Cover buns with parchment paper, and let rise in a warm place until they rise 1/2 inch above cups, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer sticky buns to the oven, placing a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch any drips. Rotate the pans between the shelves to ensure even baking, until buns are dark golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Remove the pans from the oven, and immediately turn buns out onto a second parchment-covered cookie sheet. Replace any pecan halves that fell off buns when turning them out. Place the cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Walnut Cookies

2009-07-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

2 sticks of butter
1 cup peanut butter (Teddie PB keeps the cookies softer)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2-1/2 cups flour (I prefer whole wheat)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine shortening, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat with electric mixer until well mixed. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Stir to mix.

Spoon into small balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press down on each ball to flatten slightly.

Bake 9 - 13 minutes or just until beginning to brown. Do not over bake. Let set on cookie sheet a minute before using a spatula to place on rack to cook.

Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies

2009-07-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups lightly crushed Corn Flakes

2 cups butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light. Add vanilla, salt and egg and beat for 30 seconds. Stir in the flour, corn flakes and butterscotch chips.

Using a tablespoon, scoop up dough and form into 1 inch balls.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove cookies from the sheets and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about two dozen cookies

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies

2009-07-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour,
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups whole almonds, toasted and chopped by hand
6 ounces white baking chocolate chips

Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs and extracts; beat on low speed for about 10 seconds.
Using lowest speed of mixer or by hand, stir in flour mixture. When flour is incorporated, stir in cherries, almonds and white chocolate.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.
Makes about two dozen cookies

Coconut Sugar Cookies

2009-06-17T18:56:00.001-07:00

I made these cookies for Valentine's Day this year and my dad got ahold of a few and declared his love for them, so I made them again for Father's Day a month ago and he loved them just as much! According to my Dad, they tasted just like the sugar cookies his 90-year old neighbor used to make for him when he was a little boy. I'm not sure if this woman sold her recipe to Martha-- but I have Mrs. Stewart to thank for this recipe!!

7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Process coconut in a food processor until finely ground. Whisk together flour, coconut, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Mix in eggs, vanilla, and coconut extract, if desired. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Divide dough into thirds; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm but malleable, about 1 1/2 hours.

Roll out dough between 2 sheets of lightly floured parchment to 1/4 inch thick. Repeat, and stack between parchment on a baking sheet. Freeze or refrigerate dough until firm, 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut out shapes with a floured cutter. Space 11/2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. To decorate with sugar, lightly brush with water and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake until edges are golden, 11 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets 3 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week. If frosting cookies, put glaze in a small pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #6), and pipe onto cookies. Alternatively, spread glaze on cookies using a small offset spatula. Let glaze dry completely, or sprinkle with sugar or sprinkles when still wet then let dry completely, at least 2 hours.

Peanut Buttery Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

2009-06-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

I love peanut butter cups and wanted to incorporate them into a cookie as chopped up pieces and not the whole "cup," like most recipes show. These came out great and were soft and chewy and extra peanut butter-y!

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
25-30 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups (frozen)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large mixer bowl cream peanut butter, shortening, 1/3 cup sugar and the brown sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well.

Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture, blending thoroughly. Add in chopped peanut butter cups and mix well with a spoon. Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet; bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet.

Kix Cookie Crisps

2009-06-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

This recipe may seem like an odd combination, but the Kix adds a great crunch to the cookie! I love my bowl of cereal in the morning... but might start my days with one of these cookies instead!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg½ teaspoon vanilla
4 cups Kix cereal
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Stir peanut butter, sugars, butter, baking soda, baking powder, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well mixed. Stir in cereal and chocolate chips.
Shape dough by rounded tablespoonfuls into balls; place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely. Store loosely covered. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Salty Chocolate Chip Cookie

2009-06-11T18:55:00.001-07:00

Salt is by far my favorite seasoning. I add it to just about everything, including dessert! I don't know where I would be without salt or chocolate... here's a savory twist to the classic Nestle Cookie recipe!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 whole wheat flour (I prefer King Arthur brand)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate bits

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

A Minute on the Lips...

Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins

Ingredients:(makes 12 muffins)

A Special Birthday Cake

A Break from Christmas Baking...

Linzer Cookies

Ingredients

Directions

Pepparkakor Cookies

Punkin' Pie Cake

Chris & Erin's Engagement Cupcakes

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Oh Oh It's Magic

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Crepe Cake

Snickers Cheesecake

Carrot Cake FAIL

Strawberry Shortcakes

Penuche Fudge

Chocolate Cupcake Shells

Lemon Squares

For the crust:

For the filling:

Directions:

Gimme a Break...

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Lover's Trifle- Take 2!

Baking for Lulu

Better than Bisquick Pancakes

Martha's Molten Mocha Cakes

Vanilla/Vanilla Cake

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Lover's Trifle

Breakfast Pizza

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Best Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Swap Cookies

Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

Coconut Cream Cheese Pinwheels

Engagement Chocolate Cupcakes

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ginersnap Cookies

Chunky Peanut Butter and Chocolate Swirl Brownies

Name that Cookie Week 2: Magic Blondies

Hellooooo Lover!

Name that Cookie Week 1: Coconut Cookies with Lemon Curd

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Turn out 1 disc of dough onto a lightly floured work surface; roll to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Using a 1 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut rounds of dough; place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Bake until edges of cookies just turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

Using a teaspoon drop a small dollop on a cookie and then sandwich together. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. (Keep cookies refrigerated)

Banana, Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dan's Bacon Mac & Cheese

Chex Muddy Buddy Mix

Cinnamon Buns

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Walnut Cookies

Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies

Coconut Sugar Cookies

Peanut Buttery Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I love peanut butter cups and wanted to incorporate them into a cookie as chopped up pieces and not the whole "cup," like most recipes show. These came out great and were soft and chewy and extra peanut butter-y!

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large mixer bowl cream peanut butter, shortening, 1/3 cup sugar and the brown sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well.

Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture, blending thoroughly. Add in chopped peanut butter cups and mix well with a spoon. Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls.

Kix Cookie Crisps

Salty Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients:
(makes 12 muffins)