Dark-Chocolate Skeleton Cookies

I saw this idea in Cooking Light magazine last month, and I knew I had to make them. Mine didn't turn out as cute as the ones in the magazine (I need to work on my piping skills), but they were so much fun to make. Not to mention, they tasted amazing, too! I kept telling my husband that they taste like chocolate ice cream. They are probably some of the most delicious cookies I've ever tasted. The batter doesn't produce very many cookies, so double the recipe if you'd like to make more. I made about 12 cookies with this batch and mailed them to my cousin. It will be a miracle if they made it without any broken bones.


Dark-Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 batch Royal Icing

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325-degrees F.

Whisk the flour, cocoa, and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, beating to combine. Shape dough into 2 disks (I only did one disk), wrap in plastic, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a gingerbread cookie cutter, cut out shapes. (Return dough to freezer if it softens.) Space dough shapes 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes (oops... I forgot to do this, and they turned out fine). Brush off excess flour.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets once, until edges are firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer cookies, on parchment, to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

Use royal icing to decorate the skeletons.

Source: Martha Stewart

Jalapeno-Pepper Jack Cornbread Biscotti

Soups are one of my go-to meals during the fall and winter months. I usually serve some sort of bread on the side for dipping, but sometimes regular bread or cornbread can get boring. I found this recipe while flipping through the October issue of Southern Living, and I knew that I needed to make this soon. They have several variations, and I'm eager to try them all (see bottom of post for other variations).

My man gave these the stamp of approval served alongside a bowl of chili (I served them with Pumpkin Turkey Chili). They didn't get as hard as the biscotti that I've made in the past. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't bake them long enough or if this is how they're supposed to be. Regardless, they were delicious, and I'll make them again and again.


Jalapeno-Pepper Jack Cornbread Biscotti

Ingredients:
2 (6-ounce) packages buttermilk cornbread-and-muffin mix (I used Martha White brand)
1 cup (4-ounces) shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
3 large eggs, divided
1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Combine cornbread mix, 3/4 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese, and chopped jalapeno in a food processor bowl. Add butter, and pulse 5 to 6 times or until crumbly.

Step 2:
Whisk together 2 eggs and buttermilk. With processor running, gradually add egg mixture through food chute, and process just until well moistened. (Batter will be thick.)

Step 3:
Spread dough into a 12- x 4-inch rectangle on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet using lightly greased hands. Lightly beat remaining egg; brush over dough. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Step 4:
Bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes or until pale golden brown and firm. Let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300-degrees.

Step 5:
Gently slide loaf (on parchment paper) onto a cutting board, and cut loaf diagonally into a 1/2-inch thick slices using a serrated knife. Place slices, cut sides down, on a baking sheet lined with a new sheet of parchment paper.

Step 6:
Bake at 300-degrees for 15 to 20 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp. Let cool on a baking sheet on a wire rack 15 minutes. Serve warm. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 weeks.


Other Variations:

Parmesan-Pepper Cornbread BiscottiOmit jalapeno. Substitute 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the Pepper Jack. Add 2 teaspoons pepper and 3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary to food processor in Step 1. Proceed as directed.

Bacon-Cheddar-Chive Cornbread BiscottiOmit jalapeno. Substitute 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese for the Pepper Jack. Add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives and 4 cooked bacon slices, crumbles, to food processor in Step 1. Proceed as directed.

Parmesan-Garlic Cornbread BiscottiOmit jalapeno. Substitute 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the Pepper Jack. Reduce eggs to 2. Add 1 large garlic clove, minced, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to food processor in Step 1. Brush 2 tablespoons melted butter on top of dough rectangle before baking. Proceed as directed.

Source: Southern Living October 2011 Issue

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

I got the itch to clean out my pantry the other day. I had a huge container of peanut butter from Costco that I rarely eat except for the occasional spoonful before bed (What? You don't eat peanut butter by the spoonful?). I also had partially used bags/containers of craisins, white chocolate chips, and oatmeal.  I'm happy to say that I made a little more room in my pantry, and I got some delicious oatmeal bars as a result of my "hard" work.

These are great for breakfast or if you need a pick-me-up snack before a workout. They also make great bedtime snacks (much more satisfying than a spoonful of peanut butter). Feel free to play around with the add-in ingredients, and use whatever you have in your pantry.


Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:
scant 1/2 cup peanut butter
scant 1 cup pumpkin puree
2 cup oats (whole rolled; not quick cook)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup each of add-ins: white chocolate chips, Craisins, or whatever your heart (or pantry) desires


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir by hand. Spread batter (it will be pretty moist) into a foil-lined and sprayed 8x8 or 9x9-inch baking dish. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The bars may still look underdone, but that's okay because they will continue to set up as they cool. Allow to cool very well before slicing into squares. Store extras on the countertop, refrigerator, or in the freezer for long term storage.

Source: Love Veggies and Yoga

Chocolate Chip Fudge Cookies

I'm always looking for an excuse to bake cookies. They are so versatile and easy to transport, and everyone loves cookies, right? If you're a chocoholic like myself, you will really enjoy these cookies. I recently took a batch of these to work, and everyone went crazy over them. Of course, I had to give them a taste test before giving them away. They were one of the most chocolate-y, ooey-gooey cookies I've ever put in my mouth, and I had a hard time keeping my fingers out of them. I ended up switching out my self-control for a pair of stretchy pants and a tummy ache. This is why I can't bake for myself; I don't know when to say "STOP."


Chocolate Chip Fudge Cookies
makes about 24 large cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder (optional)
1 pound (16-ounces) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 3/4 cups granulated white sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the sugar and eggs until pale yellow and thick, about 5 minutes. (When you slowly raise the beaters, the batter will fall back into the bowl in slow ribbons.) Beat in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla extract. Fold in the dry ingredients to the chocolate batter and mix only until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F (177-degrees C) and place rack in center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing evenly. With moist fingers, press batter to form 3 1/2- to 4-inch rounds. Bake cookies 10-15 minutes or until the tops of the cookies become dry and cracked, but are still shiny. Do not over-bake.

Remove from the oven and place baking pan on a wire rack to cool. When cookies are firm, remove from baking pan and let completely cool on rack.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.

Source: Divine Baking

Fudgy Gluten Free Brownies

Let me start off by saying that these brownies are da bomb! My mom told me about the recipe several months ago, and I honestly turned my nose up when I heard what was in them.  What? Chickpeas? You have to be kidding me.... I'm not making those! Well, then my curiosity got the best of me. I had to try them. So I made them.

I threw away the first batch since I forgot to add the vanilla to the batter. I also did not like the cinnamon that was in the original recipe. However, my second time was a charm. I remembered to add the vanilla, and I substituted Starbucks Via for the cinnamon.

The result:
These brownies are the fudgiest brownies I've ever put in my mouth, and I can't stop eating them. They are better when they've had a chance to sit overnight. The flavors get a chance to meld together. The extra protein from the chickpeas doesn't hurt either.... it makes me feel less guilty when eating one.


Fudgy Gluten Free Brownies


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
4 large eggs
3/4 cup Turbinado or Sucanat sugar (I used Turbinado)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons Starbucks Via
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Spray a 9 x 9-inch pan with baking spray. Place chocolate chips in a double boiler and melt until smooth.

Combine beans and eggs in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients to food processor until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the baking pan and sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean. Cool in pan. These are best if they've had time to sit overnight (if you can wait).
Yield: 16 squares

Source: Naturally Tasty author Gilda Mulero, Chef and Cooking Instructor

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

I've seen various flavors of whoopie pies show up all over the place in the past year or so, but I've never gotten around to making them. I thought this would be a perfect time of the year to make these because of the color, and there were several family members to help me eat them. The good Lord knows I don't need to eat all of these myself!

I thought they were delicious. If you're the kind of person that likes cake more than icing, these are for you. I've heard several people talk about cupcakes having too much icing, and they either refrain from eating them or they knock off most of the icing. Personally I've never met a cupcake with too much icing, but to each his own; I wont judge!

The only thing I'll do differently next time is to check them after being in the oven for 8 minutes. The original directions say 9-10 minutes, but I've changed that in the directions below to say 8-10 minutes. I took mine out after 9 minutes, but I think they would've been perfect at 8. The cream cheese icing, however was amazing and pairs perfectly with the red velvet.


Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

Red Velvet
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-processed or unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon liquid red food coloring

Cream Cheese Filling
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
8-ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract



Directions:
Red Velvet
Preheat oven to 375-degrees, and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (can also use a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg beating well. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a small measuring cup, mix the buttermilk and red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Drop heaping tablespoons (can also use a small ice cream scoop) of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the tops of the cookies, when lightly pressed, spring back (or a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean). Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Cream Cheese Filling
Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.


To Assemble
Take one cookie and spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling on the flat side of the cookie. Top with another cookie.
The assembled cookies can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several days.
My batter made 24 sandwich cookies (original recipe says 17 cookies)

Source: Joy of Baking

Nutella Baklava

Baklava is one of my favorite pastries. I love the sweet honey mixture that's soaked up by the layers of dough, and the nutty mixture throughout. I immediately wanted to try this recipe when I saw it. Nutella is irresistible to me, and I knew it was going to be perfect inside these thin layers of phyllo dough. This recipe is from Cooking Light, but I don't think I'd consider it "light" ... maybe "light-er."



The baklava came together pretty easily. It's a little time consuming, but it's worth every minute. Make sure you have a very sharp knife when it comes time to cutting into squares (or diamonds, or triangles).

Nutella Baklava

Ingredients:
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 cup hazelnut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella)
1 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup blanched toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
24 (14 x 9-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 cup butter; melted (or more)

Directions:
Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat; stir until honey dissolves. Increase heat to medium; cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 230-degrees (about 10 minutes).

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Place hazelnut-chocolate spread in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds or until melted. Combine hazelnuts and the next 4 ingredients (through salt). Lightly coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time (cover remaining dough with a damp paper towel to prevent drying), place 1 phyllo sheet lengthwise in bottom of prepared pan, allowing ends of sheet to extend over edges of dish; lightly brush with butter. Repeat procedure with 5 phyllo sheets and butter. Drizzle about 1/3 cup melted hazelnut-chocolate spread over phyllo. Sprinkle evenly with one-third of nut mixture (about 1/2 cup). Repeat procedure twice with phyllo, butter, hazelnut-chocolate spread, and nut mixture. Top last layer of nut mixture with remaining 6 sheets phyllo, each lightly brushed with butter. Press gently into pan.

Make 3 lengthwise cuts and 5 crosswise cuts to form 24 portions using a sharp knife. Bake at 350-degrees for 35 minutes or until phyllo is golden. Remove from oven. Drizzle honey mixture over baklava. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cover; store at room temperature.

Source: adapted from Cooking Light

S'more Cups

My sweet friend, Sherylin made these s'more cups at a Christmas party several weeks ago. Not only were they the cutest little things.... they were irresistible, as well. I had to copy down the recipe so I could create some for myself. S'more cups are perfect for a party food because they aren't messy, and each one is perfectly sized to be gone in one bite.
Make them next chance you get.... you will be happy!

S'more Cups

Ingredients:
1 cup finely crushed graham crackers (about 7 whole crackers)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Hershey bars (24-rectangles)
12 large marshmallows or about 72 mini marshmallows

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan or spray with PAM.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl.



Using a small cookie scoop (about 1 Tbsp), place a scant scoop of crumb mixture in each cup of mini-muffin pan.

Press crumbs to form shallow cups. Bake 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbling. Meanwhile, break the candy bars into rectangles.

Remove pan from oven; place one rectangle into each cup.

If using the large marshmallows, cut them in half crosswise using kitchen shears dipped in cold water (to prevent sticking). Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup. If using mini marshmallows, place about 3 in each cup.

Return to the oven, and broil for 2-3 minutes to give the marshmallows a "toasted" flavor and appearance.

Remove pan from the oven and place on a cookie rack to cool. Cool for 15 minutes. Carefully remove cups from the pan. Cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Nutritional info (for one S'more cup): 100 calories; 6g fat; 10mg cholesterol; 11g carbs; 1g protein; 60mg sodium

Source: Adapted from Pampered Chef

Chocolate Brownie Biscotti

Biscotti is a great gift to give with a bag of coffee grounds or hot cocoa mix. I made this biscotti for several gifts this Christmas as well as stocking stuffers for my parents. Everyone told me how much they enjoyed these with their coffee, and my dad even said that I should sell these since they taste better than the biscotti at the local coffee shops. You could dip these or drizzle with melted chocolate or leave them plain like I did. I'm sure you could also leave the nuts out if you prefer.

Chocolate Brownie Biscotti

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
4 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate bar, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, pecans, salt and chocolate bits. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in hot water. Add vanilla extract, then whisk in the eggs until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a loose, somewhat crumbly dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly until the dough is soft and slightly sticky, about 8-10 times. Shape into a 16-inch-long roll. Transfer the roll onto the prepared baking sheet, and flatten into a 1-inch thick slab.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the top of the slab feels firm and dry. Remove from the oven, but do not turn off the heat. Set the slab on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Once the slab is cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices using a serrated knife. Place the slices on the baking sheet, cut sides down, and return to the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over, and continue baking for another 10 minutes (the cookies should be just a bit soft in the center - don't worry, they'll harden up once they cool). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Isabelle

Gingerbread Cut-out Cookies

These cookies are so much fun to make. I really enjoy making cut-out cookies, but sometimes it's hard to find the time to make them. Icing them is the most time consuming, but it's so much fun. I don't consider myself a great piper when it comes to icing, so I tried to keep the design simple. I struggled with the design for the gingerbread girl, and I finally decided to draw little bows on her dress.
I had a hard time keeping my hands out of these cookies because they were so good. My dad said he's not a big fan of gingerbread, but he liked these. They are really soft and delicious.

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 large egg



Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices to combine; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the molasses and egg until combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough out on a liberally floured work surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cookie shapes onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely. Decorate as desired.
Makes about 32 (3-inch) cookies

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats

Sugar's Sugar Cookies

Do certain foods bring you back to your childhood? There are a few that bring me back to my childhood, and these cookies are one of them. My grandmother (whom we call "Sugar") would usually have a batch of these sugar cookies at her house when we came to visit. They are crispy cookies, but they literally melt in you mouth.


When my grandmother made these, she dropped them by teaspoonfuls on the baking sheet. She didn't roll them into balls... she just dropped them down. I used a cookie scoop, so mine were round, but I think next time I'll drop them like my grandmother did. I kinda like the rustic look.




If you need a creative, but inexpensive way of wrapping your Christmas goodies, you can use fabric scraps and/or ribbon to wrap around the brown paper bags. Make sure you stick your goodies in a Ziploc bag first so you don't get oil spots on the paper bag.


Recipe for the best "melt-in-your-mouth" sugar cookies in the world:

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
With an electric mixer, cream sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to the butter mixture just until combined. Add vanilla. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or so. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350-degrees for 6-8 minutes.
Yield: about 6 dozen small cookies

Source: Sugar

S'mores Cookies

Last month I promised to bring homemade Halloween goodies to one of the nursing homes that I visit. They are a small nursing home, so one batch made the perfect amount. Of course, I had to taste one, and I was really pleased. They were so chewy, and there were several chocolate chips with each bite I took.
In order to give the marshmallows a "roasted by the campfire" look, I turned the oven to broil for the last minute.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups miniature chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375-degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, & salt. Whisk together. In a separate larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a piece of Hershey bar into each cookie. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3 minutes, then broil for 1 minute to roast the marshmallows.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Source:  Two Peas and Their Pod

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

After I made these, I wish I had gone with the original recipe of making these Reese's Pieces Blondies... or even M&M Blondies. Don't get me wrong; I loved these blondies, but I think that the smaller sugar candies would disperse better throughout the batter. The texture of the batter is more like cookie batter because it's dense. Overall, I'd give these blondies a 7 out of 10 because I like the light and chewy texture the best.


Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup Reese's Pieces, M&Ms, or Reese's PB Cups (chop the PB cups)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; stir just until moistened. Transfer batter to greased pan and smooth top. Arrange candies or chopped peanut butter cups on top of the dough.

Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into 16 squares. To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature.

Source: YumSugar.com

High Heel Shoes Sugar Cookies

I made these cookies for my sister's bachelorette party this past weekend. I thought they turned out really cute. These were a lot quicker to ice than the bra & panty cookies because I only used 2 colors. However, the planning took much longer. I pulled up several styles of shoes on the Internet and drew them onto the cookies. Trust me... I messed up a few before I got it right.

I had fun playing with the icing and making polka dots, swirls and hearts. I think zebra print would be really neat on shoes. I don't know how to do that, but it's just a thought.


I used the Vanilla-Almond sugar cookie recipe with Royal Icing, and I bought my cookie cutter at Hobby Lobby. I thought the high heel shoes were perfect for a Girls Night Out. A purse would have been the perfect company, but my time and resourses were limited.

I allowed the icing to dry for about 24 hours, then I wrapped them in these clear plastic bags and tied with coordinating ribbon.

Source: sugar cookie recipe from Bake at 350

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

This past weekend was the busiest weekend I've had in a long time. Friday night was my sister's bachelorette party, that I helped host (we all spent the night out of town). Then Saturday (after 4 hours of sleep), I came back to help with her lingerie party, that I also helped host. After her lingerie party, we drove 2 hours to go to a an engagement party for my cousin. Then on Sunday, my sister had a tea. She was really nice to have most of her parties in one weekend to save me from having to travel so much, so I wanted to make something nice for her and the guests.

One reason I love these cookies so much is because of the creativity of using a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make boobies and booties. I did not come up with the idea... not really sure who did. I've seen several of these cookies online, and they looked easy enough to make. The only down side was that the cookies took several forevers to ice. It's because I used so many different colors of icing. The lingerie party was a "hot and spicy" theme, so I wanted to incorporate the colors we were using at the party. I'm glad I did, though because they turned out really cute.


I've been following the Bake at 350 blog, and really wanted to try Bridget's sugar cookie and royal icing recipes. I'm so glad I did because these will be my go-to recipes from now on. I feel like I say that every time, but I really think I've found my favorite recipes. The dough really behaves nicely when rolling out, and it tastes amazing when cooked (and raw, too)! I also love how the butter does not have to be softened before making the dough. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to make a recipe and then I read that the butter needs to be softened. Arg! That's so frustrating!
The icing recipe was really easy to make. I added almond flavoring because I wanted the flavor to match the cookies.

These cookies freeze really well, which is nice since they take two forevers to make. I baked the cookies a week before I was able to ice them. I layered them in zip top bags with wax paper between layers and placed them in a tuperware box. Then I placed them in the freezer. When I was ready to ice them, I took them out of the freezer and let them thaw in the bag for at least 2 hours. Then I placed them on the counter so I could ice them.
These are even supposed to freeze well after icing them. I haven't tried that yet.

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (I used bleached)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar (Bridget uses vanilla that she's stored vanilla beans in. I need to try that)
2 sticks cold butter (I cut into small cubes)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.

Roll onto a floured surface about 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Make sure they don't get golden. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes about 3 dozen (3-inch) cookies.


Royal Icing

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons meringue powder
scant 1/2 cup water
1 pound (about 4 cups) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
few drops of clear extract (I used almond)

Directions:
Combine the meringue powder and water. With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat until combined and foamy (about 2 minutes).

Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low to combine (Do NOT skip the sifting!).

Add in the corn syrup and extract if desired. (This helps keep the icing shiny.)

Increase speed to high and beat for about 5 minutes, just until the icing is glossy and stiff peaks form. (You should be able to remove the beater from the mixer and hold up and jiggle without the peak falling.) Do not overbeat.

Cover with plastic wrap touching the icing or divide and color using gel paste food colorings.

This "stiff" icing is perfect for outlining and even for building gingerbread houses and monogramming. To fill in your cookies, add water to your icing a teaspoon at a time, stirring with a rubber spatula, until it is the consistency of syrup. This technique of filling a cookie with thinned icing is called "flooding."

This will cover 2-3 dozen 3.5-inch cookies in 2 colors.

Source: Bake at 350

Heath Bar Blondies

It's been a while since I've made blondies, but I wanted to try this recipe out for my sister, Catherine. I made these yesterday morning for her birthday and shipped them off (hopefully she got them today). I saved some edges for Aubrey and me to taste, and whoa! They were really good.
Catherine and I are really particular with our baking. We give the ugly pieces and edges away to our family to taste, and then we save the pretty pieces to give away. Sooo, that's why I kept the edges for Aubrey and me.
Cat, this time you get the pretty pieces.... Happy Birthday!

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped Heath Bars

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Cream together the brown sugar and melted butter. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until blended.
Stir in Heath Bars and spread batter into a greased 8x8-inch pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Let the blondies completely cool before cutting.

Source: Lovin' From the Oven

The Daring Bakers

Graham Crackers and Nanaimo Bars

Before this Daring Bakers challenge, I had never heard of a Nanaimo Bar before. They were originally made in the city of Nanaimo, which is in British Columbia, Canada. I had a really fun time making these.... especially the graham cracker part. Even though the graham crackers were good, I probably won't make them from scratch next time I make these bars (and there definitely will be a next time). I'll probably just grind up the ones straight from the box because it's quicker that way. I'm just being honest.

Once I made the bottom layer, I was in love. If you like those Girl Scout cookies called Samoas, you will also be in love with these. That's what the bottom layer tastes like.
You could easily make these gluten free, but to save money, I just used the wheat flour that I already had on hand. I'll post the gluten free recipe if you'd rather make them that way.

.... Now on with the recipe:


Graham Crackers

*To make these gluten free, replace the wheat flour with the following:
1 cup Sweet rice flour (AKA glutinous rice flour)
3/4 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup Sorghum Flour

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons wheat flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup honey
5 Tablespoons whole milk
2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is in the consistency of a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 x 4 inch squares (I did some rectangles, too). Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30-45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.

Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.
Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, tin two or more rows.

Bake for 12-25 minutes (wheat flour will cook quicker than the gluten free flours), until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.
When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 1/4 cups of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.
Once you've make the graham cracker crumbs, you are ready to make the Nanaimo Bars....


Nanaimo Bars

Ingredients:

Bottom layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped
1 cup coconut (I used unsweetened because it's what I had on hand)

Middle layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons heavy cream
2 Tablespoons vanilla custard powder (I used vanilla pudding mix)
2 cups confectioner's sugar

Top layer
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter


Directions:

Bottom layer
Melt butter, sugar, and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 x 8-inch pan.

Middle layer
Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and confectioner's sugar together well. Beat until light in color. Spread over bottom layer.

Top layer
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

These bars freeze very well.
Also, the graham crackers may be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

The January 2010 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipes on are 101 Cookbooks and http://www.nanaimo.ca/.

Merry Christmas 2009

Christmas Gingerbread House

The December 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers' everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.


I chose to make the dough recipe from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book for my gingerbread house. I made the one from Good Housekeeping first, and I was not pleased with the taste of the dough. My mom is going to squirm when she reads that I threw away that dough. I started fresh with the Scandinavian recipe, and I am so glad I did. It smelled like gingerbread (duh!) and the dough tasted good, too! Bingo! So I made the dough, and sketched out random shapes to cut for the house (above).

I had to add several more tablespoons of water to my dough until it got to the right consistency. And make sure not to overmix the dough because you'll overdevelop the gluten and make the dough tough and shrinky. While it sat in the fridge, I sketched out different ideas for decorations. Aubrey and I went to the store to buy some candy.
This dough can easily be frozen and then thawed when you are ready to roll it. The baked pieces can also be tightly wrapped in plastic and frozen for assembly later.

I used some chocolate covered sunflower seeds for the candles in the window, the wreath above the front door, and the lights lining the roof. These are my favorite parts of the house.

I glued other candies on the house with royal icing. Everything on the house is edible. I also used some Wilton icing for snow and embellished with white sugar crystals to give it a shimmer.

I had so much fun making this house. Aubrey and I have some friends that have 2 children. We took it to them on Christmas Eve, and the kids absolutely loved it. The candy sidewalk disappeared first. Then the gumdrops on the roof. Then the candy canes. Then it was time to put it away so Santa would have some to eat when he came to visit.

Ingredients:
Scandinavian Gingerbread (Pepparkakstuga)
from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, well packed
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water (plus more, if needed.... which you probably will)
5 cups all-purpose flour

I just love the wreath!

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until blended. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix the baking soda with the boiling water and add to the dough along with the flour. Mix to make a stiff dough. If necessary add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or overnight.

Cut patterns for the house, making patterns for the roof, front walls, side walls, door, chimney, gables (whatever you'd like to make) out of cardboard. I just used paper, and it worked fine. It just got a little greasy, but they are thrown away anyway after I cut out the dough.

Roll the dough out on a large, ungreased baking sheet and place the patterns on the dough. Mark off the various pieces with a knife or pizza cutter, but leave the pieces in place. (I rolled out the dough on a floured bench, roughly 1/8-inch thick... the dough puffs a little when baked.... Then I cut out the shapes and transferred these to the baking sheet. Any scraps I saved and rerolled at the end.

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cookie dough feels firm. After baking, again place the pattern on top of the gingerbread and trim the shapes, cutting the edges with a straight-edged knife or pizza cutter. Leave to cool on the baking sheet.

Decorate the cookies and let decorations dry before assembling the house.

To assemble the house, I just used the Royal Icing recipe that I'm most comfortable with:

Royal Icing
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons meringue powder
5 Tablespoons water

Mix together for the base icing... store in an airtight container until ready to use. This icing is too thick to pipe at this point.
When ready, scoop out the amount of icing you need to glue the house together. Add water to the icing, 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it's the right consistency. You don't want it too thin; just thin enough to pipe.
I also used Royal Icing to draw windows, doors, and roof.

If you'd rather stick the house together with simple syrup, you can place 2 cups sugar in a small saucepan and heat until just boiling and the sugar dissolves. Dredge or brush the edges of the pieces to glue them together. If the syrup crystallizes, remake it.

Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars

I've been wanting to make these bars for a while now. They sounded so good. Of course, anything with chocolate and peanut butter in the same title will win my attention. The brownie batter tasted like fudge sauce, and the PB chocolate topping was fudge-y and rich with a good crunchy texture with the Rice Krispies. The marshmallow center was ooey-gooey when biting into it. These sure will make a great treat!


Brownie Ingredients:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients:
7 ounces mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate, butter, and 2/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips on medium heat. Stir occasionally while melting. Set aside and cool for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, place the eggs and whisk thoroughly. Add in the sugar and vanilla. Stir the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the dry sifted ingredients and mix well. Fold in the remaining 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and even with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the corner of the pan comes out with moist crumbs.

Remove the brownies from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over them. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes.

While the brownies are baking, place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat, add the cereal, and mix well. Allow this to cool for 3 minutes or so.

Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting. Makes 12 3x3-inch bars

Source: Culinary Concoctions by PeaBody