Rolled Sugar Cookies

Only two days left until Christmas and that means only one thing COOKIES.  I usually try to get a head start on holiday preparations, but being 7 months pregnant and living in the scorching heat of the deep south (it was 80 degrees yesterday...) doesn't really put one in the Christmas spirit.  If it wasn't for my persistent 6 year old daughter these cookies may never have come to fruition.  This is a wonderful recipe, super tasty, and an easy dough to work with.  I decorated with royal icing, but any frosting will do.  Very similiar to "mall cookies" but even better since they are homemade.

Rolled Sugar Cookies

3/4 Cup butter, softened
1 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Baker's compliment extract
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter, white sugar, and powdered sugar until smooth.  Beat in eggs and extracts.  Slowly add flour, salt, and baking powder.  Cover and chill dough at least one hour (I chilled for 6) or overnight.  Pre-heat oven to 350.  Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes.  Bake for 10-12 minutes on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Makes roughly 40 medium/small cookies. 

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

The perfect chocolate chip cookie is one that doesn't spread out like a pancake and can stay moist and chewy while still maintaining those crispy edges and I've finally found a recipe that delivers.  The toll house recipe is a mainstay in most American kitchens and it is a good simple recipe.  However, I was looking for a recipe that resembled bakery quality.  This recipe uses 10 Tbs of browned butter, a larger ratio of brown to granulated sugar, more vanilla, and 1 whole egg plus egg yolk.  The result is a rich, decadent cookie that would give blue chip a run for their money.  Thanks Cooks Illustrated, for doing all the hard work for me.

Note:  The recipe calls for dark brown sugar, but I used light brown sugar because it is what I had in the pantry and the cookies turned out great.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
• 1/2teaspoon baking soda
• 14tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
• 1/2cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 3/4cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
• 1teaspoon table salt
• 2teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
• 3/4cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Instructions

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. 2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. 3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
4. 4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)
5. 5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving

Blueberry Crumb Cake

It's late Spring and that means blueberry time.  I miss my blueberry bushes.  I was once the owner of 4 very large and productive blueberry bushes.  Every summer we would make blueberry syrup, blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, and this blueberry crumb cake.  Well that house was sold and along with it, the bushes.  Now I wait patiently for late spring/early summer when the blueberries are at their peak and their prices at the grocery store are at their cheapest.

Blueberry Crumb Cake
-Ina Garten

 Streusel:
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

cake:

 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2/3 cup sour cream

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup fresh blueberries

Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers,
crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

Come to the Dark Side. We have cookies!

For Mother's Day I received this fabulous Death Star Cookie Jar.  So naturally, I made cookies.  Not just any cookies mind you, but evil cookies.  Cookies that would entice the evil sith lurking deep within your heart stomach.  Hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I enjoyed shooting this photo.  Yay star wars toys!

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 Cup Butter
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Sugar
1tsp Vanilla
1 egg
1 1/8 Cup Flour
1tsp baking Soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Cup Oatmeal
1/2 Cup Cranberries
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven 350
Cream butter, sugars, egg, vanilla.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake 9-11 Minutes. 

Easter Oreo Balls

I thought these Oreo Balls would make a cute and simple center piece for the table this Easter.  They are cute and the recipe is simple enough.  Turns out the hardest part was sticking the stinking balls into styrofoam.  Thats right...styrofoam nearly won this battle of wits and determination.  My first mistake was placing the sticks into the styrofoam before layering the easter grass over top.  I had to remove all the pops, arrange the grass, and replace the pops.  However, since the pops had already been in the styrofoam it was tricky trying to replace them.  The basket got a little one sided and it turned over, dumping a couple pops on the floor for the dog.  I recovered though and showed those pops whos boss. 

OREO Pops
1 pkg Oreos
1 8oz pkg Cream Cheese
1 bag chocolate chips, melted

Pulse Oreos in food processor until fine add cream cheese and continue to pulse until a ball forms.  Roll small balls.  Insert lollipop sticks and place in freezer for at least one hour.  Melt chocolate chips and dip balls in chocolate.

S'mores Cookie Bars

The kids have been asking me to bake chocolate chip cookies, but I've been wanting to try something different.  I just wasn't sure what.  Then I came across this recipe for S'mores cookie bars.  They are sorta like chocolate chip cookies, but with added goodies, such as marshmallows, Hershey's Bars, and graham crackers.  These bars could very well be the best thing since sliced bread.  Go ahead and make some for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

S'mores Cookie Bars

2/3 Cup butter
1 Cup brown sugar
1/2 sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 bag chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
3 regular Hershey's Bars broken into pieces
2 pkgs. graham crackers

Preheat oven 375
Cream butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla.  Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt.  Add dry ingredients to creamed sugar.  Mix well, stir in chocolate chips, and marshmallows.  Line cookie sheet with graham crackers.  Drop dollops of cookie dough on top of crackers.  Bake for 5 minutes, remove from oven and add Hershey's bar pieces.  Return to oven and bake an additional 5-7 minutes (mine ended up baking a total of 15 minutes)



 

Fat Tuesday Bourbon Bread Pudding

In celebration of Fat Tueday and all things Mardi Gras, I decided to forego the king cake and dive right in with bourbon bread pudding.  It followed the jambalaya we had for dinner nicely and no one missed the king cake once they tasted the bourbon sauce.

Bourbon Bread Pudding
Serves 8 to 10

• 2 French baguette, torn into 1-inch pieces and toasted
• 1 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup bourbon, divided
• 6 tablespoons butter, cubed and chilled, plus extra for dish
• 8 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Bourbon Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Butter 13 by 9-inch baking dish, and set aside.
2. Arrange the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp and brown, about 12 minutes, turning pieces over halfway through and rotating the baking sheet front to back. Let bread cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
3. Meanwhile, heat raisins and 1/2 cup bourbon in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until bourbon begins to simmer, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the mixture, placing the bourbon and raisins in separate bowls.
4. In a large bowl, whisk yolks, brown sugar, cream, milk, vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup bourbon plus the bourbon used to plump the raisins. Toss in the toasted bread until evenly coated. Let mixture sit until bread begins to absorb custard, about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. If the majority of the bread is still hard when squeezed, soak for another 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Pour half the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with half the raisins. Repeat with the remaining bread mixture and raisins. Cover the dish with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, mix granulated sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Using your fingers, pinch 6 tablespoons butter into sugar mixture until the crumbs are the size of small peas. Remove foil from pudding, sprinkle with butter mixture, and bake, uncovered, until custard is just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F and bake until top of pudding forms golden crust, about 2 minutes.
7. Let the pudding cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours). Serve alone or with Bourbon Sauce.

Bourbon Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup bourbon, divided
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons butter, cut into small pieces

1. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and 2 tablespoons bourbon until well combined.
2. Using a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in cornstarch mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook until sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Take the pan off the heat, and stir in salt, butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon.
4. Drizzle warm sauce over bread pudding.
 

Cream of Coconut Cake

With Spring fast approaching, ( We have Dandelions in our yard!), and frequent 70+ degree weather, I thought a Spring themed cake would be nice.  The Cream of Coconut that goes into the cake is not Coconut Milk.  It is more like sweetened condensed coconut milk.  I can usually find it in either the ethnic food isle or the isle where drink mixes are sold (like bloody mary mix and margarita mix).  Make sure you stir it before pouring into the cake batter since the solids tend to hangout at the top of the can.

Cream of Coconut Cake

1 box white cake mix (yes I did)

4 egg whites

¼ C. vegetable oil

1 C. Cream of Coconut

1 8oz. container sour cream

1 small container of Cool whip

1 7oz bag of sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix the cake mix, egg whites,  vegetable oil,  cream of coconut, and sour cream until well blended and smooth.  Pour into prepared pan (bundt).    Bake for 35-40 minutes.   Remove cake from oven poke holes around cake and pour the remaining cream of coconut over the cake.  Let cool 10 minutes and turn out onto cake plate.  Let cool completely.  Once cooled mix the cool whip with the coconut and frost the cake.

Pork Spring Rolls

Since moving to Bluffton over 6 months ago we've been deprived of our occassional Asian fix.  Whether it be Chinese, Japanese, or Thai we just haven't found a restaurant that will satisfy our cravings.  Instead of hopping from mediocre restaurant to mediocre restaurant I decided to try my hand at spring rolls.  These are pretty basic since I didn't have fish sauce, fresh ginger, or cilantro on hand, but hey the kids probably wouldn't have eaten them with those ingredients anyway.  I also baked instead of fried to save on calories.  Bake at 425 for 20 minutes

Pork Spring Rolls
1 pkg Spring Roll papers
1 lb ground pork
1pkg Broccoli Slaw
1-2 T Soy Sauce
1-2 T Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (optional)

Directions

Brown ground pork in skillet with soy sauce.  Soak papers in water.  Arrange broccoli slaw and ground pork on paper, pour small amount of chili sauce and wrap papers folding sides in first and then roll tight.  Place on wire rack over cookies sheet.  Spray or brush spring rolls with oil and bake for 20 minutes or until brown and crispy.   

Quick Fix BBQ Chicken Pizza

Nothing is more satisfying than a tasty homemade pizza.  It's even better when you utilize leftovers.  I happened to have leftover roasted chicken from dinner last night and cilantro from the homemade salsa we did over the weekend.  With these two inspirations and the realization that I had a few packets of yeast hiding in the fridge I decided to make BBQ Chicken pizza.  I used a quick and easy pizza dough recipe that eliminates rising so this pizza can be stretched out, topped, and baked within the hour.  I may be living in Bluffton, South Carolina, but I am originally from Northern Kentucky, right across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio.  So for the bbq sauce I used Montgomery Inn's famous bbq sauce from Montogmery Inn Restaurant in Cincinnati.  Additional toppings included red onions, banana peppers, bacon, and mozzarella cheese.  Get creative with this and use what is on hand!  I baked at 500 degrees for 7-10 minutes on a pizza stone.

Quick Pizza Dough (makes roughly 2 10-12 inch pizzas)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

Directions

1. Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on a large pizza pan. Top as desired.

Learning the Basics

Brownies are a pretty basic staple in the baking world.  It is hard to mess up a brownie and if all else fails you can go out and buy a box.  A tried and true, no fail, wonderful brownie mix, is the double chocolate mix from Ghirardelli.  It blows all the competition out of the water.  You can add pecans,  walnuts, or a creamcheese swirl to make it your own, but the basic recipe on the back of the box is good just the way it is. 

While brownies are basic, food photography is not.  It takes a lot of practice to get the right composition and lighting.  I've only been at it a year, but I feel the more I practice the better I get.  Not only was this blog created to share the occasional treats I concoct, but it also gives me the opportunity to practice my photography.  I'm currently using a Nikon D3000.  This photo was taken with my 35mm 1.8 lens.  I made some slight modifications to color and size in photoshop.

Beats $16.99

Over the weekend we had to run to the bank mart inside Kroger.  It was the Saturday before Valentine's Day and right inside the door they were selling chocolate covered strawberries.  They were simply decorated with drizzles of chocolate, but they looked scrumptious.  That is until I looked at the price tag, $16.99 for 8 strawberries?  Seemed a little high to me.  So I thought I could do the same job, if not better, for a lot cheaper.  A day later, a pint of strawberries, bag of chocolate chips, and bag of white chocolate chips, and waalaa.  Tuxedo Strawberries (which are waaay cuter than the $16.99 strawberries at the grocery store) for a lot less $$