Tag Archives: Dessert

Red Velvet Cookies

Posted in Christmas Baking, Cookies, Dessert by

Normally I like to make things from scratch, but sometimes even I am not in the mood to get a ton of ingredients out. This is where these cookies come into play. All you need is a cake mix, eggs, oil, vanilla extract and a little extra flour. You can easily make them with a hand mixer or go ahead and pull out your stand mixer.

Originally I was hoping to make these like the recipe, which are red velvet crinkle cookies. But my dough was very oily and sucked up the powdered sugar so the first batch didn’t look like crinkles. I decided to do the rest of the cookies without rolling them in the powdered sugar. When I tasted them I decided they needed a little extra something, so I whipped up a glaze of powdered sugar and water. I drizzled that over the cookies and they looked beautiful and tasted great. These are quick and easy to whip up for your Valentines.

Red Velvet Cookies:

  • 1 box red velvet cake mix
  • 2 tbs all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar, for rolling the cookies or for glazing
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and flour. Whisk until clumps disappear. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, mix together cake mix, flour, eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Take about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and form into a ball. *NOTE* If your cookies look oily and shiny, omit the rolling in the powdered sugar and place cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet, flatten slightly with your palm. Bake for 10-12 minutes. 
  3. Roll the ball in powdered sugar until fully coated. Place cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are set and cookies begin to crack.
  4. Let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely.
  5. If wanting to use glaze… Take 1 cup of powdered sugar and add 1 tsp of water. Whisk till it’s smooth and it’s at a drizzle consistency. You may need to add a bit more water or powdered sugar to get the right consistency. You really can’t mess it up.

Source: Slightly adapted from Two Peas and their Pod

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Posted in Cookies, Fruit by

I am so happy to be back blogging. My husband is doing great and we got the news we were looking for on his tumor, it was benign! A weight has been lifted off our shoulders and I am back in the kitchen cooking good stuff. I originally had planned to share another recipe with you, but I just made these cookies and had to give them to you right away.

During the winter months we get together with our neighbors the first Wednesday of the month for soup night. One of our neighbors graciously cooks up two different soups and the rest of us will bring breads or desserts. It’s a great time to get together with everyone and enjoy great food. This past soup night really snuck up on me. I realized the night before that I had not thought about what to bring. So I started researching all my saved recipes for something. I like to try and do something that fits the month or the season. This is the time of year I love going to the grocery store and getting fresh strawberries from my home state of Florida. It takes me back to going to the Strawberry Festival in February. So, when I was looking through my saved recipes, I saw these strawberry shortcake cookies and knew this was what I was making.

The cookies are very delicate and should be eaten the day they are made. Strawberries are very juicy and the cookies will become soggy after sitting for more than a day. The taste of strawberry shortcake in cookie form is pure heaven and makes me miss Florida this time of year. Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies:

  • 12 ounces strawberries, hulled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
  • 1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 6 tbs cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • Sanding sugar, for sprinkling
  1. Preheat the oven to 375.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
  3. Whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the butter to the flour mixture until coarse crumbs are formed. Stir in the heavy cream until the dough starts to come together, then gently fold in strawberries. (The dough will not be smooth but a bit crumbly)
  4. Using a 1-1/2 inch cookie scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheets, evenly spaced apart.  Sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Bake for 22-27 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. (Mine were done at 20 minutes) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy the day of baking.

Source: Pink Parsley via Martha Stewart Living June 2009

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Posted in Dips by

I was rushing out the door on Christmas Eve to get to a friends house for dinner and realized that I had not taken a photo of this dip. I had to quickly snap a photo so I do apologize that the lighting is a bit off. But I can honestly tell you that this dip is just as good as it sounds and I don’t think the photo will take you away from wanting to make it. When I saw this on my Google Reader a few days before Christmas Eve, I was very thankful that I hadn’t quite finished my grocery shopping. I added all the ingredients to list so I could make it.

It tastes just like cookie dough! Serve it with Nilla wafers and graham crackers, or do as I do and eat it with a spoon. Before you start eating healthy when 2012 rolls around, make this dip for New Years Eve and let this be your last indulgence for a couple weeks.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, plus extra for sprinkling
  1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar until it dissolves and the mixture starts to bubble. Stir in vanilla and set aside to cool.
  2. In a separate bowl, cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar together for 60 seconds. With the mixer on low speed, add in brown sugar and butter mixture, then the salt. Mix until combined. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
  3. Garnish with additional mini chocolate chips. Serve with animal crackers, Nilla wafers or graham crackers.

Source: Sing for your Supper

 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Posted in Christmas Baking, Cookies, Dessert by

If you are going to make anything this holiday season; you must make these! I’ve always seen crinkle cookies but never made them. I was ready to make something new and try these and I am so glad I did. They are AMAZING! Soft and chocolaty and oh so good. You do have to plan a little ahead to make them. The dough requires to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours to set up. I ended up making the dough and got busy and wasn’t able to actually bake them for a couple days. There was no problem in letting the dough sit in the fridge for a couple days. So, if you are busy this week, make the dough and let it sit in the fridge till you are ready to roll and bake. The kids will love to roll the dough into a ball and into the powdered sugar. But be warned, it will be messy but that’s the fun part for the kids.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies:

  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  1. In a stand mixer, set with paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, cream together white sugar and butter.
  2. Beat in eggs one at a time, and then stir in the vanilla. Once mixed add the cocoa powder slowly making sure to mix very well.
  3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. (The dough is very thick and sticky at this point)
  4. Cover the dough and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Roll dough into one inch balls and place them on a plate (I used paper plates). Chill the cookies for 10-15 minutes just to firm them back up.
  7. In a bowl add the confectioner’s sugar. Roll each dough ball in the sugar making sure to coat the cookie as much as possible. Place the cookie balls onto the parchment lined cookie sheets.
  8. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until they are crackly and puffy. Do NOT over cook or they will get very hard. Once done, let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.
  9. Store in an airtight container. For up to 5 days.

Source: Simply Love Food

Snickerdoodles

Posted in Christmas Baking, Cookies, Dessert by

Snickerdoodles are a classic cookie that everyone loves. It’s easy to make and fun to eat or should I say fun to make and easy to eat? Either way they are the perfect cookie to make around the holiday’s; especially if you have kids. My kids love to roll the dough into a ball and roll it into the cinnamon sugar. We had a really good time in the kitchen baking these and I know you will too.

Snickerdoodles:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 8 tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tbs ground cinnamon
  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter, shortening, and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each until well incorporated. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
  2. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar in a bowl. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls with moistened hands (we found that we did not need to have wet hands) toss in cinnamon sugar to coat, then place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake each sheet separately until edges are light golden brown and centers are soft and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating each sheet halfway through baking. Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Americas Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies 2010

Holiday Baking

Posted in Christmas Baking, Entertaining by

Between cooking and baking, family visiting (missing them already), Black Friday shopping, and decorating for Christmas, I am finally feeling like myself again. I’m ready to start thinking of all the baking I want to do for Christmas. While I gather all sorts of new things to make, I will give you a roundup of some really good recipes to make now. Happy Baking!

First up are these chocolaty brownies with a peppermint topping

Oreo Truffles

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Holiday Biscotti (our favorite)

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Mint Patty Cupcakes

 

 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Posted in Dessert by

Do you know what today is? It’s National Pumpkin Day!! Yes, only the coolest food day of the year. I have to tell you, I was on the phone with my best friend this morning while I was at the grocery store. I was passing the canned pumpkins and said to her that I could never have enough of canned pumpkin. She called me out on my pumpkin obsession. The first step is to admit when you have a problem, but to me this is not a problem. Being obsessed with pumpkin is very sane. Pumpkin has many vitamins and other qualities that are really good for you. So, having a healthy obsession is good. How can you turn something so good into something so sinful? Make these pumpkin whoopie pies.

I’ve been searching for the perfect pumpkin whoopie pie. I’ve made several different recipes from Martha Stewart to old Amish recipes and I was never really happy with any of them. My dear friend Angie from Florida has been perfecting the whoopie pie. She is now selling her pies in a restaurant and I am so proud of her. I asked if she would share her recipe for the pumpkin one with me. And I was so happy she was willing to give it to me and that I can pass them off to you.

I don’t even know where to begin, these are seriously the best pumpkin whoopie pies you ever make/eat. They are moist and full of flavor and just plain awesome. I love the icing the best. The vanilla flavor in the icing compliments the pumpkin very nicely. I did keep them in the refrigerator and I loved eating them cold. You can also make any size whoopie pies you want. I experimented and made small ones (with a cookie scoop) and big ones (with an ice cream scoop). They all turned out perfect.

If you are wanting to pumpkin whoopie pies, do not use any other recipe, this is the one you want.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 15oz can of pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 4 cups flour
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ground ginger, set aside.
  3. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer), cream together the butter and the brown sugar. Once combined; add the eggs, pumpkin and buttermilk, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. Add the flour mixture in a couple batches; scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Do not over-mix.
  5. Using an ice cream scoop (or any size scoop you want) scoop out the batter on the lined cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. With slightly wet fingers, flatten the tops and shape them if you need to. (they really puff up) Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the center is firm and comes out clean with a toothpick and the bottoms are a light brown. Do Not Overbake! Let cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.
  6. Once the pies are cooled and ready; match up the pies and spread or pipe the icing on one side then sandwich with the matching piece. Enjoy!
Icing:
  • 3 sticks butter, salted softened (I only had unsalted and it tasted great)
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 TBS vanilla
  • 4 cups Confectioners sugar
  1. In a bowl fitted with paddle attachment (or hand mixer), cream together the butter, milk, flour and vanilla. Add the confectioner sugar and beat together till light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
Source: My dear and wonderful friend Angie Scarpelli