Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

holiday baking weekend

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Ingredients:                                                              
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ½ cups flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
25 marshmallows

Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoon (half stick) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup hot water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan (or in a microwave safe bowl, using 50% power), melt the butter and chocolate, stirring frequently. Once melted, set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed until well combined.
4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and blend until just combined.
5. While mixing, add the flour mixture slowly and blend until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then cover the dough and refrigerate about 1 hour. 
6. Preheat oven to 325° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat type liner. Use a tablespoon (or a tablespoon sized cookie scoop) to scoop the dough, then roll the dough in your hands to create balls. Arrange the balls about 2 inches apart on your baking sheets, then flatten slightly. Bake cookies about 12 minutes.
7. While the cookies bake, cut the large marshmallows in half (crosswise). When the cookies have baked, remove from oven and press one marshmallow half (cut side down) into the center of each cookie. Return the cookies to the oven and bake another 2-3 minutes. Allow the pan of cookies to cool a few minutes, then transfer cookies to cooling rack.
8. Prepare cookie icing by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl and mixing together with a whisk. Place wire cooling rack (with cookies on it) over a baking sheet (to catch any excess icing). Spoon a small amount of icing onto the top of each marshmallow, and use the back of the spoon to spread it a bit. After icing just a couple cookies, top with sprinkles before the icing dries.
9. Allow icing to set up about 30 minutes before serving.





Chocolate Chip Cookies



Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
1 small package of instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 package (12 oz) milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375˚
2. Beat the butter, both sugars, pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl.
3. Beat until creamy and fluffy
4. Slowly mix in flour and baking soda
5. Stir in chocolate chips
6. Drop by tablespoons onto an un-greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for ONLY 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes. Do not transfer to cooling rack. 



German Chocolate Cake Cookie

Ingredients:

1 box German Chocolate cake mix
1 stick butter (melted)
2 eggs
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
½ cup diced pecans
1 cup Kraft© caramel bits
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper
2. In a large mixing bowl melt butter. I generally microwave mine for about 40 seconds. 
3. Pour the cake mix on top of the hot butter and then add eggs. This keeps from making scrambled eggs immediately
4. Mix together. The batter will be thick and sticky
5. Add in the coconut, caramel, chocolate and pecans. Stir well to mix
6. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes



Brown Butter Snicker-doodles

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

Rolling Mixture:
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple minutes the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the pan; continue to whisk and remove as soon as the butter begins to have a nutty aroma. Set aside to cool.
2. Mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low speed until combined. 
3. Chill your dough for 3 hours or as long as possible in the refrigerator. I refrigerate mine overnight for "puffy" snicker doodles. You want the dough cold.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°. 
5. Roll the dough into balls. After mixing the rolling ingredients together, roll the dough into the cinnamon/sugar. 
6. Bake cookies 8-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown. 
7. Remove from baking sheet and place on a cooling rack. 

Thursday, November 26, 2015

thankful thoughts

On this lovely Thanksgiving I though it would be appropriate to take some time and jot down things I'm thankful for. 

I'm thankful for the labor of love that I call home. It was a ton of work to get it renovated, but I couldn't be happier with the end result. Even though we still have some repairs to make and walls to paint, it's the place I call home now and I am grateful to have a roof over my head. 

I'm thankful for my other half. I'm sure that I drive him crazy most days, but he loves me anyways. We have had so many adventures together and I can't wait to see what's in store for us next! I'm so glad I agreed to go on a date with him two and a half years ago. Best.decision. ever.


I'm thankful for my family that helps keep my compass pointed in the right direction. They are always there with any issues that I may have, including long distance grocery shopping when I can't find an item. I know for a FACT that I can drive them all crazy in a span of 10 minutes, but they love me. Without them I wouldn't be where I am today. 


I'm thankful for all the friends in my life, near and far. When I moved to a new city, and didn't know very many people, Cam's friends were all nice to me and welcomed me into their group. I'm especially thankful for my far away friends and their commitment to keep in touch on a regular basis. Without the support from them, this move would have been a disaster.

I'm thankful for sports. Yes sports. Sports in my life have brought people closer and given them a common bond that they can discuss at length. Going to JMU football games with the family, experiencing the Winter Classic in Washington D.C. with family, and going to College Game Day together allow us to reminisce on the fun times we had at these events. Sports and sporting events are a large part of my life and I love it!




Happy Thanksgiving yall!

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

mini cheesecakes- easter edition

I made these miniature cheesecakes a while back- Easter weekend to be exact- and thought I had posted the recipe to share. Clearly I forgot to post about these little desserts so now is my chance. They were fairly easy to make since I have a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer. Below is a photo of the finished product and the recipe to go along with it. 



Ingredients:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
¾ cup sugar
2 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
3 pkg (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup BAKER’S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
2 tbsp.  BAKER’S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
54 speckled malted milk eggs (about 9 oz.)


Directions: 
1. Heat oven to 325˚
2. Mix graham cracker crumbs, 2 tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottoms of 18 paper-lined muffin cups
3. Beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
4. Spoon over crusts
5. Bake 25-30 minutes or until center are almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 2 hours.
6. Top each cheesecake with 1 tbsp. coconut; shape to resemble bird’s nest. Fill with malted milk eggs.