English Vanilla Sandwich Cookies

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Now I remember growing up eating these cookies. A few of my friends mom's would always make them and I remember us sneaking into the freezer and getting one, and then other, and then another.

I lost touch with those friends and could never find the recipe (and I searched). Then I had them at a family event and tracked down who made them to get the recipe (got to love the menno connect). 

SO I'm crazy excited to finally get to make these in my house, and eventually have my kids be the once that are sneaking cookies (but until then I'm more then happy to fill the gap).

Cookie
1 cup butter 1/3 cup whip cream or evap. milk 2 cups of flour
Mix and chill. Roll about 1/8 inch thick. Cut in rounds and coat with sugar. Bake at 375 for 7-9 min.
Icing 1/4 cup butter 3/4 cup icing 1 teas. vanilla Food colouring (I make the icing pink). Put together with the icing.

Key Lime Pie

I tried this out for the first time. I'm so hooked on all things key lime after traveling through the Keys. It was such a fun time, and I had to learn how to make this pie!

I'd say it worked out amazingly. It was my first go, and wow, was it easy!

I found a good receipt, and adapted it as follows:


Crust:
 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
 2 tablespoons sugar
 5 tablespoons butter, melted

 Filling:
 1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
 2/3 cup fresh lime juice
 1/2 cup sour cream
 2 teaspoons grated lime peel

 Topping:
 1 cup heavy whipping cream
 1/4 cup powdered sugar
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Directions
 Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Press mixture into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate to form crust. Bake 10 minutes or until crust begins to brown. Cool 15 minutes on wire rack.

Whisk sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and sour cream in large bowl until blended. Stir in lime peel. Pour filling into crust. Bake 10-18 minutes or until tiny bubbles begin to form on surface of pie. Cool completely on wire rack.

Beat cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in large mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until stiff. Top pie with whipped cream. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Best served the same day.

(I've tried freezing mine so I'll keep you posted if it worked well!)

Adapted from here

Lemon Cake - The best you've ever had

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I was going through my freezer and forgot I had lemon curd in there (I made it a while ago!). I had a dinner party, and a family lunch the next day so I made a big batch of lemon cake.

I found this recipe and was really excited to make it. I adjusted a few things and make it 100% better (Ha, in my humble opinion, and those of my family, that couldn't get enough of it!)


Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened - (I used veggie oil)
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
5 tablespoons lemon juice - (I used 6 tbsp of lemon curd)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons lemon zest - (I didn't put any in, it was already in the curd)

Icing - (I doubled the recipe, I love a lot of icing!)
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter , softened
2 tablespoons lemon juice - (I used 2-4 tbsp of lemon curd)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest - (I didn't use this, it was already in the lemon curd)
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Additional lemon juice or milk , as needed



Instructions:

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 10 x 10 in. pan with vegetable pan spray.

Step 2
 In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, lemon juice and vanilla; mix until smooth. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest. Place batter in prepared pan.

Step 3
Bake 30-33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on cooling rack. Remove from pan; cool completely.

Step 4
For icing, beat shortening and butter in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add lemon juice and zest; mix well. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. If icing is dry, add additional lemon juice or milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Color as desired with icing color. Ice cake and if desired, garnish with fresh lemon zest curls and mint.

I thought the above cake was pretty, this picture (below) is what it really looks like.

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Salted Peanut Butter Brownie

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I love peanut butter and chocolate, putting the two together is a baked piece of heaven! So, when I found this recipe I was thrilled. I added even more cocoa then is listed below to make it that much richer, and it really added to the contrast of the peanut butter and chocolate.

If you love either of those two things, and a rich dessert, this recipe is the way to go.


Brownie:
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cold large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Prepare an 8 inch square pan by spraying with pan spray. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Spray the foil or parchment with pan spray.

Preheat your oven to 325.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a heat-proof bowl and place over a large pot of simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should rest in the pot but not touch the water.

Stir occasionally. When the butter is just about melted, remove the bowl and let the residual heat continue to melt the butter. Stir until smooth. Carefully touch the cocoa mixture. It should feel warm, not hot. (If hot, wait until warm to add the eggs).

Once the cocoa mixture is warm you can stir in the eggs, one at a time. Wait until each egg is completely incorporated before you add the next. Stir in the vanilla. Once the mixture looks cohesive and shiny stir in the flour. (Stir 40 times after the flour has been completely incorporated).

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes up with a few moist crumbs. This will take about 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Once cool, frost with peanut butter frosting and sprinkle with flake salt.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) softened butter

¾ cup peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

pinch salt 

1 teaspoon flake salt

Cream the butter and the peanut butter until combined. Slowly stir in the powdered sugar until completely incorporated. Spread over cooled brownies. Sprinkle the flake salt all over.

Adapted from here. 

Funnel Cake; My New Best Friend

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I'm not sure if you're ever had funnel cake before, but it's DELISH!

I've had it at festivals, and Disney World, and well, I can't get enough of it. We've made it a few times with friends, and I think it's even become a New Year's Day tradition.

SO, if you haven't tried it, it's a must.

Ingredients
2 cups milk
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) melted butter
Powdered sugar, for topping


Directions 
Combine milk, egg, vanilla in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar and gradually add to wet ingredients. Beat with a mixer until a smooth batter forms. Fold in melted butter. Pour batter into a funnel or squeeze bottle while using your index finger to stop the flow of the batter. Bring the funnel over the hot oil and release your finger to start a stream of batter while moving the funnel in a circular motion to create spiral-like shapes. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and slightly puffed. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Adapted from here

Christmas Baking List

Salted Caramels

  Cookie Dough Truffles



 

Lebkuchen

Berlinerkranzer

  Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cutouts

Spicy Molasses Bars

Sugar Cookies

  Cherry ChocolateBrown Sugar Shortbread Bar

Truffles, Truffles, Truffles!

Cookie Dough

  Birthday Cake

Oreo

  Coconut

Peanut Butter

  Thin Mints 

How to temper chocolate

 So I made these last nigh!! YUM!! I had never tempered chocolate before and so I'm pretty proud of my first go! If you've ever wondered how to do it here you go!

Chop your chocolate. It is best to use at least 1 pound of chocolate, as it is easier to temper (and retain the temper) of larger amounts of chocolate. If this is more than you need, you can always save the extra for later use. Be sure that your chocolate is in block or bar form, not chocolate chips. The chips have additives that allow them to retain their shape at higher temperatures, and so they will not temper properly.

Melt 2/3 of your chocolate. Place it in the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water. Securely clip a chocolate or instant-read thermometer to the side of the boiler to monitor the chocolate’s temperature.

Stir gently but steadily as the chocolate melts and heats up. Use a rubber spatula, not a wooden or metal spoon.

Bring the chocolate to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 C) for dark chocolate or 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 C) for milk or white chocolate. Do not allow the chocolate to exceed its recommended temperature. When it is at the right temperature, remove it from the heat, wipe the bottom of the bowl, and set it on a heat-proof surface.

Add the remaining chunks of chocolate and stir gently to incorporate. The warm chocolate will melt the chopped chocolate, and the newly added chocolate will bring down the temperature of the warm chocolate.

Cool the chocolate. Once the chocolate gets below 84 degrees F (29 C), remove the remaining chunks of chocolate. They can be cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and saved for another use.

Reheat the chocolate briefly. Place the chocolate bowl over the warm water in the double boiler for 5-10 seconds, remove it and stir, and repeat, until the temperature reaches 88-89 degrees F (31 C), or 87 F (30 C) for milk and white chocolate. Do not leave the chocolate over the hot water, or allow it to exceed 91 degrees.

Your chocolate should now be tempered! To make sure it has been done properly, do a spot test: spread a spoonful thinly over an area of waxed paper and allow it to cool. If the chocolate is shiny and smooth, it is properly tempered. If it is dull or streaky, it has not been tempered correctly.

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Chocolate Guinness Cake

Oh yum!! I'm not a beer drinker but I think I would really like this cake! Check out the recipe here.

Baking My Way: Chocolate Almond Linzer Bar

 This bar is super tasty! I love this bar! I didn't use raspberry preserver but cherry and apple butter and it gave it a little tart taste which went really well with the dark semi-sweet chocolate I used. I love the almond paste in this bar and it really adds to the richness of the dough. It makes it more dense but I sort of like it that way! I would make it again.

3 1/2 oz. almond paste
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
3 cups flour 
1 1/2 cups raspberry preserves
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp icing sugar

Hear oven to 350. Grease 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan. Combine almond paste and butter, blend until smooth. Add sugar, brown sugar, salt, almond extract and eggs; mix well. Add flour gradually, stirring to form a smooth dough.

Divide dough in half. Roll out half of dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to form 15 x 10 inch rectangle. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. To make decorative top cut hearts or circles in the one layer of the dough. Return cut outs to other half of the dough. Set top dough layer aside.

Roll out other layer same as first layer, then press it into greased baking pan.  Bake for 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. 

Spread evenly with preserve; sprinkle with almonds and chocolate chips. Lifting top crust with wax paper, place dough side down over filling; carefully remove wax paper. Trim edges if necessary.

Bake at 350 for additional 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 hour. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Cut into 48 bars with heart cut out in the middle of each bar.

Baking My Way: Chocolaty Caramel Pecan Bars

 This bar was seriously good!! I would make it again and again! I think I would reduce the amount of caramels because and have no nuts, more like a Twix bar. It's crazy rich but I see why you need all the nuts, it makes it a little less intense. Either way, so good!!

Base

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 tablespoon whipping cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

Filling

24 caramels, unwrapped

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 cups pecan halves

Topping

1 teaspoon butter or margarine

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

2 tablespoons whipping cream

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 9-inch square pan. In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter and 1 tablespoon whipping cream until well blended. Add flour; mix until crumbly. With floured hands, press mixture evenly in pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until firm to the touch.
• Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, place caramels and 1/3 cup whipping cream. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Add pecans; stir well to coat. Immediately spoon over baked base; spread carefully to cover.
• In small saucepan over low heat, melt 1 teaspoon butter and the chocolate chips, stirring constantly. Stir in 2 tablespoons whipping cream. Drizzle over filling. Refrigerate 1 hour or until filling is firm. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.  

Puppy Chow

I've come across a lot of people that don't even know what Puppy Chow is!!! I find that so crazy!!! SO I thought I'd post a little photo/link reminder or (for some) education! Check out the recipe here! I think once you've made it you'll forever be hooked!!

Baking My Way: Autumn Leaf Cookies

 I was really looking forward to making these Pillsbury Autumn Leaf cookies and they were a pretty big let down. They didn't turn out at all like how the photo showed and the icing just taste like the icing sugar, it doesn't look like the photo or like that rich sugar cookie type of icing like it reads as. AND the colouring directions are wrong. I had to add heaps more to get the colour even close to orange. I won't be making these cookies again. It wasn't a great recipe and there are many other sugar cookie recipes I love way more. The one thing I do like is the cream cheese in there. It does make the cookies softer and creamier. I might take the recipe and change it around to make it more interesting. What I ended up doing is making chocolate filled sandwich cookies with these. It made them a ton better! (Chocolate has been saving the day a lot lately)

Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 cups powdered sugar

2 to 4 tablespoons milk

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

8 drops red food color

8 drops yellow food color

• In large bowl, combine sugar, 1 cup margarine and cream cheese; beat until light and fluffy. Add orange peel, orange juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla and egg; blend well. Add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Using stockinette-covered rolling pin and floured pastry cloth, roll out 1/4 of dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated.) Cut with floured leaf-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 375°F. for 4 to 6 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets; cool 15 minutes or until completely cooled.
• In large bowl, combine butter and shortening; beat until light and fluffy. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl. Add 2 tablespoons milk; beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Add enough additional milk for desired spreading consistency.
• Divide frosting into 2 small bowls. To one bowl of frosting, add melted chocolate; beat until well blended. To other bowl of frosting, add red and yellow food color; blend well. Spread cooled cookies with 1 of the frostings; pipe veins on leaves with other frosting. Let stand until set.

Link: Homemade Butterfinger Candy Bars

Oh yum! I have a lot of candy corn now so I think trying this is a must! Check out the recipe here.

Red Velvet Cupcakes & Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

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 Red Velvet Cupcakes

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar (375 ml)
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil (375 ml)
• 1 cup of plain yogurt (250 ml)
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring (30 ml)
• 1 teaspoon vinegar (5 ml)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
• 2 1/2 cups of flour (625 ml)
• 1 tablespoon cocoa (15 ml)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (5 ml)
• 1 teaspoon salt (5 ml) 

                    Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

In a food processor, mix the eggs with the sugar, oil, yoghurt, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. 
 
 Blend until just incorporated. 
 
 Place cupcake papers into a muffin pan, divide the batter in the cupcake papers, pour only halfway so batter doesn’t overflow, and bake, rotating half way through, for 25 to 30 minutes. 
 
Remove and let cool.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting


• 8 ounces cream cheese, cold
• 5 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• (scant) two cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh strawberry purée
 Using a hand mixer, beat the top three ingredients together until well combined.  Gradually add the powdered sugar as you continue beating the mixture.  Lastly, stir in the strawberry purée. 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

 

 I love this zucchini bread. It's so moist, and rich, and you can't even tell there's any zucchini in it. This recipe is taking the place of my usual chocolate cake recipe, it's that much better! I know it's just a zucchini bread recipe but it makes amazing cupcakes, cake, and you could change it up a little bit to make it even healthier.

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups grated zucchini (from about a pound and a half of zucchini)
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa (use natural unsweetened cocoa, NOT Dutch processed)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (12 Tbsp or 1 1/2 sticks), melted
• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Method

1 Place the freshly grated zucchini in a sieve over a bowl to catch any excess moisture as it drains, while you work on prepping the other ingredients and preparing the recipe. If for some reason your zucchini is on the dry side, hydrate the shredded zucchini by soaking it in water first, and then place in sieve.

2 Preheat oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans with baking spray or butter.

3 Vigorously whisk together the flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk until there are no more clumps and the ingredients are well combined.

4 In a separate large bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until smooth, about a minute. You can do this with an electric mixer on medium speed, or by hand with a wooden spoon. (I'm lazy and use a mixer but it's easy enough to do by hand.) Add the melted butter, instant coffee granules, and almond extract and beat until smooth.

5 Mix the shredded zucchini into the sugar egg mixture. Add the flour to the zucchini mixture in 3 additions, stirring to combine after each addition.

6 Work quickly, and divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. (Work quickly because once the dry ingredients have mixed with the wet ingredients, the leavening has begun.) Place into the oven. Bake for 50 minutes at 350°F, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and easily. Remove to a rack. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife around the edges to separate the bread from the pan. Remove from the loaf pans and let cool completely on a rack. 

Adapted from here 

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

As usual when I have bananas that I just didn’t get to in time I make banana chocolate chip muffins. I know, it’s one of the simplest things to make but for some reason I often have trouble with them being too flat. I’ll be honest I’ve resorted to the package cakes mix from time to time to get the muffins the way I want...I know, shame on me. BUT this recipe has worked well for me every time! No more cake mix for my muffins, which of course is way healthier, and I’m all about that!



1 ½ cup Flour
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
2 Eggs
2/3 cup Brown Sugar
1/3 cup Butter (soft)
5 Bananas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tips, set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and chocolate chips; mix well.

In a large bowl, beat eggs lightly. Stir in brown sugar, butter and bananas. Blend well. Add flour mixture and gently fold together until dry ingredients are moistened.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


Tip: I like to use the big chocolate chips; put a little less in but use the large ones. It makes it more like a cookie, and you can taste the difference between the banana and chocolate then.

Nutella Ice Cream

I made this ice cream for my man. He's a huge Nutella lover so I thought he'd love this ice cream and I was right! Also adding the almond extract gives it just a little bit more of a nutty taste. 

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup nutella
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (for a little extra flavor) 
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 tbsp vodka
1 tsp almond extract 

DIRECTIONS
Beat together the nutella, sugar, heavy cream, milk and vodka until blended evenly.  Churn into ice cream according to your ice cream machine’s directions, and then freeze for four hours before serving.  The ice cream lasts about a week in the freezer.

Ice Cream Pumpkin Pie

I went to a ice cream parlor and had pumpkin pie soft serve, it blew my mind! I thought "I can make that!" so I started searching for a recipe, found this one (I changed it a little of course), and decided to make it in pie form, because, well I love graham crust and whip cream! And it was Thanksgiving so it seemed right. Seriously, make this pie! It's so good, and even if you're not a huge pumpkin pie person (like me) you will like this ice cream version.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whipping cream (35%)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree

Instructions

1. Gently heat the cream, milk, sugar, spices and salt over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and bubbles form around the edge of the pan.
2. Stir warm cream into the pumpkin along with the vanilla.
3. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until cold.
4. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Spread ice cream over graham crust (I used a pre-made one)
6. Spread whip cream (I used Cool Whip) over the top, and stick it in the freezer to set

Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream

 This ice cream is amazing. I wasn't too sure on the peanut and jelly part but I thought I'd give it a try. I used a triple berry and concord grape jelly I made and I recommend a dark not as sweet jelly but either way, so yummy!!

 

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

1/2 brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

5 egg yolks

1 1/3 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup of your favorite jelly 

Scald milk and cream.

Lightly whisk eggs in a stand mixer along with the sugar, and then add the scalded mixture in a slow stream running down the side of the bowl on a low speed. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon add 1 cup of peanut butter. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. If you’re making chunky reserve the peanut pieces to add in later.

Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until cooled. Freeze custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Transfer to a suitable freezing container. Fold in the jelly. Put in freezer to firm up. 

Adapted from here