Baking My Way: Old-fashioned Sugar Cookies

(The recipe doesn't call for icing but everything is better with it!)

These cookies are super tasty. They're nice and soft, super buttery and just so, well, like I said, tasty! A must in everybody's master cook book.

Ingredients 
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract


Directions 
Combine first four ingredients; mix well. Using a fork cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. In a small bowl beat eggs. Gradually add sugar, vanilla, and lemon extract to eggs. Beat until light. Add flour mixture. Stir by hand until dough forms.

Refrigerate for an hour

Preheat oven to 375. 

Roll out and cut into whatever shapes you want. Place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 6-11 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. 

The icing I used is:

• 
  Frosting
• Recipe makes 3 cups
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, room temp
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract or clear vanilla extract

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Baking My Way: Almond Brickle Blonde Brownie

 This is a seriously good brownie! I love blonde brownies! I didn't have almond brickle chips (not even too sure what those are) so I used chocolate chips for the topping and it was still super good. I think next time I might try it with white chocolate to stay on the blonde theme. Either way this is a great recipe, so tasty, soft and chewy!

Ingredients:

Brownie:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Topping:
3/4 almond brickle baking chips
1/4 cup chopped almonds

Directions:
Heat over to 350.

Combine sugars and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well.

Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. Stir in almonds.

Spread in greased 13x9 inch pan.

Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Take out of oven, sprinkle topping ingredients on brownie and put back into the oven for 2 minutes.

Cool at least an hour, cut into bars.

Guest Writer: Samantha

Stuffed rice krispies are a great choice if you are hosting a treat or a birthday party. Delicious and desirable, they are easy to be made at home and also taste great. All you need is pre-made rice krispies treats, good amount of time and ingredients with the right proportion. Using the pre-made krispy treats save a lot of time and also is quiet clean to be used. You can also think of making more different recipes by thinking about some more combos using peanut butter, melting chocolate, and mini chocolate chips.

Ingredients:
Rice Krispies treats- 2 make one pair so decide how many is to be used as per your requirement.
1 Giant Marshmallow
Graham cracker
Melted Chocolate as per requirement
Butter knife and plain knife
A base to use as a platform for the layering

Preparation:
1. Take two rice krispies treats and smush them. Use your hand or a rolling pin. This will act in holding each of them together.

2. Take a marshmallow and cut it in half and microwave by putting on graham cracker for a few seconds. The marshmallows will puff up due to the heat.

3. Take the marshmallows out and put the other graham cracker on top of it.
In a glass bowl take some chocolates and melt them in the microwave. Keep the thickness such that they would be easy enough to be layered on the krispies.

4. Cut out the extra marshmallows that ooze out of the edges. Coat each krispy treats with melted chocolate. Use a butter knife to layer the melted chocolates along with a spoon. Try to keep the layer neat and keep a soft cloth to wipe away any excess chocolate from the sides.

5. Take the graham cracker marshmallow sandwich and carefully place it on the chocolate coated krispy treat. Add chocolate to the top of graham crackers and some to the rice krispies.

6. Sandwich them together. Put more chocolate and marshmallows on top and repeat the same steps for all other krispies. You can also decorate the top by making small designs by using a cone filled with chocolate.

The other combination that can be used is peanut butter, melting chocolate and mini chocolate chips.
1. Start with covering of one of the krispy treats with the melting chocolate and mini chocolate chips.
2. Melt the caramel bits and spread the caramel onto another krispy treat.
3. Next put this crispy treat on to the other.
4. Add some more chocolate on top.
Once your krispies are ready, allow them to set for some time and serve in Ceramic plates. You can add some more dressings to the top by using chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, or grated chocolates.


About the author:
Samantha Harper is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and luxury. Beside this she is fond of gadgets. Recently an article on Organic baby clothes attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on Leg cramps.

Quick and easy candy coated pecans

 Photo Source

2 cup pecans (or whatever nuts you want)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (you could use maple, coconut, or other flavoring if you like)

Bring sugar and water to a boil. Let boil for 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat. Add the nuts. Keep in simmer until the mixture gets thicker, around 7-20 minutes. Turn off heat and add vanilla. Let stand for a minute. Put nuts on wax paper to let set. 

I find that sometimes the liquid takes a lot of time to thicken so make sure you keep an eye on it, to make sure it doesn't burn.

Tip: If the mixture is not thick enough or your nuts are drying after you've put them out on the wax paper stick them in a frying pan and "fry" them to crisp up the coating. Sometimes when the nuts get a little burnt in this process they taste even better, bringing out more of the flavors. 

Here's another great option, super easy!

Baking My Way: Chocolate-Nut Wafers

These cookies have a very interesting taste with the cinnamon in them but it's a refreshing change from the usual chocolate cookie or wafer.  This would be a nice treat to go with tea or coffee.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS
In large bowl, combine sugar, margarine, chocolate, vanilla and egg; blend well. Add all remaining ingredients; blend well. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into roll 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap; refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.

Heat oven to 400°F. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 400°F. for 6 to 8 minutes or until set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

Cool the chocolate slightly before adding to the other ingredients.

Press a nut half (of the same variety used in the dough) into the top of each cookie before baking.

How To Cook A Turkey

Step 1: If using a frozen turkey, thaw in its original plastic wrapper in the fridge. Allow for 5 hours per pound.

Quicker method: Cover the turkey with cold water (the sink is a good place for this), changing every 30 minutes; allow 1 hour per pound (500 g).

Step 2: Prepare the turkey by removing giblets and neck. Rinse and wipe the cavity; sprinkle with salt and pepper or stuff (with stuffing of course!) lightly using skewers to fasten skin over the cavity or my suggestion; do both!

Step 3: Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in roasting pan. Brush with melted butter or oil (I also pour some chicken broth in the bottom of the pan for gravy later). Tent loosely with foil. Roast in 325F (160C) oven for about 20 minutes per pound (500 g) or until juices run clear when turkey is pierced and when thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180F (82C) for a stuffed turkey or 170F (77C) for an unstuffed turkey. Remove tent for last hour of roasting. (at this point I usually take some of the juices and run them then over the top to give it more of a nice crisp skin)

Step 4: When turkey is done, transfer to warm platter. Tent with foil and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes. This allows time for juices at the surface of the bird to distribute evenly throughout the meat.

Step 5: Carve turkey. Eat and enjoy!

Have any good ideas, or substitutes for this....share them, leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!!