Sparkling St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookies

sparkingstpatrickscookiesThis weekend I stood in the baking aisle of my local craft store, staring at the “sorry, we’re out” tag hanging from the rod where the green sanding sugar should have been. To the left were dinosaur sprinkles; to the right, some type of “cactus mix.” And while I’d love to bake with dino and cactus sprinkles someday, I really needed plain old green sanding sugar for my sparkling shamrock cut-outs. To the grocery store I went, only to meet the same fate.

And so I returned home, consulted the internet, and made my own colored sugar. You could probably use regular granulated sugar, but I used the larger crystals known as sanding sugar that you can get at baking supply and craft stores. I had a bottle of white, so I placed about a half-cup in a glass container, added a few drops of green gel food coloring, and shook the container until all the granules were coated. I’m very pleased with how it turned out; the light shade of the shamrocks goes well with the gold coins, all of which are on their way to my favorite young ladies in Maryland, Mo and Margo.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla
  • Green and yellow sanding sugar

Preparation

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add vanilla and about half the flour mixture, beating until combined; beat in remaining flour. If necessary, add 1-2 teaspoons of water for a less crumbly dough; you’ll need a more pliable dough to roll and cut later.

Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until just barely firm, about 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper, then place green sanding sugar on a plate; place yellow on another.

Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into shamrock shapes, then press the tops of each cookie into the green sugar to coat. Repeat with a small round cutter for coins and press into the yellow sugar. Place on baking sheets about 1-2 inches apart – they don’t spread much when baking, but you don’t want to crowd your baking sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheets for 2-3 minutes before carefully transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days; if shipping, pack between layers of waxed paper. Makes about 3 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Apple Cider Donut Cake

apple cider donut cakePinterest is the ultimate rabbit hole for me, taking me down winding paths of cookies, pies, cakes, and all manner of treats. Some recipes turn out well while others leave a lot to be desired, and I’m happy to say that this apple cider donut cake from Broma Bakery is one that turned out very well.

The flavor profile is absolutely delicious; apple and cinnamon, with a hint of nutmeg. I added nutmeg to my sugar coating as well for an extra kick, because it’s one of my favorite spices. While coating the cake is a messy business, it’s well worth the trouble. Alternatively, you could just whip up a cider glaze for an easier option. As you can see in the photo below, even Tucker was interested. Much to his chagrin, he didn’t get a slice.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 2 3/4 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 2/3 cup applesauce
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 12 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature

For the coating

  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour a standard 10-cup Bundt pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; set aside. In a medium glass measuring cup, combine applesauce and apple cider; set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle (or whisk, as the original recipe is written) attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs and mix to combine. Add flour mixture and applesauce mixture in three batches alternatively, mixing to just combine between each.

Pour batter into Bundt pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for about 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

While the cake is still warm, brush it with melted butter. Stir together coating ingredients of sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and sprinkle over the top, then press into the sides of the cake. This is a bit messy, but it’s worth it. Serve warm or allow to cool and serve at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Makes about 16 servings.

tucker with donut cakeAt left, Tucker lingers in the kitchen hoping for a taste of what to him looks like one giant donut. His begging endeavors proved unsuccessful. 

Applesauce Raisin Cookies

applesauce raisin cookiesMike worked from home last week, so when I sought out something to bake, he requested “some kind of applesauce cookie.” At first I planned to just make an old reliable oatmeal applesauce cookie, but instead I searched Pinterest and found a recipe at Savory Experiments that I adapted to include golden raisins, as Mike is a raisin fan.

This recipe yields a very tender, cake-like cookie that you could certainly leave plain, but I decided to jazz up with an apple cider drizzle icing. The original recipe called for a melted white chocolate drizzle, which you could certainly do if you’re a white chocolate fan (I’m not). The cookies look incredibly homemade regardless, but they definitely look better with a drizzle on them. My un-drizzled cookies reminded me a bit of rocks – definitely not appetizing!

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 2 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2/3 cup applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins

For the drizzle

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons apple cider

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and applesauce and mix to combine; stir in flour until just combined, then fold in raisins.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, drop scoops of dough onto prepared baking sheets and flatten slightly with your hand. Bake for 10 – 14 minutes, until edges are set and bottoms are just brown; cookies will puff up when baking, so you want to ensure they have enough time to fully bake inside. Remove from oven and remove to a wire rack to cool.

To make drizzle, combine powdered sugar and enough cider to make a drizzly consistency; drizzle over cookies. Allow to set before storing in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper. Cookies can sit at room temperature for 3-4 days. Makes 24.

Cinnamon Crisp Coffee Cake

cinnamoncrispcoffeecakeEvery year, King Arthur Baking – one of my favorite product makers and recipe sources – publishes their “recipe of the year.” For 2023, it’s this cinnamon crisp coffee cake, an aromatic creation that I already plan to tweak.

No offense to the fine folks at KAB; they are genius bakers and know far more about baking than I ever will. But the recipe includes a cocoa-cinnamon filling, and for me, it was an odd combination. Next time, I think I’d like to use some nutmeg, or maybe some orange zest. But that’s the beauty of baking – once you find a good base recipe, you can tweak it however you like to get the flavors you want.

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon*
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

For the crumb topping

  • 1 cup flour
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon*
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake

  • 2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk

For the glaze

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 2-3 teaspoons water

*If using regular cinnamon, increase quantity to 1 tablespoon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking tin with parchment paper, extending over the sides.

Make your filling layer: Combine sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder and set aside.

Make your crumb topping: Combine flour, sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cubed butter and vanilla and rub in with your fingers until no dry spots remain; you should have irregular crumbs varying in size.

Make your batter: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add butter and mix on low speed until sandy, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and eggs until no dry spots remain; scrape down your bowl, then slowly pour in buttermilk with the mixer running on low speed and mix until batter is smooth.

Pour about 1 1/2 cups of batter into the parchment-lined tin; top with filling in an even layer. Spoon remaining batter over the filling and use an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer; some of your filling will probably peek through the top of the batter, and that’s okay. Top with crumb mixture, pressing gently to help it stick.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool to room temperature, then prepare glaze: In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and cinnamon; add enough water to make a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake. Store at room temperature for a few days; this cake did dry out for me a bit faster than I’d expected, but I think it’s because I kept it in a cake dome instead of tightly wrapped. Makes about 8-10 servings, depending on how generously you slice it.

Apricot Thumbprints

apricot thumbprintsThumbprint cookies: you know you love them. But do you prefer thumbprints with a blob of icing in the middle, or jam? For me, it depends on the day. And yesterday I decided that an apricot thumbprint would be a great idea, thanks to the jar of apricot preserves I had on hand. Fortunately I found this recipe from Knead Some Sweets, and it is absolutely delicious; I adapted it slightly because I didn’t have salted butter on hand, but you can always just add some salt to your dough to make up for that.

This dough is incredibly buttery – and honestly would make a great cookie on its own, without any thumbprinting. You could certainly substitute a different jam if you like, but I think the sharper apricot flavor balances the buttery flavor of the dough really well. These would be great with raspberry or blackberry jam, too.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • About 1/2 cup apricot preserves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars, and salt until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat to combine, then add flour and mix on low to combine completely.

Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, scoop generous portions of dough and roll into balls – you want the portions to be about the size of a gumball, or walnut. Place on the baking sheets and use a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to make the thumbprint indentation. Spoon (or pipe from a piping bag, as I did) apricot preserves into the thumbprints. You can be a little more generous with your preserves, as these cookies spread a bit when baking and you’ll want the preserves to fill out the thumbprint.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden. Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Makes 27.

Chocolate Chip Snowballs

chocolatechipsnowballsThe Russian tea cake is one of my favorite cookies. Many different recipes exist for treats like these; some are called wedding cookies, and others snowballs. Some use pecans instead of the classic walnuts, and I recently came across a version that used miniature chocolate chips. That sounded delicious to me, so I decided to whip up a batch and add some orange extract for a chocolate-orange hint.

While they are delicious, I think orange zest would have been a better addition to my dough, so that’s what I’ll use next time. I also scaled back the amount of mini chocolate chips in the dough from the original, which recommended a full cup. You could certainly go with that quantity if you like, but I think a half-cup (or maybe three-quarters to split the difference) gives a better balance between the flavor of the dough and the little morsels of chocolate.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  • Powdered sugar, for rolling

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir together flour and salt; set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and orange extracts and beat to combine. Add flour mixture and mix on low until the dough comes together; stir in chocolate chips.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, scoop out dough and roll into balls. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are just golden. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, until cookies are easier to handle. Roll in powdered sugar and allow to cool completely on wire racks. Re-roll before storing in an airtight container at room temperature; keep for 2-3 days. Makes about 18 cookies; for a higher yield, use a 1-inch cookie scoop.

Italian Butter Cookies

italianbuttercookiesThe butter cookie is a simple yet amazingly delicious creation. You know them well – there are Danish varieties, Italian varieties, British varieties, and more, all made with simple ingredients and either formed or piped into fun shapes. I desperately wanted those beautiful cookies with defined ridges in them…but alas, my dough was too soft and the cookies spread significantly when they baked.

The challenge with a piped butter cookie is that the dough needs to be soft enough to fit through your piping bag nozzle, but sturdy enough to keep its shape when baked without spreading into things that look like, well, goodness knows what. My dough certainly wasn’t sturdy enough, but these cookies are beyond delicious. I found the recipe below at Cucina By Elena and Mike has proclaimed it one of the best things I’ve ever made.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers
  • Multicolored sprinkles

Preparation

In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt; set aside. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until very light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Slowly add flour mixture until the dough comes together.

Fit a piping bag with a large tip; I used both the Wilton M1 and 4B for different textures. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper; I clip mine to the baking sheets with small binder clips to hold it in place. Pipe desired shapes; I did wreaths, swirls, S-shapes, and finger-type shapes. Freeze piped cookies for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cookies one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, until edges are just turning golden. Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To decorate, melt chocolate wafers and dip cookies as desired; I also created sandwiches with my finger-style cookies, kind of like a Milano cookie. Store in an airtight container and room temperature for 2-3 days. Makes about three dozen, depending on the size of your cookies.

Rum Cake

rum cakeMike requested a rum cake for Christmas this year, and I found this great recipe at King Arthur Baking. One surprise ingredient is the packet of instant vanilla pudding mix, which adds both sweetness and moisture. It’s a wonderful addition, and I’m sure I’ll make other cakes with this technique in the future.

I think Captain Jack Sparrow, my favorite rum-loving pirate, would approve of this cake. Between the batter and syrup, there’s a full cup of rum in it. I used light rum rather than dark because I wanted a lighter flavor, but you could use dark or spiced if you prefer.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3.4 ounce packet of instant vanilla pudding mix (not sugar-free)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup light rum (I used Havana Club)
  • 1/4 cup almond flour, for dusting the Bundt pan, sifted

For the syrup

  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup rum
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with sifted almond flour; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour (either weighed or scooped and leveled into a measuring cup), sugar, pudding mix, baking powder, salt, butter, and vegetable oil. Mix on low speed until the mixture looks sandy. Beat in milk, then add eggs, one at a time, scraping down your bowl a few times to ensure everything combines completely. Stir in rum and vanilla extract. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside while you make the syrup.

For the syrup, combine butter, water, sugar, salt, and rum in a medium saucepan. Bring to a full boil then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Poke holes all over the cake using a skewer and ladle over about 1/4 cup of the syrup, allowing it to soak in completely before you add the next 1/4 cup. Repeat with remaining syrup until it’s all absorbed. Cool in the pan, then cover with foil and leave at room temperature overnight to set. Full disclosure: I didn’t do this – I let it set for about 8 hours, then turned it onto my cake plate. If you do leave it to sit overnight and the cake sticks to the pan because of the syrup, turn your oven on at 350 degrees and allow the cake to sit inside as it heats up for about 10 minutes to loosen the syrup. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Makes about 16 slices.

Land of Sweets Cupcakes

landofsweetscupcakesOne of my favorite things about Christmas is the Nutcracker ballet. They have a Land of Sweets, my friends, a wonderful place where they celebrate chocolate, coffee, tea, candy canes, marzipan, and ginger with special dances and the person in charge is the Sugar Plum Fairy. Sounds like somewhere I’d love to live, maybe open a little bake shop and spend plenty of time hiking in the enchanted, snow-covered woods. 

Anyway…I’ve had a few Nutcracker-themed cupcake ideas for a while now, and in the absence of readily available sugar plum jam, I’ve turned to the Land of Sweets for inspiration. Flavor-wise, they’re a vanilla almond cupcake with triple berry buttercream, and you could top them with whatever sweets you like; I chose Hershey’s Kisses, nonpareils, Dots, and some fun holiday-themed sprinkles.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

For the cupcakes

  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

For the frosting and decoration

  • 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • About 1/3 cup Bonne Maman Mixed Berry Preserves
  • 1 teaspoon milk
  • Hershey’s Kisses (I used the new Hot Cocoa kind)
  • Large nonpareils
  • Dots candies
  • Sprinkles of your choice; I found two holiday mixes at Joann that included snowflakes, gingerbread men, and peppermint-swirl candy shapes

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners; this recipe yields 14 cupcakes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Place eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and continue to beat for another 30 seconds. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and canola oil and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.

Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively in three batches, beginning and ending with the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently. Batter will be very thin.

Using a quarter-cup measuring cup, scoop batter into prepared cupcake liners, filling half full. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before frosting.

To make the frosting, in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and beat until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter; this will take a few minutes. Add preserves and 1 teaspoon milk; you need a pipable consistency, not too stiff or thin. 

Fit a large piping bag with your tip of choice; I used the Wilton 199 open star, which is good for shell-type patterns. Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cupcake, then top with candies and sprinkles. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days; refrigerate if storing for longer, and bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 14 cupcakes. 

Anise Twists

anisetwistsEveryone knows a cookie like this: tender, lightly flavored, and absolutely delicious, the type of thing you know someone’s grandma or favorite aunt always made around Christmas. Such are these anise twists, my spin on the traditional anise love knot, because I just couldn’t seem to make knots. There are several recipes for this type of cookie out there, and the recipe below is a hybrid of those. 

I will absolutely, positively make these cookies again, though probably in smaller sizes and perhaps just as round cookies next time; I might also dial back the anise flavoring slightly, because they left me with a stronger aftertaste than I’d expected. Mike loved them, especially how only one side of the cookie is dipped in the icing; he has requested an almond version dipped in chocolate that could accompany coffee, so stay tuned. 

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour 
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon anise extract

For the icing

  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon anise extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk
  • Multicolored nonpareils

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Sift together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar until light in color, about 3 minutes. Add melted butter and anise and stir to combine. With the mixer running on low, add flour about 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until completely combined. 

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in additional 2 tablespoons flour. Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough and roll into 8-inch ropes. Twist together and place on baking sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes, until bottoms are just golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make icing, stir together melted butter, powdered sugar, anise, and enough milk to make a dipping consistency. Carefully dip the top of one end of each cookie into the icing (or use a spoon to pour over; these cookies are incredibly delicate and a few of mine broke in the dipping process). Sprinkle with nonpareils. Allow to set before storing; makes 20.