Shortbread

shortbreadFlour, salt, butter, and powdered sugar are all you need to create this classic shortbread. Even if you’re not a baker, I bet you can make this.

The possibilities for shortbread are endless; there are plenty of flavorings you could add, and you could dip it in chocolate or drizzle it with some kind of glaze. But believe me when I tell you, this cookie needs no such frills; it is a delicious, simple, salty-sweet treat that would go very well with tea or coffee.

Martha Stewart bakes hers in a tart pan, but I took my dough and made a circle on parchment, then cut it with a pizza cutter into 16 even wedges. You could probably roll this out – though it might stick to your rolling pin – and cut it into shapes, but just once, try making it in the classic wedges. You won’t be sorry, I promise.

 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher (or other coarse) salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Preparation

Position oven rack in the upper third and preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift flour and salt together; set aside.

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add powdered sugar about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl between additions.

Add flour mixture all at once and beat until just combined.

Shape dough into a ball, then flatten into an 8-inch disc. Prick all over with a fork, then cut into 16 even wedges (a pizza cutter works very well).

Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the edges are just golden brown. You may have to increase baking time depending on your oven.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet; gently break wedges apart and store in an airtight container.

 

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

pumpkin streusel muffinsPumpkin is not just for fall cooking and baking, my friends. Pumpkin puree is available year-round, making pumpkin treats like muffins, quick breads, smoothies, even pumpkin ravioli a possibility in any season.

These muffins are similar to coffee cake, and I admit, they could use some ginger. I didn’t realize I was out of ginger until I started whipping up this batch yesterday, and I figured the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice would hold their own. While these muffins are definitely tasty, and the crunchy streusel topping gives them great texture, next time I’ll add about 1/2 teaspoon of ginger to the mix.

I also think these muffins could benefit from a light drizzle or glaze, made from powdered sugar and water and maybe a dash or two of cinnamon. Next time, perhaps!

Ingredients

For the streusel topping

  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the muffins

  • 1 2/3 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus an extra dash if you like
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 8 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with paper liners.

Make the streusel: in a small bowl combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Rub in the butter with your hands until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans; set aside.

Make the muffins: In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl whisk melted butter, eggs, and pumpkin puree until well-combined.

Add pumpkin mixture to dry mixture and stir to incorporate so that no dry streaks remain.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin tins. Top each with a tablespoon of streusel mix.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in tins for a minute or two, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. These muffins could also be served warm.

Owl Cupcakes

IMG_3766My goddaughter Maureen just turned four a few days ago. When asked what kind of cupcakes she wanted for her birthday party, she said “both,” meaning both cupcakes and frosting. So her mom, my cousin Barb, asked again – what did Mo want the cupcakes to taste like? She answered “pink.” Hmm.

Mo’s birthday party was held at a nature center near her house, where we learned about owls, turtles, and other Southern Maryland wildlife, so her cupcakes were nature-themed. While I don’t know if there are any pink owls in nature, there certainly were at her party.

Mo helped me bake the cupcakes and make the frosting, and she’s a great helper. As she licked a frosting-coated beater, I asked her if it tasted pink, and she said “yep!” Mission accomplished.

Note: the recipe below is designed to feed a crowd and yields 45 cupcakes. You can adjust as necessary to make fewer if you don’t need this many. Also, we did a dozen owls and then used M&Ms to make caterpillars, flowers, and mushrooms on other cupcakes, so if you want all owls, you’ll just need to adjust the quantity of sandwich cookies for the eyes.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 3 3/4 cups cake flour
  • 3 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 6 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • red liquid food coloring

For the frosting & decoration

  • 1 recipe vegan vanilla frosting
  • red liquid food coloring
  • cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
  • M&M candies

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

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 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. Add a few drops of red food coloring at a time until you reach your desired color; remember, batter will lighten as cupcakes bake. Batter will be very thin.

Using a quarter-cup measuring cup, scoop batter into prepared pans. Bake for 12-13 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before frosting and decorating.

To frost and decorate:

Prepare vanilla frosting, reserving a small amount to use as “glue” for the owl eyes. Add a few drops of red liquid food coloring to the frosting with your mixer running on low to medium speed to achieve a light pink color.

For the owls:

Twist apart chocolate sandwich cookies carefully, leaving the cream all on one side. Reserve plain sides for another use, like making a pudding pie crust.

Place two cookie halves on each cupcake; dot with white frosting, then place an M&M for the pupil on each eye. Add another M&M for the beak.

For the other nature-themed cupcakes:

Place M&Ms as you like; we made caterpillars with green bodies and red heads, flowers, and a few cupcakes that were totally covered in M&Ms to look like mushrooms.

Serve very shortly after cupcakes are decorated, as the cookies will begin to soften from the moisture in the frosting.

IMG_3780Here, Mo and I are relaxing in the hollowed-out trunk of an enormous tree. Birthday parties for four-year-olds can take a lot out of you…especially if you’re the guest of honor. 

 

Banana Coffee Cake

banana coffee cakeWhen one’s bananas are overripe, banana bread is an obvious solution. But this time, I wanted to do something different…and so to the internet I went. On another blog, Tide and Thyme, I discovered the recipe below, and although I still think the preparation process is a bit odd everyone proclaimed the end results to be delicious.

Next time, I’d reduce the streusel quantity by about a quarter, as it seemed like a bit much. I’d also add a drizzle icing, which was included in the original recipe but I didn’t use this time – and I’d make it a chocolate drizzle. I might also toss some pecans into the streusel for extra crunch.

Ingredients

For the streusel:

  • 12 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cake:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside.

Make the streusel: in a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or rub in with your hands, like I did) until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs; set aside.

Make the cake: in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat bananas until they become liquefied. Add butter and mix until combined; the mixture will look very lumpy but that’s okay. Add sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla and mix until combined.

With the mixer running on low, carefully add flour and mix until just combined. The batter will be fairly thin for a cake, but this is okay.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan; cover with streusel mixture, then top with remaining batter and remaining streusel.

Bake 50-55 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.

Toffee Saltines

Sweet SaltinesRecipes for this treat – which has various names, including “Christmas Crack” – are everywhere. My Aunt Liz makes a version that she calls pecan pralines, involving graham crackers, toffee, and pecans. I didn’t have enough graham crackers to make that version, so I’ve used the standard saltine instead.

The great thing about this treat is that it can be customized however you like. I’ve created both a plain, toffee and pecan-only version and a chocolate version, the photo of which appears below. You could add toffee bits, butterscotch chips, various nuts, or other candies if you’d like.

The non-chocolate version is for my mom, who will be coming to Christmas dinner later today. She’s been known to arrive at my house after running various errands in need of a snack, and her go-to question is always “got any crackers?” Merry Christmas, Mum.

Note: the following recipe creates a “half and half” pan of toffee saltines – half with chocolate, and half without.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 sleeves saltine crackers
  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups butter
  • About 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • About 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray very lightly with cooking or baking spray.

Place crackers on the baking sheet in a single layer.

In a medium saucepan, melt brown sugar and butter, stirring frequently. Bring to a full, rolling boil; once mixture reaches a full, rolling boil, allow it to boil for three minutes without stirring.

Remove from heat and pour over crackers, spreading carefully with a spatula to fully cover.

Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle half of the crackers with pecans. Sprinkle remaining half with chocolate chips and let stand for a minute or two so the chips begin to melt. Spread the chocolate on the remaining half of the crackers, then sprinkle with pecans.

Allow to cool completely before breaking into pieces.

Sweet Saltines with Chocolate

Chewy Gingersnaps

chewy gingersnapsTomorrow, there is a cookie contest in my new office. I had a hard time deciding what to make – after all, there are dozens of cookie recipes on this blog and hundreds more in the cookbooks that line my shelves. My awesome cousin Barb suggested that I go with a cookie that everyone has had, knowing that my version would knock their socks off. And so, I’ve chosen my chewy gingersnap, a delicious creation of molasses and spices.

Okay, so perhaps “chewy gingersnap” is an oxymoron. But what else can you call a traditional gingersnap recipe that is tweaked in molasses content and baking time to yield a chewy, soft cookie instead of the traditional crisp? Chewy gingersnap works for me.

The trick to these cookies is their baking time, and the limited time they’re allowed to cool on the baking sheets once removed from the oven. Bake them no more than eight minutes, and let them sit on your baking sheets for no more than two minutes, to ensure that they don’t become brittle.

Will I be victorious in tomorrow’s competition? Time will tell. At the very least, I’ll get to try lots of treats made my other bakers.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 2 1/2 ounces molasses*
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • I teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 cup sugar, for rolling

*I fill my glass measuring cup to the line just above the 1/4 cup line, which is about 2 1/2 ounces of molasses.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with foil. Place sugar in a small bowl.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups flour with the light brown sugar, shortening, molasses, egg, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat on medium speed until very well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.

Add remaining flour and beat until very well combined.

Using a one-inch cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls, then roll each ball in sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 8 minutes – cookies will look puffy and slightly under-baked – and cool them on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Remember, the cookies will continue baking as they cool on the baking sheets, which is why it’s very important not to over-bake them in the oven or leave them on the hot baking sheets for too long.

Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles

mexican choc snickerdoodlesWhere would the world be without chocolate? I know my life certainly wouldn’t be the same.

Chocolate is one of the most versatile ingredients in baking, when you think about it. How many other flavors go just as well with raspberries or strawberries as they do with peanut butter, almonds, or even pepper?

The pairing of chocolate with spices like cayenne fascinates me, because I wonder who first thought about doing so and how surprised people were when it turned out to be delicious. These cookies definitely have a bit of a kick, especially if you’re not used to peppery spices. If you’d prefer not to use the cayenne you can omit it, but be sure to keep the cinnamon in the sugar coating.

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add 3/4 cup white sugar and the brown sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cayenne pepper, beating well until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.

Add eggs and vanilla, beating well until combined.

Add cocoa powder and beat, then add flour about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well to combine.

Cover dough and chill for about 30 minutes, until easy to handle.

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

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.

Using a one-inch cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls, then dip in sugar and cinnamon. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are set.

Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for about 3 minutes, then place on wire racks to cool completely.

 

Pecan Pie Bars

pecan pie barsThe good news: pecans are a great source of manganese, a mineral that has many benefits to overall health. Pecans are also a good source of protein and omega-6 fatty acids, and can help lower cholesterol.

The bad news: the health benefits of pecans may be canceled out by the cup and a half of corn syrup, cup and a half of sugar, and four eggs that are also included in this recipe.

The next time I make these I think I’m going to reduce the filling ingredients by about one-fourth, so that the filling doesn’t bubble over the sides of the pan. If I do so, I’ll post an adapted recipe here so everyone can have the ratios.

These bars were for my brother Andy on his birthday, as he is a fan of pecan pie.

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into small cubes

For the filling

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 15 x 10 x 1 pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs; I also used my hands to get a more even consistency.

Press into the bottom of the pan in an even layer; bake for 20 minutes.

With a few minutes left on your crust baking time, prepare the filling. In a large bowl whisk eggs, sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in pecans.

Carefully pour filling over hot crust and return to the oven, baking for 25-30 minutes or until filling is set. Note: your pan will be very, very full so move it carefully; I placed a larger baking pan on the rack beneath mine to catch the drips, and my filling bubbled over a bit so I’m glad I did.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack completely before cutting.

Peppermint Pattie Brownies

peppermint browniesI often wonder when food producers began putting recipes on packaging, and why they chose to do so. I like to think that cooks and bakers across the world wrote letters to these producers, sharing innovative recipes they’d pioneered in their kitchens. Or, perhaps these cooks and bakers sought new ideas for what to do with sweetened condensed milk, or chocolate chips, or canned pumpkin after they’d made traditional recipes so many times.

When I picked up a bag of miniature York Peppermint Patties at Target today, I immediately thought they’d make a great addition to brownies. And of course, right there on the back was a brownie recipe that I adapted just slightly below, reducing the number of Patties because of how many were actually in the bag.

The batter rises significantly during baking, yielding an almost cake-like texture for these very rich treats. They’re quite delicious, but trust me when I say to cut them into small squares!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 sticks butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 5 eggs
  • 21 miniature York Peppermint Patties

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 baking pan with baking spray.

Unwrap patties and keep them in a cool place while you’re preparing your batter; you don’t want to set them next to your preheating oven, or the chocolate might begin to melt.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, and vanilla; stir well. Add eggs and stir until very well-blended.

Add flour mixture and stir very well to fully combine, making sure no streaks of the dry ingredients remain.

Reserve 2 cups of batter in a small bowl and pour the remaining batter into the prepared pan. Place patties on top, spacing evenly, then top with the reserved batter and smooth with a spatula for an even top surface.

Bake for 55-60 minutes; brownies are done when the edges have begun to pull away from the pan and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.

Cool completely before cutting into small squares; you’ll likely have about 36 brownies.

 

Chocolate Chip Shortbread

ccshortbread

I’ve been reading a lot of novels set in Scotland lately, and Scotland makes me think of two of my favorite treats: shortbread and scones. I’ve made chocolate chip scones before, so when I found this chocolate chip shortbread recipe on Pinterest, I thought I’d give it a try.

The dough is very easy to make and the end results are delicious, but there’s just a bit of a flaw in preparation that I’m not sure how to remedy. As I sliced through the chilled dough my knife got caught on the chocolate chips, causing it to break and crumble. This isn’t an insurmountable flaw, of course; I simply rounded up all of the broken scraps, formed another small log, and cut it into finger-like rectangles instead of squares. If anyone has any suggestions about how to prevent such an occurrence, though, I’d love to hear them.

Regardless of the preparation challenges, these treats are delicious; just salty enough, just crumbly enough, and definitely a good complement to a cup of tea…just as all good shortbread should be.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or sea salt)
  • 2 1/3 cups flour
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preparation

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, powdered sugar, and salt until very well-combined, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.

Add flour slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips; you may need to knead the dough slightly to get them well-distributed.

Roll the dough into an 8-inch square log and wrap tightly in plastic or waxed paper, then chill for 1 hour (or freeze for 30 minutes), until the log is firm.

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

Slice cookies to about 1/4 inch thickness and place on prepared baking sheets; you can slice each square in half a second time to create smaller finger-like, rectangle-shaped cookies if you like.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.