Angel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Posted: January 7, 2012 Filed under: Cookies | Tags: chocolate chip, cookie, drop cookie 1 Comment »
Ingredients:
1 c. salted butter, softened
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
3 1/2-oz. pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. flour
2 c. (12 oz.) chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat together butter, sugars, pudding mix, baking soda, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Add flour and stir together. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet (roughly 1 tbsp.-sized, 2 inches apart). Bake for 7-10 minutes. Let rest on cookie sheet about 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Spritz Butter Cookies
Posted: January 2, 2012 Filed under: Cookies, Original Recipes | Tags: cookie, dipped, lemon, original recipe, spritz cookie Leave a comment »
Ingredients:
1 c. salted butter
1 c. margarine
2 eggs
2 c. confectioner’s sugar
5 c. flour
2 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cream butter, margarine, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, then add flour. Press dough through a cookie press. Bake for 7-10 minutes.
Lemon-dipped Spritz Variation:
Stir together 1 c. confectioner’s sugar and 10 drops of lemon extract. Add whole milk 1 tbsp. at a time, until glaze reaches desired consistency. Drizzle on cooled cookies.
Carrot Coconut Scones
Posted: November 28, 2011 Filed under: Scones | Tags: a Baked recipe, breakfast, carrot, coconut, scone Leave a comment »
Ingredients for Scones:
2 3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. rolled oats
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in. chunks
1 egg
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/4 c. carrot puree*
1 egg white, beaten
Ingredients for Glaze:
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. orange juice
1 c. confectioners’ sugar
*To make an easy carrot puree, place 1 medium carrot in a microwaveable dish with 1/4 c. orange juice. Cover and microwave on high for about 5 minutes or until carrot is fork-tender. Blend in food processor until smooth.
Make the scones: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, baking powder, salt, and shredded sweetened coconut. Add the butter. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture is coarse.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and carrot puree. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until the dough just comes together.
Gently knead the dough; if sticky, sprinkle with flour. Roll up and flatten into a disk about 1 1/2 inches high; do not overwork the dough. Cut into 6-8 wedges and place on the prepared baking sheet. Whisk egg white with 1 tbsp. water, then brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze: Whisk all glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl, adjusting the consistency to achieve a loose drizzle. Drizzle over cooled scones and allow to set.
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Posted: November 28, 2011 Filed under: Pies | Tags: pie, pumpkin, spiced, vegan Leave a comment »
Ingredients for Crust:
2 1/2 c. fine whole-wheat flour
2/3 c. vegan margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 tbsp. cold water
2-3 tbsp. soymilk
Cinnamon-sugar for sprinkling
Ingredients for Filling:
15 oz. canned pumpkin
9 oz. firm tofu, drained and patted dry
2/3 c. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. molasses
1 heaping tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
pinch of cloves
Preheat over to 350°F.
Make the crust: Blend flour, butter, and salt until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the water 1 tbsp. at a time, until dough comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead briefly, then form into a circle; roll out to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the edges and reserve the trimmings.
Make the filling: Put all filling ingredients in either a food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Pour into prepared pie plate.
Reroll the pastry trimmings, cut into strips, brush with soymilk, and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Arrange in a lattice pattern on top of filled pie.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until the filling is just set and the topping crisp.
Peanut Butter Tandy Kakes
Posted: October 9, 2011 Filed under: Brownies & Bars | Tags: bar cookie, chocolate, favorite recipe, knockoff recipe, peanut butter Leave a comment »
Ingredients:
4 eggs
3 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. sugar
1 c. whole milk
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. smooth peanut butter
8 oz. milk chocolate
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 11×17-in. pan.
Cream eggs, 2 tbsp. oil, vanilla, and sugar; beat 3-5 minutes. Alternate adding flour and milk; beat well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.
Spread peanut butter over cooled cake. Chill until solid.
Over low heat, melt chocolate and 1 tbsp. oil. Spread over peanut butter. Chill until set.
Rosemary Apricot Squares
Posted: September 21, 2011 Filed under: Brownies & Bars | Tags: a Baked recipe, apricot, bar cookie, fruit, herbs, pecans, rosemary Leave a comment »
Ingredients for Shortbread:
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, minced
12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in. cubes, at room temp.
1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3/4 tsp vanilla.
Ingredients for Apricot Filling:
2 c. dried apricots (about 8 1/2 oz.)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. brandy
Pinch of salt
Ingredients for Crumb Topping:
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c. pecans, coarsely chopped and toasted
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
Make the shortbread crust: Lightly spray a 9-in. square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to just overhang on two sides.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and rosemary. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla at medium speed until fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Turn mixer to low, then stream in the flour mixture. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with floured hands. Place the pan in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the crust until it is golden, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Make the apricot filling: Place the apricots, sugar, honey, brandy, and salt in a medium saucepan with 1 1/2 c. water and simmer over low heat for 40-50 minutes, or until the apricots are fork-tender and most of the liquid has evaporated or thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the mixture to release excess steam. Scrape the apricot mixture into a food processor and puree until smooth.
Make the crumb topping: In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, pecans, and salt. Mix on low speed for 15 seconds. Add the butter and mix until a sandy crumb begins to form, about 1 minute.
Assemble the squares: Spread the apricot filling over the shortbread, then sprinkle the crumb topping over the filling. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until the crumb has browned. Let the pastry cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan, then lift it out using the parchment paper overhang and cut it into bars.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Posted: September 11, 2011 Filed under: Cookies | Tags: chocolate, chocolate chip, cookie, vegan Leave a comment »
Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) soy butter (such as Earth Balance)
2 tbsp. ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp. warm water (allow to sit for 2 minutes)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. vegan chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 300°F. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt. In large bowl, mix (do not beat) the brown sugar, white sugar, soy butter, flax mixture, and vanilla; add the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.
Form cookies into 1-inch balls and place about 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let sit on cookie sheet for several minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Banana Cream Pie
Posted: September 5, 2011 Filed under: Pies | Tags: a Martha Stewart recipe, banana, cream filling, fruit, pie Leave a comment »
Ingredients:
1 9-in. pie crust dough (Click here for my favorite recipe!)
4 egg yolks + 1 whole egg, lightly beaten
3 c. whole milk
2/3 c. sugar
5 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
7-8 medium ripe bananas
1 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 12-in. round, a bit less than 1/4-in. thick. Fit dough into a 9-in. glass pie plate. Trim crust to a 1/2-in. overhang, then crimp edges. Prick dough all over with a fork. Brush the crimped edges with the whole, beaten egg. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Line chilled pie shell with parchment paper, leaving a 1-in. overhang. Fill with pie weights. Bake until the edges of the crust are just beginning to turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights, then continue baking until golden all over, another 15 to 20 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool completely.
Fill a large bowl with ice cubes for an ice bath, and set aside. In a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. In a saucepan, whisk together milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Bring to a simmer (do not boil) and cook, whisking constantly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour about a quarter of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks to temper, then whisk in the remaining milk mixture. Strain into a clean saucepan, then cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Set the bowl in the ice bath until completely chilled, about 30-40 minutes. (You can keep the covered custard in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.)
Cut 3-4 bananas into 1/4-in. slices, slightly on a bias. Arrange the slices in the cooled pie crust, overlapping so as to completely fill the crust. Cover with the custard, smoothing into an even layer; place in refrigerator as you make the whipped cream. Combine cream and confectioners’ sugar in large bowl; beat until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream on top of custard. Refrigerate the assembled pie, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Just before serving, cut remaining bananas in half crosswise, then thinly sliced lengthwise. Arrange in slightly overlapping rows on the top of the whipped cream.
Classic Pie Dough
Posted: September 5, 2011 Filed under: Pies | Tags: a Baked recipe, favorite recipe, pie crust 1 Comment »
Ingredients:
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
3/4 c. cold water + several ice cubes.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. Combine water with ice cubes until it is very cold.
Cut the cold butter into cubes and toss them in the flour mixture to coat. Blend in the butter using a pastry cutter or fork (or pulse in a food processor) until the butter pieces are the size of hazelnuts. Slowly drizzle in the ice water, and continuing blending (or pulsing) until the dough comes together in a ball. (Only use as much water as you need for the dough to come together.)
Divide dough in half. Flatten each piece into a disk and wrap each disk first in parchment paper, then in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 1 hour. [The dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen up to 3 months. (Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator before proceeding with your recipe.)]
Yields enough dough for two single-crust 9-in pies, or one double-crust pie.
Sweet Basil & Olive Oil Cupcakes
Posted: August 29, 2011 Filed under: Cupcakes | Tags: a Christabel Martin recipe, basil, cupcake, herbs, lemon, olive oil, orange Leave a comment »
Ingredients for Cupcakes:
3 eggs
1 c. superfine sugar
3 tsp. finely grated orange zest (about 1 med. orange)
3 tsp. finely grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
3/4 c. olive oil
2 1/2 c. self-rising flour
1/3 c. whole milk
1/3 c. orange juice (about 1 med. orange)
Ingredients for Frosting:
3 c. confectioners’ sugar
1/3 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c. whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. finely chopped basil
Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 14 standard muffin cups. (This recipe also works well as mini cupcakes; reduce baking time by about 5 minutes.)
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Add the zests, then stir in the olive oil. Sift in the flour alternately with the milk and orange juice. Stir gently for about 30 seconds; do not overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the muffins cups. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean when inserted in the center of a cake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Make the frosting: Place butter, milk, vanilla, basil, and half the confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar until frosting is at desired, thick consistency. Frost each cooled cake, then decorate with another small basil leaf or two, if desired.
