Free Recipe Card for our Cookie Exchange

I found this cute free recipe card and thought I'd share it with you.  I just printed them out for our cookie exchange for tomorrow.  I'm so excited!  However, I still haven't decided on what kind of cookies to make.  SIGH.  I'm torn between a new and updated cookies and cream cookie recipe that I came up with and a chewy ginger chocolate cookie.  I guess we'll see what kind of mood I'm in tonite.  Here is the link for the free recipe card.

Enjoy! 

Have a great weekend everyone!  :)  

P.S.  Stay dry.  I hear its gonna be raining all weekend.  

The Next Best Thing: Cupcake Push Pops

Growing up, I loved eating ice cream push ups.  I remember buying them at our school snack shop, The Buc Stop (we were the Buccanneers) during lunch recess.  It was such a simple, easy way to eat and enjoy ice cream.  For those of you who don't remember what those push ups are, here is a pic:

Most if not all of my baking trials are adapted from my fellow  baking bloggers.  They provide inspiration to my novice baking skills.  So when I came across the idea of cupcake push pops, I knew it was something that would make my baking and decorating life much simpler.  

Cake pops for example are pretty to look at, but the amount of time and effort it takes to create one is more than I would like to.  Its a very long process, especially for creating specific characters such as Hello Kitty.   There are plenty of other things I would like to do other than bake such as SLEEP. 

These are much easier to create.  All you have to do is make the batter, bake, cool, and pop one in the container and frost.  Its very convenient for those who only want to enjoy one mini cupcake at a time and save the other for later.  I made these for Kylie's BFF, Savannah's 6th birthday this past Saturday.  They were a big hit!  The only issue I saw when the kids were consuming these bad boys was they put too much pressure pushing the cupcakes out of the tube.  There were a few casualties of course, but luckily there were plenty of cupcake push pops to go around.  Happy 6th Birthday, Savannah! 

 I'm starting to finally make use of our SLR camera.  So long to blurry Blackberry pics!  ;) 

Happy Holidaze

There are 45 days 'til Christmas which means I'm in a scramble to find yummy recipes.  :P For the past few years, I've baked goodies and packaged them as gifts.  I read an article in Family Circle today (while waiting for my prenatal appointment) that people actually prefer homemade gifts; its more meaningful and what better way to a loved ones heart than their stomach? I found a bunch of recipes, but now the hardest task is narrowing that long list down.  Here are a few ideas of what I have in mind:  

Pecan Pie Cookies  Edited on 11/18/11:  I tried making these cookies this past Wednesday nite and can I just forewarn you all that this recipe is much harder than it looks.  I still have leftover pecan pie filling, so I'll be making mini pecan pie cookies instead.  They'll look like this: 

Recipe adapted from Karly

 Caramel Apple Cookies

Cinnamon French Toast Cookies

 S'mores cookies

Lemon meltaways

I've also been asked to donate some cookies for my girl's bake sale at work. All proceeds will benefit The Share Our Strength:  No Kid Hungry organization.   I'm pretty sure I'm going to make the pecan pie cookies.  It's perfect for getting folks in the Thanksgiving mood, which happens to be just around the corner.  Aiyiyi. I've started stocking up on flour, sugar, and butter but the ingredients slowly but surely have begun to dwindle as I've been baking almost every day.  I've been in a baking mood A LOT lately.  Maybe that's just my way of nesting before the baby comes?  ;) 

Happy 4th Birthday, Mikaeli!

The bf's neice is turning 4 this weekend and I'm baking these adorable frog shaped royal icing cookies (Princess and the Frog themed birthday):

Luckily Sugar and Spice in Daly City carries frog cookie cutters.  I plan on using fondant for the eyes and piping all the other details using royal icing.  I'll post pics this weekend.  

 As you can see, the frogs are missing the hearts on their cheeks.  I had such a difficult time piping for some reason and was only able to successfully decorate 12 out of 3 dozen+ cookies.  I was tired, had a headache, and the baby kept kicking me throughout the cookie making process.  It was a baking disaster!  Needless to say, I was exhausted and had a huge headache the day of the party.  :(  

Below you will find the sugar cookie and royal icing recipes.  I may do a batch of chocolate and regular sugar cookies since the chocolate ones were a big hit for Halloween.  

These are a few pics of Yo Gabba Gabba cookies I made last year for Mika's birthday:

Look at how small my old oven was compared to the cookies.  Crazy how much baking I did in such a small space.  This was my first attempt at royal icing but I promise I'm much better now...I think. ;)


Sugar Cookie Recipe

taken from Cookie Craft

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla* or 1 teaspoon vanilla plus zest of 1 lemon
food coloring (if cookie design calls for it)

*Instead of vanilla, you can use other extracts such as almond or peppermint.

1. Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Using your mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla (and lemon zest, if you're using it) or your extract of choice and mix until well blended.

3. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until the two are thoroughly blended.

4. If your cookie design calls for adding food coloring, do so now, and continue blending until desired color is reached and is evenly incorporated.

5. Turn out dough onto work surface and divide into two or three equal portions, form each one into a rough disk.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7. After you have rolled and cut the dough and the cookie shapes are on parchment-lined cookie sheets, bake them in the middle rack of the oven for 12-16 minutes or until the cookies start to turn slightly golden around the edges.

8. Cool cookies completely on a rack before icing or decorating.

Yield
2 1/2-inch cookies--about 30
3 1/2-inch cookies--about 16
4 1/2-inch cookies--about 12

 

Royal Icing taken from Bridget 

4 TBSP meringue powder
scant 1/2 c. water
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp light corn syrup
few drops clear extract (optional)

1.  Combine the meringue powder and water. With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat until combined and foamy. 

2.  Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low to combine. (Do NOT skip the sifting!) 

3.  Add in the corn syrup and extract if desired. ( I think the corn syrup helps keep the icing shiny.)  Increase speed to med-high/high and beat for about 5 minutes, just until the icing is glossy and stiff peaks form. 

4.  (You should be able to remove the beater from the mixer and hold up and jiggle without the peak falling.) Do not overbeat.

5.  Cover with plastic wrap touching the icing or divide and color using gel paste food colorings.  (I use both Wilton and AmeriColor food colors). 



 

Post Halloween Candy Making

Now that the Halloween festivities are over, I've got more than half a bag of candy corn sitting on my kitchen counter.  There is nothing more annoying than having a big, bright orange bag just laying around...right next to Ruby, my Kitchen Aid standing mixer.  (Don't you just love her name?) I need to get rid of this bag STAT and found this homemade butterfinger recipe on Karly's blog.   

I'm going to make these into truffles using a tiny cookie cutter and possibly add fleur de sel on top as the chocolate sets.   I will post pics as soon as I make them tonite.  :)  But for all you visualists, here's the finished product:  

Photo courtesy of Karly

Pic from my blackberry

Ingredients

• 3 cups candy corn
• 1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
• milk chocolate chips or candy melts, for dipping **I used dark chocolate candy melts of course

Instructions

1. Place the candy corn in a large bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and return to microwave. Continue heating for 30 seconds and then stirring until it is completely melted.
2. Stir in the peanut butter. The heat from the candy corn should melt the peanut butter, but if not return to the microwave for 15 seconds. Stir to combine.
3. Spread the mixture into an 8x8 baking dish lined with parchment paper. Smooth it out evenly in the pan. Let cool for one hour and then use a pizza cutter to slice into bars. **I let the candy mixture chill for about 10 minutes before using a larger piping tip as a cookie cutter.  I wanted to make sure the mixture was stiff enough to maintain its shape but soft enough to remove the tip.  Let me know if this makes sense. 
4. Melt the chocolate chips or candy melts in the microwave. ** I used my handy dandy Wilton melting pot. 
5. Carefully dip the candy bars into the melted chocolate and turn to coat.
6. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and wait for the chocolate to set. ** I added a bit of fleur de sel for more flavor. 
7. Store at room temperature for a chewy texture or in the fridge for a more crisp texture.

**End result:  The homemade butterfinger candies/truffles had a different texture than what I had expected.  The taste was there but the consistency was similar to that of nougat, kinda chewy and not as crunchy. 

Happy Halloween!

Just in case you're looking for a sweet treat to bring to a halloween party this weekend, I made this last year: 

 Halloween candy bark

It looks like a hot mess but it's unbelievably good.  Salty and sweet and great for kids.  :)  Here's the link to Annie's Eats to get a better idea. 

Ingredients:
1 lb. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 Butterfinger candy bars (or 8 fun size bars), roughly chopped
3 toffee candy bars (or 6 fun size bars), roughly chopped
8 Reese cups, cut into wedges
¼ cup honey roasted peanuts
3 oz. yellow and orange peanut M&Ms, coarsely chopped
3 oz. good quality white chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.  Pour the chocolate over the foil and smooth into a thin layer with a spatula.  Evenly sprinkle the chopped candy bars, Reese cups, honey roasted peanuts, and peanut M&Ms over the melted chocolate.  Press gently to adhere the candy to the melted chocolate.  Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.

Melt the white chocolate, again using the double boiler method, until smooth.  Drizzle over the chilled candy bark.  Return to the refrigerator and let chill again until the white chocolate is set, 3o minutes more.

Peel the sheet of chocolate away from the foil and break into irregular pieces.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Not a big fan of all the candy?  That's ok.  Here's another recipe I plan on baking for Kylie's class and my co-workers:

 photo courtesy of Bridget

 Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies
{adapted from Everyday Food}

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 c all-purpose flour
  
• 1/4 c dutch-process cocoa (or regular unsweetened cocoa)
  
• About 36 candy corns

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

Beat/stir the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in the egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour & cocoa, and mix until a dough forms.

Scoop out level teaspoons (a measuring teaspoon, not a cereal teaspoon) of dough, and place balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart. (It looks like too little dough for each cookie, but it works.) Roll into balls.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are firm and cookies are dry to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes.

{While these are baking, start going through the bag of candy corn to find 36 good ones. You'll want to work quickly when they come out of the oven and it is very frustrating to keep grabbing broken candy corns. Trust me on this.}

Remove from oven; gently press a candy corn into center of each cookie (surface of cookies may crack slightly). The candy corns will stick once the cookies heat them up..they seem like they will fall off at first, don't worry.

Cool on sheets 1 minute; transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Make 32-36 cookies.

**Just a note:  The cookies are a bit thick and not as chewy as I would have liked.  I may alter the cookie recipe a bit and add more butter the next time around.  If any of you have any cookie recipes, let me know. 

And just another cookie recipe I plan on making (I'm a bit ambitious when it comes to baking..lol) - Cookie Spiderwebs.  I figured I might as well make 'em...I have a bunch of royal icing and colors laying around that I haven't touched in months.

photo courtesy of Bridget

I made mine using a chocolate sugar cookie recipe which I found on Bridget's blog also.  Such a yummy recipe.  I used the Via ready brew from Starbucks and fleur de sel.  Adds much more flavor.  Here's a pic from my phone:  

Kylie helped me marble the colors.  :)

Sweet words from my co-workers:  
"Damn, that was good." - Head boss of the Research Institute 
"Those were the tastiest cookies EVER!  Thank you!!!"

Cupcake Push Pops

I'm excited to share the new and upcoming baking trend:  Cupcake Push Pops!  Just like our childhood favorite ice cream treat but waaaay better.  ;)  Here's what these bad boys look like:

With an almost 6 year old and a new baby on the way, these will make my baking life much simpler.  Kylie's classmate from pre-school has a birthday party coming up and her mom asked if I could make cake pops/cupcakes.  I suggested the idea of the cupcake push pops and she loved it!  A few minutes later and I had ordered a case of 100 (for future orders and Kylie's 6th birthday in December).  I'll keep you posted on how they come out.  I'm soooo excited.