Delights by Danielle

Apples Galore!

2011-11-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

My husband grew up in Apple Country! So, when we moved to the South, we missed fresh, crisp, amazing Washington apples. After my Hubby mentioned that to his mom, she sent us a box of apples. Gala, Red Delicious, Fuji, Honey Crisp, and Granny Smith. OH, so many apples! What to do! We ate a lot of them. We still are! But some were sacrificed for other things, like apple pie and apple butter. I made a fresh pie, and three frozen ones. Then I made two batches of apple butter. It is yummy, but using the granny smith made it a little too tart for my liking. But it was so simple. So, I wanted to share the recipe with you! I found it at Betty Crocker.

Here it is:
12 medium Granny Smith or other cooking apples, peeled and cut into fourths
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup apple juice ( I used Cider..it was so good!)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 Mix all ingredients in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until apples are very tender.
3 Mash apples with potato masher or large fork.
4 Cook uncovered on low heat setting 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is very thick. Cool about 2 hours.
5 Spoon apple butter into container. Cover and store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

Shortbread Candy Bars

2011-10-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

I decided I wanted to make something "halloweenish" for my small group. I found this recipe in my Everyday Food Magazine. You can find it online here as well.

These are so rich. Shortbread, chocolate and candy. I put reeses pieces and reeses peanut butter cups. The PB cups melted quite a bit, but after they cooled for a while they were better. I think next time I will stick to the pieces. But you can put anything on these and it would be delicious. I also made 32 bars instead of 16 because of how sweet they were. My small group loved them! So did the Hubby.

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups assorted chocolate candies or roughly chopped candy bars (12 ounces)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and salt on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. With mixer on low, add flour in three additions and beat until combined (dough will be crumbly). Press dough evenly into an 8-inch square baking dish. Bake until golden brown and firm, 30 to 35 minutes.
Scatter chocolate chips on top of shortbread. Bake until soft, 1 minute. With the back of a spoon, spread chocolate evenly over shortbread. Scatter candies over top. Let cool on a wire rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate briefly to set chocolate, then cut into 16 bars.

Strawberry Jam

2011-07-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

I have memories as a kid of my Mom making homemade strawberry jam. We would have waffles for dinner with fresh strawberries. Then ice cream for dessert with still warm jam poured over the top. Since I live across the country from my Mom, I can't have her make me jam anymore. So, I made my own. I thought it would be really hard. I was surprised. It is a lot of work, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I burned myself several times, and made a huge mess in the kitchen but, I am glad I did this. This is how I made my jam. There are other ways, but this is how I did it.

Ingredients:
1 Package of Pectin
4 Pints of Strawberries
7 Cups of Sugar
10 8oz jars

Directions:
* Wash jars, lids and bands. Dry off bands.
* Wash, and cut stems off of strawberries

* Mash strawberries with potato masher (the recipe said do one cup at a time, I did like 4 cups! Oops!). You should have 5 cups total mashed.

* Add the pectin to the strawberries and place in large sauce pan

* Bring the strawberries to a rolling boil (where the boiling doesn't stop even if you stir it).
* Quickly add the sugar, stirring constantly. Bring back to roiling boil. Boil for one minute

* Meanwhile boil water. Pour some over lids in small sauce pan. Pour rest into glass jars to get them hot. If you don't, they will break.

* After minute of boiling, pour water out of jar, and ladle in jam. Leave some room at top.
* Place lid and rim on jar. Do not tighten the rim all the way.
* Let jam cool and seal. The jars are sealed when they "pop" and you cannot push the lid in.
* I saved some for ice cream! :) ENJOY!

Finished Product

My Mess!

A little hard work pays off!

Sweet Cherry Pie Stars

2011-06-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

The other day at the grocery store I walked by the cherries. Then I turned around and stood in front of the cherries. All I could think about was making a sweet cherry pie. My summertime favorite. So I bought them.

About a year ago, I bought a pie mold from Williams Sonoma. I hadn't tried it, so I thought today would be a good day to try it with cherry pie. While they are delicious, they are from "pretty". I think next time I would cut the cherries up in 4th's not in half. It was hard to fit the filling in the small spot for dough.

ANYWAYS! I will definitely make these again. Maybe I will try Apple Pie next time. I did cheat, I used refrigerated dough. I didn't have the energy today to make my normal crust, I just really wanted cherry pie.

First things first, I had to pit all the cherries. Thankfully, I have a contraption to do it for me...4 cherries at a time! Then cut them. I used the recipe I found at Smitten Kitchenfor the filling.

All you do is cut the dough with the pie mold. Then you place the dough in the mold, fill it with cherry goodness and add a top piece of dough. Close. Freeze for 30 minutes, then bake for 10-15.

Sweet Cheery Pie Filling:
4 cups pitted fresh cherries (about 2 1/2 pounds unpitted)
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar (adjust this according to the sweetness of your cherries)
1/8 teaspoon salt
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits

1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water
Coarse sugar, for decoration

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Stir together the cherries, cornstarch, sugar, salt, lemon and almond extract gently together in a large bowl.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

2011-05-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

My good friend is getting ready to move. We are having a girls night to say goodbye to her. So I found out from her hubby that she really likes chocolate chip cookies. I also happen to know that she loves all things cupcakes (because really, who doesn't?). So, I found this recipe to make Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. And I must say, each bite tastes like cookie dough. This was also my first time making cupcakes from scratch..I know...I am awful. The box mix is so good, and so easy. But these were pretty simple, for as many steps that there were.

The first step, making egg-less cookie dough (the recipe is down below). This is for the middle of the cupcake. You should really do this the day before because they need to freeze overnight. You don't include egg (because it's bad to eat raw egg) or baking powder or soda. I was going to just use my own cookie recipe, but I didn't. I used this, and I am glad I did. The dough doesn't bake.

The next step, making mini chocolate chip cookies for garnish. I ALWAYS use the Toll House recipe. It's classic. It's good. I like it. I am sure there are better recipes out there, but this is my go-to, and the husband LOVES my choc. chip cookies. So I just baked 24 mini cookies. I used my smallest scoop to make 2 cookies. Some of them were still a bit big. Just store these until you are ready to garnish them.

Then I made the cupcakes themselves. Again, the recipe is below. These were much simpler than I thought.

After they were done, I frosted them with a Brown Sugar Buttercream frosting. Soooo good!!

So here is the original recipe(s) for you! I found this at Beantown Baker

Egg-less Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough - from Picky Palate
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Combine the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 mins.

Beat in milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth.

Beat in the flour and salt until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a cookie scoop, shape the dough into balls. Freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet overnight.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes - from The Cupcake Blog - makes 24
1 batch egg-less cookie dough, scooped and frozen
3 sticks softened butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare two muffin pans.

Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds after each.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Measure out milk and vanilla together.

Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined. Repeat, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.

Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full. Drop one frozen scoop of cookie dough into each cupcake. Do not press the dough down at all.

Bake for 20-22 minutes until edges start to turn golden.

Brown Sugar Frosting - adapted from How to Eat a Cupcake
Printable Recipe
3 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth.

Beat in the salt, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.

So, grab a glass of milk, and enjoy!!!

Coconut Cake

2011-04-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

My husband's Admin. Assistant loves Coconut cake. So, for Admin Appreciation Day, I made her one.

I guess, it was a hit. My husband's co-workers all loved it. And his assistant, wanted the recipe. I wish I could say that I came up with. That I was the creative master-mind behind this recipe. But I am not. I found it here. One of my favorite blogs, Bake at 350. I did change one thing, I used two 9" round pans. I was worried the frosting would come off, but it didn't! So enjoy!!

Coconut Cake

1 box white cake mix
1/4 c. oil
3 eggs
1 carton sour cream (8 oz.)
1 (15.5 oz) can creme of coconut

Icing

8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb.)
4 TBSP milk
Angel Flake coconut

Lightly grease a 9 X 13" pan. Mix cake ingredients and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Beat cream cheese with the powdered sugar and milk. Spread over cake and cover with coconut. Store in refrigerator.

Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes

2011-04-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

I love champagne. And strawberries. And cupcakes. I just don't know why it took me so long to make this recipe. I originally found it on Betty Crocker, but couldn't find it there again. But this one did the trick. They were delicious!! We loved them. I made them for my cousin to celebrate her birthday, so I had to make the frosting bright pink!!

Here is the recipe:
Sweet Pink Strawberry Champagne Cupcake Recipe

* 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® strawberry cake mix
* 1 1/4 cups champagne, (The original recpie used a Red Sparkling Wine - Cinzano Brachetto d’Acqui, I used Domaine St. Michelle which is our favorite)
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 3 egg whites

Champagne Frosting

* 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
* 4 cups powdered sugar
* 1/4 cup champagne
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 4 to 5 drops red food coloring

Garnish
Pink decorator sugar crystals
Edible pink pearls

Directions:

* Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
* In large bowl, combine dry cake mix and champagne. Add oil, eggs. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
* Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
* In medium bowl, beat frosting ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle with pink sugar or pearls.

CHEERS!!!

Strawberries & Cream Scones

2011-03-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

For a while I have been wanting to make Strawberries and Cream Scones. I found this great recipe from King Arthur Flour. They turned out nice and moist and all nice and strawberry-y. Can't wait to try these with strawberry jam!!

Here is the recipe:
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) diced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup (2 ounces) half and half or light cream
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Mellow Pastry Blend
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup (3 3/8 ounces) diced fresh strawberries

Topping
3 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets, or a full-size or mini-scone pan.

To make the scones: In a blender or food processor, process 1/2 cup of the strawberries with the half and half or cream until the mixture is smooth. Set it aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in the butter, using your fingertips, a fork or a pastry blender.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the strawberry/half and half mixture, the egg, and the vanilla extract. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the 2/3 cup diced strawberries and stir just until everything is well-combined. This is a wet, sticky dough, good for drop scones.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets; each scone should be about the size of a golf ball. A tablespoon cookie scoop is exactly the right size for this task. Or divide the dough among the compartments of the scone pan of your choice. Bake the scones until they're golden brown, 15 to 16 minutes (on a baking sheet or in a mini-scone pan), or 18 to 20 minutes (in a standard scone pan). Remove the scones from the oven when they're beginning to brown around the edges. Break one open, just to be sure; they should be moist, but not gummy, at the center.

To make the topping: As soon as you remove the scones from the oven, make the topping. Combine the sugar and water in a very small (e.g., 1/4- to 1/3-cup size) microwave-safe bowl, stirring until the sugar is moistened. Heat in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, until the mixture is bubbly. Carefully remove from the microwave (sugar syrup is very hot), and stir in the vanilla. Stir until the mixture smoothes out. Drizzle or brush the topping over the hot scones. Yield: 8 to 18 scones, depending on your choice of pan.

Double Chocolate Biscotti

2011-03-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

The other night I decided to make double chocolate biscotti. I found the recipe in my beloved Better Homes and Garden cookbook. I found this variation of the recipe on bhg.com. The difference: I used chips instead of chunks of chocolate and no drizzle.

Anyways, these turned out pretty good! Ryan loves it when I make biscotti. So does he grandparents who I made it for. In fact, they were such a hit I made these same ones for some friends. Only I took out the white chocolate and added peanut butter chips, even better in my opinion!

Below is the recipe. I will def. make these ones again. A side note, they may need more than 7-8 minutes baking to crisp up, I did it about 10 minutes and they were not quite crispy enough.

Double Chocolate Biscotti

Ingredients

* 1/3 cup butter
* 2/3 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 2 eggs
* 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 4 ounces white baking bar, coarsely chopped
* 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
* 2 tablespoons shortening (optional)
* 2 ounces semisweet chocolate or white baking bar, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Grease a large cookie sheet; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder; beat until combined. Beat in eggs. Beat in as much flour as you can. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in the 4 ounces white baking bar and the 3 ounces semisweet chocolate.

2. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 9-inch-long roll. Place rolls 4 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet; flatten rolls slightly to 2 inches wide.

3. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 hour. Using a serrated knife, cut each roll diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lay slice, one cut side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake slices in a 325 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Turn slices over and bake 7 to 9 minutes more or until slices are dry and crisp. (Do not overbake.) Transfer to a wire rack; cool.

5. If desired, in a heavy small saucepan combine the shortening and the 2 ounces semisweet chocolate or white baking bar. Cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Drizzle over tops of biscotti. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week. Makes 32 biscotti.

Gingersnap Cherry Cheesecake

2011-03-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

This fall I found this recipe in my Real Simple magazine. I had to make it. I did. We had some family over for dinner and I think the cheesecake was the star. My Uncle is not a big fan of cheesecake, but he loved this. In fact, he asked me to make it for him two weeks later as a birthday gift. It is delicious. By far my new favorite cheesecake recipe.

Here is the recipe:
Gingersnap Cherry Cheesecake
Serves 12| Hands-On Time: 20m | Total Time: 5hr 00m
Ingredients

* 3 cups ground gingersnap cookies
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
* 3 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 2 cups sour cream
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup cherry preserves

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, combine the ground gingersnaps and butter. Using a straight-sided dry measuring cup, press the mixture into the bottom and 2 inches up the side of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in ½ cup of the sour cream and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla.
3. Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until just set, 40 to 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 ½ cups of sour cream, ¼ cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Spread over the hot cheesecake and bake until set, 3 to 5 minutes more. Let cool in the pan, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before unmolding.
5. Spread the preserves over the cheesecake before serving.

*Photo from Realsimple.com

I am not dead

2011-01-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hello to my readers!

I wanted to let you know, that despite the appearance that I have died, or at least disappeared from the blogging world, I have not.

My Husband and I recently moved to Nashville, TN from Portland, OR. We just got our internet working, and I have not been baking too much. Which I know, is tragic.

But I plan to make my return. It may be slow. So, please be patient. And thanks for reading! I can't wait to see what 2011 holds!

Lemon Bars

2010-08-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for lemon bars. I used to love the kind from the box, but then I made them from scratch and there is no going back. They are so simple!

So, last night, I was craving some! And I had a lemon or two in the fridge. So, I made them. And they are yummy! They are actually from Weight Watchers, and you would never know! Yeah and I ate way too many!

So here is the recipe:

Ingredients
1 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
5 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
8 Tbsp butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 large egg(s)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup(s) powdered sugar, divided
3/4 cup(s) fresh lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
Instructions

* Preheat oven to 350°F.

* To make crust, mix flour and light brown sugar using a food processor until fully incorporated. Toss butter into flour mixture and pulse to combine using short bursts of power until butter is cut into tiny pea-sized pieces and dough appears lumpy. Sprinkle crust mixture onto an ungreased 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking pan as evenly as possible; press down with a spatula to create a packed surface. Place crust in middle of oven and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

* Meanwhile, to make lemon topping, beat eggs in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until well blended. Add vanilla extract and 3/4 cup of powdered sugar; mix well. Add lemon juice and remaining powdered sugar; mix until powdered sugar is completely dissolved and then add zest.

* As soon as crust is finished, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Immediately pour lemon mixture over hot crust. Bake completely, about 30 minutes; cool, and cut into 24 bars. Yields 1 bar per serving.

Notes

* The crust must be HOT when you pour on the lemon mixture.

You’ll need approximately three lemons to yield the amount of juice and zest in this recipe.

You can increase the lemon flavor of these bars by adding more zest or eliminate the zest altogether for a less tart taste. You can also change the flavor completely by subbing fresh lime juice and zest for the lemon.

* Photo from Weight Watchers!

Making Icing...a little trick

2010-08-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

So, when making Royal Icing, or Buttercream frosting, it always says to "sift" the powdered sugar. Maybe it's just my sifter, but man, that's a lot of work. Especially if you double the recipe so you are doing 8 cups of powdered sugar. Ridiculous. But necessary for the right consistency.

Well, I have recently learned a new trick. Maybe many of you already know it. But for me, it was great to learn. I learned it from a friend, who learned it from a friend.

Whisking. You whisk the powdered sugar instead of sifting it. It produces the same result...isn't that crazy? And it saves my wrist and my time.

What other tricks of the trade do you know???

Gluten Free Muffins

2010-07-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

I found Pamela's Gluten Free Baking Mix.

I decided to use it to make some GF muffins for my Mom and some of Ryan's co-workers. From what I hear, they were yummy!

I just followed the recipe on the package and threw some blueberries into half the batter, and chocolate chips into the other half. I was happy with how they turned out!

Strawberry Trifle

2010-07-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

I was spoiled this year on my birthday. My MIL got me a beautiful Trifle bowl. It is from Pampered Chef and the base fits inside with a plastic lid. It's wonderful!

So,I had to make one of my husbands favorite dishes to showcase the new bowl.

It is a Strawberry Trifle from Betty Crocker (click here to see it)

It is so simple and easy!

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
2 boxes (4-serving size each) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
4 cups milk
2 bags (16 oz each) frozen strawberries in light syrup, thawed
1 1/2 cups frozen (thawed) whipped topping
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Make cake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
2. While cake is cooling, in large bowl, beat pudding mixes into milk with wire whisk about 2 minutes or until blended.
3. Cut or tear cake into 1-inch pieces. In 3 1/2-quart glass trifle bowl, arrange half the pieces, cutting pieces to fit shape of bowl. Pour half of the thawed strawberries (with syrup) over cake; spread with 2 cups of the pudding. Place remaining cake pieces on pudding and around edge of bowl. Top with remaining strawberries and pudding. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours until chilled.
4. Spread whipped topping over top of cake. Sprinkle with almonds. Store covered in refrigerator up to 12 hours.

Doughnuts!

2010-07-10T12:45:00.000-07:00

So, the new craze I have found is doughnuts. Doughnuts Doughnuts everywhere!

For my birthday my husband got me a couple of the Wilton Doughnut pans (He got them at Sur La Table). I have been talking about making these for so long, he decided I needed to!

So I did. I made some cake doughnuts with a chocolate icing. I took them over to our good friends who were just getting settled into their new place! They turned out yummy!

Here is the recipe I used from Family Circle (I didn't use their glaze recipe, I used one for Better Homes and Garden for chocolate icing):

Vanilla Cake Doughnuts
Ingredients

* 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
* 1/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2-1/4 cups confectioners sugar
* 3 tablespoons milk
* Sprinkles, toasted coconut, mini chips, cinnamon-sugar
* 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 6-indentation doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk, sugar, egg, melted butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; whisk until smooth.

3. Spoon batter into a large resealable plastic bag. Cut off a corner and squeeze batter into prepared indents, about 2/3 full. Smooth tops. Bake at 325 degrees F for 13 minutes, until doughnuts spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pan on rack 3 minutes, then carefully turn out onto rack to cool.

4. For powdered doughnuts: Place 1/4 cup confectioners sugar in a sifter and gently sift over cooled vanilla doughnuts. Flip doughnuts; cover with sugar.

5. For white-frosted doughnuts: In small bowl, combine 1 cup of the confectioners sugar and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Stir until smooth. Dip cooled doughnuts into bowl and allow excess frosting to drip back into bowl. Transfer to rack. Top with sprinkles, coconut or mini chips, if desired. Transfer any extra frosting to a plastic bag.

6. For chocolate-frosted doughnuts: Combine remaining 1 cup confectioners sugar, the cocoa and remaining 2 tablespoons milk. Stir until smooth. Dip cooled doughnuts into bowl and allow excess frosting to drip back into bowl. Transfer to rack. Top with sprinkles, coconut or mini chips, if desired. Transfer any extra frosting to a plastic bag.

7. For drizzle: Snip small corner off bags of frosting. Decoratively drizzle over cooled doughnuts.

8. For cinnamon-sugar doughnuts: Toss still-warm vanilla doughnuts in cinnamon-sugar to coat

My cat, Meow decided he needed to check out the doughnuts as well.

Cherry Pie

2010-07-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

I love fresh cherry pie. In fact, I think it's my favorite kind of pie. I love when cherries are in season.

Well, they are. And I got them on sale! So I decided for my MIL's birthday celebration I was going to make a cherry pie! I used sweet cherries for it. I also decided I was going to try something new, a lattice top. I was so intimidated by this, but it turned out to be pretty easy. I just followed the recipe from my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.

The pie looked beautiful. Until I pulled it out of the oven. The crust was perfect. Nice and golden brown. But the cherries were sitting in a pool of cherry juice. Oh no!

After much research I found out that the sweet cherries are a bit juicier. So I revamped the recipe. I used less sugar, and a little more cornstarch. I also added almond extract, lemon juice and some butter. I used a combination of the Better Homes Recipe and this recipe I found from Smitten Kitchen.

The second one turned out much better. There wasn't a puddle of juice, and it was delicious! I cannot wait to make another!

Pharmacy Graduation Cake and Cupcakes

2010-07-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

Our really good friend, Jeff, just graduated (well in May) with his PharmD. A doctorate in Pharmacy. I told his wife I would make the cupcakes and cake (which was a surprise for them) for his party! I was so happy with how they turned out.

It was also my first time using fondant as more than a purse handle. I made 1 inch by 1inch squares and drew on them with edible markers to look like prescriptions. For the cake I made a pill bottle. I tinted the fondant orange and again used my edible markers to write the prescription. It all turned out great.

Here are some pictures:

Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream

2010-06-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Last night the hubby and I decided it would be a great night to BBQ! We have to take advantage of this Oregon sunshine while we have it!

We had some very yummy lime marinaded chicken with lime chips and mango/peach salsa. It was perfect. So I decided grilled peaches would be a great finish to our meal.

I cut a few peaches in half and pitted them. Then I put some butter on both sides of the peach and sprinkled it with brown sugar. Then we put them on the BBQ. They needed to be cooked about 5 minutes on each side. Just enough to get them soft!

We immediately added a scoop (or two)of vanilla ice cream. It melted all over the peaches! They were amazing! The husband decided to add some strawberries to his creation, but I opted out. The peaches were perfect for me. We will be having this again!

Chai Spiced Cookies

2010-06-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Today is my best friends birthday. I wanted to make her something yummy. I was going to make some Chai flavored cupcakes, but I was missing some of the ingredients. So I went to Betty Crocker..I love the recipes there. And I found this one for Chai Spiced Cookies. I couldn't resist. I got right to it. Then I realized that I didn't have Cardamom. So I ended up at the store anyways (and paid a lot for that one little bottle...). But let me tell you, these babies are totally worth it. Not to mention they are so simple. Really. If you like Chai, these are the cookies for you! I saved me a few and plan on having them with a nice hot chai tea. Maybe that will help with the chill (we have been having rain and more rain lately).

The best friend LOVED them and said she was going to stop at Starbucks on her way home!

Here is the recipe:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vanilla
2 egg yolks
Coating
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Stir in remaining cookie ingredients.
2. Shape dough by tablespoonfuls into balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 1 1/2 inches apart.
3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack; cool 5 minutes.
4. In medium bowl, mix coating ingredients. Working in batches, gently roll warm cookies in coating mixture. Cool on cooling rack 5 minutes. Roll in mixture again.

* The picture is borrowed from Betty Crocker. See, I took pictures..but I haven't uploaded them yet and I just had to share this recipe. And it's better with a photo. My cookies look like these...just not as good of a photograph! I will post my own pictures soon! I promise. Thanks Betty.

A Little Laughter

2010-06-03T13:47:00.001-07:00

My Mother in Law sent this to me today in an email. It made me laugh. Cheesy or not. I thought it was cute.

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but, his later life was filled with turnovers. He was considered a very smart cookie, but, wasted much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he was still a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children, John Dough, Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus, they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

Tropical Pool Cake

2010-05-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago my mom and I saw an article in Woman's Day Magazine. It was for this cake pictured here.

I had to make it.

I did. Now, it didn't turn out quite as fancy as the one in the picture (I stole this one from Woman's Day, because I don't have a picture of mine, and theirs is prettier).

It was a lot of fun and a lot of work. There are so many little steps to making it, but it's just too cute not to. I think I might need to make it again this summer.

Why not. Maybe then I will show you my pictures! :)

Here is the recipe:
INGREDIENTS

o 2 tubs (16 oz each) vanilla frosting
o Blue, brown, orange, red, green, yellow and black paste or gel food color
o Two 8- or 9-in. round cooled, baked yellow cake layers, tops trimmed level and 1 layer frozen about 2 hours for easier cutting
o 1 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
o 2 boxes (3 oz each) Jell-O Berry Blue gelatin
o 1 cup green chocolate melting wafers (Wilton)
o 3 plain breadsticks
o A few Cocoa Puffs cereal balls
o Teddy Grahams cookies (Nabisco)
o Goldfish Colors and Baby Goldfish crackers (Pepperidge Farm)
o Butterfly-shaped graham crackers (Keebler Bug Bites)
o Red or orange decorating sugar
o Green sprinkles
o 2 chocolate Nuggets (Hershey's), unwrapped
o 2 tsp yellow nonpareil sprinkles
o 2 red ball sprinkles
o Green Fruit by the Foot
o Striped sour belt candy
o 1 Gummi ring
o 2 small striped peppermint
o candy balls
o You'll also need: qt-size ziptop bags, 3 wooden spoons

PREPARATION

1. Tint 1 tub frosting light blue. Tint 1 cup of the other tub light brown and spoon into a ziptop bag. Place unfrozen cake layer on a serving plate. Spread top with 1/2 cup blue frosting. Top with frozen cake layer, trimmed side down. Starting about 1 in. from the edge, cut a crescent-shaped outline about 3/4 in. deep for pool. Using a fork, remove cake within outline in an even layer.

2. Spread blue frosting smoothly on sides of cake. Snip a small corner off the bag of light brown frosting; pipe on top of cake to cover all but the hollowed-out pool area. For sand, sprinkle top and around base of cake with the vanilla wafer crumbs. (It's OK if some land in the pool area.)

3. Pool: Prepare both boxes of gelatin using a total of only 2 cups water. Set in a bowl of ice cubes and water; stir until gelatin just begins to thicken. Carefully pour into hollowed-out pool area. Refrigerate 2 hours or until set.

4. Coconut Palm Trees:* Arrange 3 wooden spoons crosswise on a baking sheet. Cover with wax paper. (Spoons will help make the leaves a bit wavy and more natural.) Put the green melting wafers into a ziptop bag. Microwave on high at 10-second intervals, squeezing bag often, until melted. Snip a very small corner from the bag and pipe 1 1/2- to 2-in.-long palm leaves on wax paper crosswise over spoons. Repeat to make at least 15 leaves. (It's a good idea to make extra.) Refrigerate about 5 minutes or until set. Peel leaves from wax paper. Using a serrated knife, trim breadsticks to 8 in. Reheat green chocolate in ziptop bag for several seconds if necessary. Remove wooden spoons from baking sheet, leaving wax paper. Pipe dots of green chocolate at one end of breadstick. Add several leaves; refrigerate until set. Repeat, adding more leaves. Attach Cocoa Puffs as coconuts with a few dots of frosting.

5. Swimmers, Fish and Butterfly: Spoon 2 Tbsp vanilla frosting into a ziptop bag. Divide remaining frosting among cups; tint different colors. Spoon each into a ziptop bag. One at a time, cut a tiny tip off corner of bags and pipe clothing, features and eyes on bears and fish. Decorate the top of the butterfly graham cracker with frosting; sprinkle with decorating sugar. Pipe a green line of frosting for the body; add the green sprinkles as antennae.

6. Treasure Chest: Place a chocolate Nugget in the sand at the base of the cake, flat side up. Pipe yellow frosting on top and add some yellow sprinkles. Place another Nugget on top, flat side down. Pipe red lines of frosting for straps. Add red ball sprinkles.

7. Assemble: Using scissors, cut Fruit by the Foot into seaweed and leaf shapes. Press seaweed onto the side of the cake. Attach decorated fish with some frosting. Pipe white dots as bubbles above the fish. Insert coconut trees at different heights. Arrange leaves under the trees. Add a few extra Cocoa Puffs in the sand. Attach butterfly and decorated bears with frosting. Use a length of striped sour belt candy as a beach towel and a Gummi ring as an inner tube. Place peppermint beach balls. Pipe white splashes around bears in pool.

Plan ahead: You can make cake layers up to 3 days ahead; wrap airtight and refrigerate. Make through Step 6 up to 1 day ahead. Wrap ziptop bag of white frosting airtight to use the next day. Leave decorations at room temperature. Assemble up to 2 hours before serving; leave at room temperature.

Baking for a Cause

2010-04-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this: Baking GALS.

It is a group who sends baked goods to our troops to show them support. Here is what they say about themselves "Baking GALS (GALS stands for Give A Little Support) is a group of volunteer bakers from around the country who bake and ship homemade goodies to our heroic military men and women who are currently deployed in a war zone. Our goal is to show our support and send a little bit of home to remind them that we appreciate all that they do for our freedom."

I am hoping to jump in for this round! What a great way to share my love and passion for baking. I am so excited to help support the troops in this way!

Visit their website if you would like to participate!

Happy 2nd Birthday Hadlie!

2010-04-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

Last year I helped my Sister in Law with my nieces first birthday cake, a lady bug on a bed of grass. It was pretty darn cute! But Hadlie, my niece, wanted nothing to do with her first birthday cake. In fact, she cried. I knew I couldn't take it personally, after all, I did make her first chocolate chip cookie, and she LOVED it!

So, I was asked to make the cake for this years birthday. A purse cake. It had to be pink, inside and out. So I made a strawberry cake, and white chocolate butter cream icing from Wilton. I was so happy with the flavor, unlike my Valentines Day cupcakes. But the recipe says to melt the chocolate with the milk, I did that. It smelled awful. So I tried again, and just mixed it in with the melted white chocolate...much better! Anyways, I made a 2 buckle with pink candy melts, and the handle out of white fondant. Yup, I used fondant. Ok, just a tiny bit of the pre-made stuff, but I was so happy with how easy it was to use!

The purse was more challenging than I thought..but that is because I didn't crumb coat it...what was I thinking?

Well, Hadlie didn't even want to TRY the purse cake. No bright pink frosting. No pink cake. Nothing. Just shook her head at it.

BUT! I had made some cupcakes with the extra cake batter. And well...Hadlie liked that! Especially the frosting.

I am happy that my first Purse cake turned out so well...despite a few setbacks!

I think she was a little unsure...

"CHEESE"

Cinnamon Rolls

2010-04-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

I love Cinnamon Rolls. They are one of my favorite things, especially for breakfast!

I make breakfast for my husband's work once a month, and I decided to make these. Homemade totally from scratch Cinnamon Rolls. I was a bit intimidated. Ok a lot intimidated. But I was so happy with them. They rose when they were supposed to. And I didn't burn them.

I am not sure anymore the recipe I used...but when I find it, I will put it on here.

Valentines Day...a bit late!

2010-04-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

I have finally loaded up my pictures from my Valentines Day goodies!

I made Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing, and Strawberry Cupcakes with a white chocolate icing. I had a very difficult time with this recipe...but they were a hit, I think because they were minis!

Easter Carrots

2010-04-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

This year for Easter, I made carrots.

Carrot Cookies that is.

Carrot SHAPED Cookies to be exact.

I so love using Royal Icing. It is so fun, and you can do so much with it!

Happy (late) Easter!

Wedding Cupcakes

2010-04-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

I was asked by my friend Keri if I would make the cupcakes for her wedding! Of course, I said yes!

I made vanilla and chocolate with vanilla butter cream icing. I tinted the icing Tiffany blue. I was so happy with the outcome. I had a great time, and I can't wait for my next wedding...whenever that may be!

The cupcakes with the cake...which I did not make, but the colors matched well!

Of course, I needed a picture with the bride and groom, and a cupcake!

Gluten Free Cupcakes

2010-04-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

A little over a year ago my Mom was diagnosed with Celiacs. She is allergic to wheat, barley, and gluten. This was only two months before her 50th birthday. Two months before her big surprise party, with chocolate cake, her favorite.

My mind began to race. My mom HAD to have chocolate cake on her birthday. So I made her chocolate cupcakes, Gluten Free of course. I used the Bob's Red Mill Chocolate Cake mix, and added applesauce to help moisten it. I don't remember the exact recipe I used...but they turned out alright. I must say, I wasn't a fan of the applesauce, or the aroma it left in my mixer (weird huh?).

Anyways, I wanted to share these with you, even though they are from a year ago! :)

Mini Vanilla Scones

2010-03-13T09:43:00.000-08:00

I made Scones for the first time. I was so surprised by how simple they were, and how great they turned out!

I used this recipe from King Arthur Flour, without the chocolate chips. They were a big hit, and I will be making these again!

Bridal Shower Cookies

2010-03-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I had the privilege of throwing a bridal shower for a good friend of mine. I am actually doing her cupcakes in a week! I did a Breakfast at Tiffany's Theme Shower. So...we had breakfast. Mini Quiche, Scones, Fruit Salad. But there were favors. To reflect the Tiffany's theme, I made diamond ring cookies.

I must say, I have to thank Bridget at Bake at 350 for all her inspiration. I learned how to do royal icing, flooding, and now glitter from her! These cookies are a result of that! :)

First I made Diamond ring shaped cookies. Then using my small circle cutter I cut the middle of the ring out when they first came out of the oven.

I made the cookies with Better Homes Melt in Your Mouth Sugar Cookies...they are my favorite but they crumble really easily because they are not intended to be shape cookies, but I just like them so much!

I frosted them with Royal Icing. Then after they had dried overnight, it was time to glitterfy them. I brushed the areas with water and a pinch of meringue powder. Sprinkled the edible glitter on (I used Wilton's) and shook it off over a coffee filter to save the extra (thanks Bridget!).

After they dried, I packaged them all pretty. I was so happy with how they turned out. I was a bit nervous as a few crumbled, and some of the glitter didn't work quite right for me. But here is a glimpse for you!

S'mores Cupcakes!

2010-03-02T08:20:00.000-08:00

I have been craving a S'mores Cupcake for a long time now. I had one on Friday night that well, just wasn't what I was wanting.

So I made my own. I improvised, and so far...they seem to be a hit.

I lined the bottom of the muffin cups with crushed graham crackers that were combined with melted butter. Topped that with Chocolate cake mix. I stuffed some marshmallows in the mix, which all came to the top during baking, weird. Then I made Marshmallow Frosting and toasted it under the broiler.

Now, I had hoped to have a pretty swirl of marshmallow goodness on top, with a piece of graham cracker and chocolate drizzle. That didn't happen.

The recipe I had for the Marshmallow Frosting, well, didn't work. Or I messed up. But it said after 7 minutes of mixing in a double broiler (or a pan and glass bowl) that stiff peaks would form, well 20 minutes later, no peaks. And one sore hand and wrist. So I said, oh well. I globed the non-stiff frosting on top of the cupcakes and toasted away. I must say, now they look like messy S'mores not the perfect cupcake I had in my head.

But who says that the look effects the taste? Because here at work, they are flying off the plate. I love making people happy.

Cupcake Meetup

2010-02-26T15:25:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday I went to the Cupcake Meet Up hosted by Cupcakes Take the Cake. It was a beautiful day, with lots of cupcakes! We met at St. Cupcake. There were fellow bakers, bloggers, and designers. And of course, Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake.

I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations I had with all these women.

Celeste from Celestial Cupcakes at Nye Beach Market...whose cupcakes are AMAZING!
Carrie from Bella Cupcake Couture with her delightful designs.
Susen from Indulge your Fancy.

And all the other ladies! It was a great time where I learned so much about cupcakes, making the best cupcakes, and running a cupcake business! It was a great day, thank you Rachel for hosting!

I hope to post pictures soon! If any of the ladies have the photo of the group, I would love to see that! :)

Brownies Brownies Everywhere!!!

2010-02-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

My twitter/foodbuzz/blogger friend Michelle from Brown Eyed Baker posted a blog today about brownies. First, it made me drool. Second, it made me really really want brownies.

The only problem, I can't have chocolate (I know so depressing huh?) my doctor has me on no caffeine because I get these headaches...

ANYWAYS! That is not the point. The point is brownies. Warm, gooey, chocolately brownies (pardon the drool spots on this posting)

On Michelle's post, she asked people to share their favorite brownies. So I thought I would share mine. Peppermint brownies.

They are simple...here is why. I use box mixes, but before you judge, there are some good ones out there. So, when you are in a hurry for a brownie fix, it is a good solution.

So, you will need one box of your favorite brownies, or a great recipe. One package of mint chips. And all the ingredients to make the brownies. After you have the batter prepared throw in a handful, or two, or five of the mint chips. Bake, enjoy!

Now, I have made these several ways. A couple drops of peppermint extract. Crushed candy cane. Crushed Andes Mints. Melted mint chips on top. But my favorite is the mint chips in the mix.

So, go ahead whip up some brownies and enjoy! If I could, I would! :)

Thanks for the inspiration Michelle!

Cakes for a Cause

2010-02-12T14:44:00.000-08:00

As most of you know Kelly Ripa teamed up with Electrolux to help raise money and awareness for Ovarian Cancer Research.

Just this week they hosted a cake-off in NY. They invited 15 food bloggers to come and bake 5 cakes with the help of Buddy Valastro and his team from Cake Boss. The cakes are all gorgeous!!!!

Anyways, you can help!!!! Each time you go to http://kelly-confidential.com/ and vote on a cake, they will donate one dollar to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. You can also send a virtual cake. Each one of those that you send, they will donate another dollar. You can send one cake a day, and vote once a day.

This is a great thing that they are doing and I would encourage you to vote.

Personally, I think you should vote for Team Take a Bow…but that is just my opinion!

Happy Voting!

Starting a Baking Business

2010-02-11T15:04:00.000-08:00

So, I have thought about starting a baking business from home. You know sell cookies, and cupcakes. The things I love making the most!

But, I have no idea where to begin.

So, all you foodies/bakers out there, who started off with a dream to share your goods, can you give me any advice? From obtaining a logo, copyrighting (both name and logo), pricing, and legally starting a business, that would be awesome!

I haven't done a lot of research yet, but I thought I would check with all of you first!

Thanks!

-Danielle

Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-02-09T08:23:00.000-08:00

My mom has always made the best peanut butter cookies. Turns out, the recipe is from her mom. So Sunday, I pulled out the recipe, realizing I have not had peanut butter cookies in a while.

They were sure yummy and hit the spot!

Ingredients:
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. peanut butter (I use creamy, but my mom uses crunchy)
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Blend shortening, sugars and egg together. Add peanut butter and sifted flour with soda and salt. Form into balls the size of a walnut. Press flat on cookie sheet with a fork. Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) for about 10 minutes.

Thanks Grandma for the yummy recipe!

Cricut Cake

2010-02-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

For Christmas my husband bought me my first Cricut. It's a scrap booking tool that cuts out shapes, letters, pictures, etc. It's great for scrapping! I have the personal, but I think the expression would be better. Anyways, I really like the Cricut (with the exception that the personal doesn't cut big enough for me).

I was at Bakerella's web page, and she mentioned the Cricut Cake! It's basically a fondant cutter. It does to fondant what the Cricut does for paper! I have never worked with fondant, but after watching the promo video for this new Cricut, I am sold. I guess that will have to go on my wish list!

Click here to see the video!

My niece, the cookie monster

2010-02-04T08:18:00.001-08:00

My niece is almost two years old. She loves cookies!!! We got her one at McDonald's the other day and she looked at me and said, "Auntie cookie?". Her first cookie was a chocolate chip one I made her, and well, she knows that usually Auntie has cookies for her! I cannot WAIT for her to be old enough to bake and decorate cookies with (like Bakerella here: http://www.bakerella.com/the-sweetest-cookies-ive-ever-seen/).

I was at Bed, Bath and Beyond the other day and I saw this adorable kids baking set. When my niece is old enough, her Auntie will def. buy her something like this (http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=17054937&RN=867).

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-02-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

Last night I really really wanted some chocolate chip cookies. Really bad. But I was so exhausted to make them (I know, shame on me as a baker). I opened my cupboard, and there in front of me was a package of Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie mix. Now, I usually make all my cookies from scratch, in fact, I don't like pre-made dough. But I had bought these thinking I was going to enter Betty's Cookie Contest.

But the craving was too strong, and the exhaustion too real. I had to make them. I needed them.

So, I went to work. Just adding a couple of things, and 10 minutes later, beautiful, gooey, yummy chocolate chip cookies. I took a bite. In my mind thinking that they are not as good as "home made". But I was surprised. They were very delicious and hit the spot.

I guess pre-made dough is not so bad when you are in a hurry, or just a bit too tired to do all the leg work. I should keep these on hand.

Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits

2010-02-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

I recently received the recipe for Red Lobster's famous Cheese Biscuits. Yumm. The one I was given called for Italian seasoning. I don't remember the Italian seasoning when I last had the real deal at the restaurant. I remember garlic, and onion. And cheese. Warm. Flaky. Goodness.

So, I tweaked the recipe. I don't know the source of the recipe, and when I looked there are tons of variations out there!! But which is truly the secret Red Lobster recipe? I have no clue.

But my husband and I enjoyed my version of it. In fact, we could just eat those for dinner.

Here is my version:

* 2 Cups Bisquik Mix
* Shredded Cheese (I used about 1 cup or 2)
* 1/2 Cup cold water
*1/4 Cup Butter
1 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. onion salt

Preheat oven to 400.
Combine Bisquick, water and cheese until just moistened.
Make into biscuits. (Ok, so the recipe says to roll out the dough, then cut the biscuits, I use my large cookie scoop, because then you get lots of crevices for the butter to ooze into, just my preference)
Melt butter, parsley, garlic, and onion together.
Spread over top of biscuits..it's ok to lather it on...really it's the best part!
Bake biscuits about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

ENJOY!

Another note: I did read that you can spread the butter on after they are baked, but I like how they get crispy on top. Maybe I should do both....mmmm.

Cookie Book

2010-01-21T12:49:00.000-08:00

I just picked up a copy of "Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year" by Julia M. Usher. Actually, my husband picked up this book for me! I have been making more and more cookies. Playing with Royal Icing and learning new techniques. He thought this book would be a great addition! He is right, there are so many GREAT ideas in this book. I can't wait to try them...all.

New Blog

2010-01-07T14:41:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my Blog. I decided it was time to start a baking blog. This blog is dedicated to all the sweet, delightful treats that come out of my small kitchen.

So enjoy. Feel free to use my recipes and ideas...but please don't steal my stuff. Just a little note that you got it here, or if you use my (probably some that aren't so great) photos, just tell people that they are mine. I would appreciate that!