Polka Dot Tulip Sugar Cookies

I have so many terrific recipes to share with you all but just haven't had the time to get those posts done. However, I did want to quickly share these Easter inspired polka-dot tulip sugar cookies.

I used my regular sugar cookie and royal icing recipe. The only changes I made was to swap out the vanilla extract for lemon extract and lemon zest. I love the flavor of lemon in desserts and it seemed especially suitable for these spring-time treats.



The cookies were made for my daughter's preschool Easter program. Everyone seemed to really enjoy them. For more pictures, check out my Facebook page (link on the right-hand side).



Happy Easter!!

Tiramisu

I made the most AMAZING tiramisu for Christmas dinner and I'm so excited to share this recipe. It's the perfect dessert for any special occasion. In fact, I'm thinking of making it again for a New Years Eve party.

I don't know about you but I always thought tiramisu was really complicated to make, boy was I wrong! It's really easy and just takes a few simple steps.

Doesn't this look good? It was heavenly and we even had a bit for breakfast the next day :)


A traditional recipe calls for mascarpone cheese, but if you can't find it easily regular cream cheese works beautifully. You can also use Cool Whip instead of fresh whipped cream in this recipe. Lastly, if your kids like to help out in the kitchen the way mine do, have them dip the lady fingers in the coffee -Fun!

Ingredients:

8 oz Mascarpone cheese or Cream Cheese –softened
6 Tbsp sugar (divided)
1 1/2 cups fresh whipped cream (see how HERE) (Cool Whip may be used as an instant alternative)
3 Egg Yolks
1 1/2 cups Strong Coffee (mixed with 2 Tbsp Rum (optional))
1 package Lady Fingers
Cocoa Powder

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix softened mascarpone or cream Cheese with 3 Tbsp of sugar until sugar is completely dissolved.
2. In a separate bowl, mix 3 egg yolks with remaining 3 Tbsp of sugar and whisk continuously in a double boiler until eggs are cooked (approx 3-4 minutes). The color of the yolks will turn a lemon yellow when done.
3. Immediately mix the egg mixture into the cream cheese mixture and gently stir.
4. Add 2 Tbsp of the coffee into the mixture and mix.
5. Fold in the whipped cream into the mascarpone/cream cheese mix.
6. Dip each Lady Finger into the coffee (for 1-2 seconds on each side) and place into square or rectangle tray until the bottom is completely covered.
7. Spread 1/2 of the mascarpone filling evenly on top of the fingers.
8. Lightly dust cocoa powder over the filling. Tea strainer works great!
9. Repeat with another layer of coffee dipped fingers.
10. Top with remaining filling.
11. Sprinkle cocoa powder over the top to form a coating.
11. Chill overnight or about 8 hours to set.

Source: Adapted from Show me the Curry

White Snowflake and Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

I still owe you all the second slow-cooker mushroom chicken recipe but I'm holding off on that for a bit, so I can bring you some holiday goodies instead :)

I made these snowflake and Christmas tree cookies for my neighbor's annual cookie exchange party. I knew there were going to be some amazing tasting treats at the party, but I decided to good for looks mostly this year...and these fit the bill!



I used my regular sugar cookie and royal icing recipe.

I was given a sample of Dave's Dirty Vanilla to try out and used it in this recipe. So, why is it called "dirty vanilla"? Well, Dave was frustrated with the sub-par vanilla extracts he was using for baking and after much experimenting developed a cold extraction process that yields a vanilla with more subtle flavors and aroma. There is a Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean in each bottle of Dave's Dirty Vanilla! I loved the "dirty" part....the little specks of vanilla seed! To learn more or buy some of Dave's Dirty Vanilla visit his site HERE.


I think the all white cookies look so pretty and sophisticated but the really reason I made them this way was out of sheer laziness-LOL. I didn't want to have to mess with making several different colors for the frosting.



My daughter appreciated both the look and taste of these cookies :)

Sesame Street Cake and Cupcakes

I was recently asked to make these Sesame Street cupcakes and "smash" cake for a little boy's first birthday. I couldn't help but say yes. I had tried my hand at these before but it was some time ago (see those HERE) and I knew I wouldn't ever be making them for my own kids again. Sadly, our Sesame Street days are already over. And much too soon for my liking :(

Below are instructions and tips on how I made these. If you have any additional questions, please leave a comment below...Thanks!

The "Smash" Cake

- Bake a 2-layer cake. Use your favorite recipe. This cake was classic vanilla.
- The birthday boy's mom asked for a small cake. The smallest cake pan I had was 5" which I thought might still be bigger than she would like. So, I baked the cake in one 9" cake pan and then used a 4" ring cutter to get the two layers. I thought the cake was the perfect size.
- Dye frosting your favorite color. I used a very pale blue here so I didn't need to add a lot of food coloring.
- Frost the cake with a crumb coat first and then another layer of frosting. Smooth out the frosting. Here is a post on how I smooth out my frosting.
- To make the sign I used Wilton's fondant, dyed it green and yellow. See this post for a few more tips on how to work with fondant.
- Apply the sign to the cake and press gently to have it adhere.
- The use a tiny round tip (this was a Wilton's #3) to write the number and name on the sign.
- Finally add a decorative boarder at the base of the cake and on top to give it a finished look.

Elmo Cupcakes

- Dye the frosting red. You will need A LOT of food coloring to get a true red frosting needed for Elmo.
- Apply frosting to the cupcake using a small star shaped tip.
- Add candy eyes*.
- Add a nose. These are just orange colored peanut M&M's. Buy the big bag of M&M's b/c the single serving bags (that you find near the check out register) will only have 3-4 orange per bag.
- Add a mouth. This mouth is made from an Oreo cookie. I twisted the cookie apart, used a sharp knife to scrape off the white cream center and then cute it in half.

Cookie Monster Cupcakes

- Dye the frosting blue. You will not need a lot of food coloring to get the right shade. So start with just a little and add more as needed.
- Apply frosting to the cupcake using a small star shaped tip. I used the same tip that I used for Elmo.
- Add candy eyes*.
- Add a cookie. These cookies are the Famous Amos mini cookies (cut in half). They were the perfect size, not too big, not too little.

Oscar the Grouch Cupcakes

- Dye the frosting green. I added just a tiny bit of brown food coloring here too to give green a bit more of an olive hue.
- Apply frosting to the cupcake using a grass shaped tip.
- Add candy eyes*.
- Add a mouth. This mouth is made from an Oreo cookie also.
- Add a tongue. Just pipe a small amount of red frosting into the center of the mouth. I used leftover frosting from the Elmo cupcakes
- Add eyebrows around the top half of the eyeballs. Use brown frosting for this and a very small star shaped tip.

More Tips:
- *I cheated and bought candy eyeballs from a local cake supply store to save time. There are a few ways to make these at home but that is a post all on it's own. If anyone wants to see that, please let me know and I will post a tutorial.
- Give yourself some time to make these, at least two days. Try baking the cake and cupcakes one day. Then make the frosting and decorate the next.
- I used coordinating greaseproof liners (red, blue and green) to match the cupcakes.
- Making several different frosting colors it is helpful to use this plastic wrap technique (aka..."the frosting condom") to save pastry bags and make clean-up easier.


Here is the birthday boy enjoying his first taste of cake. How cute is he??!! Happy 1st birthday Maddox!

Thanksgiving Food Favorites

Just a quick post today....

Hope you all have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING....gobble gobble!!

Sweet Potato Brulee


Turkey Cupcake Bites


Honey-Poppyseed Butter



Cranberry Sauce


Pumpkin Cheesecake

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I should probably have called these "The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever" or "My Favorite Cookie" because these really are that good....really!

What makes them so good? The fact that they taste like the perfect chocolate chip cookie and they are SOFT! What makes them soft? The surprise ingredient is vanilla pudding. Most CCC recipes will produce cookies that might be soft just after baking, but after a few hours they will become crispy. These stay soft not only for hours but also till the next day (remember to keep in a sealed Tupperware container to keep fresh like any other cookies though). I'm sure they would stay soft for a few days, but these didn't last that long in my house :)


I have to share with you my "behind the scenes" look at how I got the above photos. The day I baked these it was very rainy and cloudy. There was very little natural light shining through the window. I had to try and get them as close to the window as possible if I wanted a decent shot. So, while one would assume from the pictures above the cookies are sitting on a table, they are actually on top of my kids chair and a dinning room chair. I have a feeling I'll be using this set-up a lot more as it continues to get darker out.



Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Source: AllRecipes.com

Snickerdoodles

It has been a busy, busy week and not much time for blogging. However, I did want to share this quick cookie recipe with you all.


These were terrific and I can't wait to make them again....YUM!!!



Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.


Source: AllRecipes.com

Daisy Cookie Basket

You might have noticed that I've developed a thing for cookie baskets. I first made THIS one and shortly thereafter THIS other one. Yep, I love'em :)


I made these simple daisy baskets as a little Thank You gift for my son's kindergarten teachers. One had mentioned to me recently how he was always telling them about the things I was baking. I couldn't resist baking a little something for them also, especially since they were all such amazing teachers.


I had purchased the galvanized pails at Michael's back in the Spring but I didn't actually start on the cookies till 9:30 the night before I dropped them off---eeks! It worked out OK though. I made 4 of these cookie bouquets (teacher, assistant teacher, special ed. teacher and OT) and it took me about 2.5 hours total from start to finish.


Sugar Cookie Recipe (I cut down on the vanilla extract and added lemon extract and a tsp. of fresh lemon zest)

Royal Icing Recipe (also flavored with lemon extract)

Cookie Basket Instructions

Printable "Thank You" tags (curtesy of Skiptomylou.org)

Fourth of July Fireworks Cookies

Do these cookies look familiar? You might have seen them at the checkout counter recently. They are on the cover of the Martha Stewart Living magazine July issue. I think they are really cute and festive. I made these in advance for a BBQ I'm going to on Monday.


I also made a few simple stars outlined in red and blue with a little sanding sugar on top.


BTW, here is how I use and store my royal icing. I love these piping bottles from CK. I buy mine at a local bakery supply shop but you can also purchase them through Amazon. Also, so the tips don't dry out, I store the bottles upside down in a large cup with a damp paper towel on the bottom when I'm decorating the cookies.


I hope everyone has a safe and happy JULY 4TH!!!


Ingredients:

FOR THE COOKIES
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 teaspoon baking powder
Coarse salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

FOR DECORATING THE COOKIES
Red, White, and Blue Royal Icing (HERE is my royal icing recipe)

Directions:

Make the cookies: Sift flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a large bowl.

Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, then vanilla. Refrigerate dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough to a scant 1/2-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut out cookies using a 1 3/4-, 2 1/4-, 2 3/4-, or 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, rerolling scraps once. Transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake until edges just start to brown, 10 to 12 minutes or until edges become golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

Decorate the cookies: Pipe an outline of white icing around edge of 1 cookie, leaving a 1/4-inch border, then "flood" with more white icing to cover.

Immediately pipe a red or blue dot in the center of cookie. Then pipe concentric rings of colors around the center dot (using the same color as the dot, or alternating colors).

Immediately drag a toothpick through the colors to create bursts, starting from the center dot and working toward the edge, then alternate dragging inward and outward as you work around the cookie. (Or drag around the cookie in 1 direction or curve the lines for a pinwheel effect.) Let dry. Repeat with remaining cookies and icings.

Source: Slightly adapted fromMartha Stewart

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I think I have mentioned before that I don't really have a problem using a cake mix from a box. However, when it comes to frosting it has to be made from scratch. The canned stuff just tastes plain gross to me.

The basic homemade frosting typically involves powdered sugar, butter (and/or shortening), vanilla and cream (or milk). This makes a traditional American style buttercream and you can find the recipe HERE. One complaint with this recipe though is that it produces a very sugary, sweet taste....a little too sweet for some people's liking.

Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) on the other hand produces a very silky, buttery buttercream. It definitely has a more sophisticated taste and is just plain AMAZING!

It is a little more involved to make though but with a little know-how, it's really pretty easy and definitely worth the effort.

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of butter (3 sticks)
1 tsp vanilla
food coloring (if desired)

Directions:

Step 1: Bring a pot with a bit of water up to a simmer on the stove top. In you mixer bowl add the egg whites and a pinch of salt. Start whisking the egg whites. Then add the sugar and whisk some more.
Make sure your bowl is spotless and there is no yolk in with the egg whites. Both of these things will not allow for the ehh whites to get big and frothy.


Step 2: Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water and whisk continuously for about 5 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 150-160 degrees (test with a digital thermometer) .
This is the hardest part of making the frosting b/c of the constant whisking.


Step 3: Now transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Start the mixer on medium for about 30 seconds and then bring it up to high. Whisk the meringue for 8-10 minutes. It will be ready when the sides of the bowl have cooled to room temp and the meringue is glossy.



Step 4: Make sure your butter has softened up. Then slice it to 1 inch chunks. With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter chunks one at a time. Make sure each chunk gets almost completely incorporated before each addition.



Step 5: Add your flavoring extract and coloring. Bring the mixer on to high until fully incorporated.


Step 6: You may notice that your buttercream has gotten a little soupy or curdled looking at this point....DON"T PANIC!! Just stick it in the fridge for about 5 minutes and the whisk on high for a few minutes until it comes together again.

That's it...you just made a beautiful and creamy buttercream. Enjoy!!



The video below by Dyann Bakes is really great tutorial. You will notice some small differences in the way she makes her SMBC and the directions the I wrote above. However, the basic steps are the same and I found this video very helpful when I was first learning to make this type of buttercream, so I hope you do too.

How to Make a Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Source: SMBC adapted from Martha Stewart, video courtesy of Dyann Bakes

Graham Cracker Ice Cream Pie Sundae with a Strawberry-Rhubarb Vanilla Sauce

I was struck by the gorgeous photos of this dish on the blog, Savoring the Thyme and couldn't wait to use the big, bright strawberries we had picked to make this.


I have to say, this was a really lovely dessert and so much easier than you might imagine. In fact, you can make the graham cracker ice cream, fresh whipped cream and sauce all ahead of time and just assembly when ready to serve.


This dessert really reminds me of something you might find in a fancy restaurant and I think it would make a wonderful summer time treat for guests.

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Ice Cream Pie Sundae
3 scoops of real, good quality ice cream (I used Haagen Daz)
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (place a few graham crackers in bag and smash em or pulse in a processor)
1 cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of sugar

Strawberry-Rhubarb Vanilla Sauce
1 cup of chopped rhubarb
2 cups of organic strawberries, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions:

For the ice cream:
1. Place the graham cracker crumbs onto a plate. Using an ice cream scoop, obtain 3 scoops of ice cream, roll each into a ball and then roll through the graham cracker crumbs until covered. Place onto a plate and put in the freezer until ready to top with sauce and consume.

2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, combine cream and sugar. Whisk them on medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes until soft peaks form. Place into the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the sauce:
1. Place all of the ingredients into a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator until ready to devour.

2. On a new plate, place a dollop of the whipped cream, place the ice cream balls on top and then drizzle the sauce on top. Enjoy!

Source: SavoringTheThyme

Tip: The Best Tip EVER for filling a pastry bag!!

Edited on 7/17/11: Enter to win a copy of Hello Cupcake book HERE!


Since Mother's Day is coming up this weekend and some of you might be making cakes, cupcakes or cookies, I thought I would share this great tip for filling a pastry bag with icing (either buttercream or royal icing). I've been using this technique now for a few months and have managed to save a ton of $$ on bags and just made things a lot easier on myself.

Here is how it work:

You need a plastic pastry bag, tip and coupler.

You also need plastic wrap

First step is to cut a sheet of plastic wrap.

Then, plop some frosting right in the center.

Starting on one side, carefully roll up the frosting. Another great thing about using this method is that the plastic wrap hugs the frosting and eliminates air pockets.

Now, twist both ends tightly.

Pull back the pastry bag and insert the plastic wrapped frosting.

Gently pull the plastic wrap taut.

Snip off the excessive plastic wrap at the base of the coupler.

Screw on the tip.

Add a pastry bag tie thingy if desired (but not necessary)

TADA!! You are now ready to pipe and frost.

When you are done, clean up is a breeze. Simple remove plastic wrapped frosting and save or discard. Wash the frosting tip and rinse out the pasty bag if needed. Mess free....got to LOVE it!!


Source: SweetSugarBelle