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Jackie’s Sugar Cookies |
1 ½ cup butter, softened at room temp for 1 hour
4 Eggs
2 cups sugar
5 cups flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1. Cream together butter & sugar
2. Add Eggs and Vanilla extract
3. Add remaining ingredients until blended
4. Form several large balls and place in covered bowl – refrigerate for 1 hour
5. Roll out into ¼ inch thickness and cut w/ cookie cutter of choice. I recommend finding 5 inch size cookie cutters. They work best.
6. Cook at 400 degrees for 6 to eight minutes – keep an eye on them the cook quickly
7. Allow cookies to completely cool
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Royal Icing |
2 lb bag of confectioners sugar – sifted
1 cup of warm water – to be added a tsp at a time until consistency is right
3 tbsp meringue powder
2 tbsp piping gel
2 tsp colorless almond extract
Wilton color tint of your choice – store bought color will work ok – but Wilton gel color has much truer color
Pastry bag
Pastry tip #3 round
1. Blend sifted sugar, meringue powder, extract, coloring gel and about 5 tsp of water together. At this stage I will usually wet a paper towel and wrap it around the outside of my stand up mixer as I mix these ingredients. The confectionary sugar tends to go everywhere if you don’t shield the bowl.
2. Getting the right consistency takes a little practice. Your first batch you want to have piping consistency. It needs to be thick enough to hold its shape but still be easy to pipe through your pastry bag. Once you get this consistency half the recipe. Remove and place in plastic bowl – add the piping gel to icing and stir. Promptly cover – Royal icing dries out VERY quickly.
3. With the remaining batch you want to reach “flow” consistency. It should slowly trip off the end of a spoon. Keep adding a little water till you get to this consistency. Place in plastic bowl and cover.
To ice cookies:
Prepare pastry bag & tip – Fill w/ piping consistency icing. Pipe border of cookie. To make the “dam” secure you may take a small paintbrush – dipped in water and go over the area where the two ends of icing meet. Allow to dry for 10 minutes. Then spoon “flow” consistency icing in the center and smooth out w/ a spoon. Allow cookies to completely dry for about six hours.
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Extra Special Buttercream |
After many experiements this is my famous buttercream recipe I use on all most all of my cakes.
1 c. crisco
1 c. unsalted butter
2 lbs. powerdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp. vanilla (I like McCormicks French Vanilla) You can use what ever flavoring you like.
6 – 8 oz. of heavy whipping cream
Directions: Cream butter & shortening together. Add all other ingredients adding cream last. Slowly increase speed of stand up mixer and blend till icing is fluffy. Add any food coloring desired. I prefer American Color (available at specialty bake shops).
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Oreo Balls – Courtesy of Robin Christman |
Serves: lots and lots
Ingredients:
1 package of Oreo cookies (double stuffed is recommended))
1 block of cream cheese
2 bags of candy melts (You can buy them at Michael’s. I like the dark chocolate melts)
Directions:
Break the Oreos into pieces, and cut the cream cheese into little squares. Put the Oreos and cream cheese into the food processor and mix together. When blended, use a small scooper to make bite size balls. Put into a freezer for 20-25 minutes.
Microwave the candy melts for about 2 minutes, or until melted (stir every 30 seconds). Dip chilled balls into the melted chocolate. Once hardened, put into the fridge.
Chill for 30 minutes, then serve!
Can be made a few days in advance. Keeps for several days.
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Molten Chocolate Baby Cakes |
This recipe comes from Nigella Lawson’s book ‘How to be a domestic goddess’
scant 1/4 cup soft unsalted butter
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
4 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup all purpose flour
6 individual 6 ounce custard cups buttered
baking parchment
preheat oven to 400 degrees putting in baking sheet at the same time
cut rounds for the bottom of the cups and press into the bases
melt chocolate and let cool slightly. cream together butter and sugar and gradually beat in the eggs and salt, then the vanilla. add the flour, and when all is smoothly combined scrape in the cooled chocolate, blending to a smooth batter.
divide the batter between the 6 cups, quickly whip the baking sheet out of the oven,arrange the cups on it and replace in the oven. cook for 10 minutes (NOTE only 10 minutes if at room temperature and 12 minutes if they are being taken out of the refrigerator. this is a good make ahead dessert to keep in the fridge.
take them out of the oven, tip out the babycakes onto small plates or shallow bowls. serve with whipped cream, creme fraiche, custard or ice cream.
if timed right in the oven, they are really delicious.
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Tres Vanilla Cupcakes w/ Vanilla Sea Salt |
Vanilla Sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
1 pound sugar
1. Split the vanilla bean but don’t scrape out the seeds. Put it with the sugar in an airtight container. Store in a cupboard for around 5 days or more. Shake it up once in a while.
3 Vanilla Cupcakes
20 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven
3/4 cup (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-2/3 cups vanilla sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2-2/3 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
1. Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined.
3. Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Measure out the milk and vanilla and stir to combine.
5. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine. Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.
6. Scoop batter into cupcake cups about 2/3’s full. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake cupcakes for about 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Vanilla Bean Frosting
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 package (8 ounces) philly cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy.
2. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
3. Add the vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, and 3 cups of powdered sugar and beat at low speed, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to arrive at the consistency and sweetness you like.
Assemble
1. Frost each cooled cupcake with a healthy mound of frosting.
2. Top with vanilla seat salt or whatever you so desire.
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Dump Cake – Coutesy of Ty & Shannon Lewis |
EVERYONE LOVES TO EAT SHANNON’S DUMP CAKE .
THIS IS EASY AND ESPECIALLY GOOD TO EAT WARM WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM OR COOL WHIP.
2 CANS OF CHERRY PIE FILLING
1 CAN OF CRUSHED PINEAPPLE, UNDRAINED
1 PACKAGE OF YELLOW CAKE MIX, WITHOUT PUDDING (DUNCAN HINES WORKS BEST)
2 STICKS OF OLEO OR BUTTER, MELTED
COCONUT (OPTIONAL)
PECANS, CRUSHED (OPTIONAL)
SPOON PIE FILLING IN TO A LARGE PAN AND SPREAD EVENLY. SPOON PINEAPPLE OVER PIE FILLING. SPRINKLE DRY CAKE MIX OVER PINEAPPLE. POUR MELTED OLEO EVENLY OVER CAKE MIX. SPRINKLE COCONUT AND NUTS ON TOP (OPTIONAL). PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 AND BAKE FOR 25 MIN UNTIL BUBBLY. GARNISH WITH WHIP CREAM, COOL WHIP OR VANILLA ICE CREAM.
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Red Raspberry Chocolate Bars – Courtesy of Aunt Cindy |
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar (Splenda can be used)
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter or margarine
1 egg, beaten
1 jar (12 oz.) seedless red raspberry jam
1-2/3 cups Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Chips, Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Hershey’s
Raspberry Chips, or Hershey’s Mini Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates. I usually use Semi-Sweet Chocolate
Chips.
Heat oven to 350, Grease 13×9x2 inch baking pan.
Stir together flour, sugar (Splenda), pecans, butter and egg in a large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender
or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside 1-1/2 cups crumb mixture.
Press remaining crumb mixture on bottom of prepared pan; spread jam over top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Crumble remaining crumb mixture evenly over top.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into bars. Should make 3 dozen bars. So Easy and So Good!!!!
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Peanut Butter Bars – Courtesy of Cindy Talley |
2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
2 Cups Confectioner Sugar
¾ Cup Butter (Melted)
12 oz jar of peanut butter (warmed slightly in the microwave)
12 oz bag of chocolate chips
Mix first four ingredients together in a bowl. Press mixture into a 9×9 (or similar size) baking dish. Melt chocolate chips and pour over mixture. Allow to set slightly in the fridge. Cut pars before chocolate hardens. Allow chocolate to completely harden before serving.
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Blueberry Pizza – Courtesy of Aunt Chris |
Buy a ready made pie crust or make your own and place flat out on a pizza pan.
Spread out a single layer of blueberries covering the entire crust.
Sprinkle with cinnamon-1/2 – 1 t.
Mix together 1c sugar and 1c flour and 1 stick melted butter. This will form into a crumble that you put over the entire top.
Bake at 350 for 25-40 minutes.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
This was given to me by a blueberry farmer who said during the season they are to busy to make pies and they make the pizza so they can enjoy the fresh berries.
I have tried it with a variety of fruits and it is best when using tart fruits. It isn’t good with strawberries, OK with peaches and also good with raspberries.
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Gooey Butter Cakes – Courtesy of Aunt Chris |
This is a favorite in St. Louis and we would always buy them when we went back until I found this version courtesy of Paula Dean.
1 package of yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter-melted
1 egg.
Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the ingredients and mix well. Pat into the bottom of a lightly greased 13X9 baking pan. Prepare the filling:
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 t vanilla stick butter melted
1- 16oz box of powdered sugar
Beat the cheese until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add butter and beat. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over the cake mixture. Bake for 40-50 minutes, the center should be gooey(hense the name)so don’t over bake.
Great for brunches!
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Doughnut Holes – Courtesy of Aunt Chris |
This one really makes people think you were up at the crack of dawn making them a very special breakfast.
I got this one in home ec in high school and it is great.
Heat oil on the stove or in fryer. The degrees I don’t know…make it hot!
Open prepared biscuits and cut into quarters. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and drain well on paper towels. While still hot roll in sugar. Variations can be granulated sugar with or without cinnamon or powdered sugar.
