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Spring Ahead with Raspberry White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

admin — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 16:55:26 +0000

Yay!! Tomorrow is one of the best days of the year. Spring ahead! When I was a kid, the best day of the year was Christmas or my birthday. Hmmph. Not anymore! As the years move on, so does the quest for warm weather and sunlight. I live in the northeast and am stuck here due to the housing market, (bad time to sell) and my career (teaching). The northeast is great if you want to ski, go to the beach in the summer, and freeze your butt off in the winter, never mind slipping all over the place on the icy days. Well, that is now in the past for another year. I am moving on to spring. The greens have been removed from the buckets and window boxes, crocuses are starting to pop up, pussywillows are out, and the Easter Bunny is getting ready to deliver those delicious chocolate concoctions. Ahh, spring!! Daylight!! No more feeling like a truck hit me everyday at 6PM. Funny how the daylight makes such an impact on my lifestyle. Now I can walk after dinner. Speaking of which, after dinner is also the perfect time to enjoy a little treat. I tasted these cookies over Christmas and still have yet to post them. They were part of a cookie exchange made by a fellow teacher, Lisa G. They were awesome and though these are in the shape of mittens, they would be perfect in a bunny shape for Easter or any springtime buffet as they are light and quite tasty. If making these a couple days ahead of serving, do NOT assemble. Bake and store, and then fill on the day of the event. Mmmm.

Raspberry White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Cookies:
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
extra confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Filling:
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/3 cup shaved white chocolate

1. Mix the flour and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, beat butter til smooth. Add in the sugar and beat til smooth.
3. Mix in vanilla.
4. Stir in the flour mixture and chill for one hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350*.
6. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut out.
7. Using a tiny cookie cutter, remove the middle of half of the cookies as this will be a little window for the jam to show.
8. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, chill entire sheet for about 15 minutes, then bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
9. Remove and cool.
10. Spread the jam on one cookie, sprinkle with the white chocolate shavings, and cover with the window cookie.
11. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Cherry Chocolate Kiss Cookies

admin — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 13:09:05 +0000

This coming Monday is President’s Day so in honor of dear ole George I am posting a great recipe for Cherry Chocolate Cookies handed to me by my friend Brigitte. Yum. They are easy to make, delicious to eat, and everyone needs a reason to indulge in something sweet. Well, not everyone, because I often eat without any rhyme or reason, just because foods are tasty and satisfying! Who really needs a reason? There are ways to make this recipe a little healthier and weight conscious appropriate: replace 1/4 or 1/2 of the butter with cherry applesauce, but beware that the texture might not be so delightful. Applesauce is a better replacement for oil. Also, skip out on the drizzling of the icing. You could also eliminate the kiss, but in doing so you are breaking my heart.

Cherry Chocolate Kiss Cookies

1 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 c. softened butter
2 tsp. maraschino cherry liquid
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3-4 drops red food coloring
1/2 c. maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
48 milk chocolate kisses (use dark to make it more heart healthy)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

Icing: Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tsps. water, and 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract.

1. Unwrap kisses (duh) and preheat oven to 350*.
2. Combine sugar, butter, cherry liquid, almond extract, and food coloring, blending well.
3. Add flour and salt and mix well.
4. Fold in cherries.
5. Shape dough into 1 inch balls around kiss and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, remove, cool, and drizzle with icing.
7. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Here’s an option: , When finished cooking, remove, and immediately press kiss into each cookie instead of baking it on the inside.

Nutella Frosting on Fudge Brownies

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:10:02 +0000

A while back one of my dear friends introduced me to the wonderful taste of Nutella. I wish she hadn’t as I really cannot have it in my house as I have no self control and could easily devour the entire jar in a week. Tomorrow is the last day of school for the year. Woohoo. We plan on having a special lunch feast in celebration of this miraculous event, (miraculous in the fact that we made it through another school year fully intact and with our mental faculties not totally destroyed), so I was thinking, hmm, I haven’t had Nutella in such a long time and that it was time for something that included it as an ingredient. So, what will it be? Brownies full of chocolate chunks and nuts and Nutella frosting! Yum!

Nutella Frosting

2 tbsps. softened butter
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 jar Nutella
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat together and spread on cooled brownies.

Nutella Oatmeal Bars

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:30:00 +0000

Today was a professional development day, better known as a half day for kids, work for the teachers, but in our school it is BEST known for food. Yep, that’s right! You may be thinking that the teachers in our district get a lot of training so therefore the kids must be a lot smarter. Right? Well, that is true, we have a bunch of smarty pant teachers and students, but we also learn to fine tune our culinary skills on these days. Today was no different. It was Itallian Buffet Day and that goes without saying is a buffet with Itallian food. Hmm. Not too hard to plan for this one. (Mantineo-great Italian name). I also recently received a jar of Nutella from one of the most giving people I know, Heather Blanchard. I happened to mention to her that I had never tasted Nutella and lo and behold the next day I receive a jar. Not something I really needed, but who in their right mind says no to food gifts. Tried the stuff and OMG it is so freakin’ delicious. Is it healthy? Yeah, right! 200 calories for 2 tbsps. and I am sure the size of their tablespoon does not equal mine. My thoughts were to get rid of this jar as soon as possible as I have an addiction to good food (like most normal people on the planet) so I decided to rid myself of this jar by creating an absolutely delicious calorie packed dessert for the Italian buffet. Nutella must be Italian. Sounds like it. Gina says she eats in when in Italy so I have all my bases covered with this one. Italian buffet dessert and, AND, I get to get rid of the evil Nutella! Not so, as the recipe called for a jar of this concoction of crushed hazel nuts and cocoa and because it is so delish I had already eaten 1/4 of the jar, so I had to go get another jar of it and now I am right back where I started from! But, one good turn deserves another so I made my dessert and watched little tiny Miss Heather enjoy eating them! I hope everyone else did too. Here is the way to make these incredible bars. Now, what to do with the rest of the other jar…

Nutella Oatmeal Bars

1- 21 ounce jar Nutella
2 sticks butter, melted
2 cups flour
2 cups steel cut oatmeal (not the instant or quick kind)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Butter a 13 X 9 in pan and preheat the oven to 350*.
2. Place flour, oatmeal, sugars, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Mix well.
3. Pour melted butter over flour mixture and stir til crumbly.
4. Press about 3/4 of this into the bottom of the pan.
5. Zap the Nutella in the micro for about 20 seconds and spread on top.
6. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture on top.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes or until light brown.
8. Go to the store and get the next size pants because you’re going to need them!

Lemon Squares-Cool, Creamy, Sweet Pleasure

admin — Sun, 09 May 2010 18:26:12 +0000

For some odd reason I have always been attracted to the taste of lemons. When I was pregnant with any of my boys, I craved lemon. I loved the taste of it and the coolness and zingy feeling that penetrated my taste buds. I would sometimes make a lemon meringue pie without the crust and just eat the filling. Every time I would walk to my neighborhood Italian bakery the generous elderly ladies that worked there would provide me with a lemon square, lemon danish, lemon tart, or lemon filled Italian cookies. These ladies loved to have any one eat their goods and enjoyed filling me beyond full. When it was time to deliver my son, they even sent lemon squares to the hospital! Great memories of long ago. I will try to post those recipes at another time, probably when I make them so that you’ll see just how delicious they are. My favorite summer barbecue dessert, or rather, one of my favorite summer barbecue desserts is lemon fluff, but of course that has to accompany whoopie pies, but that is another post on another day! So for now, give these a try if you are looking for an additional dessert to serve on your Easter buffet or your backyard cookout, or special occasion gathering! These are also great when served with blueberries, another of my favorite taste combos.

Lemon Squares

Crust
2 cup flour
2stick softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Filling
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 tbsps. flour
1 tsp. baking powder (Can use 2/3 tsp. Bakewell cream and 1/3 tsp. baking soda).
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest or peel

1. Combine crust ingredients and press into an 13×9 pan. Bake in a 350* oven for 20 minutes.
2. Beat eggs and add remaining ingredients, beating well.
3. Pour over crust and bake an additional 25-30 minutes. Look for them to be slightly browned.
4. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Almond Apricot Sugar Bars

admin — Sat, 08 May 2010 20:58:11 +0000

I love to have friends over so why don’t I have them over more often? No clue. But I do have a clue to a yummy dessert to serve when guests do come over, especially when you don’t want their hands to get sticky. (Not that I have friends that don’t know how to eat and clean up after themselves). Oh boy, I feel myself putting the ol’ big foot in my mouth. Let me explain. Last evening I had a Silpada party, which, by the way, was very successful! When one has a jewelry party, the guests spend their time looking at lovely jewelry while chatting and munching. Now, would you want your guests to touch the jewelry with sticky hands? Is that enough of an explanation? Well, with that said, I decided to make a couple desserts, one of them being an apricot bar, that would be a non messy treat. Mmmm. My favorite, apricot. This bar is very easy to make and the task becomes even easier if you use a pouch of sugar cookie mix. The entire recipe is below, but I know many of my readers have lives, busy lives, while I don’t. So, if you use a prepared sugar cookie mix, make it according to the package directions but include a tsp. of almond extract. Enjoy, and by the way, if you get a chance to go to a Silpada party, go! Even better, host one! I am not a representative for the company, nor is this a plug by any means, but at my party last night I earned over $500 worth of the beautiful sterling silver jewelry, enjoyed berry martinis, and most importantly enjoyed the company of some very dear friends!

Apricot Almond Bars

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tbsps. butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 350*.
Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter, sugar, and egg til smooth.
Stir in milk and almond extract.
Add in dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Press half of the batter into a greased 8 X 8 inch pan.
Bake for about 9 minutes til light brown. Remove from oven.
Spread with apricot jam (or jam of your choice).
Top with the rest of the cookie dough, crumbling it as you place it on the top.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Don’t over cook!

Snow Day + National Cream Cheese Brownie Day = Extra Workout!

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:39:11 +0000

Today is one of those bittersweet winter days as there is no school due to an impending storm which in itself is a wonderful thing, but on the other hand, come June, this snowday really puts a damper on having an early summer vacation! I guess you can’t have it all. But wait! Today, February 10, is National Cream Cheese Brownie day! I am home, snowbound in a couple hours, and have all the ingredients I need to fill my home with the aroma of fresh baked brownies and after a long walk and a couple hours of shoveling a small brownie will not wreak havoc with my diet! I might even get an hour of Wii in also. Here is a quick and easy recipe for Cream Cheese Brownies. Have a wonderful holiday!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies:
1 pkg. dark brownie mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips (no option here!) I used mint and dark chocolate chips to give just a hint of mint to this recipe! Worked great!

Cream Cheese Mixture:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 drops red or green food coloring
Combine butter and cream cheese, creaming until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in 1 egg, flour, vanilla, and food coloring. Set aside.

Glaze:
1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
1. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions adding in nuts and chips if desired. Pour half in a greased 13 x 9 pan.
2. Cover with cheese mixture; top with remaining chocolate batter.
3. Cut through mixture in pan with a knife to create a marbled effect.
4. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes. Perform the knife check to see if done. If not, cook a little longer.
5. Cool on wire rack; cut into squares.
6. When cool, prepare glaze.

Glaze
1. Melt chocolate with butter in the microwave. If too thick, add more butter. If too thin add more chocolate.
2. Spread over brownies.

Cookie in a Brownie

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:19:32 +0000

Today was our monthly pastry club day. As always there were 2 excellent desserts, a carrot cake and chocolate brownie bar. The person, Sue, who brought in the brownie dessert told me exactly how she made it and whoa, easy!!!!! One of my coworkers, Edward, thought these were very incredible. Just look at the picture! Moist and mouth watering, sweet, chocolaty, and perfect for any craving!! I am not usually a prepared packaged boxed mix baker but in this case, why change a thing? I will include recipes for the brownies and the cookies just in case they are needed. BTW, I imagine that this recipe would be great with a peanut butter cookie mix, or what ever combinations one could come up with!!

Cookie in a Brownie
1 pkg. of chocolate chip cookie mix
1 pkg. of brownie mix

Mix brownie mix according to package directions and spread in the bottom of a greased and floured 8 x 8 pan.
Mix the chocolate chip cookie mix and form into little dollops and drop all over the brownie mix.
Bake in 350* oven for about 40 minutes.

Here are the recipes for brownies and chocolate chip cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick butter
1 egg
6 tbsp. brown sugar
6 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour and about half of a 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Beat the butter with the sugars. Beat in the egg. Add in the vanilla. Blend the flour, soda, and salt together and add to the butter sugar mix. Beat and add in the chips.
Bake in a 350* oven for about 11 minutes.

Fudgy Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Stir together butter, sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, eggs, milk and vanilla and beat well.
2. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake in a 350* oven for 30 minutes or until done.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:25:26 +0000

I was brought up on cookies, homemade, delicious ones that permeate the air while they are baking. Nothing says home like the aroma of fresh baked cookies. Well, I guess that’s not totally true as baking apple pie with cinnamon does a great job of providing a tantalizing effect on the senses! I am usually a chocolate cookie kind of girl but I also stray to the healthier side of cookies. Oatmeal kind of makes a statement of health. Of course, pairing oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips provides a very satisfying taste. However, I am trying to go healthier and this year my goal is to post some healthier recipes without giving up the taste of homemade goodness. I decided to make some oatmeal cookies, forgo the chocolate chips and use some dried cranberries. I know what you’re thinking, dried cranberries are not much healthier than chocolate chips, but in all honesty, I have some and the only chocolate chips I have are minty flavored so, cranberries it is!! This is a lighter recipe, I believe a Weight Watcher one that was given to me. These have 2 points a piece and have a unique texture. Enjoy!

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

1 3/4 cups oatmeal
1 cup unbleached flour
2 tbsps. nonfat dry milk powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt-I always use sea salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 egg white-I also added a bit of the yolk
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Heat oven to 375*.
2. Mix oatmeal, flour, dry milk, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat butter, egg white, and brown sugar until fluffy. (Mine wasn’t fluffy, but the recipe calls for fluffiness)
4. Stir in the flour, milk, and vanilla into the butter mixture. Add in the cranberries.
5. Place by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Makes 24 cookies-2 points each!

Pineapple Angelfood Cake for Light Eaters

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:09:13 +0000

Here is the one of the easiest recipes to make a delicious light dessert with few calories. It is a Weight Watcher recipe that I received from a friend, Phyl. It is light and fluffy and if you are counting points, 1/12 of it is 4 points. I am not on Weight Watchers but agree with eating light to lose weight. I think they have a very successful program and offer lots of helpful hints for people to “have their cake and eat it too!”. This recipe is all that, tasty and won’t hinder any weight loss program. Want to try something really good? Cut a small piece, put fresh raspberries on it, and serve with a dollop of free Cool Whip. Yum!!

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

1 box of angel food cake
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice
1 tsp. vanilla

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan. Preheat oven to 350*.
Mix all ingredients.
Pour into the pan.
Bake for 35 minutes.