Cortney Bakes!

Blueberry Dutch Baby

2011-12-26T09:26:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful & safe Christmas! It's sad to think that it is over and January is right around the corner. I'm going to miss our company of visiting family. I'm also going to miss having a reason to drive around looking at Christmas lights, watching back-to-back Christmas movies in Christmas/winter jammies, paper snowflakes, baked goodies and candies, etc! We kinda missed the boat this year just a bit...didn't get all the Christmas cards out that I intented to, and didn't do as much decorating as we have before. Regardless, I am so thankful for everything. It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

For Christmas breakfast, we usually do a rich french toast with mimosas, but this year, I wanted to see if we would be up for a change. We had to take a vote: biscuits and gravy or blueberry dutch baby. The winner was the blueberry dutch baby...but then we ended up having biscuits, eggs, and turkey bacon shortly afterwards. (We were just a tad hungry!) Everyone enjoyed it. No one added any maple syrup since it was sweet enough as it is with just a little bit of powdered sugar sprinkled over it.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp. vanilla

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1/3 cup blueberries

powdered sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 12" skillet.

Beat eggs with milk and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients into the milk mixture, and then add the melted butter.

Pour into the skillet and add the blueberries.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Then lower the heat to 325 degrees and bake for 10 minutes. Once cooled a bit, place cut portions on plates and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chai Spice Cookies

2011-12-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I think it is pretty crazy that Christmas is just three days away! It's even more crazy when you are not prepared! I totally slacked at sending Christmas cards. I did get them out to most of the extended family and a couple close friends, but unfortunately will have to do a general message to the rest of our family and friends. My son is now on holiday break until January 4th, so I've been trying to balance getting Rhett time in, cleaning, baking, and overall preparing for Christmas and family coming in to visit...but I just don't feel like I'm completely with it. My mom is coming in tomorrow, and since I am not working, I have to learn to be more creative when it comes to gifts. I know she loves chai tea, so I did some exploring to see what recipes I could find that would go hand-in-hand with that. I found one through the kitchn and did not find a reason to change anything with it. Just thought I'd try it and see from there. My final thoughts: I loved the taste of the unbaked dough, I loved the scent it filled my kitchen with, and...I LOVE IT! Now, I will say that my cookies do not look like the ones in the picture on the website. Theirs were round baked balls. Mine are like regular baked cookies: flat and round. Not sure what happened with that. I followed the recipe exactly, and it did not state to chill the dough, so I baked immediately after I was done mixing. The taste, on the other hand, is buttery and you can really taste all the flavors of the spices. Just wonderful! I love it! Great with milk or tea! Why not?!

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. cloves

3/4 tsp. cardamom

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment or lightly spray.

Beat butter and sugar in a mixer for 3-5 minutes. One by one, add the rest of the ingredients. Scoop into balls and place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool on cooling rack. Easy!

Gingerbread Biscotti with Dates and Dried Figs

2011-12-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

I don't usually experiment with ginger or molasses, and gingerbread cookies were never part of my Christmas cookie requests when I was younger. I've pretty much always been that sweet tooth who wants to bite into a block of sugar or chocolate. I mean, if I'm going to eat a cookie I want it to be something worthy of guilt. It's a treat, by golly! Now that I'm older...wiser...and older, I can appreciate things like plain spice cookies, figs, dates, candles with scents like "serenity" and "country morning", Regis and Kelly, a nice cup of hot tea, knitting...
Where was I?
This morning, I was torn between making a gingercake or some kind of biscotti. I couldn't make up my mind, so I met in the middle and baked some gingerbread biscotti. I decided to get all crazy and add some dried chopped figs and dates, rather than tossing in some almonds or some other nuts we always see in biscotti. (Wild woman...look out!) I think the result is great! Smells great, looks great, and tastes great...GREAT! See what you think -

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup molasses

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped dried figs

1/2 cup chopped dates

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one by one, and then the molasses and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

On a very lightly floured-dusted surface, shape the dough into a 4"x16" log (mine pictured above does not match the measurements, so please don't mind that!). Transfer the log to the cookie sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Let the log cool at least 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 300 degrees. Then cut into 1/2"-thick slices. Place sliced pieces on unlined cookie sheets and bake about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Chocolate Coconut Cranberry Cookies

2011-11-30T13:54:00.000-08:00

I blinked and it is the end of November! Crazy! So I've been trying to get my Christmas baking bucket list going. I don't want to do overload, but just the right amount with a good balance of new and old. I think back to my most favorite Christmas memories and many take me back to both of my grandmothers' houses. One would have these funny vintage elves sitting on her stairs and around the living room, and there would be lots of food and lots of cookies...my favorite are the orange cookies she would make. The other wasn't so big on elves, but big on chocolate covered goodies: chocolate covered marshmallows, chocolate covered crackers, chocolate covered cookies, chocolate covered nuts and raisins, etc. All of that coming from the grandma who I considered to be a very healthy eater (guess she allows herself one day a year to go completely nuts!).

Back to the Christmas cookie bucket list...I know gingerbread men and sugar cookies are in order. Those are two staples when you have children, and this year, I think we will be making gingerbread cookie ornaments to hang on our tree. I took some time to check out Martha Stewart's site for ideas, Joy of Baking, and even my new love - Pinterest - which has a lot of great recipes that have been pinned, but I think I am feeling a bit traditional this time. It's been a while since I have seen my grandmothers, so as you can see from above, I've been a bit sentimental lately. My mind keeps going back to goodies from the past that seem too boring nowadays.

Yesterday, I wanted to bake to get my mind off something that was bringing me down. I decided to take a basic chocolate cake cookie recipe and add a couple ingredients to it: coconut and dried cranberries. I'll admit - my son wasn't a fan - but I quite enjoyed a few. Not overkill on the sweets, the texture is similar to cake, the coconut keeps it nice and moist, and the cranberries compliment the cocoa. Might not be the cookie for everyone, my son included, but hey...I thought it was a nice change.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1 egg

2/3 cup of milk

1/4 tsp. salt

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup coconut

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small mixing bowl, combine sugars and butter. Cream for 3-4 minutes, then add the egg. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing alternately with the milk. Then add the vanilla, coconut, and cranberries.

If you have chocolate jimmies (aka sprinkles), you can choose to roll them in the jimmies like I did.

Using a tablespoon, drop the batter onto parchment lined cookie sheets. B

Bake for 8-12 minutes.

Cranberry Apple Pie

2011-11-25T07:21:00.000-08:00

Mark made one request for this Thanksgiving dinner: cranberry apple pie. I never made one before, so I had to do some recipe comparing. I saw some recipes incorporating oats both the filling and crust, which looks great, but I thought I would keep it traditional. The filling recipe is a basic one, but with a few tweaks of orange juice and dried orange peel (orange and cranberry is a lovely combination). The pie crust recipe is your basic no-fail pie crust. There is a bit of sugar in it, which helps with the tartness of the craberries.

Filling Ingredients:

5 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples (I used Gala)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 - 2 tbsp. orange juice

1 1/2 tsp. dried orange peel (or the zest of a fresh orange)

Pie Dough Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick of cold butter, diced

1/4 cup ice water (or as needed)

Directions:

Make the pie dough first since it will need to chill for at least 20 minutes prior to using. You may use a food processor like I did, or stick to mixing bowls. Combine the flour and salt. Then add in the butter. (Use a pastry blender if you are not using a food processor.) Mix just until it starts to crumble and incorporate. If you mix longer, it should resemble coarse meal, which is less likely to become soggy. For a fruit pie, you want to leave a few bits of fat in larger pieces, about the size of a small pea. This will help create a crisp, flaky texture.

Drizzle a few drops of ice water over the mixture, continuing to add a tablespoon at a time until dough holds together. It should be moist; not wet.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a ball, and divide into two equal pieces. Pat each into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients. Then you are ready to pour into your pie shell. You may choose to brush your top crust with egg wash, and sprinkle with a bit of sanding sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

Christmas Cookies!

2011-11-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

I'll admit I'm not usually very organized when it comes to the holidays, as compared to some people. I do give it some thought, and I enjoy searching the Internet for new recipes and ideas...but, my baking is faily last minute. My grandma Gold used to always have such a spread of sweets during Christmas. Chocolate Bugles, chocolate covered marshmallows, chocolate covered cookies, chocolates...you get the idea. Obviously not much on the baking side, but she prepared ahead of time and stored up a huge stash of sweets to put out on Christmas morning. This year, I've put a bit more thought into what I want to bake. Since I am still not working, I want to keep my gift ideas to those which I can make myself. There are always baked goods and candies to give to friends, teachers, Mark's coworkers, and family...something tells me this year for giving will be a bit bigger than last year! When it comes to traditions, we are still working on ours. Sugar cookies are a given. My son is at a great age to help with decorating them, and has more of an interest in doing so now. I also do love cranberries, so there will certainly be either cranberry hootycreek cookies or I may try a new recipe I found for cranberry almond blondies. That's about it, though! Not many staples...I like to keep things interesting.

I'd love to hear about your baking plans! Do you have any holiday traditions in the kitchen? Got a list of goodies you plan on baking? Do share!

Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Scones with Maple Glaze

2011-11-18T18:58:00.000-08:00

I love pumpkin scones, but these babies got me hooked. I was experimenting one morning in a rush to figure out a scone recipe...something different...to share with some prospective clients. I really enjoyed the outcome, so the next day I made some more since I gave the first batch away. At first, I did worry it would be a bit much, but no...not too much. Just right!

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/3 cup oats

1 1/2 stick colder butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup mashed bananas

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tbsp. maple syrup

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the oats. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. Then mix in the bananas, and then the chocolate chips.

(At this point, you can choose to freeze the dough, which is recommended for best texture. If you choose to freeze it, pat the dough into a 10" round, and cut into 12 wedges. Wrap each wedge individually and freeze. There is no need to thaw the next day. Just place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using the same instructions above, pat into a round and cut into wedges. Place the wedges on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake 14-16 minutes. Drizzle with maple glaze.

Pumpkin Scones with Double Glaze

2011-11-18T18:38:00.000-08:00

Scones are scrumptious, and I have a wonderful recipe to share. At the time of night (9:20 pm feels like midnight to me tonight, friends), I don't have any fun or humorous stories to share. Just a recipe, so here you go!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

7 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. ginger

6 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small chunks

1/2 cup pumpkin (Libby's is fine)

3 tbsp. half & half

1 egg

Milk Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp. milk

Spice Glaze:

1 cup plus 3 tbsp. powdered sugar

2 tbsp. milk

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

pinch of ginger

pinch of cloves

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, half & half, and the egg. Once incorporated, fold into the dry ingredients.

(At this point, if you do not want them the same day, it is best to freeze the dough overnight to help create a better texture. If that is what you want to do, pat the dough into a 10" diameter round about 1/4" thick and divide into 12 equal wedges. Wrap individually and freeze. No need to thaw when you are ready, just place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pat the dough into a 10" diameter round about 1/4" thick and divide into 12 equal wedges. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes. Spread milk glaze over top and drizzle with spice glaze.

Cranberry Jalapeno Jam

2011-11-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

Cranberry season is here! I am so excited! Here are some great tidbits about why they are so wonderful:

They are full of antioxidents, which protect cells from damage by unstable free radicals.

They can help block urinary infections by binding to bacteria so they cannot attach to cell walls.

A compound discovered in cranberries, proanthocyanidine, prevents plaque formation on teeth; mouthwashes containing it are being developed to prevent periodontal disease.

In some people, regular cranberry juice consumption for months can kill the H. pylori bacteria, which can cause stomach cancer and ulcers.

Extracts of chemicals in cranberries prevent breast cancer cells from multiplying in a test tube; whether that would work in women is unknown.

Cranberries may prevent tumors from growing rapidly or starting in the first place.

Drinking cranberry juice daily may increase levels of HDL, or good cholesterol and reduce levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol.

You can freeze them for up to a year.

So last year, I stumbled upon Brin's Blog: My Messy, Thrilling Life. I loved checking in on her, and learning from her posts. One of the gems I found is a recipe for cranberry jalapeno jam. It only took one taste for the love affair to begin, and now it has become a holiday tradition. It's great to can them since they will be good for a year, and they make nice Christmas gifts, too. If you don't plan on canning them, they will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of water

2 packages of cranberries, 12 oz. each (approx. 7 cups)

2 cups of sugar

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

Directions:

Add the water to a heavy pot (stock pot or canning pot), and bring to a boil. While water is boiling, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Next add the cranberries and jalapeno. Allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes. Cranberries will pop as the mixture thickens. Then ladle into sterilized jars (canning jars which have been sterilized in boiling water), and run a skewer around the inside of the jars to release any trapped air. Next, wipe clean and put lids on the jars.

Put the filled jars into boiling water, and process for 10 minutes. The water should come over tops of lids by an inch or so. After they have been processed, cool them upside down. You can check the seal once inverted. You should be able to press on the lid without it popping. If it does, they have not sealed correctly. I had mixed jars, and what this recipe gave me was 3 jelly jars (8oz.)and 1 (16 oz.) jar.

Pretzels

2011-11-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

Just like the chocolate chip cookies, I have a desire to test pretzel recipes. I cannot remember where I found this recipe (could have been a Pinterest pin), but I decided to try it. The last pretzel recipe I tried had a tiny bit of white sugar in it, and this one calls for brown sugar. I will say the brown sugar definitely comes through...there is a sweet aftertaste. Might be good for those dessert type pretzels that you dip in chocolate sauce or sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. However, for a normal everyday pretzel, I'm more partial to the other recipe. Here's the recipe! See what you think!

Ingredients:

2 tsp. yeast

1 1/3 cup warm water

1/3 cup light brown sugar

4 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, stirring a bit to make sure it is all dissolved. Add the brown sugar, and then the flour (one cup at a time). Continue to stir with a wooden spoon until dough is elastic-like. Cover the dough and let it sit until it has doubled in size about 45-55 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the baking soda. Separate dough into roughly 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a long roll, then form into pretzel shape. Place one pretzel at a time into the water for 10 seconds. Remove and put on the lined cookie sheet. Brush with eggwash and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and cool on cooling rack.

A Word About Butter

2011-11-06T04:58:00.000-08:00

We all know Paula Deen is quite familiar with butter, but how about you? Do you know the average shelf life of butter? Do you understand why recipes call for butter to be at room temperature? Well, I have some good information about butter that I would like to share!

Shelf Life: Unsalted butter has a shelf life of up to 3 months since it has no preservatives. Salted butter has a shelf life of up to 5 months because the salt acts as a preservative. You can freeze butter up to 6 months. Just remember to defrost the butter in the refrigerator prior to using. (Using previously frozen butter for baking is not recommended, as this will change texture and moisture content.)

Freshness: To check the freshness of the butter, cut a small slice. The outside should be the same color as the inside. If the outside is darker, that means the butter has oxidized. The butter is no longer fresh and will have a metallic-like taste.

Did you know that salted butter was created to prevent spoilage and mask odors and bad taste?

Temperature: Butter temperature plays an important role in baking. If the recipe calls for the butter to be room temperature, the butter should be between 65 degrees F and 70 degrees F. (It should only give slightly when pressed with finger tip.) Butter that is at room temperature allows the maximum amount of air to be beaten into the batter. When a recipe calls for cold butter, it is not absorbed as much by the starch of the flour, which helps create layers of flakiness.

Creaming: When you cream the butter, it creates air bubbles that your leavener (baking powder or baking soda) will enlarge during baking. If your recipe calls for creaming the butter, experts recommend a creaming time of 4-5 minutes.

Substituting: You can substitute salted butter (say 8 oz.) for the same amount of unsalted butter, but remember to remove 1/2 teaspoon of salt from the recipe.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-11-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

I have found so many chocolate chip cookie recipes, that I decided it was time to do a recipe challenge. Now, I realize there are people who are set in their preferences. Some people like light and fluffy cookies; some like flat and crisp cookies. Some people like the good ol' classic recipe found on the back of the chocolate chip bag. If you are one of those who enjoys exploring tweaked recipes, then this one might be for you. This is a spin off a recipe I found for a basic cream cheese cookie. I added a bit of sour cream, a bit of cream of tartar, more vanilla, and a lot of bittersweet Ghirardelli chocolate chips. The outcome: light and fluffy cookies, with a nice tangy bite without the sweetness overload. I'll hear the final verdict tonight at ladies night!

Ingredients:

10 oz. Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 1/2 - 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat the butter and cream cheese in a bowl for one minute. Slowly add in powdered sugar, then the cream of tartar, and egg. Next, add the sour cream and vanilla. In increments, slowly add in flour.

Place spoonfuls of batter onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 7-9 minutes.

Makes approximately 30 cookies, depending on

the size you choose to make them.

ps- the verdict was a good one! It's a keeper!

2011-01-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday! It always seems to fly by way too fast, and this year was no exception. My birthday surprise was tickets to Boston to see The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Hometown Throwdown, which my flight left out at 6 am the morning after Christmas. I had spent pretty much the entire night and early morning checking the weather and making sure my flight was still on schedule. Amazingly, it was. Our drive to the airport took us about 3 hours. On normal days (sans snow) it should only take 1 1.5 hours at most. But it was snowing and we were driving 40 mph on a highway we usually go 70 mph. The snow here was nothing compared to the snow in the Boston area. In fact, my flight was the last to leave that morning; everything else was cancelled. So what to do? Play in the snow! Then when it came time for the Throwdown, we put our boots on, got our furry hats, train tickets, subway tickets, and began the mission! I spent the entire show crammed up against the back of some 17-year-old, but when you begin to feel 17 all over again yourself, you don't mind! Curtain dropped and we were all in awe at the enormous wall of glowing plastic santas. Then the boys come out...the excitement is almost too much to handle for me.

I guess I should talk about baking! I still owe something very chocolatey, so that shall be my next baking adventure!

Cranberry Shortbread Bars

2010-12-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it. I can't get enough of cranberries when they are in season! The bad news is that cranberries are only available for a limited time at most grocery stores. You're lucky if you can get them for even two months! The good news is that you can freeze cranberries for up to a year! Just stick them in a ziplock freezer bag and pull them out whenever you want them.

These bars are so simple, yet they mix tartness with the subtle sweetness and richness of shortbread perfectly. They can also be a casual dessert, or more elegant with the right serving dish, sprinkled with a hint of confectioner's sugar.

Ingredients:

Filling:

8 oz. fresh cranberries (or thawed cranberries)

2/3 cup of sugar

3 tbsp. of water

Shortbread:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Center rack in oven. Butter a 9x9 baking dish or use non-stick spray.

In pot over medium-high heat, combine water, sugar, and cranberries. Cook until it comes to a rolling boil. Lower heat a bit, and let it contine to cook until it gets thicker - about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cornstarch. In another bowl, cream butter. Add sugar, continue to mix till light and fluffy - about 1 to 2 minutes - then add the vanilla. Combine sugar mixture with flour mixture until resembles crumbles. Using two-thirds of shortbread mixture, press into bottom of baking dish. Then spread cranberry mixture on top, followed by dropping shortbread crumbles over top of cranberry mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes till lightly golden on top.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

2010-12-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like chocolate and mint together? These cookies are similar to Girl Scout Thin Mints, but covered with white chocolate and sprinkled with peppermint candy. Wonderful for a holiday treat for the family, or even wrapped up as a gift!

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

3/4 tsp. peppermint extract

4-6 crushed peppermint candy canes

2 lbs. white chocolate or vanilla bark, coarsely chopped

Directions:

In a bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar together for one minute. Add the egg and then the yolk, mixing well after the other. Add in peppermint extract.

Next, add sugar mixture to flour mixture. Divide into two, form into disks, and wrap in clear wrap. Chill the dough for at least an hour (or up to 2 days).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Roll out dough, on a lightly floured surface, till dough is about 1/8" thick. Use your cookie cutter to cut out desired shapes. After cookie sheet is full, stick it in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes. (Do this with each full cookie pan before putting in the oven)

Bake for about 12 minutes or when they are dry to the touch. Let cool.

Melt white chocolate over double boiler, then remove from heat. Dip your cookies, one by one, into the melted chocolate and set on a foil or parchment lined pan. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy. You can let them set on the counter, or you can speed it up by sticking them in the refrigerator until set. Store in an airtight container. Best within a few days of being made.

Cranberry Orange Bread

2010-11-10T13:23:00.001-08:00

I know I was supposed to make something loaded with chocolate - but - I had a serious craving for cranberry bread. Since cranberries are able to freeze up to one year, I loaded up this year. There will be NO shortage of cranberry goodness this holiday season, I made sure of that. This bread turned out very moist, which is great because it really stinks when your bread is great for a day or two before it goes dry. I don't think this bread will be going dry anytime soon. Try spreading cream cheese on it...extra goodness!

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour, plus some for dusting

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp. melted butter

1 egg, slightly beaten

3/4 - 1 cup milk

1 bag cranberries

1-2 tsp. grated orange peel, or per your liking (I used Spice Islands Orange Peel - same quantity)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and center rack in the middle. Butter your loaf pan and dust it with flour.

Sift all dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar with butter, and mix until incorporated. Then add the egg, mixing well, followed by the milk. Fold mixture into the dry ingredients. Then add in your orange peel and cranberries.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Coconut Eggnog Macaroons

2010-11-10T13:23:00.000-08:00

I love eggnog, and I was so happy to see it back in the grocery store! Not only can you drink it, but you can bake with it, too. Hallelujah! So I decided to make some coconut macaroons with the leftover coconut I used for truffles. It wasn't a full 14-ounce bag as the recipe called for, but I think they still turned out just fine.

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. bag sweetened coconut

1-1 1/4 cups eggnog

1 tsp. vanilla

2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine coconut, eggnog, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. When your egg whites have reached room temp (usually takes about 30 minutes), put them in a separate bowl. Whip the egg whites on high speed until medium-firm peaks appear. Next, gently fold in the egg whites into coconut mixture.

Drop the mixture by large spoonfuls onto the lined sheet pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes until light golden brown. Let cool.

These cookies do best in airtight containers, and will stay fresh for a few days. They also freeze well - for up to 3 months - when packaged in freezer containers or freezer ziplock bags.

Enjoy!

Temporary Goodbye!

2010-10-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

I will be leaving to go to Barahona, Dominican Republic for a week beginning this Saturday. I'm sorry I'll be missing out on the Halloween fun! There could have been some fun posts, but when I return, I promise to make something extremely chocolatey :) I'll try to make it up to you by whipping up some great Thanksgiving treats.

Right now, I'm working on a bake-free dark chocolate confection with white chocolate, peanut butter, cream cheese, and confectioner's sugar. So far so good! If it's final product is still good, I'll try to post before I leave.

Have a great end of October!

Cortney

Bittersweet Chocolate Almond Biscotti with Kahlua

2010-10-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

I had some leftover Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate and leftover almonds, so I decided to do a simple biscotti recipe to share. The recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan, with a few tweaks of my own.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. Kahlua

1 cup chopped almonds

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate

Center rack in oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your baking sheet with parchment.

Sift flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. With a mixer, beat sugars and butter on medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes. It's normal for the mixture to appear crumbly. Add eggs, one at a time. Then add vanilla and Kahlua, scraping down sides, for another 2 minutes. Reduce to low speed, adding dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until dough forms. Scrape sides and add in the chocolate and almonds.

Divide dough in half. Make into two 12" long logs. Flatten logs a bit so that they are about 1/2 -1" high.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or till just slightly firm. They may spread and crack, which is normal. Leave the oven on, but remove biscotti logs and allow them to cool for about 20 minutes.

After they have cooled, use a serrated knife to cut each log into slices about 1/2-3/4" thick. If you can find a way to stand them up to bake, go for it. If they won't do it, bake on one side about 6 minutes, then 6 minutes on the other side. Let them cool prior to packaging. Makes a dozen or so, depending on how you shaped your logs.

Pumpkin Doughnuts Part 2

2010-10-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour

4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp. butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup plus
1 tbsp. buttermilk

1- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin
1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Chill dough for 3 hours. Heat 3-4" oil in a pot.

Sprinkle flour on baking sheets. Set some paper towels on a reserved plate. Shape dough into small balls, rolling in flour to lightly coat. Fry 1 minute per side, only doing 1-2 balls at a time. Let them cool slightly and drain on the paper towels.

Make a mixture of sugar and cinnamon in a reserved bowl (about 1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp. cinnamon or per taste).

Roll balls in the sugar mixture & continue to cool until you're ready to eat!

*ps - I realize this is not a baking recipe :) The majority of the time, I do bake, but every now and then I'll include something different.

Pumpkin Doughnut Holes

2010-10-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

I had about 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin left, so I decided to try a pumpkin doughnut hole recipe. Now, the recipe itself is good. It did produce a nice looking, great tasting "doughnut"...however, I have come to three conclusions:

1) I'm not that great at deep frying ANYTHING. I'm not big on deep fried foods, so I don't have much training. (Some...okay, fine...many didn't cook all the way through. I was trying to cook dinner at the same time, though. So there's excuse number 2.)
2) I'm apparently not very familiar with doughnut holes. (Mine were huge balls. Not holes.)
3) Nothing compares to Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

All in all, I think the recipe is a keeper. As Mark describes, "Not as heavy as cake doughnuts, but not as light as regular doughnuts. They're good!"

Pictures tomorrow!

Raisin Pumpkin Spice Cake

2010-10-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished product. I know it looks pretty tame (Lord knows I could have made it prettier!), but I'm happy! The aroma is awesome, and the taste is just as it should be. The icing is a mixture of cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, confectioner's sugar, and spices.

F A L L

2010-10-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

Thank God for seasons! I don't know about you, but I am so ready for fall. My mind is on pumpkins, cranberries, hazelnuts, hot chocolate, and apples! I thought I'd start my blog out with a great fall recipe, something involving pumpkin. It's been a while since I have done any kind of bundt cake, so baking in the oven right now is a raisin pumpkin spice cake. And I'll tell you what - I've sampled the batter and it is delicious! (I need to stop eating the batter or I won't have any cake.) Still debating on the glaze...either using cream cheese in it or omitting the cream cheese and using maple syrup. Or, I could do both. Why limit ourselves, right?!

Check back in a couple hours! My super helper, Rhett, and I are busy making sure our cake is perfect!