Bake at 350

Cookie Decorating Troubleshooting

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:02:00 +0000

{My original post on troubleshooting was published waaaay back in 2010. After asking on Facebook last week about what cookie decorating issues you're experiencing, I thought it was time for a reprise. I've also updated it a bit.}

Every single one of these things has happened to me, too. Here are my fixes:

My royal icing is staying "tacky" even after several hours and overnight...any ideas?

My experience is that this is due to flood icing that is thinned too much. When flooding cookies, if the icing runs quickly to fill the entire cookie with having to be spread with a toothpick, it's too thin. Pour your icing back into the bowl, sift in some powdered sugar and let sit again for several minutes.

Why is my royal icing pitted looking and still wet?

Same answer as above...it's happened to me before, too. I'm crying with you.

Help! My cookies dried overnight and now they have dark splotches all over them!

Yeah...you know how humidity is so lovely for your hair? It's just the same with cookies. Close the windows, run the A/C...do whatever you can to make your cookie drying area humidity-free. The good news is, the splotches will normally spread across the entire cookie to darken the icing to a consistent color.

See that horse cookie in the collage above? This is also known as "the day I almost divorced my husband." I kid, I kid! BUT, he did open the windows in the room where the cookies were drying, right after the sprinklers had run outside. Take my advice...have a heart-to-heart with hubby about humidity.

Why do my cookies have white splotches on them?

When stirring in water to flood the cookies, be sure to fully incorporate the water. Those white splotches are water. Also, if you are using a squeeze bottle, make sure it is completely dry before adding your flood icing. If a drop of water is in your bottle, it will come out on your cookie. If you notice a drop of water, grab a paper towel, blot it out and re-coat the area with icing. It will smooth out.

Why is my royal icing full of bubbles?

Two hints here...ONE: Stir in the water for flooding gently with a rubber spatula, not a mixer. TWO: once the water is incorporated, cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes. Most of the bubbles will rise to the surface. Stir gently again and you're good to go. Any other stray bubbles can be popped with a toothpick or a pin.

Do not ever, EVER add water to a squeeze bottle of icing and shake. EVER.

I've tried royal frosting once and it hurt my hands so bad I swore never to do it again.

Try filling your icing bags only 1/2 full. I know it sounds strange, but it makes such a difference!

Why does my red or black icing taste terrible?

My guess is that you are using the food coloring brand sold in craft/grocery stores. While this company does a lot of things right....red and black food coloring are not those things. I strongly recommend AmeriColor Super Red and Super Black. You can find them here, in my Amazon shop, or in many online baking supply stores.

Why does my piped icing...you know...the outline...or maybe just some piping done on gingerbread men...well...why does it dry up and just fall off in little bits.

I think this is from overbeating. It's happened to me, too. Try to beat it until it's glossy and just coming to a stiff peak. Also, use the paddle attachment of your mixer. (Check the Royal Icing 102 post for more info.)

I can not write names or outline without the icing breaking.

This just takes practice...lots and lots of practice. Try getting used to your icing bag and printing on a plate or sheet of wax paper before going to your cookies. It's possible that your royal icing may be a little overbeaten. Check out the Royal Icing 102 post, too.

Why are my colors bleeding?

Well, that happens to me, too, sometimes. First, try to use AmeriColor food colorings. I had this problem a lot more when I used "the other guy's" food coloring. Second, when using a wet-on-wet technique for something like flat dots, let the base color sit for a few minutes before adding the dots. And sometimes, especially with the flat dots, it just happens. What helps me deal with it is to know that it WILL BE EATEN and there will be no evidence. People will just remember "cute cookie."

My icing consistency is never right.

Try reading this post on royal icing....both piping and flooding consistency are covered.

Why doesn't my royal icing dry shiny?

I know it IS disappointing because it looks SO shiny when it is wet. Two tips: ONE. Try drying the cookies while an oscillating fan blows over them. TWO. Food dehydrator. More on this coming soon! They'll never look as shiny as they do wet, but those two techniques will help.

Help! The small filled areas on my cookies are drying with craters!

Ugh. Yes...it's happened to me, too. Try not to overfill small areas; just flood until the area is covered. Also, even though it looks like you don't need to, run a toothpick through the wet icing. This seems to dislodge air bubbles.

Why are my cookies spreading while baking?

I always freeze my cut-out shapes for 5-10 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.

Why is my icing separating?

Piping consistency royal icing can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. You may see a little liquid in the bottom of the bowl, just stir it together. Flood icing, on the other hand, needs to be used the day you make it or is will separate and become unusable. If you'll be decorating for many hours using the same icing bottles, stir occasionally, very gently, using a chopstick or knife to swirl the icing in the bottle.

My piping icing is spreading and won't hold the pattern from a star tip.

More than likely, your icing has loosened up over time...either from being made ahead of time, or from sitting out for several hours. Squeeze all of the icing back into a bowl and add sifted powdered sugar. Stir until stiff again. The icing can even be re-beaten. Test the consistency by pushing a little icing through the tip onto a plate to see if it is still spreading. If so, just keep adding more powdered sugar.

Please be sure to check out the previous two F.A.Q. installments...

F.A.Q.'s

Royal Icing 102, or 201, or whatever comes after 101

Baby Got Track.

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Mon, 20 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

{Molly, that post title is for you.}

Kiddo was on the track team this year...and as much as I admired the kids who practiced four days a week after school for what felt like months on end, I was just floored by the commitment of their coach. Not a school employee, but a dad, who was out there EVERY DAY after school and at EVERY track meet.

If you've never been to a track meet, let me fill you in. They're outside. (You probably knew that.) In the heat, in the sun, and, yes, sometimes even in the rain. From 8am to 5pm. Your child will compete for, oh, a total of 4 minutes?

Suggestion for track venues: tacos. And possibly margaritas.

So anyway, obviously coach needed some cookies. And not just any cookies, the most brightly colored running shoe cookies in the universe.

The shape was made from a template. I used it to make these cookies last year.
Here it is for you to use:

(Just save this image on your computer and resize it as you wish. Click here for info on how to use a template.)

To make obnoxiously colored running shoe cookies, you'll need:

sugar cookies cut with the template above
royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Electric Green, Sky Blue mixed with Turquoise, and Orange mixed with Red Red (or any colors you want)
disposable icing bags
coupler and tips: #2
squeeze bottles
toothpicks

Outline cookies in the base color and the sole color using #2 tips, sectioning off areas to be filled with contrasting colors. Reserve some of each of the piping consistency icing.

Thin all of the icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. (Reserve some of the blue icing for piping details later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin. Count of 2-3 is good. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed. Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

Flood the cookies, filling in the outlines. Use toothpicks to spread the icing and pop any large air bubbles that have formed.

In the very small areas, take care not to overfill, and run a toothpick through the area to dislodge air bubbles. Overfilling and not using a toothpick can lead to craters as the icing dries. Let the cookies dry at least one hour.

Again with #2 tips, add the laces and shoe details.

Let the cookies dry, uncovered, 6-8 hours or overnight.

A big thank you to ALL of you coaches out there...especially volunteer coaches! You are appreciated!

How to Make Red and Black Icing (without losing your mind)

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:46:00 +0000

Psst....if you're having trouble making red or black icing, I have what you need right here. The good stuff.

AmeriColor Super Red & Super Black gel paste food colorings.

Yep, that's it.

No adding cherry juice to red icing. No mixing of every color in your arsenal to make black. No stirring 2 containers of red food coloring into icing and still winding up with pink. (When I first started decorating cookies, I tried it all.)

{strawberries, scotties, dou ble-decker hearts, batman}

All you need is AmeriColor Super. What I love about these colors is that you don't need the entire bottle to make a true red and true black. Both colors will darken over time and while drying, so try tinting your icing *just about* to the color you want, then stop. You can even tint your icing a few days ahead and store it in the fridge until you need it.

Oh, did I mention these have no yucky aftertaste like some other colors?

You can find it many places online: Bake It Pretty, Layer Cake Shop, Sweet Baking Supply, Copper Gifts and, of course, Amazon. If you have a bakery supply store in your town, I bet they'll have it, too. I almost forgot...Hobby Lobby!!!

Making red & black icing the easy way...works for me!

Mother Knows Best: Italian Cream Cake

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Sun, 12 May 2013 13:54:00 +0000

Back when I was in first or second grade, a boy in my class decided to start calling me "Bridget Tee-tee."
{Potty humor is all the rage with the elementary set.}

See, my first name ended with a T and my last name started with a T. Get it? What a clever guy. I didn't find it so funny.

I came home from school crying to my mom about the unfortunate "tee-tee" teasing going on. My mom asked who was saying it. I told her...Guy Hartfield. She gave me some sage advice,
"The next time he says that, call him Guy FARTfield."

Now, I grew up in a house where *ahem* farts were referred to as toots, so I had no idea what it even meant. Sure enough, the next day at school as we lined up for music class, Guy sidled up along side me and called me "Bridget Tee-tee" just loud enough where the other kids could hear. Unsure, I told him to "Be quiet, Guy Fartfield!" The other kids laughed and I never, ever heard a word about "tee-tee" again.

Morals of the story:

Don't mess with the girl with curly hair...or her mom.
Mother knows best.

Which brings me to this Italian Cream Cake. My mother made it a lot when we were growing up. I grumbled and complained because, hello? You're making a cake without any chocolate?!?

Turns out, mom was right. This cake is utterly delicious. Now, Italian? I'm not so sure. I mean, when I think of pecans, coconut, and cream cheese, Italy doesn't immediately spring to mind.

Mom's recipe came from the River Road Recipes 2 cookbook. If you're from the south, I bet you or your mom have at least one RRR cookbook in your collection. They're the Junior League of Baton Rouge cookbooks, and they are winners.

I changed the recipe up a bit...replacing the margarine with butter, adding a little salt, toasting the pecans, etc. Oh, and since this IS Italian Cream Cake, I updated the frosting with lots of creamy mascarpone.

Italian Cream Cake
{3-layer cake, serves 12}

for the cake:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
5 eggs, separated and at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup angel flake coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla

for the frosting:
1 & 1/2 cups chopped pecans
12 oz mascarpone, room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
1 lb. + 1/4 cup powdered sugar, divided
pinch kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter three 9" round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment. Butter the parchment and flour the pans. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together the sugar, butter and oil. Add in the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir the soda into the buttermilk. Add the flour and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the salt with the last addition of the flour. Fold in the coconut and vanilla.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. In three additions, fold into the batter.

Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes or until done. Remove to wire cooling racks and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and let cool completely.

make the frosting:
Place the pecans on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake at 350 for 4-6 minutes, until fragrant and toasted. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Cream together the mascarpone, cream cheese and butter. Beat in the 1 pound of sugar, pinch salt and vanilla until smooth and combined. Remove 1/2 cup of frosting for piping and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar to thicken.

Stir the pecans into the remaining frosting.

Spread about 1/2 cup of frosting between each layer of the cake. Use the remaining to go around the sides and top of the cake. Pipe a border with the reserved frosting.

(Note: this frosting makes just enough to cover the cake. You will not have thick layers of frosting, but it is very rich, so that's ok.)

Mom, you were right. I should have never doubted you. {About anything.}

***Guy Hartfield, wherever you are, sorry to out you on a baking blog. I'm sure we've all learned from this experience.***

You spin me right round, baby, right round...

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:17:00 +0000

Oh, how I wish you could come over and have a bite of this before you see what exactly is in it. It tastes like a Wendy's Frosty, but chocolate-ier. Chocolate-ier is better-ier. It's my motto.

{More on this recipe in a minute.}

Have you seen Blendtec blenders on other food blogs? Me, too. I know it was wrong, but I coveted them. Our blender, let's just say, was no bueno. It lived in the dark recesses of a cabinet between the George Foreman grill and the salad spinner.

So, one glorious day, Blendtec emailed and asked if I might like to try their new blender AND give one away, too. I did a happy dance right there in my kitchen.

You know what's amazing? This Designer Series blender has gotten more use in the past 2 weeks than my KitchenAid mixer...and that is saying something.

Where are the buttons, you ask? Oh, there ARE NO BUTTONS. Seriously. It's a touch screen...look:

Ta-da!!! It's like a blender from the future...and is the easiest thing ever to wipe clean. Oh, and the touch screen has preset buttons. Making a dressing? Press the dressing/sauce button. Making a smoothie? Press the smoothie button. Making ice cream? Press the...and so on and so on.

The jar is called the WildSide Jar. It has a 5th side...WILD! What's wild about it is, everything comes out perfectly blended.

There's also the Twister Jar which is just the thing for nut butters, thick dips, baby food, and pasta. Yes, pasta.

OK...are you ready for the recipe? I promise, all of these ingredients come together for a delicious frozen chocolate treat. You're going to flip when you see what's in it. (And what's not.)

Fudgesicle Frosty
{from Blendtec, serves 3-4}

2/3 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
4 Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 large ripe avocado, peeled & pitted
3 cups ice cubes

Add the first 5 ingredients in the blender jar and secure lid. Select the "sauces" option. Add ice cubes to the jar and select "ice cream."

Bada-bing. Bada-boom. Done. Serve immediately.

To enter to win a Designer Series Blendtec blender, leave a comment on this post (if you're reading in an email, click the post title to open this post in your browser) answering the following question:

~~"What would you blend first? Fudgesicle Frosty? Green Smoothie? Almond Butter? Margarita?"~~

For an extra entry, sign up for Blendtec's weekly blog email and leave a separate comment letting me know that you did.

Giveaway closed! Congrats to Abigail!!! :)

Entries accepted through midnight CST, May 15th. US residences only. Good luck! :)

Recipe Girl's Kahlua-Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:34:00 +0000

Lori Lange's (Recipe Girl's) cookbook launched a few weeks ago and I'm so excited because Recipe Girl was one of the of food blogs I ever read. The book is called: The Recipe Girl Cookbook: Dishing out the best recipes for entertaining and every day.

Now, the book is filled with recipes of ALL kinds....they don't call her Recipe Girl for nothing. There are appetizers, soups, salads, main courses, and drinks. We started with breakfast and made the Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. I have one word to describe them: fanfreakingtastic.

Aaaaand, then there are desserts. I mean, you know me. Does it come as a surprise that I would choose Kahlua-Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies to make first? No. It's a cookie WITH Kahlua!

It was a no-brainer.

Lori was nice enough to let me share the recipe with you on the blog. She's cool like that.

Kahlua-Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
(used with permission from The Recipe Girl Cookbook)

2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 TBSP Kahlua
1/2 TBSP espresso powder
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted & cooled slightly (I used bittersweet)
1 (12 oz) package semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the Kahlua and espresso powder. Stir until the espresso powder is dissolved.

Use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars, mixing until creamy. Add the Kahlua mixture, eggs, and vanilla, and beat until thoroughly combined.

{Doesn't a bowl of melted chocolate make everything right in the world?}

Add the melted chocolate and continue to beat until it is mixed in. Add the flour mixture, and beat at low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop the cookie dough by tablespoonfuls (I used a 2 TBSP cookie scoop) 2 inches apart onto the prepared sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes (12-13 minutes for the 2 TBSP scoops). Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

The Recipe Girl Cookbook....in stores NOW!

My #1 Tip for Rolling Cookie Dough

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:03:00 +0000

DO NOT FEAR THE FLOUR!!!

Yep. That's all there is to it.

Flour your rolling surface, rolling pin, cookie cutters. Heck, before I start rolling, I even dust my cookie dough with a little flour. If your dough starts sticking to your rolling surface, throw on a little more flour.

I PROMISE this will not make your cookies dry. I've made thousands and thousands of cut-out cookies this way using this cookie recipe. If I'm using a chocolate cut-out recipe like the Chocolate-Hazelnut cookies in the book, I use a combination of flour and cocoa powder.

So, don't worry about rolling between layers of wax paper, or rolling in sticky powdered sugar. Flour away!

Works for me!

Don't Judge a Book (or bar) by Its Cover.

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

You know how sometimes a dessert isn't the most gorgeous thing in the world, but it IS the most delicious?

This is the case with these Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars. Not that they're *ugly,* but they're not going to win any beauty contests, either. But ohmygosh...I could have inhaled the entire pan.
(I limited myself to 2.5 per day.)

Here is a universal truth in baking: Any recipe that starts with this...

...can't be wrong.

{If you ever see a recipe that calls for "chocolate wafer cookies," feel FREE to use Oreos minus the cream filling. I used Birthday Cake Oreos for these. What you do with that cream filling is between you and your kitchen walls. Thank goodness my walls don't talk.}

Alrighty, so after giving the Oreos a good whir in the blender or food processor and adding some melted butter, you'll make a cheesecake filling.

The cheesecake is flavored with vanilla and a touch of almond. I love that bit of almond.

Then, you'll mix up some raspberry preserves and fresh lemon juice...

...and swirl it all around.

As the cheesecake bars bake, the cheesecake poofs and the raspberry swirl nestles right down into the batter. Mmmm....

And then you eat. Cool, creamy, tangy, rich, and sigh.

Never judge a bar by its cover, my friends.

For the full recipe, click on over here.

Just Dandy...

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:49:00 +0000

...dandelions.

OK, so maybe they're technically weeds, but they are so hard not to love.

Come on over to Parade to see the tutorial on how to make them.
Really, come on over. :) They're such EASY cookies to make...and making cookies sure beats pulling weeds.

{psst...if you're a dandelion lover, check out Curly Girl Design's sweet dandelion card! It was one of my inspirations when creating these cookies.}

Hold Your Horses

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:15:00 +0000

Every year, the end of April/beginning of May means one thing around our house: horse cookies.

Surrounded by horses for weeks, this is the closest I'll ever get to living like The Pioneer Woman.

My dad helps to host a charity event in Amarillo the day of the Kentucky Derby every year...and every year horse cookies are on the menu. The problem is that horse cookies don't ship well. You see, they have thin legs, and necks that stick out. Not the ideal shape for shipping.

After lots of begging, and maybe a few tears on my part, my dad finally gave in to letting me add some horse head cookies into the mix. I think I like them better than the full horses (maybe it's the eyelashes)...and I know they'll arrive to the party in better shape.

To make some Kentucky Derby horse head cookies, you'll need:

sugar cookies cut with a horse head cookie cutter
royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Super Black, Chocolate Brown, Bright White, and Electric Green (or any color you want)
disposable icing bags
coupler and tips: #2, #1, #3
squeeze bottles
toothpicks

Outline the horses with a #2 tip and brown icing. Reserve some of this icing for piping details later.

Thin the brown and white icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. (Reserve some of the blue icing for piping details later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin. Count of 2-3 is good. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed. Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

Flood the cookies, filling in the outlines. Use toothpicks to spread the icing and pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Let the cookies dry at least one hour.

Add the details. Use a #2 or 3 tip to add the bridle in electric green (or another color). Add and eye with brown icing using a #2 tip.

Use a #2 tip to pipe the mane and nostril. Switch the tip to a #1 and add eyelashes.

Let the cookies dry, uncovered, 6-8 hours or overnight.

(For a tutorial on the full horses, click here. And for some *gorgeous* Derby Party inspiration, check out my friend Courtney's blog, Pizzazzerie!)

Hoof it on into your kitchen and make 'em. ;)

I Just Blogged to Say I Love You (Vol. 6)

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:36:00 +0000

1. FIRST, my sister just had her 4th baby...and after 3 boys, she and her husband welcomed home a sweet baby girl, Rosie. ♥ She's precious, and sweet, and perfect...and her aunt is so happy to be able to shop in the GIRLS' section of baby Gap, Janie & Jack & mini Boden.

2. Speaking of shopping, will there ever be a day when I spend $258 on a pair of shoes? If so, these babies are first on my list. I think I'd need two pair because I'd wear them every.day.

3. These cookies are just another example of why Gail is one of my cookie heroes.

4. And is this ruffle flower "corsage" for a cupcake not gorgeous?!? It looks fairly simple, too. You know, the way things on Pinterest look simple until you try them.

5. My dad orders his Reuben sandwiches on white bread. I've also seen him order strawberry ice cream with gummy bear mix-in in a chocolate dipped cone, but I digress. I'm thinking these Reuben Egg Rolls are a step up in the Reuben department from either white OR rye bread.

6. Can we talk eyelashes? Mine were falling out. This was not good. So, I tried one of those eyelash serums. Y'all...it WORKED. After about 3-4 weeks, I could see longer lashes and no more fallout. I actually had to stop using it for a bit because my eyelashes were getting too long. (FYI: it took a couple of applications for me to get the hang of applying it TO my lashes and not IN my eyeballs.)

7. Running: I'm still doing it. (Miracle of miracles.) Here are my 3 current fav running songs: Bad Reputation, Joan Jett; Gunpowder & Lead, Miranda Lambert; Hell on Heels, Pistol Annies. Apparently, running turns me into some sort of bad girl. I do balance it out with a little Hold Us Together, Matt Maher.

8. Oh! Have you read Firefly Lane? I absolutely loved it. There's a follow-up coming out soon...later this month. I can't wait to dive in.

What are YOU loving lately (especially in the running songs department)? I'd love to hear!

Our hearts are here...

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:46:00 +0000

How-to Texas Cookies...part two

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 01:10:00 +0000

Alrighty, let's talk about the rest of those Texas Cookies.

(Remember the cookies? And part one? Ok...good.)

By far, I've gotten the most emails and comments and "how'd you do that" about the Texas map cookies. The cookies that I took approximately zero pictures of while I was making them. Don't worry, they're easy.

You'll need an icing printer, or access to one. Many grocery stores and baking supply shops have them and will print images for you. I bought a compatible printer recommended by Icing Images and their edible ink cartridges. I also used Icing Images frosting sheets and I recommend them highly.
No matter if you print them yourself, or have the sheets printed, you'll need an image. You can either find one online or scan an image.
Once you have a digital image, view it at 100% and hold your cookie cutter up to the screen. I know it sounds silly. Scale your image to be just a bit smaller than your cutter. You'll see that the Texas cookie image doesn't line up exactly with my cookie cutter, but I was ok with that.
Print the image, or save to a flash drive and have printed. Put as many images on one sheet as you can.
Cover the cookie with thinned royal icing and gently press the image onto the icing, making sure the edges are pressed down.
Allow 24 hours to dry. Add a border to finish the cookie. Here, I outlined the image in black to coordinate with the rest of the set and added a star for Jim's hometown.
More tips for working with edible images are here. (Note: this is an older post...the tips are the same, but I now have a different printer, inks and paper. See #1 above.)

The hats, boots and stars were just simple outline and fill cookies with a little details added at the end.
To make them, you'll need:

sugar cookies in hat, boot and star shapes.
royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Super Black, Chocolate Brown, Bright White, and Egg Yellow
disposable icing bags
coupler and tips: #2, #1
squeeze bottles
toothpicks
silver luster dust
vodka
small (clean) paintbrush
small ramekin

Outline all of the shapes using a #2 tip in black icing. Pipe a heel on the boot. Because we're using black icing, let the cookies dry for 1 hour before filling. Reserve some of the black and yellow icings before thinning for adding details later.

Thin the brown, yellow and black icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. (Reserve some of the blue icing for piping details later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin. Count of 2-3 is good. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed. Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

Flood the cookies, filling in the outlines. Use toothpicks to spread the icing and pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Let the cookies dry at least one hour.

Add details:

Pipe a star on the cowboy hat in yellow with a #1 or #2 tip,
use a #1 tip to add a star and spur on the boots in white,
use a #2 tip to add black detailing to the boots,
use a #1 tip to add lines to make a "Texas Star" on the yellow.

Let the cookies dry, uncovered, 6-8 hours or overnight.

The next day, mix a bit of luster dust with vodka. Brush onto the star and spur on the boots. The alcohol will evaporate, just leaving the silver...and it will dry very quickly.

The Texas flag cookies are a simple outline and fill as well using the same black food coloring, Super Red, Royal Blue and Bright White.

Sing it with me now...

"The stars and night are big and bright

deep in the heart of Texas!

The prairie sky is wide and high

deep in the heart of Texas!"
♥

Whoppers Chocolate Malt Frosted Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

I sometimes forget how much I love Whoppers. They're so unassuming. No oozy caramel, no nuts, no nougat...just the perfect little malted milk ball.

Whoppers are just so darn fun. I guess it's the shape. Plus 18 pieces for 190 calories?

Hellooooooo, bikini.

*just writing that is making me laugh*

Not that we're counting calories here...we're making brownies. Oh yes!

We're starting with a box mix (sue me), adding a little malt flavor, then topping the whole thing off with a milk chocolate-malt ganache frosting. And, of course, we're adding Whoppers in wherever we can.

Feel free to use a homemade brownie recipe here, but Ghiradelli makes a delicious, fudgy mix. Let's vow right now to stop feeling guilty...and making each other feel guilty...for using a mix. K? K. I have plenty of items on my list for confession and using a boxed brownie mix isn't one of them.

Look at that FROSTING!!! And that fudgy brownie underneath?!? You guys...these brownies are EPIC!!! Epic! (Do people say "epic?" People over 40? If not, please ignore and replace with "freakingdelicious.")

Whoppers Chocolate Malt Frosted Brownies

brownies:
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
18 oz Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix
1/4 cup original malted milk powder
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Whoppers

frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
3 TBSP original malted milk powder
11.5-12 oz milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Whoppers

Preheat oven to 325 and grease an 8x8 baking pan.

Stir together the egg, water, and oil. Add in the brownie mix and malted milk powder and stir until combined.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and scatter the chopped Whoppers on top. Lightly press into the batter. Bake for 39-45 minutes, or until done.

Cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a saucepan, heat the cream until simmering. Remove from heat and whisk in the malted milk powder.

Place the chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the hot cream over the top. Let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, then stir gently until smooth.

Place this bowl in an ice water bath and stir occasionally while the frosting thickens and cools. You can put this in the fridge without the water bath, stirring occasionally, it will just take longer. Once the frosting is totally cooled and thickened, place in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 1-2 minutes. The frosting will become lighter in color.

Spread about 2/3 of the frosting onto the cooled brownies. (Use the rest to spread on graham crackers OR...add some to the leftover fudge ripple from yesterday, add ice cream and make a chocolate malt! Oh my gosh!) Scatter with the chopped Whoppers.

Cut and serve immediately (a bench scraper makes an easy way to cut...and I love this mini spatula from Pampered Chef), or store in the fridge.

You KNOW you want to swoop your finger through that frosting!!!

Bringing you Candy Bar Week with Shelly & Kristan has been a little like sitting at the cool girls' lunch table.

Except I don't know what that was like, I sat with the choir/drama nerds and other general misfits.

Today, cool girl Kristan is bringing you Peppermint Patty Bombes!

(Earlier this week, she baked up Heath Bar Salted Caramel Brownie Trifles and Mounds Layer Cake.)

Cool girl Shelly is bringing 3 Musketeer Fudge Brownies today!

(And earlier this week, she created Take 5 Bars and Whatchamacallit Popcorn.)

Oh yeah, and I made Snickers Scones and Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Marzipan Ice Cream.

I am officially fat and happy...how about you?!?

Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Marzipan ICE CREAM!

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +0000

I'm not that sure I can adequately describe my love for the Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Marzipan bar.

It completes me.

My love for it may surpass my love for Don Draper. (This is going to be Mr. E's most favorite post ever.)

If I were on death row, they would certainly be part of my last meal...along with tiramisu, caramel brownies, and a Grimaldi's pizza. And an amaretto sour. Or seven.

I always, always have one of these bars in my "chocolate basket" (you have one, don't you?), just waiting there for me to break off a few squares. (A minimum of 4 squares, and up to 8. Per sitting. Sittings may occur every 30 seconds.)

Ok...I think you feel the love that I have for these bars now. I obviously wanted to do *something* with them for Candy Bar Week, but honestly, I was afraid baking with them would ruin their perfection. Making my own would just defeat the purpose...I love them as is.

I decided to add them to ice cream.

Using the ice cream method found in Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones (thanks for the rec, Andy & Monique!), I created an almond ice cream, flavored with almond paste, swirled with a fudge ripple, and strewn with chunks of my beloved Ritter Sport. Angels were singing.

If you love these Ritter Sports, or almond, or chocolate, or ice cream...I BEG you to make this. It tastes like a cold, creamy Ritter Sport with Marzipan.
This ice cream is seriously one of my favorite recipes I've featured on the blog. LOVE. IT.

Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Marzipan Ice Cream

for the ice cream:
5 egg yolks
7 ounces almond paste (not marzipan)
2/3 cup sugar, divided
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
20 squares (1 & 1/4 bars) Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Marzipan
1/3 cup fudge ripple

for the fudge ripple:
1/2 cup + 2 TBSP sugar
1/2 cup water
6 TBSP dutch-process cocoa
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
(fudge ripple recipe from Sweet Cream & Sugar Cones)

make the cream base:

Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and place a fine mesh strainer over a smaller bowl/4-cup measuring cup. Set aside.

Beat egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and almond paste together until smooth, about 2 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining sugar, cream, milk and salt. Heat over medium-high heat until bubbles form around the edge and the mixture is almost or at a simmer. Reduce heat to medium/medium-low.

Scoop 1/2 cup of the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture and whisk until combined. Repeat with one more 1/2 cup scoop of the cream.

Stir the cream in the pan while slowly pouring in the egg yolk mixture. Stir and heat for 1-4 more minutes, until the mixture has thickened, coats the back of a spoon, and holds a clear path when a finger is run across it.

{You'll test this while it's in the pan, but I'm showing you here just so you know what you look for.}

Immediately pour the mixture over a fine-mesh strainer placed over a bowl or large measuring cup. Stir in the almond extract. Place the container in the ice bath and stir occasionally, until cooled.

(The cream will thicken more as it cools.) Remove from ice bath, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

make the fudge ripple:
Combine the sugar, water, cocoa, corn syrup and salt in a saucepan. Whisk over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a simmer.

Remove from the heat and add in the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute. Whisk the chocolate until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Let cool, then place in a container, cover and chill before using.

make the ice cream:
The next day, coarsely chop the Ritter Sport bars. Place chopped bars and container for storing the ice cream in the freezer while you process the chilled cream in your ice cream freezer.
(This is the one I have.)

Add in the chopped Ritter Sport during the last minute of churning. Scoop the finished, soft ice cream into the chilled storage container, drizzling in the fudge ripple. Press a piece of plastic wrap on top. Freeze for several hours until firm.

Scoop, sigh, donate bathing suit to Goodwill.

Remember...it IS Candy Bar Week! That means you need to click on over to...

...Cookies & Cups for Whatchamacallit Popcorn...

...and Confessions of a Cookbook Queen for Mounds Layer Cake!

You know those girls are always up to something dangerous! ;)

It's Candy Bar Week! Snickers Scones!

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Shelly, Kristan, and I are declaring this week CANDY BAR WEEK!!! I'm not sure if that makes it official, but I plan on marking it on my calendar for years to come.

I started thinking about the fact that breakfast really gets the short end of the stick in candy bar consumption. Poor breakfast. No wonder everybody skips it.

So, I bring you....Snickers Scones.

Not like those hard scones that can be used to hammer in nails (don't get me wrong; I like those, too), these scones are light and fluffy. Don't be put off by the candy bar name...they're not super rich and they pair beautifully with a bowl of fruit and a cappuccino.

A perfectly balanced breakfast. ;)

Also, this is a great excuse to stock up on that 50% off Easter candy. (Not that you need an excuse.)

Snickers Scones

for the scones:
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 TBSP salted butter, frozen
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped Snickers, frozen

for the topping:
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon shortening
Snickers, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 450 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt.

Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater. Stir into the flour until well coated.

Whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Pour into the flour/butter mixture and stir until combined (the dough will look very shaggy). Fold in the chopped Snickers.

Scoop the dough out onto a floured surface and pat into an 8" circle. Use a floured bench scraper to cut into 8 wedges.

Place the wedges 1/2" apart on a baking sheet. If any Snickers are poking out of the dough, push them back in to avoid the caramel oozing and burning while baking.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden. Remove from the baking sheet and let cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

While the scones are cooling, make the topping. Melt the chopped chocolate and shortening in the microwave on 50% power for 30-second intervals. Stir after each interval until melted. Use a spoon to drizzle over the scones. Sprinkle on the chopped Snickers.

Candy bars for breakfast. If it's wrong, I don't want to be right.

OK...now GO over to Kristan and Shelly's blogs. Like, right now. Not only are they two of the funniest and sweetest and coolest girls I know, they also work magic in the kitchen.

Kristan is making Heath Bar Salted Caramel Brownie Trifles...oh. my. word.
Shelly is making Homemade Take 5 Bars...are you kidding me?!?

Be sure to come back for more CANDY BAR WEEK!!!

How-to Texas Cookies : part one

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:24:00 +0000

Here's one thing I learned about making Texas-themed cookies: people not from Texas don't necessarily know about bluebonnets. They do, however, know about armadillos.

So, when Jim (don't you love how I throw that out there like it happens everyday?) wanted Texas cookies for his party, he kind of gave me carte blanche as far as the designs went. My mind raced. Even though there would be several different designs, I wanted them to coordinate somehow, so I went with a black outline.

I love a black outline for several reasons. 1.) It really makes colors POP. 2.) I think it brings out the whimsical and fun in cookies. 3.) It's an easy way to coordinate a set of cookies that don't have other colors in common.

Right away, I knew that I wanted to break out my armadillo cookie cutter (I mean, how often do you get an opportunity to make armadillos? Thank you, Terri!), AND I remembered some fabulous bluebonnet cookies made by Jennifer, an incredibly talented local cookie decorator.

{This little guy may be my favorite cookie EVER. I'm not sure what that says about me.}

To make armadillo and bluebonnet cookies, you'll need:

sugar cookies cut with an armadillo cookie cutter and another cutter with a cone shape, I used the gnome cutter, but a Christmas tree also works
royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Super Black, Bright White, Royal Blue & Leaf Green
disposable icing bags
coupler and tips: #2, #1
squeeze bottles
toothpicks
green food coloring pen

Outline the cookies in black using a #2 tip. Because we're using black icing, let it dry for an hour before filling.

Make a two shades of grey icing using black food coloring. Thin the all of the icings, except black, with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. (Reserve some of the blue icing for piping details later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin. Count of 2-3 is good. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed. Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

For the armadillos, flood the entire cookie with the darker shade of grey icing, working 6-8 cookies at a time. Come back to the first cookie flooded and add lines and dots with the thinned lighter shade. Let the cookies dry at least one hour, then add eyes and a mouth with black icing, using a #1 tip.

For the bluebonnets, working 6-8 cookies at a time, fill in the top petals with white and the rest with blue icing. Starting with the first cookie filled, drop small dots of thinned white icing at the top of each petal. Place a toothpick in the center of each white dot and pull down. Do not wipe the toothpick off between pulls...you want a bit of blue icing on the toothpick.

Flood the leaves with green icing.

Let the cookies dry, uncovered, 6-8 hours or overnight.

The next day, use a green food coloring pen to add variegation to the leaves.

In the next post, the rest of the Texas cookies. See y'all then!
{update: Here's part two.}

The Stars at Night, are Big and Bright...

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:52:00 +0000

...{clap, clap, clap, clap} Deep in the Heart of Texas (and LA!)

Yes. Please do a little *squeal* with me. That IS Jim Parsons. Eating a cookie. Eating a cookie made in my little ol' kitchen. Seriously.

Jim Parsons and I went to the same high school. I believe he was a freshman when I was a senior, so with class sizes of 700+, we probably passed in the halls, but never met. BUT, I *know* people who *know* him.

{It's kinda like that whole 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon thing, kinda.}

When someone from your hometown makes it big, you root for them. When someone from your hometown makes it big...and is gracious, and kind, and funny, and down-to-earth, you root for them even more.

AnyWAY...I had the opportunity to make cookies for Jim's 40th birthday party. (Yes, he's 40. No, I don't know what kind of face cream he uses...it's working, whatever it is.)

Jim is a Texas boy, and like any good Texas boy, wanted Texas theme cookies. So, that's what he got.

Texas cookies all around: Texas, Texas maps, Texas stars, Texas bluebonnets, armadillos, boots and hats.
{More details on the decorating later this week.}

People, put the Spring/Klein area of Texas on your radar. We're home to Lyle Lovett; we're home to Shelly of Cookies and Cups; and yes, we're home to Jim Parsons. And we couldn't be more proud!

{Happy Birthday, Jim! Welcome to your 40's. It's good here.}

PS...coveting that tablecloth.

{PPS...thank you, Todd!!!}

See the How-to Texas Cookies posts: part one & part two.

Double-decker Bunnies, take two

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 23:05:00 +0000

Two cookies always beat one, yes?

Last year, I made little double-decker bunnies and thought this year needed some double-decker action as well. (That sounds weird.)

Anyway...I love the shape of this bunny cookie cutter. It's just perfect for a "chocolate" bunny. I do have three egg cookie cutters (everyone needs three, right?), but none larger than the bunny cutter. So, using the bunny cutter as a guide, I just cut large eggs with a paring knife:

These babies are big...the egg cookie is 6 & a half inches. Easter is for celebrating.

{Oh, PS. That edible Easter grass? Cute, but not exactly delicious.}

To make these double-decker bunny cookies, you'll need:

sugar cookies cut with a bunny cookie cutter and hand-cut with a paring knife
royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Sky Blue mixed with Ivory & Chocolate Brown, Bright White
disposable icing bags
coupler and tips: #2, #1
squeeze bottles
toothpicks
small ramekin
small, clean paintbrush

Use #2 tips to outline both the bunny and the egg.

Thin the blue and brown icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. (Reserve some of the blue icing for piping details later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin. Count of 2-3 is good. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed. Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

Fill in the outlines with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Let the cookies dry at least one hour.

Add the details to the bunny cookie, using a #2 tip for the bow and #1 tip for the eye.

Let the cookies dry uncovered, 6-8 hours, or overnight.

The next day, add the "speckles" to the eggs. Mix equal(ish) parts water and chocolate brown food coloring. Dip a clean paintbrush into the mixture and flick over the cookies with a GLOVED finger.
(For more details and pictures of the speckling process, click over to this post.)

This will dry in about 15-30 minutes.

Apply piping consistency icing to the back of the bunny cookies...just a bit will do, we don't want oozing. Gently press in place on the egg cookie. Let dry for 30 minutes or more to set.

Double-decker, 6-inch tall, speckled eggs & bunnies. Just one placed in a treat bag and tied with a pretty ribbon makes the perfect Easter gift!

Happy Easter, bunnies!

These are a few of your favorite things...

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

How do I know that these are a few of YOUR favorite things?

Because they're a few of MY favorite things, and well, we're kindred spirits, aren't we?

Let's start with butter.

All good things start with butter. (And maybe chocolate, but definitely butter.)

Land O' Lakes had a little webinar recently called "Kitchen Conversations," hosted by my friend, the reigning queen of butter, Ree Drummond. You know, the Pioneer Woman.

Ree and a few other fabulous food bloggers (Brenda from A Farmgirl's Dabbles, Julie from The Little Kitchen, Sommer from A Spicy Perspective, and Maria from Two Peas and Their Pod) talked about food trends for 2013...a few highlights: meatballs & popcorn. Can I tell you 2013 is going to be a great year for food? (Isn't it already?)

OK...let's talk about more of our favorite things. Butter...yes. How about Le Creuset? I dream about Le Creuset. And, oh, kitchenware from Anthropolgie? Yes, please!!! Anthro! Who loves Anthro?

Here are the giveaway deets:

one coupon for Land O Lakes Sauté Express® Sauté Starter
one coupon for Land O Lakes® Butter
9″ Le Creuest Enameled Cast Iron Skillet in Flame
Anthropologie Serving Bowl
Anthropologie Measuring spoons
Anthropologie Butter Dish, perfect for your half sticks of Land O' Lakes butter

See? I knew these were your favorite things.

Land O' Lakes would love to give a set of these to one of you...they sent a set to me as well, and I can attest that they will make your heart sing!

To enter: leave a comment on this post telling me if you've ever tried Land O' Lakes butter half-sticks.(I happen to love the Olive Oil & Sea Salt variety.)

Giveaway closed! Congrats, Sally!!!

Entries will be accepted through midnight CST, Friday March 29th. (US addresses only, please.)

{Land O' Lakes provided a prize pack to me, but I loved butter long before that. :)}

Carrot Cake Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:08:00 +0000

I won't even go into the "these-cookies-are-good-for-you-because-they-contain-carrots" lecture.
You know that already.

I love, love, love carrot cake. I'm a chocolate girl through and through, but I think carrot cake wins almost every time. The carrots ensure its moistness, that little bit of spice makes it intriguing, and cream cheese frosting? You really can't beat cream cheese frosting.

It all starts with this dough...

....which I could have easily eaten with a spoon without baking one single cookie.

And, then you add the cream cheese frosting...

....hello, gorgeous.

Pipe on generous squiggles of frosting. Heck, dunk the entire cookie in frosting...I won't tell.

You've got a little carrot cake in cookie form. Big mounds of carrot and ginger-laden cookies, flecked with toasted pecans and topped with an orange-flavored cream cheese frosting.

They come together really quickly and will be such a welcome addition to your Easter desserts.

I'm sharing the recipe over at Imperial Sugar. Come get your daily dose of veggies...
...and cookies.

Caution: these cookies are illegal in NYC

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:35:00 +0000

OK...maybe not quite illegal, but I'm sure glad I'm waking up in Texas this morning instead of New York City where I feel sure Mayor Bloomberg would be breaking down my door and hauling me off to jail.

Especially if I served these with a Venti Iced Mocha.

My friend Teresa is to blame for these. Over the past few days, she's been texting pictures of her Easter candy creations. (Just hop over to her blog this week to be blown away.)

So, Teresa got me thinking about Easter candy, which led to thinking about Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, which led to thinking about stuffing those eggs inside of a cookie.
{My brain really wants me to hold onto the 10 pounds I'd like to lose.}

Make them with the regular peanut butter eggs (PLEASE, make them) to risk serving time in an NYC jail, OR make them with the mini eggs for a much more balanced diet. Either way? You can't go wrong.

Don't you love those little crinkles?

Oh, and yes, you're reading the recipe correctly. There is no flour in the cookie dough.

Reese's Peanut Butter Egg-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs (regular or mini)
2 cups smooth peanut butter (I used Jif)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
sanding sugar

Place the peanut butter eggs in the freezer to chill while you make up the dough.

Preheat oven to 375 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the peanut butter, sugar, eggs and baking soda together until smooth.

For the large eggs, scoop out 1/4 cup dough. Divide the scoop in half and shape one half into an oval large enough to make a "bed" for the egg.

Place the egg on top, them cover with the remaining dough, pressing around the egg to fully cover. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake for 12 minutes, cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the mini eggs, scoop out generous teaspoons of dough. Roll into balls.

Press a mini egg into each one, making sure it is completely covered by the dough. Re-shape into balls. Roll in sanding sugar. Bake for 10 minutes, cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

My apologies to Mayor Bloomberg.

Magically Delicious!

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

These leprechaun cookies are made from a cupcake...cookie cutter.
See? Magical!

All I did was flip the cutter upside-down, and trim off the cherry detail with a paring knife once cut out.

I was trying to channel my inner Callye...the queen of creative cookie cutter use. I remembered she wrote a leprechaun post a couple of years ago using all different shapes. Guess what? She used a cupcake as one of her shapes, too. Maybe I wasn't so original after all. ;)

If you think you don't have time to make these before Sunday, you are wrong, wrong, wrong! They're really a simple cookie to make...that beard may look fancy, but it couldn't be easier.

To make these decorated leprechaun cookies, you'll need:

sugar cookies cut with a cupcake cookie cutter and trimmed, if needed
royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Leaf Green, Copper, Super Black, Orange, Egg Yellow & Super Red
disposable icing bags
coupler and tips: #2, #1, #4 & large star (I used a PME #8)
squeeze bottles
toothpicks
food coloring pens

Use a #2 tip to outline the hat and face.

Thin the green and copper icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. (Reserve some of the green icing for piping details later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin. Count of 2-3 is good. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed. Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

Fill in the outlines with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Let the cookies dry at least one hour.

Add the details:

#4 tip for trim on the hat
#2 tip for hat buckle
#1 tip for hair curl
#2 tip for eyes & hat outline
#1 tip for smile

Now, add the beard. First, be sure your icing is stiff enough to hold the ridges of the star tip. Don't be afraid to test this on a plate...and test different tips to see which you like the best. If your icing has lost its stiffness, follow these instructions to revive it.

Pipe the beard using a pulsing motion. I started at the left side, came around the bottom, then started back on the right side and piped down to meet where I stopped.

Let the cookies dry uncovered overnight.

The next day, use food coloring pens to add cheeks and freckles. Leprechauns have freckles, right?

There you have it...lucky little leprechauns. They're magically delicious!

Simple Irish Soda Bread

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:10:00 +0000

This might be the easiest bread you'll ever make. Which, in my mind, makes it the most dangerous.

A bread dough that comes together in less than 5 minutes, bakes for 25, and is ready to be slathered with butter and in my tummy in 30? Oh yeah, that's dangerous.

The Irish are onto something, my friends.

If you're looking for a delicious meal to serve on St. Patrick's Day, bake up a loaf and serve it alongside this Irish Beer Cheese Soup. I think St. Patrick would approve.

Simple Irish Soda Bread
{makes 1 loaf}

3 & 2/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 & 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the center, and pour in the buttermilk. Stir gently. The dough will be sticky and soft, but not overly wet. If needed, add in as much as 1/4 cup more buttermilk.

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Form into and 8" circle and place on the prepared pan.

Use a sharp knife to cut a cross into the top of the dough.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
(This bread is also good totally cooled and served with butter and jam.)

{Adapted from the wonderful: The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook}

What are YOU making for St. Patrick's Day?

Cheesecake, anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (bridget {bake at 350}) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 15:15:00 +0000

Imagine this: you pull up in your driveway one day after running errands and notice a box on your front step. You bring the box inside, open it, and find CHEESECAKE! Not just one, but TWO cheesecakes!

That is just what happened to me last week thanks to Harry & David.

These petite birds' nest cheesecakes are just perfect for Easter and springtime.
(Side note: when springtime rolls around, I am a sucker for anything resembling a bird's nest.)

How sweet would these be to send to family if you can't be with them on Easter Sunday? Not only cheesecakes, Harry & David has some of *the cutest* Easter gifts right now.

Each petite cheesecake is piled with chocolate shavings, topped with chocolate eggs, and serves about 4 people.

One of you lucky ducks is going to get a set of these cheesecakes for yourself or send to someone you love.

To Enter: leave a comment on this post telling me who you would send them to...or if you'd keep them for yourself. ;) (I'd totally keep them.)

Entries accepted through midnight CST March 13th. Psst...if you're reading this post in an email, click the post title to open in your web browser, then leave a comment on the post.

Winner: Diana, who said, "As much as I'd love to keep these for myself, there's a five year old in the house that can sense a cheesecake (or any sweets) a mile away so I'd at least have to share with him :)"

Good luck!!!

{Harry & David sent these cheesecakes to me free of charge. The calories from consuming them, unfortunately, were not free. ;)}