Bake at 350

Recipe Cards...Works for Me Wednesday

2012-01-31T16:30:00.000-06:00

Don't you love how easy it is to find a recipe these days? Hop on a blog, check out a website, email a friend and, boom, seconds later, the recipe you were searching for...or maybe the recipe you didn't even know you needed...is printing out and in your hot little hands.

But you know what I miss? Recipe cards.

Sweet recipe cards. Recipe cards written out in actual handwriting. Recipe cards that evoke memories as soon as your see them...not just of the recipe, but of the person who wrote them.

When I was in my 20's, I asked my mom to write down some of her recipes for me....she gave me a whole recipe box of them.

Now, the "recipe cards" are actually index cards, but I wouldn't trade seeing her handwriting on them for the world.

Invitation Consultants emailed me about their recipe cards and I did a little happy dance. I mean...how CUTE are these?!?

They have many different designs...and they are customizable! Recipe cards make a perfect gift for a bridal shower, housewarming, birthday, or well, for yourself.

So, not one, not two, but FOUR of you are going to get your very own set of 20 custom, adorable recipe cards!!!

{...with your very own name, not mine!} ;)

To enter, pop on over to the Invitation Consultants website and leave a comment here (on this post) telling me which design you might pick.
(Don't worry, you can change your mind if you win.)

{Open to residents of US and Canada. Enter through Monday, February 6th, 8pm CST. Winners will be contacted via email.}

Bringing recipe cards back....works for me.

True Love

2012-01-27T12:21:00.000-06:00

Ah, romance.

These cookies were inspired by some of the most famous romances in history.

Lucy & Ricky....obviously.

Danny & Sandy...as a young girl, I was fairly certain I would don a leather outfit and high heels & sing "You're the One that I Want" at a carnival with my true love.
{It hasn't happened. YET.}

Homer & Marge...unconditional love if I've ever seen it.

Ken & Barbie...have you SEEN Toy Story 3?

Jim & Pam...I've only seen a few seasons of The Office on cable, but Jim & Pam are SO DARN SWEET! Oh, I just love them.

Carrie & Big...don't tell me if they break up in the movies. I prefer my Carrie/Big memories right where they ended for me, with the last TV show.

Gomez & Morticia...they just might be my all-time favorite TV romance. Go back and watch The Addams Family again. They make me smile EVERY time! ♥

I asked Mr. E if he could name some famous couples. His first response? "Charles and Diana." My (yelled) reply, "CHARLES AND DIANA?!?" He looked at me like I was the crazy one. After he explained himself for a minute, it occurred to me. "Do you mean William and Kate?!?" Him: "Yes." Men.

No true love list would be complete without Rhett & Scarlett. Every time I read Gone with the Wind, I hope they'll run across the yard at Tara and into each other's arms. It never happens. Darn it.

I had a few more on my list (Elvis & Priscilla, Fred & Wilma, Han & Leia, PW & MM, Roy & Dale) but as is always the case with "writing" on cookies, I had several mistakes. Even on the "good ones," my handwriting is not as cute as it was in my head. :)

These are as simple as an outline and fill with royal icing...

I used AmeriColor Super Black for the outline and writing,
#3 tip for the outline, #1 tip for the writing,
hearts: soft pink, deep pink mixed with electric pink, and super red (all AmeriColor)
to avoid bleeding, I let the flooded hearts sit for a few hours before adding the names

Easy, peasy.

Actually, I liked the way they looked plain, too. Simple black outline. Love it every time.

What names would you put on YOUR true love cookies?

It's not you; it's your oven...Works for me Wednesday

2012-01-25T11:13:00.000-06:00

A few years ago, we lived in a rent house...the rent house-that-must-not-be-named.
{It was not my favorite.}

Anyway, sometimes when I was baking, the kitchen would get REALLY WARM and my cookies would come out over baked. So, one day, I invested in an oven thermometer.

{They're really inexpensive. This one is from Target and was about $7.}

What do you know, that oven would sometimes cycle all the way up to 500 (!!!) before cooling back down to 350. It wasn't my fault! It was my oven!!!

It's easy enough to check, just hang the thermometer inside your oven, let your oven heat up for about 15 minutes. You'll want it to come to the preheated temperature and stay there for 10 minutes or so, then check it.

My current oven showed exactly 350 (when set at 350)...but it took several minutes of standing with the oven door open to get my camera to focus on it.

Once you know if your oven is running cool or hot, you'll be able to adjust your oven temp when setting it.

One more tip....check to see if your oven has any hot spots.

Place pieces of white bread on a large cookie sheet and bake at 450 for about 10 minutes or so...until browned.

Now, take a look at the bread. Are some pieces more browned than others? It looks like I have a "cool spot" in the front left of my oven. If you do notice a big difference in how the bread browned, be sure to rotate your pans during baking.

Blaming baking problems on my oven? Works for me! ;)

Hazelnut Cappuccino Cupcakes (aka Where I Fall in Love with 7-Minute Frosting)

2012-01-19T10:33:00.000-06:00

I have a slight obsession with the hazelnut cappuccino. At this point, I'm pretty sure my blood type is O-Hazelnut.

I love them so much that I was fantasizing about how yummy a hazelnut cappuccino cupcake would be. The next day at the grocery store, I found two bottles of this in the clearance section:

{That's a sign, people. And, yes, I check the clearance section of the grocery store. I only wish the tags were prettier.}

Anyhoo...if you LOVE hazelnut like I do, I hope you'll love these cupcakes. The cakes themselves are a light, coffee-flavored cupcake, topped with a hazelnut syrup.

For the frosting, I wanted something that was like the foamy milk on a cappuccino, not buttery, not tangy, just fluffy. I decided to use 7-minute frosting (my first time ever). The frosting is glorious, fluffy, shiny, and beautiful....infused with hazelnut syrup and a little drizzle on top.

IF you DON'T like hazelnut syrup...I'm looking at you, Mr. E...make the recipe, omitting the syrup, and call them Cafe au Lait Cupcakes, or Latte Cupcakes, or plain ol' cappuccino cupcakes.

Hazelnut Cappuccino Cupcakes

1 cup plus 2 TBSP milk
1 & 1/2 tsp espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla
1 and 3/4 sticks unsalted butter
5 large egg whites
3 and 1/4 cup sifted cake flour (sift first, then measure)
1 and 1/2 TBSP baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 and 3/4 cups sugar
1 TBSP hazelnut syrup

Combine the milk with the espresso powder and vanilla. (Look for instant espresso powder near the Sanka.) Leave on the counter to come to room temperature. Set out the butter and egg whites to come to room temperature as well.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.

Lightly whisk the sifted cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Once the butter has come to room temperature, beat until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture, ending with the flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions.

In a different bowl, use the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in a bit of the beaten egg whites into the mixture until incorporated, then add the remainder, gently folding until combined.

Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Place on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Lightly brush with 1 tablespoon hazelnut syrup.

After 10 minutes, remove the cupcakes from the pans and cool completely on the racks.

7-Minute {Hazelnut} Frosting
{adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes}

1 and 1/2 cups, plus 2 TBSP, sugar (divided)
2/3 cup water
2 TBSP light corn syrup
6 egg whites, room temperature
1 TBSP hazelnut syrup, plus more for drizzling

Place 1 and 1/2 cups sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Clip on a candy thermometer so that it is not touching the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Once the mixture reaches a boil, stop stirring and cook until it reaches 230 degrees.

Meanwhile, once the syrup starts boiling, place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high, using the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 2 TBSP sugar, beat to combine.

Once the syrup reaches 230 degrees, immediately remove from heat. While the mixer is running on medium low, slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl into the beaten egg whites. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form and the frosting is cool. This should take about 7 minutes. :)

Stir in the tablespoon of hazelnut syrup.
{Have you seen Despicable Me? I just wanted to yell, "It's so FLUFFY!!!"

Transfer to a large piping bag fitted with a large tip. (I used a closed star tip.) Pipe the frosting on the cupcakes. Drizzle on a bit more of the hazelnut syrup on top of the piped frosting.

See? What did I tell you? Fluffy, shiny, GLORIOUS!!!

I'm officially in love with 7-minute frosting.

If you were here, I would share.

Starting a Cookie Cutter Collection...Works for Me Wednesday

2012-01-17T18:30:00.000-06:00

So, you want to start baking and decorating cookies? Well, there's no reason why you need to fill your guest room closet with over 300 cookie cutters. {Ahem.}

Here are a few to get you started on your collection...

Circle, Square and Rectangle. These babies are obvious multi-taskers. Squares can be a little tricky to find. I asked for them at my local bakery supply, and the man there told me to get a ruler and hand-cut them. After I stopped laughing, I left the store, hopped online and found one.

Scallops. Oh, how I love a scalloped edge. Scallops = instant cute, instant pretty. You don't need every shape with a scalloped edge, but I'd at least get one.

Hearts. This is about a third of my heart cookie cutter collection. I love hearts....how can you not? Hearts are always appropriate.

Daisy and Candy Corn. Daisies are such cute and easy cookies. They're adorable in their own, but I love to throw them in with another shape to make an assortment. (And don't think the shape is just limited to flowers.) Candy Corn...I know, that sounds weird, but the shape is perfect for making things other than candy corns. How about a box of popcorn, or a face?

Present, Ornament and Tiered Cake. All three of these are multi-taskers. Presents: birthdays, Christmas...you name it. Ornaments: every Christmas seems to bring some new design for the good ol' ornament cutter. Like this or this or this. Tiered Cake? Weddings, bridal showers, birthdays...this is one of my favorite cutters of all.

Now, where to GET cookie cutters? Honestly, some of these have been in my collection for YEARS, and I've long forgotten where I picked them up. Thank goodness for Google! Try searching for the specific cookie cutter shape...even put it in quotes, such as "scalloped circle cookie cutter."

Here are a few websites I would check as well:

Sweet Baking Supply
Little Fox Factory
Foose Tinsmithing
Fancy Flours
Copper Gifts
Kitchen Collectables
Sur La Table
Amazon
local bakery supply shop
local craft shop
Oh, and eBay! (From what I hear, that elusive scalloped square cutter pops up there every once in a while.)

Do you have a favorite cookie cutter?

Do YOU Have Valentine's Day on the Brain?

2012-01-14T22:17:00.000-06:00

Are you thinking Valentine's Day already? It's kind of hard not to considering Valentine cards and candy have been out in stores since December 26th.
(Or earlier...I'm looking at you, Hobby Lobby.)

So, if you want to get a jump on those Valentine cookies...and as far as I'm concerned, lovey-dovey cookies are appropriate ANY time of year....here are some ideas for you.

Scrabble for Sweeties...some of my favorite cookies ever. Made for some of my favorite people ever.

Olive You Martini Cookies....get it? Olive you?

Keep it simple...sparkly red cookies with va-va-vanilla.

OK...wanna go fancy? How about some lacy, black, red and white cookies?

Roses. More tasty (and cheaper) than ordering a dozen roses.

Carve your name in a tree, er, cookie.

So, are YOU ready for {{heart}} day?!?

PS...if you haven't been over to the savory side lately, here's what you're missing:

*the best queso ever

*good & garlicky pizza sauce

*creamy bowties with pancetta & peas

Ladies (and Gents), start your ovens...

2012-01-12T09:48:00.000-06:00

I am not kidding you when I say that these are some of the best cookies I have EVER EATEN.
{You guys....I eat a LOT of cookies.}

Sure...they look all innocent.

And then...

These are Nutella and Sea Salt Stuffed Sugar Cookies from my friend Dara over at Cookin' Canuck. I had the pleasure of meeting Dara in December...which was really cool considering I've bookmarked pretty much every.single.one of her recipes.

She's sweet as can be, totally adorable, and well, obviously a genius. I mean, Nutella & sea salt stuffed IN a buttery, sugar cookie?!? Only a genius can come up with that.

I'm going to send you over to Dara's for the recipe...because it's perfect...but I'll walk you through it.

First, you'll need a helper. Preferably one who has just rolled out of bed, hasn't brushed his hair, but hopefully has brushed his teeth. (But, you never know with a 12-year-old boy.)

You'll need some Nutella. You'll measure out little bits of it and plop it in the freezer.

In the meantime, you'll make the cookie dough.
{I love seeing my boy using the scoop & sweep flour measuring method.}

We used this flaky sea salt for our cookies.

The flakes were REALLY big, so we cut down just a bit on the sea salt flakes called for in the recipe. Otherwise, we just followed Dara's perfect recipe.

So, you'll scoop them out, fill with Nutella and sea salt, roll back up and then, roll in SUGAR! {sigh}

I found it easier to scoop a bunch at a time with my cookie scoop, then split them, while my helper added the Nutella and salt.

Even so, your hands may wind up looking like this...

You'll want to cool them on a wire rack, but do me a favor...

...eat one warm? Please? For me?

Now, like I said, these are some of the most delectable cookies I've ever eaten. The true test in our house is kiddo's nostril flare. If the nostrils flare, you have reached deliciousness. Let's check...

Yep.

Title this shot, "Mom, can we stop with the pictures now?" ;)

Want the recipe? Let me answer that for you. You do.
Click here to get it!

Thank you, Dara, for your evil genius cookie skills!!!

Heavy Metal...Works for Me Wednesday

2012-01-10T14:57:00.000-06:00

Cookie sheets...I have a million of them.
{Well, more like 25.}

I use them all. Some for everyday cooking, some for "trays" for cookie decorating, and only a select few for cookie baking.

Let's talk cookie sheets...

Thin and shiny. No, I'm not talking RHOBH here. You know these sheets...they're not very sturdy and and super shiny. You could bend them easily.

These cookie sheets are ones I use purely for decorating and "transportation." Once my cookies have cooled, I place them on cookie sheets, rather than a countertop or table for decorating. Usually these sheets are covering my dining room table and I carry them back and forth to the kitchen where I decorate. They're too flimsy and too thin for baking.

Dark and heavy. I have no idea where I got or why I have this cookie sheet. It's very dark...almost black...and very heavy. Again, it is only used as a tray of sorts for holding cookies for decorating. A cookie sheet this dark will leave your cookies burnt on the bottom.

Commercial sheet pans. I love the feel of these sheets. They're sturdy and substantial. Look at the pictures....obviously, I do put these to use. But not for baking cut-out cookies. These sheets are so thick and insulated that cut-out cookies don't brown at all on the bottoms. I find that cookies tend to break more when I bake on these sheets. They're just too tender for moving, packaging, or stacking.

Matte and sturdy. Ah, just right. {I feel like Goldilocks.} You might find these sheets labeled as non-stick...but you'll be using parchment, so that doesn't matter. Right?!? These cookie sheets are a matte grey color, not super shiny...and not too thin. You could not bend one in half (or at least, I couldn't).

These cookie sheets are the ones I use for baking cut-out cookies. They are thick enough to prevent the bottoms of the cookies from getting over-browned, but they still get a nice, light golden color. Perfect for a cookie which will be moved, iced, packaged, or stacked.

And these?!? Well, I have two cookie sheets that are my show ponies. These are for photos only. If you ever see one of these nice, spot-free cookie sheets on the blog, you'll know the truth...that all of the spotted, ugly ones are doing the real work. ;)

Cookie sheets....they work for me! :)

Marcona Almond-Sea Salt Toffee

2012-01-05T11:29:00.000-06:00

Did you hear all of that yelling right before Christmas?!? It was me!

I was yelling, "I DID IT!!! I MADE TOFFEE!!!"

I've tried making toffee before...and failed. Miserably. Twice. I'm not sure if it was the recipe, or my skill set, but it made me very sad.

So, this time, I used the toffee recipe from Sweet Confections and guess what?!? It worked like a charm!

{The only bad part; we gave most of it away. Sad face.}

Can we talk about Marcona almonds for a minute? If you've never had them, let me describe. Imagine crunchy little nuggets of salted butter. Yep, that's pretty much it.

One of the grocery stores near me sells them in the bulk section...the other has them with the deli cheeses. They're pricey, but oh-so-worth-it. Try a few plain with a clementine for an afternoon snack. Heaven.

Marcona Almond-Sea Salt Toffee
{adapted from Sweet Confections Toffee recipe}

1 TBSP water
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli)
1/2 cup Marcona almonds, roughly chopped
pinch flaky sea salt

Line a cookie sheet with parchment.

Combine the water, butter, cream, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Attach a candy thermometer, but don't let it touch the bottom of the pan.

{I have this one and love it.}

Bring the pan contents to a boil. Stir slowly and continuously with a silicone spatula until the syrup reaches 300.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour onto the parchment paper. Let stand one minute.

Sprinkle the chopped chocolate onto the toffee. Wait 3-5 minutes for the chocolate to melt.

{See it getting melty?}

With an offset spatula, spread the chocolate evenly.

Sprinkle on the chopped almonds...

...then, a bit of the flaky sea salt.

I was afraid to get too heavy-handed with the salt; you could totally add more.

Refrigerate until the toffee has set; about 45 minutes.

Break into pieces; I use waxed paper to touch the toffee to avoid fingerprints.

Store in an airtight container...if you don't eat it all immediately.

Go on; have a piece! ;)

{psst...have you ever tried Marcona almonds?}

Welcome...

2012-01-03T09:34:00.003-06:00

I think my friend Kristan summed it up best; cookies should be mandatory for new neighbors.

I realize we probably have too many laws on the books, so legislation might be out of the question. It should be an unwritten law, like returning your empty shopping cart to the cart carousel.
(Actually, I'm all for legislating that one.)

When we moved to Alabama, I still remember my husband walking in the door with a plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies from our neighbor. I knew we would be fast friends.

So, imagine my HORROR when we returned from being gone from home 8 days to find that someone had moved into the vacant house next to us!!! There was no moving truck, no boxes...they were in and SETTLED! What must they have thought?!? No cookies!

I contemplated slipping a note under their door that went something like this,

"Hi, I'm Bridget...from next door. I promise we're nice people...and you WILL get cookies. It's just that we've been gone for 8 days and we have no clean underwear. Or groceries. So, I must do laundry and go to the grocery store. And do you know that royal icing has to dry overnight? I promise, I'm not ignoring you. I'll be over with cookies soon."

Mr. E thought that was a little overkill.

So, I just made the cookies.

To make the Welcome house cookies, you'll need:

house-shaped sugar cookies
royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Super Red, Turquoise and Bright White
disposable icing bags
couplers and tips (#3 & #1)
squeeze bottles
toothpicks

With a #3 tip, outline the house shape in red.

Thin the turquoise and white icings to the consistency of a thick syrup. Add the water a bit at a time, stirring gently with a silicone spatula. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently again to pop any air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.

Working 6 at a time, flood the cookies with turquoise icing. Use a toothpick to guide to corners and fill in the cookies.

Go back to the first filled cookie and add dots on top of the wet icing.

Let dry at least one hour.

Change the tip on the red icing to a #1. Pipe "welcome" across the cookie.

{I've become a bit obsessed with writing in cursive on baked goods ever since making Hostess Cupcakes.}

Let dry uncovered for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Maybe you'll want to make some Welcome cookies, too.
Remember it's mandatory.

I would be a Girl Scout if...

2011-12-31T10:05:00.000-06:00

...if merit badges were given for watching What Not to Wear.

...if my fellow scouts were these ladies from the Girl Hunter weekend.
{Center: Eric, best guide ever. Left to Right: Kristan, Me (hi!), Shelly, Wendy, Angie, Cheryl, Georgia, Marla Top: Amy, Erica, Dara, Elana,Carrie, Lori}

...if s'mores had a more grown-up option, like these.

Just in case you're not the champagne type, you might want to make these S'mores Milkshakes for New Year's Eve.

They are super easy and you'll only need a few ingredients:

1. Chocolate Ice Cream

2. Godiva Liqueur

3. Fluffed Marshmallow Vodka (yes, there is such a thing.)

S'mores Milkshakes {for grown-ups only}
serves 2

3 cups chocolate ice cream
2 ounces Godiva chocolate liqueur
2 ounces Fluffed Marshmallow vodka
crushed graham crackers
mini Hershey cars

Chill one large, or 2 small glasses in the freezer.

Combine the ice cream, liqueur and vodka in a blender. Pulse until blended, pushing the ice cream down as needed.

Pour into the chilled glasses (if using a large glass, use 2 straws for sharing). Top with crushed graham crackers and a Hershey bar.

And this is...

PS: do NOT try to drink all of this by yourself, or else you'll be wearing "milkshake goggles," like this:

Happy New Year!!!

I hope 2012 brings you all peace, love, laughter...and lots of sugar. ♥

Promise me?

2011-12-27T18:32:00.000-06:00

Promise me you'll make this? Like tomorrow? Or maybe for New Year's Eve? Just promise, ok? If you don't do alcohol, you are excused, but the REST of you...you must make it.

I had an inkling this would be good. But, I wasn't sure it would be audible-sigh-with-every-bite-good.
It is.

This is the Don Draper of tarts, my friends. Cool, smooth, rich, decadent, you-know-it's-not-good-for-you-but-you-want-it-anyway tart.

Chocolate Kahlua Tart
{adapted from Martha Stewart Living}

for the crust:
2 cups whole blanched almonds
10 TBSP unsalted butter
Oreos (about half of a package)
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

for the filling:
1/2 cup Kahlua
1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa (I use Hershey's Special Dark)
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
pinch kosher salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 TBSP unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup heavy cream
6 TBSP sugar

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375.

Place the almonds on a single layer on the sheet and bake for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned.

Remove from the sheet and cool completely.

In the microwave, or on the stove over low heat, melt the 10 tablespoons of butter. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, you'll need to scrape some Oreos. The original recipe calls for chocolate wafer cookies, but I couldn't find them. And, you know, I think Oreos are pretty darn tasty.

Twist the Oreos and scrape out the insides. You only need the cookie part. What you do with the insides is between you and your kitchen. You'll need about half the package.

In a food processor, process the cookies until finely ground. You'll need 1 and 1/3 cups of cookie crumbs. Place in a large bowl and wipe the food processor bowl clean.

Process the almonds in the food processor...it's loud, you might want hearing protection...until finely ground.

Add the almonds to the cookie crumbs along with the espresso powder, salt and butter. Stir to combine.

{This is what espresso powder looks like. You'll find it on the coffee aisle next to the Sanka.}

Press the crust into and up the sides of a 10-11" tart pan with removable bottom.
{I used a heart-shaped pan and had some extra crust leftover. Mr. E suggested using it as ice cream or yogurt topping. Did I marry well, or what?}

Place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temp to 325. Bake the crust on the cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.

Whisk together the Kahlua, cocoa, egg yolks (reserve the whites), espresso powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, whisk in the Kahlua mixture. Continue whisking and heating over the pan of simmering water until the mixture has thickened and reaches 160 degrees. Set aside to cool completely.

Beat the cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.

Whisk the reserved egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl of a mixer over a pan of simmering water. Whisk and heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reached 140 degrees.

Remove from heat and transfer the bowl to the mixer. Beat with the whisk attachment, starting on medium speed and gradually increasing to high, until the mixture is shiny and cooled.

Use a rubber spatula to fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the beaten egg whites. Then fold in the whipped cream.

Spread into the baked and cooled tart shell.

{You might have some left over. Grab a spoon and dig in...but please sit down first as fainting may occur.}

Chill the tart for at least 1 hour.

Devour.

Remember at the beginning of the post? You promised. You must make it now. Your life will be all the better for it...you have my word.

A Tribute to A Charlie Brown Christmas...in cookies.

2011-12-23T08:03:00.001-06:00

Kids these days have it so easy...back in the olden days, if you missed a Christmas special (that aired ONCE all season), you had to wait until the next year to see it.

I vividly remember the year my mom took us to confession (CONFESSION!!!) and when we got home, I realized we had missed The Grinch. I was in my early teens and, I hate to admit, I needed to go right back to confession after that realization. I probably did not honor my mom in that moment.

ANYWAY...A Charlie Brown Christmas was one we watched EVERY year. And, as I get older, the more I appreciate it. How can you not love a TV special that combines jazz music, religion, and a sad little tree.

I always love Lucy:

{Notice how I put Lucy next to Schroeder? She would like that. }

Lucy Van Pelt: I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that.
Charlie Brown: What is it you want?
Lucy Van Pelt: Real estate.

But, for us girls with curls, there was Frieda. Remember Frieda?

Lucy Van Pelt: You're the innkeeper's wife.
Frieda: Do innkeeper's wives have naturally curly hair?

I'll let you in on a little secret...there was an incident with Sally's cookie...

...I *knew* I flooded it just a bit too much, but it looked like it would be ok. Thirty minutes later, it had run off the side. Mr. E thinks it looks a little Salvador Dali-esque.

PS...if you love Charlie Brown & the Peanuts, you must click over to Kristan's Peanuts Thanksgiving cupcakes...they are so cute!

Who is your favorite Peanuts character? Or what is your favorite moment from A Charlie Brown Christmas?

{psst...Merry Christmas!!!}

Aww, Nuts.

2011-12-21T08:48:00.000-06:00

Are you putting together little baskets of goodies for friends and neighbors this holiday? Let me show you 2 easy pecan recipes that can easily be made, bagged and ready for giving in no time at all.

{OR, keep them around your house for snacking and unexpected guests!}

Both of these recipes call for pecans. I have a soft spot in my heart for pecans. Years ago, we lived in a little old house in the suburbs of Dallas. I think every tree on our street had at least 1 big, beautiful pecan tree. We had two in our front yard.

Our first fall in the house, I noticed a few pecans on the ground, but most were still up in the tree...and I wasn't sure what to do about that. So, I grabbed our big stepladder and a broom...and started beating the branches of the tree. {Yes. I did.}

After about 10 minutes, the retired gentleman who lived next-door came outside and said, "Honey, they'll come down when they're ready."

And that's my pecan story.

On to the recipes....we have one sweet and one savory. The sweet are cinnamon-y, sugary, and addictive...pretty much your diet's worst nightmare. The savory are spicy and smoky with just a hint of sweet....they're best munched on while enjoying a beer. ;)

Sugar & Spice Pecans

{adapted from this little paper pecan cookbook out of Amarillo}

1 cup sugar
2 & 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
5 TBSP water
3 cups pecan halves
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cinnamon and water. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Continue cooking until the syrup reached 230 degrees on a candy thermometer...or until it makes a heavy thread.

Stir in the pecans and vanilla. Remove from heat. Continue stirring until the mixture turns from syrup to sugar.

Spread onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment to cool.

Lone Star Pecans
{from The New Texas Cuisine, Stephan Pyles}

2 TBSP unsalted butter
3 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons chile powder***
1 TBSP cumin
1/4 cup cider vinegar
coarse salt

***look for a "pure" chile powder, most regular powders contain onion & garlic powder...we don't want that.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment; set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pecans and cook about 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar, stir and cook until lightly caramelized. Stir in the paprika, chile powder and cumin. Add the vinegar and cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated. Season with coarse salt.

Spread the pecans on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake until crisp, about 5 minutes. Cool completely before bagging.

Are you putting together baskets or boxes of Christmas goodies this year? I want to know what's in them!
{'Cause I'm nosy like that.}

How'd You Like to Spend Christmas on Bainbridge Island?

2011-12-20T07:24:00.001-06:00

You can! Well, kinda.

It's a Pink & Red Cookie Christmas over at Blooming on Bainbridge today!

You all have to come over to my friend Teresa's fun, joyful, happy blog!!! She's a southern belle living life to it's fullest in the NorthWest. I'm guest posting today with a full step-by-step tutorial of these cookies! Come visit! We have cookies.....

Mini Cherry Bread Puddings... and a Little Something for YOU!

2011-12-18T16:24:00.001-06:00

I have crushes on a lot of things. Mr. E. Nesting bowls. Measuring spoons. Cherries. Vintage tablecloths. Bill Murray. Ruffles. Scalloped edges. Lipstick. Chocolate. Anything involving cake batter. Kitties. Hearts. Vintage cake toppers. Hankies. Silicone spatulas. Mentos. Don Draper. Goat Cheese.

If you share my crushes...or even just a handful of them, I have a little treat for you. It will arrive after Christmas, when things have settled down and you could use a little treat.

white nesting bowls
scalloped edge cake stand
magnetic measuring spoons
magnetic measuring cups
French wire whisk
{all of the above from Crate & Barrel}
Chavrie goat cheese cookbook
Chavrie goat cheese coupons!

Oh yeah, babe. Somebody's going to win it.

OK...let's talk about goat cheese for a minute. I love it. I would eat it on a train. I would eat it in the rain. I would eat it with a fox. I would eat in in a box.

But I never thought about using it in dessert. Until now. Goat cheese is the secret ingredient to these creamy, tangy mini cherry bread puddings.

Cherry Bread Pudding
{directions modified from Chavrie, serves 4}

butter for the dishes
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup plain goat cheese
1/2 cup half and half
1 tsp vanilla
2 sweet King's Hawaiian dinner rolls
1/4 cup dried tart cherries

Butter two oven-proof ramekins, 8-10 oz. capacity each. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.
Preheat oven to 325.

Whisk together the egg, sugar, goat cheese, half and half and vanilla in medium bowl until smooth.

Tear the rolls into 1" pieces. Add the pieces and dried cherries to the egg mixture and stir until well coated. Let stand 5 minutes.

Spoon evenly into dishes. Place the baking sheet with the ramekins in the oven and bake 25 to 35 minutes or until the center is set.

{They are really poofy directly from the oven. Once they sit for a few minutes, they will deflate. That's normal.}

Cool 15 minutes. Each ramekin serves 2. Share with someone you love. ♥

To enter the giveaway for the Holiday Sweet Treats:

leave one comment naming 3 of your crushes.

For an extra entry, answer the following:

"if you win the Holiday Sweet Treats from Chavrie giveaway, which dessert recipe would you like to try?"

Entries will be accepted through midnight CST on Wednesday, December 21st. Good luck! :)

{This giveaway was brought to you by the nice folks at Chavrie. I was not paid to profess my love for goat cheese; I do that for free. I did receive one of the price packages described above. I promise, you will love it!}

It's 10 o'clock...do you know where your Elf on the Shelf is?

2011-12-15T08:20:00.000-06:00

*I* know where he is! At MY house!!!

I didn't hear about Elf on the Shelf until kiddo was about 10, but I've had the MOST fun watching all of YOUR elves and their antics on instagram, Pinterest and blogs!

{My nephews have an elf...my sister reminded me this week that the oldest one named him Pedro...and that just gives me the giggles. Pedro is such an elf-y name.}

So, what do you know...I found a bunch of COOKIE elves all around my kitchen!

First, I found one in the chocolate chips...

{This is an elf after my own heart.}

Then, a bunch tried to mix things up in the KitchenAid...

Now, this one jumped into a bowl of food colors...

I'm a little concerned with this one. He's trying to roll over his fellow elf and he sure seems to have an evil glint in his eye.

Then, I found them all...gathered around checking out pictures of cute cookie makers on instagram.

Want to make some Elf on the Shelf cookies of your very own? Here's how:

You'll need a template. I found a picture online, and followed these instructions for making a template. I also traced the major outlines onto the template and referred back to is as I was decorating.

Supplies:

cut-out cookies made with the template
royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Bright White, Chocolate Brown, Copper, and Super Red
disposable icing bags
couplers and #2 tips
squeeze bottles
toothpicks
food coloring pens (black, pink, red and blue)

Use a #2 tip to outline the hat trim in white.

Use a #2 tip to outline the hair in brown.
{This is where I stared getting nervous...it really doesn't look like it's going to work, does it?}

Use a #2 tip to outline the face in copper.

Go back to the white and add a collar. (Reserve some of this white piping consistency icing for later.)

Use a #2 tip to outline the hat and shirt in red.

Thin the all of the icings with water, a bit at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula and transfer icings to squeeze bottles.

Fill in the sections of the elves with the thinned icings. Use a toothpick to spread to edges and pop large air bubbles.

Let sit at least one hour.

With a #2 tip, pipe eyes on the faces in white. {Kiddo calls these "zombie elves."}

Use the same #2 tip to go over the white outline on the hat and collar for some definition. (Totally optional, but I think it looks nice.)

Let your zombie elves dry uncovered overnight.

The next day, use food coloring pens to add the eye detail, eyelashes, smile and rosy cheeks.
(I used a picture of Elf on the Shelf as a guide.)

Now, really....do you know where your Elf on the Shelf is?!?

Decorating Cookies with Kids...Works for Me Wednesday

2011-12-13T17:22:00.001-06:00

Blame it on the commercials, you know they ones...mom, grandma, and kidlets all in matching aprons, standing in a sparkling clean kitchen decorating cookies together. They're smiling, hugging, and having an all-around wonderful, memory-making time. Not to mention, the cookies look perfect.

Let's be honest here...decorating cookies with kids CAN be fun...but it can also be a hair-pulling, cry-inducing, mommy-needs-wine-please mess. I've found that I have to remove this sentence from my vocabulary, "Here, let me help you with that."

Here are some tips to {stress-free} cookie decorating with kids:

1. Have everything ready BEFORE bringing the kids into the kitchen. That means, the cookies are baked, icing is made and tinted, all supplies are out and available. (If you really think your kids will like the color the icing themselves, tint most of it, then save a bowl or two for them to color.)

2. Hand Sanitizer. Obviously, if you are doing this at home, you can have your kids wash their hands. If you are with a large group (these pictures were taken at a community center), break out the hand sanitizer.

3. The icing. Royal icing can be made in advance and refrigerated for a few days. Before the decorating begins, bring to room temperature and thin with a bit of water. You'll want it looser than a piped icing, but not so thin (like a flood icing) that it runs off the cookies. Thin it enough so it can be easily squeezed out of a bottle.

4. Sprinkles and sanding sugar. Kids love 'em. I think they're a must. You might not want frosting-covered hands grabbing for the sprinkle containers, so small bowls and ramekins with spoons work great.

{PS...if you put out 7 kinds of sprinkles and sugars, kids will want to use ALL 7 on their cookies.}

5. Decorate ON something with an edge. Here we used paper plates, but if you're decorating at home, a rimmed cookie sheet works perfectly. Remember those sprinkles? You'll want to catch them on that rimmed sheet before you're slipping & sliding all over your floor.

6. Let them eat COOKIES! Even if you're saving your cookies for Santa or the neighbors, make sure each child has a cookie to eat. (Otherwise, Santa is going to have a big ol' bite out of one of his cookies.)

7. ENJOY the moment!!! Kids are so fun to decorate with because they're not scared. They dive right in and have the *best* ideas. I'm in love with this striped tree:

{Be prepared to see it on the blog next year.} ;)

Do you have any tips for cookie decorating with kids?

Christmas Cookies Inspired by Starbucks

2011-12-11T22:33:00.000-06:00

I am somewhat addicted to Starbucks. Which is a little strange considering I'm off caffeine and am lactose-intolerant. So, that's me, ordering a decaf and popping a Lactaid. Ah, middle age.

Anyhoo...that's also me in the drive-thru. Besides being off caffeine and lactose-intolerant, I'm lazy. When my sweet Mr. E doesn't pick up morning Starbucks, I'm typically hiding out in the car, checking twitter while I cruise through the drive-thru line.

BUT, every now and then...when my hair looks good...I go IN Starbucks. And that is where I saw these cute and simple holly mugs. Now, a normal person would look at them and think, "hmm...that would make a nice gift for Aunt Suzy." And crazed cookie-maker (me) looks at it and thinks, "I must make that a cookie."

And I did.

Starbucks Holly Mug Cookies: you will need...

square cookies
royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Leaf Green and Bright White
disposable icing bags
couplers and tips (#2, #7)
squeeze bottles
toothpicks
meringue powder
rainbow disco dust
small paintbrushes

With a #2 tip, outline the square in green icing. (Forest green would be pretty here, too.)

Thin the green icing with water, a bit at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula and transfer icings to a squeeze bottle.

Fill in the squares in green. Use a toothpick to spread to edges and pop large air bubbles.

Wait at least 1 hour.

With a #7 tip, pipe holly berries on the cookies in white icing. Use a #2 tip, outline holly leaves.

Thin the white icing with water, a bit at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula and transfer icings to a squeeze bottle.

Fill in the leaves in white. Use a toothpick to spread to edges and pop large air bubbles.

Let dry overnight.

Time to add some sparkle!!!

Mix 1/4 tsp. meringue powder with 1/4 tsp. water. With a small paintbrush, apply to the holly. Sprinkle on the disco dust, then shake off the excess over the coffee filter. (The filter will act as a funnel to put the excess back in the container.)

Use a dry paintbrush to help remove the excess. Disco dust will get everywhere!

So, thank you Starbucks....for the decaf hazelnut cappuccinos AND the inspiration! See y'all at the drive-thru!

Peppermint Popcorn Crunch

2011-12-07T12:58:00.000-06:00

How about a holiday treat that you can whip up in 5 minutes? Seriously.
It's time for some Peppermint Popcorn Crunch.

This little Christmas treat is perfect to bag and give to teachers, neighbors...or even just to set out in a big bowl for snacking. It won't last long.

Peppermint Popcorn Crunch meets all of your daily nutritional requirements: fiber (popcorn), energy (sugar), antioxidants (chocolate), breath freshener (mint) and fun (sprinkles). See? It's pretty much a health food.

Here's what you're going to do.

Pop 2 bags of popcorn. I'd stay away from white cheddar flavor...just something nice and salty. Fish out most of the unpopped kernels. Lay it out on a large rimmed cookie sheet.

Melt the candy cane candy melts.

Pour over the popcorn.

Toss with the *mint* M&Ms and sprinkles.

{It's going to get messy.}

At this point, I divided the mixture onto 2 cookie sheets to let dry. Set aside until the candy melts have set.

Bag up and give away. Or stand at your kitchen counter and eat it all yourself. After eating a good portion, I still had enough left for about 7-8 treat bags full.

Peppermint Popcorn Crunch
{inspired by Nest of Posies Valentine Confetti}

2 bags microwave popcorn
1 bag candy cane candy melts
2 bags MINT M&M's, you'll use about 1.5 bags)
Christmas sprinkles

Pop the popcorn as directed on the bag. Pour onto a large, rimmed cookie sheet. Fish out as many unpopped kernels as possible.

In a glass bowl, melt the candy melts on 50% power for 1 minute, then for 30 second intervals, stirring between each time until melted. Pour over the popcorn and toss.

Add about a bag and a half of the mint M&M's and a handful of Christmas sprinkles. Toss.

Spread the mixture out on 2 cookie sheets until the candy melts have set.

Bag and give...or just plop it in a big bowl, plop yourself on the couch, and eat.

If you're the planning type, file away this same idea to make "Bunny Bait."

That's it! Five minute Peppermint Popcorn Crunch. You deserve it.

Favorite Gifts for Christmas...

2011-12-05T21:00:00.004-06:00

I love finding the perfect gift for someone. Do you? Here are a few of my favorites, PLUS a chance to win the *perfect* gift for the blogger in your life (maybe yourself?)...a blog BOOK from Blog 2 Print.

A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg...

Molly from the blog Orangette wrote this beautiful book. It's not a new book this year, but new to me. It's now one of my all-time favorites. Molly combines her recipes and stories in a way that pulls you right in. I loved it so much that I only allowed myself two chapters at a time so it would last longer. The stories of her dad had me crying in the school parking lot, and the recipes left me ready to run to the kitchen.

♥

Candy Apple Red KitchenAid Mixer with glass bowl...

I've loved my trusty red KitchenAid mixer; it's been in a workhorse for me for 14 years. I did not *need* another one. Until I saw this one. Yes, I needed it. I treated myself. If you have a baker on your list...or maybe just want to gaze at this beauty on your kitchen counter...go ahead. You won't be sorry.

♥

Girl Hunter by Georgia Pellegrini...

On our drive to Phoenix for Thanksgiving, I read Georgia's book. Normally when I read in the car, I fall asleep. Not with Georgia's book. I was captivated. Even if you're not interested in hunting, Georgia's journey is beautifully written and one you won't be able to put down. Bonus...she's a real sweetheart.

♥

Munchstaches (Mustache Cookie Cutters) from Paper Source...

Need I say more?

♥

Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal...

This is one in a series of adorable kids' books. Each one uses baking and sharing cookies as an example of a trait, such as "Trustworthy means, If you ask me to hold your cookie until you come back, when you come back, I will still be holding your cookie." Darling. Perfect for the little (or big) cookie makers in your life.

♥

Cake Pop KIT by Angie Dudley...

You might know (you should) Bakerella; she's the creator of the cake pop craze sweeping the country (world). I had the pleasure of meeting her last weekend. I loved her before...I love her MORE now! She's just as adorable as her cake pops are...maybe even more so. If you don't already have Cake Pops (the book), you need it. If you already own it like I do, you need the kit!

♥

BuckyBalls...

I know these have nothing at all to do with baking, but if you have a boy in your life like I do...say 7-14, these BuckyBalls will be a hit. Kiddo recommended.

♥

Now...how about YOUR very own book?

Blog 2 Print offers such a fun service...they help you print YOUR blog in book form. I love that I have a book to pass on to kiddo someday. One really cool feature is that you can choose a label from your blog and just print those posts. Say one of your labels on your blog is "cupcakes." You can format your book to be *just* your cupcake posts. Cool, right?

♥

~~Blog 2 Print is offering a $40 credit on their site to print a book of your very own....yay! To enter, leave a comment on this post, answering this question...~~

~~"What book or toy would you recommend as a Christmas gift?"~~

~~Random winner will be selected Friday, December 9th at 9pm CST. Good luck!~~

Giveaway closed....congrats, Jen! Enjoy your book!

{PS...some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. All pennies received from affiliate links will go to support my sugar habit. Thank you.} :)

'Tis the Season...

2011-12-01T21:50:00.002-06:00

...the season to get engaged!

You know that along with it being Christmas and all, this is also known as "engagement season."

Now, let me give you (three) guys out there reading a tip. Engagement rings do not count as a year's worth of presents all in one little black velvet box. I knew there would be trouble years ago when a friend of mine got engaged and her fiance, who shall remain nameless (Matt), made it clear that this ring was her birthday, Christmas and Valentine gift all rolled into one. Don't do that.

OK...on to these ring cookies. These were made for two of kiddo's teachers who have gotten engaged over the last year. They are the sweetest teachers you could ask for. You know as a mom, you pray that your kid is blessed with good teachers...teachers who *enjoy* teaching...and *enjoy* KIDS?!? Well, we lucked out. And I think their fiances lucked out, too. We're so, so happy for them.

{I hope they don't mind that I broke out the vintage wedding stuff and had a little photo shoot before boxing them up!}

To make these engagement ring cookies, you'll need:

royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Super Black (to make grey) &
disposable icing bags
decorating tips, #2
squeeze bottles
toothpicks
silver luster dust
vodka
rainbow disco dust

First, as soon as the cookies comes out of the oven, lightly press a small circle cutter in the center. This will help with piping the opening of the ring. You'll see in a second, mine still aren't perfect circles, but it helped!

With a #2 tip, outline the ring in grey icing. (We're trying for a silvery look.)

With a #2 tip, outline the diamond in white icing. Reserve some of this icing for later.

Thin the white and grey icings with water, a bit at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula and transfer icings to squeeze bottles.

Fill in the rings in grey and the diamonds in white. Use a toothpick to spread to edges and pop large air bubbles.

Wait at least 30 minutes, then use a #2 tip to add the detail on the diamond with the unthinned white icing.

Let dry overnight.

Time to add the bling. (Do people still say "bling?" I'm thinking, not.)

Mix some silver luster dust with a few drop of vodka. Brush on the ring. Add more vodka as needed to thin the luster dust as it will thicken.

Mix 1/4 tsp. meringue powder with 1/4 tsp. water. With a small paintbrush, apply to the detail part of the diamond. Sprinkle on the disco dust, then shake off the excess. You may want to use a dry paintbrush to help remove the excess. By no means (no matter how tempted) should you blow on the cookie...you will be wearing disco dust in your eyebrows for a week.

{It's hard to capture *just* how brilliant the disco dust is...this picture is the best, I think. In real life, when the light catches it just so, it's dazzling.}

So, happy wedding, happy engagement to all of you this "engagement season." Sending special love and best wishes to kiddo's teachers! We couldn't be happier for you!!! ♥

Tips for Christmas Cookie Baking & Giving...Works for Me Wednesday

2011-11-29T19:46:00.000-06:00

{Christmas Cottages}

Making cookies at Christmas used to overwhelm me a bit. There are so many people I want to make cookies for....and so little time. I still don't get them made for everyone on my list (the church choir has been on my list now for 2 years and still has not seen one cookie), BUT I've learned how to de-stress the whole process and just have fun with it. Maybe the choir will get their cookies this year, after all.

{Dotty Winter Trees}

First...take a look at your supplies. You're going to need:

meringue powder
food coloring
cookie cutters
ingredients
icing bags & squeeze bottles
couplers & tips
parchment paper
individual treat bags
ribbon
boxes for packaging
boxes for shipping
shipping supplies

Order.Them.Now.

{ornaments}

Try Amazon, Sweet Baking Supply, King Arthur Flour, or even your local craft shop. (Also, try clicking the links in this post.) ;)

{gingerbread gals & dudes}

OK....next. Start early. Cookie decorating is really more fun if you break it up into chunks.
Do one of the following to make life easier:

make the dough ahead and freeze (thaw in the fridge overnight)
bake the cookies and freeze (thaw at room temperature for a few hours)
bake the cookies the day before decorating
make the icing a day (or so) before decorating (if you are doing fine detail work, you'll want to make this the same day you are using)

{peppermint candy cookies}

If you are making hundreds of cookies, you might want to make and decorate a few dozen at a time, THEN freeze...yes, cookies decorated with royal icing can be frozen. I individually bag the cookies, then place in freezer baggies, then place those in plastic containers to prevent crushing. Thaw at room temperature in the packaging for several hours.

{baa humbug}

Shipping...after all of that hard work, you really want your cookies to arrive intact. Check this post and this video for info on shipping.

{Christmas lights}

So, who's decorating cookies this season?

{Or are you waiting until New Year's?}

These few tips work for me; I hope they work for you, too!

Quadruple Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

2011-11-26T18:58:00.001-06:00

As much as I love chocolate, I’m not a big fan of “the chocolate cookie.” I’ll take a regular chocolate chip cookie over a chocolate-chocolate chip cookie any day.

But, I do love chocolate and cherries…so these cookies kept calling me. And, I’m so glad they did.

While we’re on the subject of chocolate and cherries, can we talk about chocolate covered cherries for a minute? Do you remember the first time you bit into one? The anticipation…you *knew* it would be delicious. You took a bite. And it was filled.with.goo. A slimy cherry, surrounded by goo. They should be banned from all boxes of chocolate.

But, *this* combo of chocolate and cherries is delicious. {And no goo.}

Quadruple Chocolate-Cherry Cookies
{adapted from Everyday Food #18, Black Forest cookies}

1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 TBSP dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 and 1/2 cups dried cherries

In a medium bowl, whisk the the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Melt the chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth and completely melted.

{ahh....chocolate & butter.}

Remove the bowl from the heat. Whisk in the sugars and then the eggs.

Whisk in the dry ingredients until combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips and cherries.

Press plastic wrap right onto the dough, and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out mounds of dough (or use a spoon). Bake until the edges are set, but the centers still look soft, about 12 minutes.

Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack until cooled completely.

{BUT...promise me you'll eat one warm. PROMISE. Don't make me come over there.}

Pumpkin Pi

2011-11-23T12:06:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to wish you all a happy Turkey Day. I brought the Pumpkin Pi.

{Yes, I went there.}

These are super, super simple cookies...you can whip them up in a jiffy and surprise your Thanksgiving crew, or favorite math teacher.

PS...this idea was inspired by an actual Pi carved pumpkin found by my friend Amy on Pinterest. I.Heart.Pinterest.

To make Pumpkin Pi cookies, you'll need:

pumpkin shaped sugar cookies
royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Super Black, Electric Orange (or regular orange), and Leaf Green
disposable icing bags
couplers and tips: #3, #2, #5
squeeze bottle

Use a #3 tip to outline the pumpkin and stem in black icing.

Let the cookies sit at least 30 minutes-1 hour to prevent the black from bleeding.

Thin the orange icing with water to the consistency of a thick syrup. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes. Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop air bubbles that have formed on the surface. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Flood the pumpkin with the thinned orange icing. Use a toothpick to guide to edges and pop large air bubbles.

Use a #2 tip to fill in the stem of the pumpkin in green. (You could also thin and flood here, but I like the "textured" look of the stem in piped icing.)

Let the cookies sit at least one hour.

Use a #5 (or #7) tip to pipe on a pi symbol on the cookies.

Let dry uncovered 6-8 hours or overnight.

I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with love and laughter...and lots of pie (or PI!) I'm thankful from the bottom of my heart for each and every one of you. Thank you for reading my ramblings, supporting my sugar habit, and going along with my goofiness.

*mwah*

Coffee, Tea, or...

2011-11-18T22:48:00.000-06:00

...cookies?

A few months ago, a thought occurred to me. The thought that I've known my friend Terri for 20 years. The scary part about this is, we didn't meet on the playground, or even in college. We met as adults. How is that even possible?

I actually remember the day I met Terri. See, my first job out of college was as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines. When you are with the airlines, seniority is everything. So, there I was in the Dallas flight attendant lounge, with all of one month under my belt, when the "new kids" came in. Terri was one of them.

Terri is one of those people that everyone just wants to be around. I mean, look at her...

She's fun, she's full of joy, and she has the prettiest red hair.

{PS...Terri, I kinda stole these pictures off of your Facebook page.}

She also has an adorable and adoring husband, and two beautiful girls...one of whom will be part of an arranged marriage to kiddo. I'm so not kidding.

Terri is a really good friend. When kiddo was born, 10 weeks early, while I was out-of-town, Terri (7.5 months pregnant herself), jumped on a plane and came to the hospital. She accompanied my dad & Mr. E to Sears to pick out a robe for me to wear in the hospital. Then, she went with me down the hall to the NICU to see kiddo. She couldn't even come in to see him...but she was there.

Anyhoo...I realized that Terri was celebrating her 20th year with Delta. And that calls for cookies.

Remember those Biscoff cut-outs? Yep...these are those. Delta-Biscoff...see how it all fits together?!?

We have the requisite rolling bag...

...and the wings.

Missing from this assortment are the beverage cart and barf bag cookies. Maybe at 30 years, Terri.

Can I share with you one of my favorite airline stories? Oh goodie.

On one of my first flights, a passenger rang her flight attendant call button. I always kind of loved to see what people wanted. Usually, it was a blanket. Anyway...this was back in the day of those clunky plastic headsets...remember those with the ear pieces and then the 2 prongs on the other end that fit into the armrest?

Well, this sweet lady rang her button and told me that her "oxygen wasn't working." The lady traveling with her nodded along looking quite serious. Now, I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I *could* tell she was breathing.

I asked her what she meant. She proceeded to take the 2-pronged side of the headset and stick it up her nose.

Yes. I think I blacked out after that, but it is one of my fondest memories of flying...

...other than meeting Terri. ♥

So, my sweet and funny friend...happy, happy anniversary! Delta is lucky to have you! And I'm so lucky to have met you 20 years ago! *mwah*

Sweet Potato Pie

2011-11-16T20:23:00.000-06:00

Sweet Potato Pie is decidedly unsexy. I think it's the word "potato."

It may not be sexy, but sweet potato pie is GOOD. Now, I love my pumpkin...in all kinds of baked goods...but I must say, where pie is concerned, I prefer sweet potato.

And I have a confession to make...I made the pie yesterday and today at lunch, it was calling me from the fridge. I kicked off my boots, put on my comfy socks, curled up in the big chair in our bedroom, flicked on my DVR'd Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and ate PIE for lunch. It was the best, most decadent lunch EVER.

The pie is really pretty simple. (And I'm begging you to give it a try.) If you cook the sweet potatoes the day before, you can put this pie together in a jiffy.

Sweet Potato Pie with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream
{slightly modified from Everyday Food, issue 7}

sweet potato puree:
3 large sweet potatoes
water to cover

crust:
10 graham crackers (the full sheets, rectangles)
3TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
pinch kosher salt
5 TBSP unsalted butter, melted

filling:
3 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 and 3/4 c. cooled sweet potato puree
1/2 c. half and half
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice

whipped cream:
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. light brown sugar

Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks of approximately the same size...about 1.5".

{Do NOT place the peels in your garbage disposal...so say my notes from "The Thanksgiving without a working garbage disposal, 2003."}

Place in a dutch oven, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until tender with pierced with a paring knife. Drain in a colander, then transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth.

Set aside to cool. (This will make more than you'll need for the pie.)

Place an oven rack on the lowest shelf and preheat oven to 350.

Use a food processor to combine the graham crackers, sugar, ginger and salt until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until moist crumbs form.

Dump the mixture into a glass 9" pie pan and press into the bottom and up sides of the pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until blended. Whisk in the cooled sweet potato puree, half and half, lemon juice, vanilla, salt and allspice until completely smooth. Pour into the prepared crust and use an offset spatula to smooth the top.

Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake 40-50 minutes until set. The pie filling should not jiggle much at all when shaken.

Transefer to a wire rack to cool, about 2 hours. Refrigerate once cooled.

Before serving, make the whipped cream. Chill the bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for a few minutes before whipping. Beat the cream and sugar together until soft peaks form. Dollop on the pie.

{Isn't dollop a good word?}

Promise me you'll make it? Ok? After one bite, you might decide sweet potato pie is sexy after all.

{Cheryl of TidyMom is having her 3rd annual Love the Pie party! Come see all of the other delicious pies linked up!!! It's like a pie potluck!}

Pie Crust Primer...Works for Me Wednesday

2011-11-15T14:45:00.001-06:00

Why is it four ingredients (one of them being ICE WATER) can cause baking anxiety? Flour, salt, fat and water…you know what I'm talking about: pie crust.

Don't get me wrong, I have used Pillsbury refrigerated crusts many a time...and it's really pretty yummy. But, maybe Thanksgiving has you feeling brave. Maybe you want to feel like a domestic goddess (pie crust from scratch will do that for ya). Maybe, just maybe, your mother-in-law is coming for dinner and you want her to know that you can make pie crust, too.

Here were my fears about pie crust...

Am I working the dough too much?
What fat should I use?
Will it get soggy?
Will it be flaky and not taste good?
Will it be tasty and not flake?
Will I send my husband to the store for a box of the refrigerated stuff?

Fear no more! Let me share my favorite, no-fail recipe along with a few tips for a perfectly flaky, delicious pie crust!

For a double-piecrust:
(modified from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion)

2 & 1/2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 c. cold shortening (Crisco)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 to 1/2 c. ice water

Reserve a few tablespoons of flour, set aside. Whisk together remaining flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until it is crumbly.

Place the reserved flour on work surface and coat butter in it. Use a rolling pin or your hand to flatten the butter until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Break the flour-coated butter into 1 inch pieces and mix into the dough until it is evenly distributed.

Sprinkle water over the dough while tossing with a fork just until it is easily squeezed into a ball. Flatten into 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll each disk into a 12 x 9″ rectangle (approx). Fold into thirds, like a letter, then fold again in thirds to form a square. Wrap both pieces again and refrigerate 30 more minutes.

After 30 minutes, let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes, then roll out to the size needed for the bottom crust. Use the second piece for a lattice or decorative top.

Now, here are a few pie crust secrets:

For a perfectly baked bottom crust, use a glass pie pan and bake the pie on the bottom rack of your oven.
To prevent a soggy bottom crust on a fruit pie, brush on a thin layer of lightly beaten egg white before adding the fruit.

Psst....Cheryl over at TidyMom is having a Pie PARTY on the 16th. Go check out the pies and link up your own!

Never fail pie crust....works for me! :)

{Portions of this post first appeared as a guest post on Muthering Heights.}

Four-Ingredient Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

2011-11-13T21:54:00.000-06:00

Baking from scratch, I love it; I do. But sometimes, a cake mix comes to the rescue. Like sometimes in the mornings...when I tend to feel lazy...and the last thing I want to do is create an entire sinkful of dishes before 6:30 am.

I present to you...a lazy mom's (that's me) muffins.
{I am not referring to my muffin TOP here. I mean *actual* muffins.}

They're a snap to put together, a hit with the kids and adults alike, and oh, they're low-fat. If you're into that sort of thing.

4-Ingredient Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins
{technically 5 if you count the water, but let's not.}

yield: 15-18 muffins

1 box French Vanilla Cake Mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2 egg whites, beaten with a fork until frothy
heaping 1/2 c. cranberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, UNthawed)

Preheat oven to 325. Spray or grease 15-18 cups of a muffin tin.

Stir together the cake mix and pumpkin. I usually add 2-3 TBSP water here to loosen things up a bit.

Gently stir in the egg whites and cranberries until incorporated. Spoon into the prepared muffin tins.

Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the centers pop back when lightly pressed.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

{Sometimes when you take pictures of food, visitors pop by to see what you are up to.}

Voila! Warm from the oven muffins that you can make even before getting caffeinated.

Biscoff Cut-out Cookies

2011-11-10T20:27:00.000-06:00

Remember Biscoffs? Those little "airline cookies?" We talked about them here.

Well, I wondered if maybe, just maybe, I could use the Biscoff Spread and make some cut-out cookies for decorating.

The answer? Yes.

If you love those crunchy little Biscoff cookies, but would love a softer, more sugar-cookie-ish version, you might want to try this.

{And, you don't even have to decorate them....just eat them plain. Or, one other option that I'll show you in a minute.}

Biscoff Cut-out Cookies

2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 stick salted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 c. Biscoff Spread
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. heavy cream

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

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, Biscoff Spread, and sugars using a paddle attachment until light and fluffy.

Mmm....fluffy.

Add the egg and beat well. Beat in the cream.

In three additions, beat in the flour on low until combined. Divide the dough in half, shape into discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling.

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

On a floured surface, roll the dough with a floured rolling pin to about 1/4th inch thick. Place shapes on the prepared cookie sheet and chill in the freezer 5-10 minutes.

Remove from freezer and bake 8-12 minutes, depending on cookie size. Cool on sheet 2 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Decorate, eat plain, OR...

...sandwich together with a little Biscoff Spread. Go ahead, try it!

Dinner...Works for Me Wednesday

2011-11-08T16:58:00.000-06:00

Yes, we eat a lot of cookies around here. But we also eat dinner...lunch & breakfast, too!!!

The new page Bake at 350 Goes Savory is now open and there are a few recipes there for your perusal. Do not worry...these posts will not show up in your reader...I know you are here for the sugar.

Pop on over if you're looking for something new for lunch or dinner. (There's a link right at the top of the blog in the yellow navigation bar.)

Now, if I can only get Mr. E to come home from work at 4:30, so I still have good light for taking pictures. ;)

Dinner....it works for me!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge (seriously.)

2011-11-05T16:26:00.002-05:00

My dad is a pretty good cook. He's master of the grill and he was always known around our neighborhood for his smoked turkeys. His other claim to fame is Christmas fudge. Chocolate fudge...and you can typically find him enjoying the first piece with a cold beer.

{My dad is awesome.}

So, when I received a copy of Nina Wanat's beautiful book, Sweet Confections, the fudge caught my eye immediately. This is not my dad's fudge....this is chocolate chip cookie dough fudge. No, you're not dreaming.

Let me tell you about it. It's delicious. Mine turned out a bit darker than the picture in the book, but it's still delectable. I'm assuming it's because I was stopping the process to take pictures...don't do that.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge
{with permission of Sweet Confections}

oil for the pan
1 & 3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. cream
1/4 c. milk
1 TBSP corn syrup
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Oil an 8x8" pan.

Bring the sugar, dark brown sugar, cream, milk, syrup and salt to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a heatproof spatula.

{Don't forget your candy thermometer.}

Boil to 242 degrees, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and flour.

Pour the syrup into a 9x13" pan and let sit undisturbed at room temperature about 20 minutes, or until it reaches 110 degrees.

Scrape the syrup into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until the fudges thickens and holds its shape, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape into the prepared 8x8" pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top, lightly pressing them into the fudge.

Let the fudge cool and set, at least 2 hours. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes if the chocolate chips are still soft.

Store in an airtight container, or like we did, in the fridge. I thought the fudge was even better after a day or two.

How would you like a copy of Sweet Confections: Beautiful Candy to Make at Home for your very own? Trust me, you want it. The whole book makes me happy and makes me want to make candy all day long.

Salted chocolate caramel lollipops? Yes, please. Strawberry lemonade marshmallows? I'll take five.

~~To enter, leave a comment on this post. That's it!~~

giveaway now closed...winner contacted.

~~Random winner will be selected on Thursday, November 10th at 8pm CST.~~

Dad....whaddya say? Two kinds of fudge this year?

Hooray for Fall!!!

2011-11-03T08:02:00.002-05:00

Fall just happens to be my favorite season. I'm pretty sure it has to do with moving away from shorts (not that I wear them) and sleeveless tops to sweaters and boots. And tomorrow, the high will only reach 66 degrees. {That's downright chilly for south Texas.}

I wanted to ship some cookies to friends, friends I've never met, actually...namely a certain book editor and team.

So, I went with a fall theme. Original, right?

{PS...I really like photos of cookies from the side. Bear with me; it's a weird little obsession I have.}

Both the pumpkins and the acorns are so easy to make...I'll show you the pumpkin how-to here.

To make the pumpkins, you'll need:

pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies
royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor orange, a darker orange (I used electric orange mixed with super red), chocolate brown and green
disposable icing bags
tips: #2 (and/or #1)
squeeze bottles
toothpicks

Use a #2 tip to outline the pumpkin shape in orange.

Thin the orange, darker orange and brown icings with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.

Working about 6 cookies at a time, fill (flood) the pumpkin with the thinned orange icing. Use a toothpick to guide to edges and pop and large air bubbles that have formed.

Starting with the first cookie flooded, drop lines of the thinned darker orange icing on top of the wet orange icing to make the pumpkin "ridges."

Repeat the process with the thinned brown icing.

Let the cookies sit for at least 1 hour.

Use a #1 or #2 tip (I used a PME #1.5...right in the middle) to pipe on a stem and vine. I like the stem piped rather than flooded to give it some texture.

Let dry 6-8 hours, or overnight. (Keep in mind that the colors will deepen as they dry.)

Package and mail to friends you've never met...
but hope to one day.

I got a little facelift...

2011-11-02T05:55:00.002-05:00

Well, the blog did, not me personally.

{Although with each passing year, I find myself more and more entranced by those Lifestyle Lift infomercials.}

The wonderfully creative Sharon from Redbud Designs is the master behind the new look. I just love the blogs and cards she designs...and she is an absolute pleasure to work with!

One small addition you might notice in the header is the "savory" link in the navigation bar up top. This is mainly for my benefit as I make things for dinner (no, we usually don't eat cookies for every meal) and then cannot remember where the recipe came from or how exactly I made it. FEAR NOT, I know you are here for the sugar...so am I...those posts will not show up in your reader. Maybe if you're looking for something for lunch or dinner, you might click on over. (It's a work in progress right now, but a few yummy recipes are there.)

The main blog post area is BIGGER, which means BIGGER pictures...yay! For right now, those older post pictures will look a little small...in between baking cookies, I'll be trying to update those.

If you're reading this post in a reader or an email, click on over and take a peek at the new look! I hope you love it as much as I do! ♥

One-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater (cookies)

2011-10-28T10:17:00.001-05:00

Please tell me you know the song....Purple People Eater? Here's a link if you don't (or even if you do).

I don't know if a bunch of songs like these were all on the same KTel album in the 70's, but Purple People Eater, Monster Mash and Witch Doctor were the songs that played at every Halloween party when I was a kid. Good stuff.

Now, my Purple People Eaters kind of look like they are wearing party hats...I assure you that is a horn. It just *doubles* as a party hat. Where do you think he finds all of those people to eat? ;)

To make you One-eyed, One-horned Flying Purple People Eater cookies, you will need:

cookies: I used a circle and attached wings on the sides and a triangle on top
royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Regal Purple, Egg Yellow, Electric Green, Bright White and Super Black
disposable piping bags
tips: #2, #12, #5, #1
squeeze bottles (2)

First, here's a peek at how to put the cookie together. I used a template for the wings and just "winged it" (ha!) for the horn.

Use a #2 tip to outline the monster in purple.

Use another #2 tip to outline the wings in egg yellow.

Use a #2 tip to outline the horn. Use a back and forth motion to fill in the horn outline.

Thin the purple and yellow icings (reserve a bit for later) with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.

Fill (flood) the monster head/body with purple. Use a toothpick to guide to edges and pop and large air bubbles that have formed.

Flood the wings.

Switch the tip on the purple icing bag to a #1 and add a little striped detail to the horn.

Let the cookies sit for at least one hour.

(So, here's where it got dark and I lost my natural light for pictures. Boo.)
Use a #12 tip to pipe an eye in white. Immediately, pipe the pupil in black on top of the white using a #5 tip.

Switch the tips to #1's and add a mouth and teeth. (Ya gotta have teeth to eat people.)

Use a #2 tip to pipe a little detail on the wings in yellow.

There you have it...

One-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater cookies!

{The song is stuck in your head now, isn't it? Welcome to my world.}

Permanent Templates for Custom Cookie Shapes . . . Works for Me Wednesday

2011-10-25T19:45:00.000-05:00

So, here's the deal. You guys are smarter than I am.

{But you already knew that.}

A while back, I wrote a post about making templates for cookie shapes when you don't have a cutter. I was making them with clean cardstock or cutting up a new manila file folder.

Well, I got a sweet email from a reader who suggested I use plastic made for quilting templates.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

A. Using this method, the templates are reusable and WASHABLE!
B. My mom, who was a quilter, would have just loved this!

It's how I make all of my templates now. All you do is...

go to the fabric store and buy the template plastic,

place the image to be traced underneath the plastic,

trace (I like a Sharpie),

cut out (I used my "good" scissors just for you guys).

Voila! A cookie template you can use over and over again. Works for me!

**Dear sweet reader who sent in the tip, please let me know who you are in the comments, so I can give you proper credit.**

Lady, er, LADIES' Fingers

2011-10-23T22:07:00.001-05:00

Halloween is in one week.

In honor of that fact, I give you the finger.

Well, fingerS. Creepy lady fingers.

I've had these on my to-make list for a few years now. They come from Martha....the Queen of Halloween. I think I could happily spend a year making projects from Martha's Halloween issues and books.

I adapted the original recipe and technique just a bit based on the comments from Martha's website. While the fingers did "fluff up" a bit, I still think you can tell they are fingers. The original recipe is here.

Ladies' Fingers

red gel paste food coloring

30+ blanched, slivered (but not chopped) almonds

2 eggs

1/4 tsp pure vanilla

1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick), cold

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3 TBSP granulated sugar

pinch of coarse salt

1 & 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Place the almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Mix together a couple of drops of food coloring with a couple of drops of water. Using a small paintbrush, color one side of each almond. Set aside to dry.

"Painting" the fingernails is a great project for kids.

Use a toothpick to hold the almond in place or it will scoot across the cookie sheet.

{Please excuse all of the pictures of kiddo...I can't help myself. I love pictures of those hands working. Trust me...there are 14 more on my computer that you aren't seeing here.}

Separate 1 egg. Place the white in one bowl and set aside.

In another small bowl, whisk together yolk, remaining egg, and vanilla. Set aside.

Cut the butter into chunks and combine with confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined.

Add egg yolk mixture, and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour in two additions; mix on low speed just until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic, and chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.

Divide the dough in half. Work with one piece at a time, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic wrap and chilled. Divide the first half into 15 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece back and forth into finger shapes, 3 to 4 inches long. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Score each knuckle lightly with a small knife.

Place the cookies on the cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

Lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Remove the cookies from the freezer and immediately brush lightly with egg white. Position almond nails; gently push into dough to attach.

Bake until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Creepy Lady Fingers...MWAHAHAHAHA! <---that's my best sinister online laugh.

Please Eat the Wrapping Paper (cookies inspired by Paper Source)

2011-10-21T11:22:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been to a Paper Source shop? Oh, they are so beautiful..and fun...and inspiring.

I don't get to ours very often because it's about 45 minutes away and in a pretty dangerous part of town. By dangerous, I mean, it's next door to Sprinkles Cupcakes and just a few steps away from Crate and Barrel. See what I mean?

Well, Paper Source has the most beautiful wrapping paper sheets. I've used them before for photo backgrounds, like for these Homemade Oreos:

And for these Posie Cakes:

When I saw this wrapping paper, I decided to use it ON an cookie. Well, not the wrapping paper itself, the wrapping paper printed onto a frosting sheet.

So, that's just what I did.

I scanned the wrapping paper.
printed it onto a frosting sheet,
baked the cookies (remember these?),

(you can see a bit of the rough edges from the trimming)

outlined and filled the cookies with white royal icing,
plopped on the edible images,
and added a few details.

That's it! These went to school with kiddo for his teacher's birthday. I hope he didn't tell her she was eating wrapping paper. I guess we will find out when report cards come home. ;)

Strike While the Cookie is Hot . . . Works for Me Wednesday

2011-10-18T20:41:00.000-05:00

Have you ever needed a cookie to be cut out to an exact shape?

In Julia Usher's new book, Ultimate Cookies, she uses a special technique when she needs perfectly even cookies for 3D cookie construction...

...I decided to give it a try on some cookies to be adorned with an edible image.

Here's the skinny...cookies expand when you bake them. Cookies are good at that...expanding in the oven, expanding my waistline.

So, when they come out of the oven, they aren't *exactly* the same shape as when they went in.

I wanted to cut my edible images, using my cookie cutter as a guide and thought it would be cool if they were exactly the same size.

So, as soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use the cutter to press down on the warm cookies.

Push away the excess.

Voila! Perfecto cookies.

{Those scraps....they're cookie french fries. Totally worth doing this just for that bonus.}

Now, would I do this for EVERY cookie? No. This technique leaves cookie edges a little rough, but for certain applications, like cookie construction, or when you *really* need an exact shape, it works!

{{Want to see a video of the process? It's over at University of Cookie.}}

Wanna kick your cookies up a notch?

2011-10-15T21:18:00.000-05:00

Are you tired of *just* making decorated cookies? Wanna take cookie decorating to the next level?

Let me introduce you to Julia Usher. You may know her from the book Cookie Swap.

Well, Julia has a new book called Ultimate Cookies...and let me tell you, the cookie projects in here might just blow your mind.

These are not your everyday cookies. These are cookie projects that will impress even your mother-in-law.

Julia explains the how-to's in detail...and her cookies are flawless and perfect in every way. I'm going to call her "Cookie Ninja."

Ultimate Cookies isn't officially out yet (although, you can pre-order it), but guess what? You can win a copy!

To enter:

leave a comment on this post telling me your current favorite cookbook.

~~One random winner will be chosen on October 20th at 8pm CST.~~

Giveaway closed...congrats, Meredith!!!

Good luck!

*Giveaway now closed!*

Rolled Cocoa Cookies . . . from Teresa of Blooming on Bainbridge

2011-10-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

You know how you can read someone's blog and exchange emails and all of a sudden, you feel like the person is one of your very best friends? That's how I feel about Teresa. I've never seen her sweet face in person, but we are going to rectify that SOON!

Teresa blogs over at Blooming on Bainbridge. She's an Alabama girl now living in the Northwest. If I had one word to describe Teresa's blog, it would be JOYFUL! It doesn't matter if she's blogging about cookies or soup or yoga or her precious doggie, Doogan....each and every post is filled with joy. This is one of my favorites.

Alrighty...without further ado, welcome Teresa!!! I'm so happy she is here!

Hi! I'm Teresa from Blooming on Bainbridge! I live on an island. Delighted to meet you!

Sugar cookies piled high with icing and sprinkles have always been a LOVE in my life.

Several years ago...before I began blogging...I happened upon Bake at 350.

I honestly couldn't believe there was a blog that was whole~heartedly devoted to the love of

iced sugar cookies!

I can remember the very first time I emailed Bridget about a problem I was having while icing sugar cookies for a BAMA football game. She emailed me back...

coaching me through the process of achieving the perfect shade of RED icing!

I've totally been hooked on Bridget and Bake at 350 since that day!

Well I've been more than just "hooked" on Bake at 350.

I've grown to love and adore Bridget as if she were a bestie that lived next door.

Bridget is without a doubt one of the loveliest~sweetest~funniest~inspiring girls I know.

I am honored to call her friend.

I am BEAMING so BRIGHT that she is creating a cookbook.

And I am thrilled to be sharing one of my favorite CHOCOLATE cookie recipes with YOU!

Rolled COCOA Cookies!
These are without a doubt one of the yummiest~easiest cookies you will ever ever make.
Trust me!
I wouldn't bake anything but THE BEST for Bridget...would you? ;)
Here's what you need to bake these cookies.

3 cups all~purpose flour {I use unbleached}
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 recipe Cocoa~Butter Frosting
{I suggest doubling the frosting recipe. Trust me...you'll want lots of frosting!}
~recipe adapted from The Ultimate Cookie Book~

If you're baking for Bridget....you may wanna shine up the kitchen aid!
Make sure it knows who it's baking for. ;)
You'll also wanna tie on your favorite apron.

If you're baking for Bridget...you've gotta look CUTE!
Let's begin with the cookies.
Stir together the dry ingredients.

Set them aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat the sugar~shortening~eggs~and milk.

Beat on medium to high speed until combined.
Gradually add the flour~cocoa mix.

Beat in as much of the flour~cocoa as you can with the mixer.

Stir the rest in by hand.

When the cookie dough is ready...divide it in half. Cover and chill the dough for 2 hours.

One thing you need to remember if you're baking for Bridget!
Bridget LOVES good music!
So ROCK~OUT as you bake! Crank up some oldies ROCK!

If by chance the Eagles begin playing Hotel California....
don't resist the urge to LIGHT~UP a candle!

Pretend you and Bridget are at an Eagles concert ROCKIN' out!
It's all in the name of BAKING! ;)
After the concert the dough should be chilled.
Now comes the fun part.

Roll out the dough one half at a time. You will love the way this cookie dough rolls.
Use a 2 - 3 inch cookie cutter to cut shapes from dough.

Place the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the cookies about 7 minutes. The cookies will be soft to the touch when you take them

out of the oven. Let them cool on a wire cooling rack.

Mean while...whip up the Cocoa~Butter Frosting.

2 3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1/4 cup softened butter

3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Don't forget to DOUBLE this recipe if you want plenty of frosting.

Begin with the butter. Beat the butter til fluffy.

If you're baking for Bridget...make sure you SIFT the powdered sugar!

Sift the cocoa in with the powdered sugar.

Don't ever let Bridget know if you don't SIFT the powdered sugar. ;)

Gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar and the cocoa to the butter.

Beat in heavy whipping cream and vanilla.

Gradually beat in 1 1/4 cups remainder powdered sugar.

This is what you get.

The best~most yummiest COCOA frosting ever!

Make sure the cookies are completely cool.

Get busy frosting.

You can spread the frosting on if you like. It goes a bit quicker for me if I pipe it on.

I used a #12 tip to frost these cookies.

Then I sprinkled them with a little LOVE...just for Bridget.

Rolled COCOA Cookies!

You're going to LOVE these for the holidays!

Blowing Bridget and the readers of Bake at 350 oooooodles and ooooooodles of SWEET~KISSES

from Bainbridge Island.

I wish you all the loveliest of days!

Happy Baking!

P.S.

If you look like a crazy girl after pouring your heart out in the kitchen for BRIDGET...

no worries!

It's all in the name of BAKING...with lots of LOVE!

~xxooxx~

White Chocolate Raspberry Trifles . . . from Kristan of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

2011-10-10T06:00:00.005-05:00

So, remember that I told you we're doing photography for the book this week? Well, I have two super special guest posters here while I'm, um, up to my elbows in icing.

Meet Kristan, from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. Kristan's blog comes with a warning....do not read in a public place unless you want to have people staring at you while you sit by yourself laughing out loud with tears streaming down your face. (Trust me.) Kristan's blog is hilarious...and delicious.

One more thing....I've had the pleasure to meet Kristan and she is just as funny & adorable & sweet in person...and she really does sparkle...and carry fruit roll-ups in her purse...and smell like sugar. I love her. You will, too.

Hi Bake at 350 readers!!

I'm Kristan from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, and I am so excited to be posting for Bridget today. Besides being a fabulous blogger and a talented cookie decorator, Bridget is also one of the sweetest people I've ever met.

And she's tall. And wears cute clothes. And has pretty, curly hair.

I sort of have an obsession with people who have naturally curly hair, because when I was in junior high and high school I wanted curly hair more than anything. I'd wash my straight hair every night, then spray it with gel and roll it up in pink sponge rollers. It took forever and was basically impossible to sleep on. But, I was dedicated.

Then one day my 10th grade year, I rushed into Health Class and flopped into my chair, not realizing that my giant mass of waist length curls had landed on the desk of the boy behind me.

Who just happened to be majorly hot and drove a motorcycle to school. And also, I had never talked to him. Ever.

So I froze. I was too nervous to even move my hair or speak to him, so I sat there hoping that he would say something. And hopefully, that something would be about how beautiful my hair was and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life braiding it or whatever.

But when he spoke up...there were no romantic whisperings. He was kind of irritated. When I turned around to respond, I saw that my hair had taken over his entire desk. Like a giant desk hair monster or something.

Seriously, why hadn't anyone ever told me that my curly hair was HUGE???? So awkward.

And that was the end of my curls.

But the thing with Bridget is that she has the hair I had IMAGINED myself having. Only, mine was made up in my mind and hers is cute and real.

Also, when I said earlier that I was obsessed with Bridget's hair, I meant the good, wholesome kind of obsessed. Not creepy shrine and black and white photos pinned up on the walls obsessed. So...yeah.

Anyways. Bridget did a guest post for me awhile back and she made beautiful Chocolate Raspberry Truffles using her favorite recipe for Raspberry Sauce. So when she asked me to do a post for her, I knew I wanted to make a recipe using her Raspberry Sauce as well. I've been meaning to try it for ages and this gave me the perfect excuse.

These trifles are layered with yellow cake, white chocolate mousse (sort of) and Bridget's Raspberry Sauce. They're quick, easy, and super schmancy.

(click here for printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS

2 oz white chocolate (I used part of a Ghiradelli baking bar)

8 oz tub Cool Whip

Yellow cake, baked and cooled (I used Duncan Hines mix and baked it in a 10x15x1 inch jelly roll pan so it would be thin)

A batch of Bridget's Raspberry Sauce, cooled

Thaw Cool Whip in the fridge. Once it's completely thawed, place white chocolate on a plate and melt in the microwave. Mine took about 2 minutes to completely melt. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then stir the melted chocolate into the Cool Whip. Once it's fully combined, put your trifles together.

Using a small round cutter or a glass, cut circles of cake that are the same size or a bit smaller than the bowls you will be using. Layer a spoonful of raspberry sauce, the white chocolate "mousse", cake circle, more mousse, and top it off with another spoonful of raspberry sauce.

Serve to fancy people.

Or do what I did and eat it for lunch. Delicious!!

Thanks so much to Bridget for letting me visit and I hope to see you over on my blog, Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. Have a fabulous day!!

Please Pass the Nair . . .

2011-10-06T18:57:00.000-05:00

...do they even make Nair anymore? I now have the "we wear short-shorts" jingle stuck in my head...and I think I'm dating myself with that admission.

Hairy-Legged Spider Cookies.

I shared the tutorial for these over at TidyMom last year and thought I'd show them to you here this year.

My sister cut this idea out of Family Circle magazine for me a few years ago. I love having friends and family on the lookout for cute cookie ideas! Thank you, Molly! These are fun!

I'm pretty sure these are girl spiders and their husbands are on a business trip. Not that I speak from personal experience, it just seems like that might be a time when a girl would skip a day shaving her legs.

{Again, totally hypothetical example.}

To make them, you'll need:

sugar cookies in a spider shape (I bought my cutter from Sweet Baking Supply, here)
royal icing in brown and white (I used AmeriColor Chocolate Brown mixed with Super Black for the brown and Bright White for the white.)
decorating tips in #2, #1 and #7
disposable piping bags
squeeze bottles
toothpicks
chocolate jimmies

First, using a #2 tip and brown royal icing, pipe the outline of the spider body.

Change the tip on the piping bag to a #7 tip (or another larger round tip) and pipe on the spider legs.

Add water to the remaining brown icing, stirring in a bit at a time, until the icing is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes.

Uncover the icing and stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop the bubbles that have formed on top.

Transfer to a squeeze bottle and fill in the outline. Use a toothpick to guide around edges.

Let the cookies sit for 1 hour.

Using a #1 or #2 tip, pipe the spider's eyes in white.

Let the cookies dry overnight.

The next day, mix equal parts of meringue powder and water together. Set up a "spider leg station" like this:

I use a coffee filter as a funnel to reuse sprinkles/jimmies that have fallen off the cookies.

Time to add the hairy legs!

With a small paintbrush, paint on the meringue powder mixture where you want the sprinkles to stick. Sprinkle on the chocolate jimmies.

That's it....hairy-legged spiders, ready for Halloween!

{{{This weekend the photography for the book starts...can I tell you how nervous and excited I am? VERY. I have a couple fantabulous guest posters lined up for next week. Just you wait...you are going to love them! }}}

How (not) to Blog . . . Works for Me Wednesday

2011-10-04T17:54:00.001-05:00

{This post is not meant to create controversy or incite a riot. ;)}

Most of the questions in my inbox are about cookie decorating, but I get a good bit of questions about how to start a blog.

Well, let me tell ya, you might not want to ask me, because apparently I've gone about it all the wrong way.

Here's what you are SUPPOSED to do:

Your blog should be hosted on WordPress. Bake at 350 is hosted on Blogger. And, you know what? I'm happy here. Blogger is like my favorite quilt, it may not have all of the bells and whistles of an electric blanket, but it's comforting and familiar. So far, I think I'm staying. But, from what I hear, all the *cool* kids are on WordPress and it is the bee's knees.
Your blog should have its own domain. Look up in the address bar. That ".blogspot.com?" That's baaaad. Apparently, people don't think you take your blogging seriously when you're not a .com or .net. You all think I take my blog seriously, right?!? ;) (How seriously must we take a blog about cookies, anyway?)
You MUST have a $1,200 camera and a $800 lens to go with it. Are you noticing a pattern here? Yes, I blogged for almost 3 years with a point & shoot camera. *gasp* All of those pictures in my header? From the point and shoot. And last year, when I *did* break down and buy a dSLR, a $1,200 camera was just not in our budget...especially for a camera to take pictures of cookies. So, I did a little research and bought this camera...from WalMart. And it's great for my needs...I'll leave the real photography to the experts, like my sister and Angie.
You should be very, very concerned with SEO. (That's Search Engine Optimization to you and me...yes, I had to look it up after sitting in an hour long seminar 2 years ago, thinking, "what the heck is SEO?") For example, your post titles should read something like, "Sugar Cookie Recipe plus Tutorial." They should not be 25 words long, like this one.

So, as you can see, I've gone about it all wrong. Maybe marching to the beat of my own drum has to do with growing up a curly-haired, pigeon-toed girl. As much as I tried in junior high, my hair would never have "wings" or "feathers." No matter how many ballet classes I took, these turned-in toes were never going into the fifth position.

Maybe being a bit of a rebel has been built-in.

My REAL blogging advice for you...

Find your voice. I was so afraid to SAY anything when I first started (and maybe I say too much now). Let your personality shine through.
Find a bloggy mentor. Even if you never actually talk with that person, find a blog you like for inspiration. See what they do that you like, but don't copy them, make your blog your own.
Join twitter (or Facebook or Google+). It's a great way to make friends with other bloggers and twitter is my go-to place when I have a blogging question. Don't feel obligated to join them all.
Hire a blog designer to personalize your blog a bit. It doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg and there are plenty of wonderful designers out there. Take a look at their portfolios (and prices!) and find one that suits your style.
Do what feels right to you. Love WordPress? Awesome! Don't let my post change your mind. Want to post every day? Do it! More of a once-a-week-post type gal? Sounds good, too.
Have fun & believe in YOURSELF! My friend Teresa posted a fabulous piece on comparing. Do what YOU love, what YOU feel comfortable with, and you'll create a blog that you'll be proud to call your baby.

Want to read more about starting a blog? Kristan from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen has great tips here.

Breakfast Banana Splits . . . you want one.

2011-09-30T06:31:00.001-05:00

My favorite story about banana splits involves my dad and Uncle Mike . It seems years and years and YEARS ago, they decided to have an eating contest. They consumed massive amounts of pizza and then went for banana splits. My dad finished his, but my Uncle Mike saved his favorite part of the banana split for last, and was too full to eat it. Somehow, this made a very big impression on me when I was a kid.

Moral of the Story: Finish your banana split whether you're too full or not.

I found this idea through Pinterest...which led me to The Kitchn (love). Their breakfast banana splits may be a *tad* bit healthier, topped with jam, but hey...you have to get your daily intake of Nutella somewhere!

Breakfast Banana Splits

1 banana
Greek yogurt (I like Fage)
sliced strawberries
Nutella
chopped nuts, toasted

Slice the banana lengthwise and place in a bowl. Add 2 scoop of yogurt...I used an ice cream scooper for this. Greek yogurt is so thick that it keeps it's shape.

Add the sliced strawberries.

Heat some Nutella in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Drizzle over the sundae.

Add toasted, chopped nuts. (I used almonds here, but pecans might be my favorite.)

Ta-da! Breakfast Banana Splits!

Make them soon. I won't tell if you eat all of the Nutella off the top first. You know, just in case you're too full to eat the rest. ;)

DIY Vanilla Extract . . . Works for Me Wednesday

2011-09-27T17:42:00.032-05:00

Christmas is less than 3 months away. Honest. I counted it out on my fingers twice just to be sure.

I really like making homemade gifts for friends and neighbors at Christmastime...and I like to mix it up a bit and not give only decorated cookies.

Last year, I tried vanilla extract.

The cool thing is....you can start NOW! Make up several jars and start checking off that Christmas list.

To make Homemade Vanilla Extract, you're going to need:

vanilla beans (I bought mine from Beanilla)

...and vodka.

Split the vanilla beans, leaving one end intact. (I had to cut mine in half to fit.) Place in bottles. These are from The Container Store....aren't they cute?

Top with vodka. A good ratio is 1 vanilla bean per 1/3 cup of vodka.

Store in a cool, dark place for at least 6 weeks before using. The longer it sits, the darker the extract will become.

This is what it looks like after being tucked away for 2-3 months.

Refill with vodka and fresh vanilla beans as needed.

It's that easy! Really! And it works for me!

{psst....you can find the bottles here...I used the 3.3 ounce.}

Hey There, Cupcake

2011-09-23T12:10:00.001-05:00

You know what's weird? I was shopping at Crate & Barrel recently and these cookie cutters popped in my shopping basket. Strange how things like that happen.

I can already tell that this is going to be one of those cookie cutters that I use over and over again. They'd look cute in any color and would be darling for a birthday party or just as an "everyday" cookie.

This version is so, so simple. Two colors (I used brown and a light pink), some sprinkles and a few red sixlets. (I'm starting to love sixlets...remember those cherry cookies?)

For the cupcake cookies, you will need:

cupcake sugar cookies
royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Chocolate Brown and Soft Pink
disposable icing bag
coupler and tips (#3 & #1)
squeeze bottles
toothpicks
chocolate jimmies
red sixlets (or a bit of red icing)

Using a #3 tip, outline the cookie in brown. (I like a larger tip here so the outline stands out.) Reserve some of this piping consistency for later.

Thin the brown and pink icings with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.

Fill in the bottoms of the cupcakes in brown. Use a toothpick to guide to edges or pop and large air bubbles.

Flood the tops of the cupcakes with the pink icing, working about 6 at a time.

Leave the bottoms solid, or come back over the wet icing with a squiggle of pink icing going across.

After flooding, sprinkle chocolate jimmies on the tops....don't worry, the icing won't dry before you get back to it.

Add a bit of piping consistency royal icing to the top of the cookie to attach the sixlet. (If you don't have sixlets, just add a dot of red icing.)

Switch the tip on the brown icing to a #1 or #2 and pipe lines on the "wrappers" that don't have the pink squiggle.

Let dry 6-8 hours, or overnight.

That's it! Easy as ~~pie~~ cupcake!

Cheater's Creme Anglaise . . . Works for Me Wednesday

2011-09-20T20:53:00.000-05:00

Have you ever come across a recipe that called for a dessert to be topped with, not whipped cream, but creme anglaise?

Creme Anglaise is described as a thick, pourable custard and is made with eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla bean.

Well, I came across a recipe not long ago that called for cream anglaise to be served with the cake, but I was feeling lazy. Then, I heard a voice in my head telling me to use melted ice cream. I'm pretty sure the voice was Alton Brown's from a very, very old episode of Good Eats. It sounded like him anyway. ;)

So, that's exactly what I did. And it was heavenly.

I highly recommend this Haagen-Dazs Five Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. I'm not a vanilla ice cream girl, but I could eat this entire container in one sitting (melted OR frozen).

Let it melt in the fridge....it will still be nice and thick and perfect to spoon over that dessert.

The cake it was meant to top wasn't my favorite.

But the Cheater's Cream Anglaise? It works for me!

Chocolate Amaretto Pie (& Home Made cookbook giveaway)

2011-09-16T18:36:00.002-05:00

Cookbooks: I read them like novels. I even get teary. I love reading how recipes came about and the family stories that go along with them.

I want to introduce you to a beautiful cookbook called Home Made by Yvette Von Boven. Yvette runs a restaurant and catering business in Amsterdam, along with being a food stylist and recipe developer.

How glamorous is this....she splits her time between Amsterdam and Paris.
{I split my time between the suburbs of Houston and the other suburbs of Houston.}

Home Made is a substantial book, weighing 4 & 1/2 pounds...that's heavier than kiddo when he was born. The book has everything...cocktails, main courses, desserts, pasta, soups...you name it. Yvette walks you through making bread, making ice cream (without an ice cream maker), building a simple outdoor grill, making cheese, making chocolates, and more!

And, the book is beautiful.

I tried a recipe called "Chocolate Fondant Cake" which I renamed pie. To me, fondant means the roll out icing that goes over a cake. Whatever you call it, the cake/pie is sinfully creamy and delicious!

It starts with a cookie crust. Crust supposed to be made with Amaretti cookies. I love these little Italian cookies. In my grocery store, they're not found with the cookies, but over in the "Italian section." I knew I had a bag in my pantry.

I opened the bag and ate one, you know, for quality control. Good thing I did, because, oh, they were NOT good. Turns out, they expired over a year ago. I.Let.Cookies.Expire. (hangs head in shame)

Okaaaay....

Gingersnaps to the rescue!

Melt some chocolate,

whip up some cream, add amaretto...chill (you and the pie)...and you have yourself a glorious dessert.

{...aka Chocolate Fondant Cake, adapted from Home Made, serves 12}

1 & 1/4 sticks butter
8 oz amaretti cookies (or gingersnaps)
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 & 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 TBSP sugar
1/3 c. Amaretto (or Frangelico)
cocoa powder

Line an 8 or 9" cake pan with plastic wrap, allowing excess to hang over the sides.

Melt the butter. Process cookies in a food processor until evenly ground. Stir the butter and crumbs together; press into the bottom of the pan.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Let cool slightly.

Beat the cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently stir in the melted chocolate. Add the Amaretto and stir.

Fill the pan with the mixture and smooth with an offset spatula. Cover with the excess plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. (I put mine in the freezer for 30 mins - one hour before serving to set it up a bit more.)

Before serving, lift the pie out of the pan , remove the plastic wrap and sift cocoa powder over the top. Serve small wedges...it's rich!

Want a copy of Home Made for your very own?
~~Just leave a comment answering this question...~~

~~"What is something you've always wanted to make or bake at home, but have never tried?"~~

Giveaway closed...Jane is the lucky winner! Yay, Jane!

Random winner will be chosen on September 19th at 9pm CST. Good luck! :)

{Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book at no charge...my opinions and weight I have gained from this recipe are my own.}

Guilty.

2011-09-15T00:02:00.004-05:00

I am one of *those* people. My emails are littered with :) and ;). (Not to mention all of the ... and !!!.)

Those little faces are called Emoticons. And I'm addicted to them. I can't help myself. {And, yes, I recall going through a stage of dotting my i's with little hearts.}

So, when I saw this card at Target a few weeks ago, I knew those little emoticons needed to be made into cookies.

(Except, I made the cookies in white. I might overuse my emoticons, but I don't mess with the background color. So there.)

These are probably the easiest cookies you will ever make.

First, I cut out the cookies with my square cutter, then divided it into smaller squares with a bench scraper...just like I did here for the Scrabble cookies.

The baked and cooled cookies were then outlined and filled in royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Bright White.

{Oops, I put that heart <3 in there backwards.}

The "smileys," as I like to call them, were added using a 1.5 tip from PME, but you could use any #1 or #2 tip. (Black icing was tinted with AmeriColor Super Black.)

So, fess up. Are you a lover of emoticons as well?

What's your favorite? ;)

Cherry Pie for a Birthday

2011-09-13T08:59:00.000-05:00

Mr. E celebrated a birthday a few weeks ago. And, Mr. E is not a big fan of cake.

It actually took him a few days to decide what he wanted for his birthday "cake" this year. His answer..."any fruit pie."

Well, I knew exactly what I was going to do. I emailed my Aunt Janice who makes the best cherry pies and crossed my fingers that the recipe didn't call for tart cherries.

See, I like to feel sorry for myself here in Texas that we don't have access to tart cherries. They must be really perishable because it seems like we can get any fruit in the world, from any country in the world EXCEPT tart or sour cherries.

And here's where my pity party ends because Aunt Janice's recipe calls for canned tart cherries!!! And are those not the cutest cans you've ever seen? I love having them in my pantry. ♥

One more note, this recipe is one that my aunt got from her grandmother, Lolita. And making a recipe from someone named Lolita really makes me happy.

Cherry Pie
{from Janice & Lolita}

double pie crust (I use this one and SWEAR by it)
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
4 TBSP cornstarch
3/4 cup juice from cherries
3 cups canned pitted tart red cherries (WATER packed, from 2 cans)
1 TBSP butter

Combine 3/4 cup sugar with cornstarch.

Stir in the cherry juice.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles. Cook 1 more minute.

Add remaining sugar, cherries & butter. Let stand while preparing pastry. Now is a good time to preheat the oven to 400. {Also, have about 17 spoons at the ready...if you are like me, you'll be "testing" the filling quite frequently as it cools.}

(My tip: lightly brush the bottom crust with beaten egg white to prevent a soggy crust.)

Fill the bottom pie crust with the filling.

Cut the top crust with a pastry cutter.

To make a lattice top...

Criss-cross two of the strips across the middle of the pie.

Lay the remaining strips across the pie, lifting up strips as needed.

Now, it's time to trim.

Use a paring knife to trim the edges.

Brush the top with egg whites if desired.

Bake at 400 degrees for 55 minutes on the bottom oven rack. (Place a cookie sheet on the oven floor to catch spills.)

Let cool on a wire rack. Serve with vanilla ice cream. (Yes, it's required.) We like Haagen-Dazs 5-Vanilla Bean.

{Just look at those flaky layers!!! This pie crust recipe is the secret!}

I think Mr. E chose well! Fruit pies for birthdays may become a trend around here!

So Long, Summer.

2011-09-10T17:05:00.000-05:00

Dear Summer,
this is what you're supposed to be about, right?

{darling camper found via Jen's pinterest board & from this blog}

Tooling around the country with a cute little vintage camper? Visiting national parks, roasting hot dogs, making s'mores?

You are NOT supposed to be about massive flooding, wildfires, and drought.

So long, summer. This is the end of the road; we're breaking up. I'll miss your delicious tomatoes and juicy, sweet peaches. But still, we're through. It's not me, it's you.

My new love Fall will be along any day. And guess what? We're going camping.

Well, at least we're making camping cookies.

To make the vintage-y camper cookies, you'll need:

camper-shaped cookies (I used a template)
royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Super Black, Turquoise mixed with Leaf Green, Bright White, and Super Red
disposable icing bags
couplers and tips: #2, #1
squeeze bottles
toothpicks

First, with a #2 tip, pipe a wheel on the camper.
{Yes, the cookies are speckled...a recipe I'll share with you *someday.* <<< that's called a teaser.}

Outline the campers in black, using a #2 tip.

Since we're working with black, give it a little extra time to dry. I outlined the cookies, folded laundry and ran to the grocery store before filling.

Thin the white and green icings with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.

Fill in the camper with the thinned icings. Use a toothpick to guide into corners, edges and pop any air bubbles.

Let the cookies sit for at least 1 hour. Again, since we're working with black, I'll give it a little more time. Go for a walk, play a board game, watch Real Housewives...give the flood at least an hour to set.

Use a #1 tip to pipe the window in black.

Use a #2 tip to add details in red.

{Thanks to Jen for the camper inspiration!}

See ya next year, Summer.

Pea Pod Petits Fours: part 2

2011-09-09T09:29:00.001-05:00

Remember these from Maria's shower?

We talked about making the pea pods from fondant, but let me talk to you about the cake itself.

The petits fours are delectable, little, almond cakes from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. The cake is one of the best I've ever eaten....I LOVE the almond flavor.

Petits Fours
{makes about 36 - 2" cakes}

butter for pan
2 & 1/4 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. coarse salt
1 and 3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. almond paste (not marzipan)
1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
6 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. whole milk

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 12x17" rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment and butter the parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together 1 and 1/4 cups of the sugar (save the rest for later) and the almond paste until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the butter and beat on medium-high until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.

Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Set aside.

With the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar while the mixer is running. Beat until soft peaks form.

Gently whisk 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the batter. Fold in the remaining egg whites with a rubber spatula.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool completely on a wire cooling rack. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

Invert the cake onto a large work surface; peel off the parchment.

Using small cookie cutters, cut out the mini cakes.

This is the best part of making petits fours: eating the scraps!!!
{Want to win the "cool mom of the year" award? Pack up a bunch of cake scraps in your kiddo's lunchbox. Trust me.}

Place the cake on a wire rack over a rimmed cookie sheet.

Now, let's talk about the glaze.

If you love white chocolate, you will LOVE this glaze. Me? Not so much. Not a fan of white chocolate. To add insult to injury, I've made these before and forgot to make a note in my cookbook like I usually do to CHANGE the GLAZE!

The white chocolate looks pretty, but the flavor really does overpower the almond cake. All I taste is white chocolate. Now, top it with bittersweet chocolate, and we'll talk.

Next time, I'll top these with a simple glaze, like powdered sugar mixed with milk and a little almond extract.

The white chocolate glaze (if you like that sort of thing):

1 & 1/2 pounds white chocolate (I used Ghiradelli)
1 & 1/4 c. heavy cream

Chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1 minute. Stir until combined.

Pour over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let sit at least 30 minutes before decorating.

{Info on making the fondant pea pods is here.}

I can't wait to make these again....with a different glaze! Make the cake part, at least. You'll be glad you did!

Storing Nuts for Winter (Spring, Summer or Fall) . . . Works for Me Wednesday

2011-09-06T21:01:00.000-05:00

{Spicy Rosemary Roasted Nuts brought to you by Sylvie of Gourmande in the Kitchen...totally gorgeous, right?}

For years, I bought those little bags of nuts in the baking aisle of the grocery store, brought them home and tossed them in the pantry. Then I read, that nuts can go bad (like rancid bad, not Lindsay Lohan bad). I had no idea.

What works for me? Storing them in the freezer.

Now, I buy nuts in the grocery bulk section. When I come home from the store, it's second nature, I just pop them right in the freezer door. They stay fresh until I need them. No thawing; they're just ready to go.

It works for all nuts...almonds, pecans, hazelnuts...

{...and pistachios, like these from Amy of She Wears Many Hats, getting ready for They'll Make You Sing Muffins .}

Do you have a quick tip that works for you in the kitchen?

{Thank you to my pals, Sylvie & Amy for letting me borrow their pictures. I have no pretty pictures of nuts. Yes, that was as awkward for me to write as it was for you to read.} ;)

Pea Pod Petits Fours

2011-08-31T05:00:00.008-05:00

You are attending a baby shower right this very minute. A VIRTUAL baby shower for the adorable Maria and Josh of Two Peas & Their Pod.

You probably already know this couple and their blog for yummy treats like: Golden Grahams S'Mores Bars, Soft Pretzel Bites, and Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes. Their latest creation...

...a new pea for their pod...a baby boy, who is almost here!!!

I'll tell you more about the cake part of these petits fours in another post, but let me show you how to make the pea pods.

You'll need:

fondant (I used homemade)
leaf green food coloring
large and small pastry tips
royal icing (optional)

Tint the fondant. Roll out on a surface dusted with corn starch to about 1/8 inch.

{Use the bottom of the small tip to cut fondant for the peas.}

Place on the petits fours. Add vine detail with green royal icing, if desired.

Maria & Josh....we are all so happy for you...and your new little sweet pea!

Can't get enough sweet peas? Click on over for some Sweet Pea cookies! :)

Be sure to visit the rest of the shower "hosts." And...pop by the giveaway going on right now. Hint: it's a lean, green, mixing machine! ;)

Drinks
Simple Bites - Lemon Balm infused Lemonade
Ingredients, Inc. - Healthy Fruit Punch
Food for My Family - Lemongrass Soda
Heather's Dish - Mixed Fruit Punch
She Wears Many Hats - Mini Pistachio Smoothies
Georgia Pellegrini - Watermelon Agua Fresca & a New Pea

Appetizers/Savory Bites
With Style and Grace - Truffle Popcorn
Family Fresh Cooking - Baby Peas & Cheese Frittata
Barbara Bakes - Creamy Orange Fruit Dip and Fruit
Aggie’s Kitchen - Pasta Salad with Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette
Reluctant Entertainer - Nutella Berry Bruschetta

Dessert
TidyMom - Blue and Chocolate Cake Balls
i am baker - Baby Pea Baby Shower Cake
Brown Eyed Baker - Pavlova
Picky Palate - Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Sandwich
What’s Gaby Cooking - Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing
Cookin’ Canuck - Nutella & Cream Cheese Swirled Blondies
Kevin and Amanda - Baby Blue Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Cups
Sweetopia - Decorated Sugar Cookies
Mountain Mama Cooks - Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Sweetapolita - Decorated Sugar Cookies
RecipeGirl - Baby Button Cookies
RecipeBoy - Mud Cups with Gummy Worms
Add a Pinch - Blackberry Tartlets
Dine and Dish - Oven Baked Cinnamon Apples
Vintage Mixer - Mint Chocolate Pudding Shots
Dorie Greespan - French Lemon Cream Tart

Crafts
Wenderly - Handmade Sweet Pea Cards
Our Best Bites - How To: Make a Diaper Cake Centerpiece

KitchenAid, Reality TV and Exercise. Yes, exercise.

2011-08-30T10:43:00.004-05:00

{Hang on, hang on...we're going to get to this little beauty in a minute.}

Let's talk first about exercise. You might be surprised to learn that I have a piece of exercise equipment that I actually use. It's this: a mini stair-stepper. Yes, I owe this body to that mini stair-stepper.

{Makes you want to run right out and buy one, right?}

The key to using it is to DVR TV shows that make you forget that you might be breaking a sweat. Hard-hitting, serious, current events-type programming, like What Not to Wear, Barefoot Contessa, and most recently, to my shame, Real Housewives of New Jersey. (It's better than you think, people.)

Anyway...I have a new show to watch now...Top Chef Just Desserts on Bravo. A show about DESSERTS! It's really riveting. I watched the first episode while on the stair-stepper last week and almost forgot I was exercising.

Here's a little clip, so you can get an idea of the show...

{Those are REAL pastry chefs, my friends. I already have a few favorite contenders picked out...and they don't include that guy with the creepy laugh. ;)}

OK...so what does this have to do with this lovely KitchenAid mixer? Well, the folks at Bravo thought we might like to celebrate this new season of Top Chef Just Desserts. One of you is going to win this mixer!!! Woot!

You know how I feel about KitchenAid...I couldn't live without mine...and this one is a beauty.

To enter:
*leave a comment on this post answering this question:
"If you were in a dessert competition, what would you make?"

Giveaway closed! Congrats to Jessica!!!

PLEASE, PLEASE make sure your comment includes an email address or links to one. It would be really, really sad if your name was chosen and I couldn't contact you.

*Random winner will be chosen Monday, September 5th at 8am CST. US residents only. Good luck!*

{{psst...the second episode of Just Desserts airs Wednesday, August 31st and 10/9c.}}

{disclaimer: This prize was provided by the BRAVO Network but BRAVO is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this giveaway. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of BRAVO. Although, I'm pretty sure they'd approve of my exercise regimen.}

The Butter, the Wranglers, the Ranch. . . oh my!

2011-08-28T22:25:00.002-05:00

{from top: Flavia, me (hi!), Nina, Amanda, Karen, Sandi, Kristen}

We had a little Pioneer Woman watch party at the Bake at 350 house on Saturday. You DO know about Ree's new show on Food Network, right? Right?

What can I say about Ree? I've been smitten with her blog since the first day I discovered it. A friend sent me a link, and I started reading, and reading and reading. Four hours later, I was packing up Mr. E and the kiddo and heading to Oklahoma. {As Mr. E's job is here in Texas, we decided to stay put.}

So, Ree's show debuted on Saturday and I invited a few friends (and fellow PW fans) over to watch, eat, and cheer Ree on!

It started with food...as it always does around here.

Yes, I got a picture of the menu and not the food. (psst...those "diet killers" are here.)
Except for the Nutella Scones...

{More on these later.}

...and a bowl of fruit...ooo, how exciting!

What I loved about the Pioneer Woman show was not only the food...chicken fried steak, decadent mashed potatoes...but the glimpse into ranch life. It looks like a lot of work, but also, a lot of fun....especially if Ree is doing the cooking!

We watched...

And dreamed...

And ate... (did I mention the Nutella?)

Nutella Scones
{slightly modified from the magnificent Baked Explorations}

about 1 cup hazelnuts
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dutch-process cocoa powder (such as Hershey's Special Dark)
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Nutella, divided

Preheat oven to 350. Place the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the papery skins begin to crack and loosen. Rub the hazelnuts with a dish towel to remove most of the skin. Let cool. Coarsely chop and set aside.

Increase the oven temp. to 375 and place the rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add the butter. Use a pastry cutter (or your fingers) to cut the butter into the mixture until the butter is pea size and the mixture is coarse.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the dough just comes together. Gently and briefly knead the dough with your hands. Add the 3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts and knead gently to incorporate.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten the dough into a rectangle approximately 6 by 12" (it does not need to be precise) and spread 1/4 cup of the Nutella on top. Roll the dough up and make a cylinder about 6 inches long, turn it on its end, and gently flatten it into a disk about 1 and 3/4 inches high. Do not overwork the dough.

Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 wedges and place them on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake the scones for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.

Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool completely. Place the baking sheet with the parchment still underneath the rack.

For the topping:
Heat the remaining 1/4 cup Nutella (or add a little more) in a microwave until pourable, about 10-20 seconds on high. Transfer the Nutella to a pastry bag, cut off the tip and drip the warm Nutella in a zigzag pattern over the tops of the scones. The scones are best eaten the day they are made.

{from top: Flavia, me, Molly (my sister), Nina, Amanda, Sandi, Kristen}

Watch parties with friends? Highly recommended!
Pioneer Woman's new Food Network show? My new favorite! I'll be tuning in EVERY week!

{And I'm pretty sure Mr. E is getting a pair of Wranglers for Christmas.}

Good Luck with that.

2011-08-25T07:32:00.000-05:00

We could all use a little luck, couldn't we?

Starting college,
Job interview,
Moving to a new city,
Losing weight (ok...maybe these aren't the best choice for that)

These horseshoe cookies are really easy...and the flowers can be changed to any color of the rainbow to customize for the recipient.

First, you'll need a horseshoe cookie cutter. I got mine here.
{I used my "go-to" cookie recipe.}

Next, you'll need all of this:

royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Gold, Regal Purple, Bright White, Sky Blue and Leaf Green
disposable icing bags
couplers and tips: #2, #1
squeeze bottle
toothpicks
gold luster dust
vodka
small paintbrush

First, outline the horseshoes in gold, using a #2 tip.

Thin the gold icing with water (reserve some of the piping consistency for later), a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Fill in the horseshoe with the thinned icing. Use a toothpick to guide into corners, edges and pop any air bubbles.

Let the cookies sit for 1 hour.

{Will you pretend that you see pictures for the rest of the tutorial? Oh, good.}

OK...use a #1 tip to pipe "Good Luck" on the cookies.

Use a #2 tip, add flower "dots" in purple.

Use a #1 tip to pipe flowers in white.

Use a #1 tip to pipe small dots in blue.

Use a #1 tip to add leaves in green.

Let the cookies dry overnight.

The next day, apply the luster dust. You'll need: luster dust, small ramekin, small paintbrush and vodka (or EverClear says the guy at the bakery supply shop....I don't happen to keep EverClear in the house ;)).

Starbucks is optional, but recommended.

Mix up your luster dust with a few drops of the vodka and brush it on. (The alcohol will evaporate, leaving just the gold sheen.) Add a few drops of vodka to the ramekin as you're working if it starts to get clumpy on you. A little goes a long way, so don't worry about using all of the container in one shot. (Here's a video about applying luster dust...)

Now, if you want your cookies to look perfect, apply the luster dust, THEN pipe the flowers. Those little buggers were hard to get around with the luster dust. But, I still think they're ok.

Could you use a little luck this week?

The Best Back-to-School Cookies

2011-08-22T09:06:00.001-05:00

Don't turn me in to the Parenting Police. I know I should be giving kiddo apple slices (organic), cheese (but not too much), and crackers (whole-grain) for an after-school snack, but I give him cookies instead.

Before school started this week, I asked him what kind of cookies he wanted...for snacks and for his lunchbox. He said "Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip" and my heart did a little leap! I knew exactly which cookies I would make...

Jessica's Puffy Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips
{You know Jessica from How Sweet It Is, right? Right??!? Oh, if you don't, are you EVER in for a treat. Pop over, go ahead, just come back in a few hours.}

So, the recipe starts with meting butter and peanut butter together. I mean, how can it NOT be good?!?

You mix it all up and add chocolate chips.

Then you eat as much as the raw dough as you can without making yourself sick.

I mean, you scoop it onto a cookie sheet. Yeah, that's it.

And then, you pack a few extra in your kid's lunchbox so he can share. And, you are a bad mom and give him a few more as an after-school snack. And, you hope those cookies convince him to tell you about every second and every detail of school....because you want to know EVERYTHING. (Or is that just me?)

Anyway...these cookies? You need them. They are quite possibly the best first-week-of-school cookies EVER. Promise.

Thank you, Jessica! (The recipe? It's right here.)

You choose . . .

2011-08-18T13:48:00.002-05:00

I couldn't decide.

Give away 2 jars of Biscoff Spread...

....or a beautiful, red Cuisinart ice cream maker?

How about both?
You choose.

Does your bowl look like this:

{You might need an ice cream maker.}

You know, to make...

Dark Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream,

Key Lime Pie Ice Cream,

or, 3-Ingredient Chocolate Sorbet,

or, even Coke Icees!

But, maybe you have an ice cream maker, and you feel like you need to make some...

....Biscoff brownies. (You do *need* them, by the way.)

~~To enter:~~
giveaway closed.
winners: jrlemkemann (ice cream maker)
Jennifer Rzasa (Biscoff Spread)

If you would like the ice cream maker, tell me so and your favorite ice cream flavor.
If you would like the Biscoff Spread, tell me so and what you would do with it.
Yes, if you *need* both, you may leave 2 separate comments. ;)

~~One winner will be chosen for each on Tuesday, August 23rd and 8pm CST.~~
giveaway closed; winners have been notified and are listed above.

Good luck! ♥

I'm not an ice cream stylist, nor do I play one on TV.

2011-08-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

Let's face it. I don't take pretty pictures of ice cream.

But, please, PLEASE, I beg you...grab your ice cream maker RIGHT NOW and make this ice cream.

{If you don't own and ice cream maker, we'll see what we can do about that later this week.} ;)

Let me introduce you to Nutella Ice Cream with Toasted Almonds.

{I know, I know, Nutella is made with hazelnuts, not almonds, but my hazelnuts tasted funny. And you know what? Almonds are always delicious.}

Nutella Ice Cream with Toasted Almonds

1/2 cup blanched, slivered almonds
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (I like Ghiradelli)
1/3 cup dutch-process cocoa powder (such as Hershey's Special Dark)
1 & 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup Nutella

{This ice cream is made with uncooked eggs, so if you feel uneasy about that or are serving to someone with a compromised immune system, try using pasteurized eggs.}

Preheat oven to 350. Pour the almonds onto a cookie sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes, until lightly toasted. Set aside.

Place a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water. Melt the unsweetened chocolate. Gradually add the cocoa; the mixture may clump up in the whisk...that's ok. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking with the chocolate mixture until combined and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool several minutes.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar, a little at a time, whisking constantly. Once all the sugar has been added, whisk 1 minute more.

Add the cream and vanilla; whisk to combine.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the cream mixture and stir. Cover and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.

Before transferring to an ice cream maker, remove 1 cup of the mixture into a separate bowl and whisk in the Nutella until smooth. *sigh*

Add this back into the main mixture and stir. Process in an ice cream maker. About 3 minutes before the freezing cycle is complete, add the toasted almonds.

Once the freezing cycle finishes, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze a few hours to firm up.

***Even if you think you don't like Nutella....oh, I know who you are (I'm lookin' at YOU, Amanda), try this ice cream. Mr. E "doesn't like Nutella" and ate two servings tonight. The Nutella makes the ice cream super creamy, dreamy and rich.***

Go make it. I'm serious....GO!

{PS...you need some cake to go with that? Check out my friend Amy's glorious Chocolate Hazelnut Cake.}

Biscoff Brownies

2011-08-11T07:37:00.000-05:00

It all started innocently enough...with my first job out of college...as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines.

We served these:

Biscoff Cookies. If you've never had one, they are crunchy, cinnamon-y, and perfect. Delta, I believe I owe you $724 for the cookies I consumed while on board.

So, while tweeting about my love for Biscoff with Kristen one day, the people FROM BISCOFF tweeted me (*happy dance*) and asked if I knew about the Biscoff Spread (um, no). Would I like to try it? (Um, YES!!!)

Biscoff Spread is a lot like peanut butter...except yummier. (Sorry, peanut butter.) It tastes just like the cookies. We've been eating it on graham crackers and the rice cakes that I buy once a summer thinking they'll help me look like Heidi Klum.

So, I thought...why not brownies?!? And you guys, they are delicious!

{And aren't they pretty?}

Biscoff Brownies

For the Biscoff swirl:
1/2 cup Biscoff Spread
4 ounces cream cheese
2 TBSP sugar
1 egg

For the brownies:
1 cup dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 & 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 TBSP vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9 x 13" pan.

Beat the all of the ingredients for the Biscoff swirl until well combined. Set aside.

Combine the cocoa, salt and baking powder, set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Turn off the heat; add the sugar and stir to combine. Return to the heat until it's hot again, but not bubbling.

Remove from heat. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.

Stir in the flour. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth evenly.

{This little drip makes me happy.}

Dollop the Biscoff mixture on top of the brownie batter.

Use a table knife to gently swirl the mixture, making sure each piece with have a little bit of the swirl.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. The swirl will look set, but the brownies will still look soft in the middle. Cool on a wire rack before cutting.

For more Biscoff love, be sure to take a peek at:

I'm expecting . . .

2011-08-07T23:58:00.002-05:00

Yep...that's right. I've been working on this baby for a while now. When is the little bundle of joy due?

Fall 2012.

That's a long gestation, you're thinking. Well, this baby is not your "traditional," pink-cheeked, chubby-thighed, stork-delivered baby.

This.Baby.Is.A.Book.

{ACK!!!}

I've been working on this super secret surprise for months now and I just couldn't hold it in any longer.

Now, I won't tell you all about it because I don't want you to feel like you've read it before it's even published, but here's a little teaser....

The book will feature all of my tried-and-true diet plans and fitness routines.

*cough*

Anyway...thanks for letting me spill the beans. And most importantly, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading Bake at 350. Your love and support of the blog truly make my day...EVERY day. Never in a million years did I think I could have so much fun with my oven and my computer.

♥mwah♥
{We now return you to regular programming.}

Cue the Theme from Jaws

2011-08-05T09:41:00.002-05:00

Da nuh
Da nuh
Da nuh Da nuh Da nuh Da nuh

Did you know that it's Shark Week? Yep. It just happened to start on the only day that we've been to the beach all summer. It didn't stop me from going out into the ocean. I went out *almost* waist deep.

Here's what I've learned from Shark Week:

Sharks don't *want* to eat you, but when they see you out there on that surfboard, they think you're a seal. They can't help themselves.
Sharks really don't like dolphins OR their sonar. [Note to Self: next summer buy a greyish-blue wet suit, complete with snout and built-in sonar.

You know how cookie inspiration can happen anywhere? See this picture from my phone?

Well, I happened to run across this cute shark picture in a magazine at...
...my OB/GYN's office.
{Not someplace I would normally break out my camera.}

Anyway...I cannot remember name of the magazine. I was so worried the doctor would come in and I would have to launch into some nonsensical explanation...

"You see, Doctor...next week is Shark Week and well, I make cookies, for my blog...and this idea is so cute and I didn't want to rip the picture out of the magazine...I'll just stop talking and put my camera away now..."

So, if you've seen this in a magazine, let me know and I'll update the post with the source from which the cookie was ~~inspired~~ stolen.

Want to make your own Shark Week cookies?

You will need:

circle cookies
royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor: grey (using Super Black), orange, bright white and super black
disposable icing bags
couplers and tips: #2, #1
squeeze bottle
toothpicks

Use a #2 tip to outline the shark body in grey. (Do not forget to take picture.)

Use a #2 tip to pipe a starfish near the shark's mouth in orange. (Do not forget to take picture.)

Thin the grey icing with water to the consistency of a thick syrup. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes. Gently stir with a rubber spatula and transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Flood the shark with the thinned icing. Use a toothpick to guide into corners and edges.

Use a #1 tip to add teeth to the shark in white.

Use a #2 tip and grey icing to add gills.

Use a #1 tip to add eyes on the shark and eyes and a mouth on the starfish.

Show that shark who's boss. Eat HIM!
***update, update! This little shark image is from Beatrix New York's Nigel.***

How I spend my free time : Pinterest . . . . Works for Me Wednesday

2011-08-02T21:10:00.002-05:00

Have you heard of Pinterest?

Pinterest is the greatest thing since, well, twitter.

Here's the deal....Pinterest is an online bulletin board. Instead of ripping pictures out of magazine, you "pin" them and Pinterest automatically saves the link, so you can go back to the original post.

And you aren't just limited to one board...you can have all kinds of boards!!! (These are mine.)

I've pinned oodles of goodies pinned on a board I call "Swooning Over Food" (shocker, I know).

But, "Yellow" is another one of my favorites.

My favorite part of Pinterest? Seeing what other people are pinning. You can find friends or follow people you don't know (that sounds like stalking, but I promise, it's ok).

Here are some I love....

"Color Inspiration" from Courtney of Poppy Pedals

"Travel" from Kristen of Dine & Dish

"Cupcakes" from Laurel of Go Against the Grain

"Make me SMILE" from Teresa of Blooming on Bainbridge

Are you sold, yet? Pinterest...it works for me & I'm lovin' it! :)

Mon Cheri

2011-07-29T12:53:00.001-05:00

These are quite possibly the easiest decorated cookies ever.

They start with these:

Do you know what they are? I didn't. I thought they were giant nonpareils. They are actually "sixlets" and are CHOCOLATE! Chocolate, people!

I kind of have a thing for cherries. Maybe it's because I worked for Mary Engelbreit before kiddo came along. Mary is the QUEEN of cherries, in case you didn't know. ;)

You might have seen the bowl of cherries looming in the background in, oh, almost all of my pictures.

The cherries are fake....plastic, and I'll admit, dusty....but that doesn't stop people from trying to eat them when they sit at our kitchen table.

{Spike thinks just *maybe* he can reach them.}

Don't even get me started on the cherry sours from the Sample House in Dallas.
{If you live in Dallas, get in your car RIGHT NOW and go get some. You need them. Really.}

OK, back to the cherry cookies. You will need:

chocolate square cookies (this chocolate cookie is actually for a super, secret, special project I'm working on...more on that later. Until then, use this one.)
royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Bright White and Leaf Green
disposable icing bags (2)
couplers
tips: #2 & #1
toothpicks
red sixlets

Using a #2 tip, outline the cookies in white.

Thin the white icing to the consistency of a thick syrup. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit for several minutes. Stir gently with a silicone spatula and transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Flood the cookies with the thinned icing. Use a toothpick to guide into corners.

While the icing is still wet, add the sixlets.

Let the icing dry for at least 30 minutes, then add stems, leaves, and dots in green icing with a #1 tip.

Let the cookies dry 6-8 hours or overnight.

That's it! :) Now how about a cookie, mon cheri?

Team Rosie the Riveter . . . supporting Fisher House

2011-07-27T22:01:00.001-05:00

Funny how life works sometimes. A few weeks ago, I heard about his wonderful place called the Fisher House. As soon as I got home, I told Mr. E that we needed to see what we could do to help this organization.

Fisher House is like a Ronald McDonald House for our soldiers and their families.
From their website:

" Fisher House Foundation, providing a "home away from home" for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury."

Fast forward to last week, when Ann Marie, military wife, mom, blogger, baker, candlestick maker (do you make candlesticks, Ann Marie?) and my bloggy friend, tweeted about raising money for the Fisher House!

Ann Marie, who I first met through her INCREDIBLE Apple Rosette Pie, is participating in a 24-hour walkathon to benefit the Landstuhl Fisher House in Germany where their family is based.

*The walkathon takes place July 29th; donations will be accepted until August 5th.*

Want to show our military families and blogger Ann Marie a little love? Here's how; visit:

Go, Ann Marie! Go Team Rosie! We thank you, your husband, and all of our military families for their service and sacrifice! ♥

A Very, Merry Un-Birthday to You !

2011-07-25T16:53:00.000-05:00

One of my very favorite traditions growing up was celebrating half-birthdays. Not with presents or parties, but with HALF of a cake!

A very, merry UNbirthday, indeed!

Kiddo celebrated his half-birthday over the weekend with HALF of a sweet, tangy and delicious lemonade cake.

I was having tea over at my friend Amanda's (Amanda Carol at Home) house...which, oh, if you ever get a chance to have tea at Amanda's house, jump at it (you'll never want to leave)! Anyway, she told me about a cake she spotted over at The Exchange. I knew I NEEDED it. (I mean, kiddo needed it.)

If you love lemon, you are going to LOVE this cake...it's a triple-threat of lemon: cake, glaze and frosting.

I changed a few things from the recipe and am posting it here, but be sure to pop by the original on The Exchange. Her cake is lovely and she gives the history of the cake and tracking down the recipe.

Lemonade Cake
{adapted from The Exchange}

For the cake:
1 (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 & 1/3 cup buttermilk
1 (4.3 oz) box of lemon pudding
zest of one lemon
3 TBSP lemonade concentrate, thawed

For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 TBSP lemonade concentrate, thawed

For the frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp lemonade concentrate, thawed
4 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 round 8" cake pans (or use a spray for baking). Line the bottoms with parchment. Grease or spray the parchment.

On low speed, combine all of the cake ingredients until combined. Turn up the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, juice and concentrate. Set aside.

Once the cakes are done, let cool for 10 minutes in the pans on a cooling rack. Invert and remove from the pans. Place the cake with the prettiest top right-side-up and the other cake upside down. Place the cooling rack over a rimmed cookie sheet for pouring the glaze.

Poke holes in each of the cakes with a toothpick.

Pour the glaze over.

Oh, you liked that, did you? I have more.

...and more....

....and more.

Let the cakes cool completely.

Make the frosting. Cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Beat in the vanilla, lemon juice and concentrate until combined. Add in the sugar, beating at low speed. Increase the speed and beat until fully combined and smooth.

Now...here's where I messed up. I bought that "1/3 less fat" cream cheese. Why? I have no idea. Maybe it was guilt over all of the chocolate peanut butter ice cream I ate last week. Anyway, it made my frosting a bit too soft.

If your icing seems too soft to frost the cake, park it in the fridge for an hour or more. Don't get impatient like me and try after 30 minutes or your frosting for the middle will ooze out the sides.

Once frosted, refrigerate 1 hour to set.

If your cake is for a half-birthday, cut the cake in half. (Give the other half away...preferably to the person who told you about the recipe. In my case, Amanda. In your case, well...me.) ;)

Half-birthday cakes are not meant to be fancy, so no decorations here. Just good ol' cake. And 6 more months until my baby is a teenager. {Hold me.}

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream (you need it)

2011-07-22T15:18:00.000-05:00

OK...I'm going to get all first-born-child-bossy on you now. If you like chocolate, and you like peanut butter, and you like chocolate WITH peanut butter, you MUST make this ice cream. (Yes, even if it means biting the bullet and buying that ice cream maker. I promise.)

This dark chocolate peanut butter ice cream is rich; it's creamy; it's dreamy. It will change your life. It will make you a happier person.

{Notice I said "happier," not "skinnier."}

The recipe is adapted from the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream & Dessert Book.
You'll need this stuff:

Oh, and vanilla...

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate ( I like Ghiradelli)
1/3 cup dutch-process cocoa powder (such as Hershey's Special Dark)
1 & 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

{This ice cream is made with uncooked eggs, so if you feel uneasy about that or are serving to someone with a compromised immune system, try using pasteurized eggs.}

Place a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water. Melt the unsweetened chocolate. Gradually add the cocoa; the mixture may clump up in the whisk...that's ok. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking with the chocolate mixture until combined and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool several minutes.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar, a little at a time, whisking constantly. Once all the sugar has been added, whisk 1 minute more.

Add the cream and vanilla; whisk to combine.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the cream mixture and stir. Cover and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.

Before transferring to an ice cream maker, remove 1 cup of the mixture into a separate bowl and whisk in the peanut butter until smooth.

{Normally, I'm a natural peanut butter girl, but for this, I go with Jif. It's smooth and creamy and luscious...perfect for this ice cream.}

Add this back into the main mixture and stir. Process in an ice cream maker. Once the freezing cycle finishes, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze a few hours to firm up.

Time to serve it up.

Ahh, there we go...

It's worth the calories, my friends. Go ahead, indulge.

Making Cookie Decorating Easier (with color) . . . Works for Me Wednesday

2011-07-20T08:31:00.000-05:00

*Let me tell you a little cookie decorating secret*

Making 48 cookies in a similar color scheme is easier than making 18 cookies in all different colors.

I love cookie assortments. And Eleni's in NYC has the some of the most creative and beautiful assortments around. Like this gorgeous one...

{source: birds & butterflies assortment, Eleni's}

Now, I count...eleven colors in that assortment of 24 cookies. If you are making these cookies at home, you'd better have tips and couplers and squeeze bottles out the wazoo, or be prepared to do some washing.

Making and planning a million different colors for one batch of cookies can rattle even a seasoned cookie decorator. (OK...I haven't actually asked anyone else, but it rattles ME.) You'll also end up making lots of extra icing, just to ensure you have enough of every color.

Want to streamline the process? Pick just a few coordinating colors. So, from the Eleni's example, maybe just the purple birds, butterflies and flowers. Just as pretty and and it will save you time and headaches. TRUST ME.

I actually LOVE how cookies that are all in the same color scheme look on a dessert table or in a basket.

This assortment? Three different cookie designs, but using the same 3 colors.

Color coordinating cookies....they work for me!

Emergency Dessert . . . Pie Edition

2011-07-18T08:40:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's true...at Casa de la Bake at 350, we don't always have dessert.

I try to give away a lot of goodies that come out of the kitchen. You would think getting the sweets out of the house would be a good thing.
{In reality, that just means I get desperate and eat half a bag of chocolate chips in one sitting.}

So, last week I was having a desperate housewife moment. Meaning a housewife desperate for pie. And not pie in 2 hours, pie NOW.

Enter, emergency pie.

Pour some frozen blueberries into a bowl. Let them thaw for 10 minutes or so.
{Yes, frozen blueberries...for some reason, I like frozen blueberries, and baked blueberries, and dried blueberries, but not fresh blueberries. Anyone with me?}

Top with Cool Whip. (Call the foodie police, I *like* Cool Whip.)

Crumble one graham cracker on top.

Ta-da! EMERGENCY Blueberry PIE!

{I've posted about emergency dessert before. What do you do when you have a dessert emergency?}

Butterbeer Cookies . . . for the final Harry Potter movie !

2011-07-13T22:14:00.001-05:00

*sigh* The last Harry Potter movie comes out on Friday...and I'm just not ready.

I've posted about my love of Harry and even made Harry Potter cookies before, but couldn't resist doing a little something to commemorate the last movie.

The cookies are a butterbeer sugar cookies with a butterbeer glaze.

The Hogwarts house crests are edible images applied to fondant.

But, not to fear if you don't want to make the edible images....the cookies with just the glaze? "Bloody delicious" as I imagine Ron might say. (Is that a saying?)

See what I mean?

My sign that I have something delicious on my hands? Kiddo's nostrils flare. What more evidence do you need?

If you are having a Harry Potter party, I beg, no, I INSIST that you make these cookies.
I'm a first-born and I'm very bossy like that.

Where would the sorting hat put you?
{OK...and don't you think sorority rush would be SO much nicer if there was just a sorting hat?!?}

"You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart."

"You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil."

"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind."

"Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends."

{Source: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone}

Now, I know I wouldn't be brave enough for Gryffindor or cunning enough for Slytherin. There's no house that mentions eating sugar all day and avoiding exercise, so I'm not really sure where the hat would put me.

Butterbeer Sugar Cookies

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
2 sticks butter
1 egg
1 tsp butter flavoring
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, set aside.

Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg, butter flavoring, and vanilla; mix until well-blended.

Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom. (The dough will be quite thick...you may need to knead in stray bits of flour from the bottom of the bowl by hand.)

Roll on a floured surface to about 1/4" and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on the size of your cutter. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Butterbeer Glaze
{This will cover 12 cookies...and I STRONGLY recommend doubling the recipe as you might want to put this in a shot glass and drink it straight.}

2/3 cup butterscotch chips (I used Guittard)
1/8 cup evaporated milk
1 TBSP light corn syrup
pinch coarse salt

Place all of the ingredients in a glass or metal bowl and heat over a pot of simmering water (or a double boiler). Stir occasionally, until melted and smooth.

Put the cooled cookies on a wire rack on a baking sheet. Pour the glaze over the cookies and spread with an offset spatula. If using the fondant house crests, place these on the wet glaze to adhere.

So, here's to Harry, Ron, Hermione...and of course, JK Rowling. Thank you for precious hours (and years!) spent reading aloud, snuggled under blankets with my kiddo. Thank you for casting the *perfect* actors for the movies! Thank you for amazing characters who will stay with us forever...Harry, Ron, Hermoine, Fred, George, Snape, The Dursleys, Professor McGonagall, Bellatrix and Mrs. Weasley (to name a few).

{I could go on....or maybe I already have? I'd love to hear your favorites from Harry Potter!}

The "Supers" . . . Works for Me Wednesday

2011-07-12T16:06:00.000-05:00

I've touched on this before on the blog and just in case you dozed off in the middle of one of my lectures, I think it bears repeating...

If you are making black or red icing, PLEASE treat yourself to some AmeriColor Super Black and Super Red gel paste food colorings.

If you've tried another brand, you've probably noticed that you had to use the entire bottle to get a true, deep color.

And then, you probably noticed a not-so-pleasant taste?

AmeriColor "Supers" are the way to go. Just a bit gives nice, saturated colors...and the taste? What taste? All I taste is icing. (That's a good thing.)

Where to buy it? Well, here are just a few options:

AmeriColor Super Red and Super Black...they work for me! They'll work for you, too. Trust me, I'm a doctor, um, baker.