tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19468577634131390602024-03-15T06:00:31.741-07:00Cookies on FridayNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.comBlogger1372125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-60507440232807695152024-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:002024-03-15T06:00:00.129-07:00 Pistachio Cookies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-6J4S5t_c_I8PDw5L6YPqAvY0wDDew-hQoSKn1JYWvyp-5frnjTK4elwQTvAWTIKux68qNQvGRT4XlrhjjFmp29jHp1K00J95Ou1VVtYx-weKMP3QFeIc04ucdNNIQ0NWR1xol54eruetI0oE7ILuXjDHBHltk6tw4Mv8fanJr3PvBvtJ8YZrTYCO5fM/s629/PistachioCookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Round pistachio cookies topped with browned butter icing and green sprinkles, photographed on a green plate." border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="629" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-6J4S5t_c_I8PDw5L6YPqAvY0wDDew-hQoSKn1JYWvyp-5frnjTK4elwQTvAWTIKux68qNQvGRT4XlrhjjFmp29jHp1K00J95Ou1VVtYx-weKMP3QFeIc04ucdNNIQ0NWR1xol54eruetI0oE7ILuXjDHBHltk6tw4Mv8fanJr3PvBvtJ8YZrTYCO5fM/w400-h264/PistachioCookies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I wanted to do something for St. Patrick’s Day, although having the holiday on the weekend is a little bit different. I’m not one to go to a bar all that much anyway unless they also have great food. My husband and I went out on St. Patrick’s Day to an Irish place once and it was absolutely insane, and we’re not interested in doing that again.<br /><br />These cookies get their green color (somewhat) from the pistachios, which are tinged green. If you don’t care about the color of the cookies, you can keep them as is, but I did add some green food color to enhance the green. The icing is a parchment color, so I decided to add some green sprinkles to gild the lily even more. Those aren’t necessary but they added some fun.<br /><br />These cookies are simple to put together, and just need to chill for the shortest amount of time. They are very similar to a Russian teacake/Mexican wedding cookie except for the inclusion of pistachios. The icing is quite different, a browned butter powdered sugar icing that is very flavorful. I liked the icing thinner, so I added more cream than the recipe specifies. These are tasty little cookies, not surprising as Russian teacakes are one of my favorites! I don’t think these are going to last very long!<br /><br /><b>Pistachio Cookies</b><br />130 grams pistachios<br />1 cup butter, room temperature<br />90 grams powdered sugar<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />1 teaspoon almond extract<br />281 grams flour <br />1-2 drops green food coloring<br /><br />4 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces<br />120 grams powdered sugar<br />2 Tablespoons milk/cream<br />1/4 teaspoon vanilla <br /><br />Place the (shelled) pistachios in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and you have about 3/4 cup finely chopped pistachios. Set aside.<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract on medium until creamy. Gradually stir in the flour, mixing on low and the stir in the chopped pistachios and food coloring. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill 30-60 minutes.<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats. <br /><br />Shape the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.<br /><br />Bake for 14 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. <br /><br />Once the cookies are cool, make the icing: in a small saucepan, place the butter. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. The butter will melt and then foam and then will begin to brown and smell nutty. This will take about 5 minutes. Once browned, immediately remove from the heat. Cool 5 minutes and then add the remaining icing ingredients: powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. If too thick, add additional milk, or if too thin add additional powdered sugar. <br /><br />Dip the cookies in the icing or drizzle onto the cookies. Allow the icing to set before serving the cookies. <br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/pistachio-cookies/">Sally’s Baking Recipes</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-28315755627613778282024-03-08T06:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T06:00:00.273-08:00Hot Chocolate Cookies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5-MIHJnvV__vQphdo0wRQQD-_DDU5t18S6mm03Ii9Xre9vSDd_vKyIT6fCslXyu8ke4zI4GA2QG0xU9RZAjdgv326Ty8oEYJMrClt9niHgoRxSYTEAWQ0FrWW12A7VlfOJOG8PDaVpJFDew5gUGA5kcCDaCVvTSrewHYUd6gDNC_muVjVKvDxa7HmhS0/s1922/CocoaCookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A stack of hot chocolate cookies, chocolate cookies studded with chocolate chips and marshmallow bits" border="0" data-original-height="1476" data-original-width="1922" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5-MIHJnvV__vQphdo0wRQQD-_DDU5t18S6mm03Ii9Xre9vSDd_vKyIT6fCslXyu8ke4zI4GA2QG0xU9RZAjdgv326Ty8oEYJMrClt9niHgoRxSYTEAWQ0FrWW12A7VlfOJOG8PDaVpJFDew5gUGA5kcCDaCVvTSrewHYUd6gDNC_muVjVKvDxa7HmhS0/w400-h308/CocoaCookies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />After I looked and looked and couldn’t fine marshmallow bits, once I did find them I had enough to use in a couple of recipes. There aren’t a lot of recipes out these, but honestly, these sounded good. They are nearly the same recipe that is on the package, but I read a little more about that and I found something interesting. The cookies on the blog came first, then the manufacturer asked to use her recipe. I hadn’t heard of that but it was a very positive sign for me.<br /><br />Looking at this recipe, I figured that I would likely cut it down or make half a recipe. When I look at a recipe I look at the quantity of flour and similar ingredients to guess at how many cookies the recipe will make. This recipe calls for over three cups of flour, which is a lot. I made a half recipe (which is what is written below) and it still made about 30 cookies. The original recipe called for 3 tablespoons per cookie, which is a lot. I made mine smaller, and they are still plenty substantial.<br /><br />I have hot chocolate mix on hand, so that wasn’t hard. We buy the container of it and measure it out, which is cheaper in the long run. We do but the name brand as we find that the store brand just doesn’t blend as well. If you have a favorite that you use, it will be perfect for this recipe. The dough isn’t too sticky, but the marshmallow bits are stubborn to work with. I flattened my cookies, but they become fairly flat as they cool, so perhaps that isn’t necessary. They have a wonderful chocolate taste, but with a little something special!<br /><b><br />Hot Chocolate Cookies</b><br />1/2 cup butter, room temperature <br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1/3 cup brown sugar<br />1 egg<br />1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />1 2/3 cups flour<br />6 tablespoons or 2 packages Hot Chocolate Mix <br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 cup chocolate chips<br />1/2 cup Marshmallow Bits<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats. <br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter for 1 minute. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to combine. <br /><br />In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, hot chocolate mix, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and Marshmallow Bits. <br /><br />Scoop the dough into the prepared baking sheets, using about 1-1/2 tablespoons dough per cookie.<br /><br />Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. <br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.lovefromtheoven.com/hot-cocoa-cookies-with-kraft-jet-puffed-marshmallow-mallow-bits/">Love From The Oven</a><br /><br /><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-2073784462963258212024-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:002024-03-01T06:00:00.378-08:00 Candied Ginger Shortbread<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZeGxnsgBL7YdNtphQz7CkYwq2lYZlrRWghZERg9KCQNMmdZezm4H6UCd6mXLTF8kpuJacQh0ZEKSDM9T_jV_i-c3J0OoOkR5p5dqLzZFvGHgXE4TdfeOjPW9xFuoI4VcP_hA8QqzZnF2XWvM5gfWSuHHDSkutx9dOo5dWY5-0mcP5BbD_K8lAcVr9AGtP/s3679/CandiedGinger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ginger Slice and Bake Cookies, photographed on a blue oblong plate" border="0" data-original-height="2813" data-original-width="3679" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZeGxnsgBL7YdNtphQz7CkYwq2lYZlrRWghZERg9KCQNMmdZezm4H6UCd6mXLTF8kpuJacQh0ZEKSDM9T_jV_i-c3J0OoOkR5p5dqLzZFvGHgXE4TdfeOjPW9xFuoI4VcP_hA8QqzZnF2XWvM5gfWSuHHDSkutx9dOo5dWY5-0mcP5BbD_K8lAcVr9AGtP/w400-h306/CandiedGinger.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I love the ease of slice and bake cookies, and you can do almost anything with this type of cookie. My only limitation is that I don’t like these cookies to have large chunks or nuts or similar things as that can make them impossible to cut. I figured that candied ginger wouldn’t be too difficult to cut, so I made the dough for these to have it ready to go.<br /><br />I have used many different types of candied or crystallized ginger. Most commonly, I buy it in pieces and then I have to dice it up. Dicing up candied ginger is very difficult, and your knife gets sticky, and it’s just a mess. I took a ginger baking class through <a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/baking-school">King Arthur Flour</a> and they used <a href="https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/mini-diced-ginger">mini diced ginger</a> and it is just perfect. It’s already chopped, and it is the perfect size for baking. I can’t recommend this enough if you like to bake with ginger. <br /><br />This dough is so simple and it can be assembled in minutes. Shaping the dough isn’t bad, as I don’t worry too much about the length of the cylinders and just the diameter. It all works out in the end. I was able to slice these cookies and fit them all on two baking sheets. They baked fine, but hardly browned at all. I have not baked items at 275 before, and I wonder if a somewhat warmer oven for less time would be better. I know I don’t want a shortbread to bake at too hot of temperature, but these took a long time!<br /><br /><b>Candied Ginger Shortbread</b><br />1 cup butter, room temperature<br />½ cup sugar<br />1 egg yolk<br />1.5 cups flour<br />½ cup cornstarch<br />¼ teaspoon salt<br />½ cup finely chopped candied/crystallized ginger<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium until light. Stir in the egg yolk, then gradually add the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the candied ginger with a spatula. <br /><br />Davide the dough into two halves and shape each half into a cylinder about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the cylinders in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.<br /><br />Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.<br /><br />Remove the dough cylinders from the refrigerator and discard the plastic wrap. Slice the dough into disks about 13” thick and place on the prepared baking sheets. Reshape the cookies into a round shape if necessary.<br /><br />Bake for about 30-32 minutes, until barely browned on the bottom. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. <br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/candied-ginger-shortbread-cookies-recipe/#recipe"> A Farmgirl’s Dabbles</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-32939180119609861942024-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-23T06:00:00.137-08:00Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSM2c1ipMvSXSRFdpsq2HHz9Hw_QNNdpQtCn8RzNqhgUwvYknJwp278b-Ts0UyAOwXDaGbrkzvC4S9qo55sQmOKhyZ98hdnG1wYuA1cyHXk1rox5qCbZ9RtxQoDPzUdsP5aAJC0GCIX-IOpkPJB7-3QrmxN0VtKsSRylF3ZdR1c0AAgnVGwxpB1Kmi9yv/s750/SnickerdoodleCheesecake.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars: a base layer of snickerdoodle dough topped with a cheesecake filling and a topping of additional cheesecake dough. Photographed on a burgundy oblong plate." border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="750" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSM2c1ipMvSXSRFdpsq2HHz9Hw_QNNdpQtCn8RzNqhgUwvYknJwp278b-Ts0UyAOwXDaGbrkzvC4S9qo55sQmOKhyZ98hdnG1wYuA1cyHXk1rox5qCbZ9RtxQoDPzUdsP5aAJC0GCIX-IOpkPJB7-3QrmxN0VtKsSRylF3ZdR1c0AAgnVGwxpB1Kmi9yv/w400-h380/SnickerdoodleCheesecake.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />If you follow this blog at all, you will likely know that snickerdoodles are my favorite thing to make. It was the first cookie I recall baking, and that is something that is good to start with. Some folks are very protective about their favorite recipe, but I grew up with the recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook. They aren’t fancy but they taste exactly the way they should taste.<br /><br />Over the years, there have been many variations of snickerdoodle recipes. Sometimes, I feel like anything that contains cinnamon sugar is name “snickerdoodle” and that doesn’t feel right. Usually, I expect snickerdoodles to contain cream of tartar. Again, that is what I am used to baking. These bars don’t contain cream of tartar, but they smelled like a classic snickerdoodle while baking. <br /><br />I have made snickerdoodles with white chocolate filling, but never a cheesecake filling. I was a little surprised that I hadn’t made something similar to this, as the flavors naturally go together so well. You have to pay attention to the recipe, as you make parts then wait until you assemble the bars. I didn’t make a very solid layer of snickerdoodle dough on my bars, maybe covered about 60%, but this made no difference once the bars were baked. They smelled great baking, and they are great! The creamy center paired with the snickerdoodle cookie is so good. I cut the bars, and had mainly edges left and all cookies were consumed quickly.<br /><br /><b>Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars</b><br />16 ounces cream cheese<br />½ cup sugar<br />2 eggs<br />½ teaspoon vanilla<br />¼ teaspoon salt<br /><br />2-1/4 cups flour<br />½ teaspoon baking soda<br />1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />3/4 cup butter, melted<br />1 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup packed brown sugar<br />2 eggs <br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br /><br />1/4 cup sugar<br />1/4 teaspoon cinnamon<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.<br /><br />Make the cheesecake layer: in a large mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium until light. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt and mix again on medium until combined.<br /><br />Make the snickerdoodle layer: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In a large mixer bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on medium until combined, then stir in the eggs and vanilla. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.<br /><br />In a separate bowl mix together the 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Press about half of the snickerdoodle mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar. Pour the cheesecake batter over the dough and spread evenly with a spatula. Break up the remaining dough into small pieces and top the cheesecake layer. Do your best to cover the bars as much as possible. Sprinkle the bars with the remaining cinnamon sugar.<br /><br />Bake for 35-40 minutes, until set along the edges but slightly jiggly in the center. Cool for 15 minutes on the counter and then refrigerate to cool completely. Cut into bars when completely cool. If desired, store the bars in the refrigerator.<br /><br />Recipe from <u>Delish Christmas Baking, 2023</u><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-89785185040446261532024-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-16T06:00:00.141-08:00Strawberry Chocolate Thumbprints<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7zli30XhFbQ5uvoVi4gqk6Oe6eDnc__AL6riXVft8UNlJGS12k_Ay0zqAfWwZC3E6bK2hlwf6EuruMpNOuuSfvB0k_2abdSdFhpYMjjlhDLsL1LfvNA9gSOGHZcyYkhbdstI9i7htdmbxLGpqD95j3g5jIz6lTEUUCA4kraFr3ADqTcFyNwwDjyDXbAu/s1764/ChocStrawThumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chocolate thumbprint cookies with a strawberry and white chocolate ganache filling, sprinkled with crushed freeze-dried strawberries" border="0" data-original-height="1313" data-original-width="1764" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7zli30XhFbQ5uvoVi4gqk6Oe6eDnc__AL6riXVft8UNlJGS12k_Ay0zqAfWwZC3E6bK2hlwf6EuruMpNOuuSfvB0k_2abdSdFhpYMjjlhDLsL1LfvNA9gSOGHZcyYkhbdstI9i7htdmbxLGpqD95j3g5jIz6lTEUUCA4kraFr3ADqTcFyNwwDjyDXbAu/w400-h297/ChocStrawThumb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I know that it is a little late for Valentine’s Day, but these were the cookies that I wanted to bake. I actually didn’t make them in time for the actual day, but that’s ok. For Valentine’s Day I made sugar cookies and decorated them with colored royal icing. That was a fun activity for my husband and I to do on Valentine’s Day, nice and quiet, and then we got to eat the cookies!<br /><br />These strawberry and chocolate thumbprints have a beautiful strawberry filling. I had used freeze-dried strawberries for another recipe, so I had those available. You make a ganache with white chocolate, which I had not done before, and it turned out well. The original recipe had you make the cookies first, then make the ganache while the cookies bake. My ganache was easy to make but took several hours to thicken, so I would suggest making that first.<br /><br />The cookies are quick and simple to make. The biggest challenge is that they crack a bit when you make the thumbprint, but you can simply press the cookie back together. If you flatten the cookies slightly first, the thumbprint is easier to make. After the cookies bake, make the thumbprint indentation again, widening it a bit, so you have more room for filling! These cookies taste great and look just perfect for the holiday.<br /><br /><b>Strawberry Chocolate Thumbprints</b><br />1/2 cup white chocolate<br />1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream, separated <br />1/3 cup freeze-dried strawberries, ground into 1 tablespoon<br />Red food coloring<br /><br />3/4 cup butter, room temperature<br />3/4 cup sugar <br />2 egg yolks<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />1 3/4 cup flour <br />1/4 cup cocoa powder<br />Additional sugar<br />Additional crushed freeze-dried strawberries<br /><br />Make the strawberry ganache: in a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of powdered freeze-dried strawberries and 1 tablespoon heavy cream to make a paste. Add the paste and the ½ cup heavy cream to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat and whisk until the mixture is hot and it starts to bubble around the edges. Place the white chocolate chips in a medium bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and pour the hot cream mixture onto the white chips. Allow to stand for a few minutes and then stir with a small spatula until the mixture is smooth. If desired, add a few drops of red food coloring to enhance the color. Allow the ganache to cool and thicken slightly; this may take 1-2 hours.<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium until light. Add the egg yolks and salt and mix on medium. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour and cocoa powder, mixing until the dough comes together.<br /><br />Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets. Use your thumb or other implement to make an indentation in the top of each cookie, then enlarge the indent. Seal any cracks that have formed in the dough as the indentation is made.<br /><br />Bake for 9-11 minutes, reform the indentation as needed when the cookies come out of the oven. Cool completely.<br /><br />To assemble the cookies: place the ganache in a piping bag and fill the indentation in each cookie with the strawberry ganache. Sprinkle with additional crushed freeze-dried strawberries, if desired. Allow the ganache to set before serving. <br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://thecozyplum.com/strawberry-chocolate-thumbprint-cookies/">The Cozy Plum</a><br /><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-19389078811160368732024-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-09T06:00:00.171-08:00Coconut Guava Bars<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxJ4al99QJzF-XYP_3wnb_LWu5cJg-jOFAjFLXzs9OJko_pxsB6mEGNchk-Xjo2CTcvpquIPY2yBPDKnR1SYNyLDt071t1B3EPeh6ISTYD7TkToKKp8N-CIPClCXxZr5FLDxYD3k6u8P9kjesTBDGI_NiW3dj4FCWqjQc-j84l1P45-gRmcdgiK2imFCN/s3979/GuavaBars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two bar cookies with a cookie base, guava preserves filling, topped with coconut struesel. Photographed on a black plate." border="0" data-original-height="2776" data-original-width="3979" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxJ4al99QJzF-XYP_3wnb_LWu5cJg-jOFAjFLXzs9OJko_pxsB6mEGNchk-Xjo2CTcvpquIPY2yBPDKnR1SYNyLDt071t1B3EPeh6ISTYD7TkToKKp8N-CIPClCXxZr5FLDxYD3k6u8P9kjesTBDGI_NiW3dj4FCWqjQc-j84l1P45-gRmcdgiK2imFCN/w400-h279/GuavaBars.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />When I think about the things that I bake, there are a lot of flavors that I return to time and time again. I love oats, cinnamon, and anything with ginger. Apples are always great, and hazelnuts are my favorite. But there are some ingredients that I don’t use often, and it isn’t because I don’t like them, but I don’t actively look for recipes with those ingredients. I guess I don’t like pumpkin much, the texture isn’t my thing, so there aren’t many pumpkin recipes here. <br /><br />This recipe originally called for apricot, which I love but just don’t use very often. Even with this recipe that called for apricot preserves, I knew full well when I saved it that I would try and think of a different sort of preserves to use. I had to figure out what would go well with coconut, and I was at a store with a lot of unusual and international products, and I found guava preserves. Giving this bar a Hawaiian twist sounded great.<br /><br />This recipe calls for a 9” x 13” pan but gives the option of using a smaller 7” x 11” pan, and that was what I used. It seemed like the bars would be too thin using the larger pan. It was easier to spread the dough in the smaller pan, and my jar of guava preserves was slightly smaller than what the recipe originally called for, so I think it was the right choice. These bars were sturdy and cut beautifully and have a wonderful fruity flavor. They were the perfect choice to remind you of the upcoming spring.<br /><br /><b>Coconut Guava Bars</b><br />¾ cup butter, at room temperature<br />1 cup sugar<br />1 egg<br />½ teaspoon vanilla<br />1-1/2 cups flour<br />¼ teaspoon baking powder<br />1 ⅓ cups coconut<br />½ cup slivered almonds <br />1 jar guava preserves <br />Additional slivered almonds<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” or 7” x 11” pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium until light. Add the egg and vanilla and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder and then add it to the mixer with the mixer running on low. Stir in the coconut and slivered almonds.<br /><br />Press 2/3 of the dough into the prepared pan. Top with an even layer of guava preserves. Crumble the remaining 1/3 of the dough over the preserves. Top with additional slivered almonds.<br /><br />Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely before cutting into bars.<br /><br />Recipe adapted from <a href="https://www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com/apricot-bars/">That Skinny Chick Can Bake</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-58500878324336237662024-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-02T06:00:00.328-08:00Neapolitan Cookies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwA5QjGj-A3l2C5t6j9eHwjTRGPMPypQ6FODk5hk_vFbh4ipI9cm7Y1iuuCNX5I5liuZ-LPAFeEsQRf1f-uUH2oxmnPWqrRmV8cio4Xmz-nCnap4XoOWQiiOkB06sB0BDxu8D1Va3ugeS6F-aiFTHEw61rzLPoTa0VILAkXV8pbq4fewg59JdbtOZKizd/s3770/NeapolitanCookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Neapolitan cookies: cookies made with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla dough, each creating a section of these cookies. Photographed on a red mat." border="0" data-original-height="2937" data-original-width="3770" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwA5QjGj-A3l2C5t6j9eHwjTRGPMPypQ6FODk5hk_vFbh4ipI9cm7Y1iuuCNX5I5liuZ-LPAFeEsQRf1f-uUH2oxmnPWqrRmV8cio4Xmz-nCnap4XoOWQiiOkB06sB0BDxu8D1Va3ugeS6F-aiFTHEw61rzLPoTa0VILAkXV8pbq4fewg59JdbtOZKizd/w400-h311/NeapolitanCookie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I have wanted to make these cookies for a while, they look so pretty and what fun to make cookies that resemble Neapolitan ice cream! While the dough for these cookies isn’t complex, I knew it would be more involved than some of the cookies I make since you divide the dough to make three flavors. My friend sent me a video of a similar recipe, so when she came over to bake I knew we were likely to make these!<br /><br />The unusual ingredient of these cookies is freeze-dried strawberries, but those are fairly easy to find these days. I got mine at Trader Joe’s, but I can also get them at the grocery store or large stores like Target. For cocoa powder, I could have used my standard but I wanted to use dark cocoa powder for a darker color. I like the look with the dark cocoa, but it’s up to you to decide what you want to use.<br /><br />With the two of us working on these, we had a good system going and it didn’t take too long. We made little balls of dough and then put three together in a triangle shape, rolled and flattened it a bit, and they were ready to bake. Mine baked for about 12 minutes, and I will say they are quite flat, which is fine. They are huge though, and I think the “baby” cookie we made with 7-8 grams of each dough that was left over was a better size. These cookies have wonderful flavor and you clearly can tell the difference between the strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla parts of the cookie. Maybe a little puffier would have been ok, but these are wonderful any way you look at it.<br /><br /><b>Neapolitan Cookies</b><br />2½ cups flour<br />¾ teaspoon baking soda<br />¾ teaspoon salt<br />1 cup butter, room temperature<br />1¾ cups sugar<br />1 egg plus 1 yolk<br />2 teaspoons vanilla<br />½ cup freeze-dried strawberries<br />Red food coloring (optional)<br />2 tablespoons cocoa powder<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.<br /><br />In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat on medium until light. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and stir to combine. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture.<br /><br />Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Leave one piece as is; this will be the vanilla portion of your cookies.<br /><br />Place another piece of the dough in a mixer bowl or medium bowl. In a food processor, crush the freeze-dried strawberries until powder. Add the powder to the piece of dough and mix. If desired, add red food color to enhance the color. This will be the strawberry portion of your cookies.<br /><br />Place the last piece of dough into a mixer bowl or medium bowl. Add the cocoa powder to the dough and mix to combine. This will be the chocolate portion of your cookies. <br /><br />Shape each section of dough into 15-gram balls. Take one vanilla, one strawberry, and one chocolate portion (45 grams total) and press together. Shape the dough into a ball and then flatten the ball somewhat on the baking sheet. Place no more than 6 cookies on a sheet. <br /><br />Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are barley browned on the bottom. They will puff up and then flatten as they cool. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. <br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.minnesotamonthly.com/food-drink/recipes/recipe-sarah-kieffers-neapolitan-cookies/">Minnesota Monthly</a><br /><br /><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-38662597444511672222024-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:002024-01-26T06:00:00.136-08:00 Smores Cookies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCu1uG3tyUsFam7fRKrb41S4lF4P0Lx79oSQM7LyPxLW_NMZdmKP3yRLY46nAsjDLEK2pYAvpqIrEvuu_UZQujjWe3XAxHOAIFd0IQNWyJPmajd453nxEqkL9IlOLtoGPOxlwenL4jvM9Cl2neDFiNp2v1S7mcRAaA7xxqWK75zUjNeFzffTYHKK_gdZT/s3591/SmoresCookies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Smores Cookies a flour and graham crack crumb cookie with milk chocolate chips and marshmallow bits. All topped with a piece of a Hershey bar." border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3591" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCu1uG3tyUsFam7fRKrb41S4lF4P0Lx79oSQM7LyPxLW_NMZdmKP3yRLY46nAsjDLEK2pYAvpqIrEvuu_UZQujjWe3XAxHOAIFd0IQNWyJPmajd453nxEqkL9IlOLtoGPOxlwenL4jvM9Cl2neDFiNp2v1S7mcRAaA7xxqWK75zUjNeFzffTYHKK_gdZT/w400-h271/SmoresCookies.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I often go through a bunch of recipes and identify needed ingredients for the things that I want to bake. While I don’t necessarily plan to make these recipes right away, I want to stock up so that I have options when deciding what to bake. Most ingredients are easy to find, and I can pick them up right away. I have found that other ingredients are seasonal, or otherwise hard to find. I stop looking actively for the item because that is usually when I find it. That was the case for the marshmallow bits used in this recipe. <br /><br />I am fairly sure that I have used marshmallow bits before. These aren’t mini marshmallows; they are even smaller and are similar to the marshmallow bits you find in breakfast cereal. I could find them online, but you have to buy a large quantity. When I figured I would get them if I saw them, they started to become more common place. I suppose it was hot cocoa time of year, so that makes sense.<br /><br />These smores cookies are very much chocolate chip cookies (which my husband loves) with a few additional ingredients. It uses graham cracker flour, which I keep on hand, and I topped the cookies with bits of Hershey bars that I had on hand. You could also top them with marshmallows or pieces of graham cracker, but I didn’t think it needed it. Although the dough was a touch crumbly, the cookies came together and were just excellent! They taste like smores but aren’t quite as messy as the original. <br /><br /><b>Smores Cookies</b><br />1 cup butter, room temperature<br />½ cup sugar<br />1¼ cup packed brown sugar<br />2 eggs<br />2 teaspoons vanilla <br />2½ cups flour<br />1 cup graham cracker crumbs, <br />1½ teaspoons baking soda<br />¾ teaspoon salt<br />1 cup milk chocolate chips<br />1 cup mini chocolate chips<br />1 cup mini Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Bits<br />Pieces of chocolate bar<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture. With a spatula, stir in the milk chocolate chips, mini chips, and marshmallow bits.<br /><br />Scoop the cookies onto the baking sheet, using about 1-1/4 tablespoons dough for each cookie. Garnish the top of each cookie with a piece of a chocolate bar. (You can also garnish with pieces of graham crackers or marshmallow bits, but I did not.)<br /><br />Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden around the edges. The cookies might look slightly under cooked, but will set as they cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.<br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.bakerita.com/smores-cookies/">Bakerita</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-81133218100443218342024-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:002024-01-19T06:00:00.136-08:00Caramel Marshmallow Cookie Bars<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOVQhCibzXRTP_3jnS33O8GpXrjr9j-o_OYzbxw13Y5DPdLagsRPzls2D0D6XWeEIQeSBsdFJiKGD73_NsVrj52ji3H7rRs0dIxeo6fEhZvTQvRPQV90fIPBZNVPEPpYmBSuWZCjntxB4sbIPVy4Nd0b_SNInWKlksR8Ibw9FCqbiBBjrwEX327vI6ids/s3175/CaramelMarsh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A single caramel marshmallow cookie bar: a cookie base topped with caramel bits and mini marshmallows, toasted after baking. Photographed on a black and white floral pedestal" border="0" data-original-height="2590" data-original-width="3175" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOVQhCibzXRTP_3jnS33O8GpXrjr9j-o_OYzbxw13Y5DPdLagsRPzls2D0D6XWeEIQeSBsdFJiKGD73_NsVrj52ji3H7rRs0dIxeo6fEhZvTQvRPQV90fIPBZNVPEPpYmBSuWZCjntxB4sbIPVy4Nd0b_SNInWKlksR8Ibw9FCqbiBBjrwEX327vI6ids/w400-h326/CaramelMarsh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />While I know that not everyone is back in the full swing of baking and that sort of thing, it’s been cold here and that just makes me want to bake! I was basically housebound for a couple of days, and I asked my husband which of several recipes I should make. He chose these, and I agreed!<br /><br />These cookies are quite different from anything I had made before. I looked through the ingredients and realized that I had most of the needed ingredients, but not in the quantity that I needed. That’s always a problem that I face when I bake! I had mini marshmallows and caramel bits, and they don’t last forever, so I was eager to use them as soon as I could. I ended up making a half quantity of these bars. I made this in an 8” square pan, which was very close to half of the size of the 9” x 13” pan. The main difference is the baking time might vary by a minute or two, so if you decided to use a different pan, please keep that in mind.<br /><br />The dough came together with little issue, although it looks a little lumpy in the beginning. You bake the bars and the top them and broil. I didn’t need all of the mini marshmallows I had, so just use what you need. These bars are extremely sticky, so a knife that you warm up is very helpful. These bars taste a lot like smores, because of the toasted marshmallow, even though they contain no chocolate. These bars are very tasty but they dry out quickly, so make sure you eat them right away!<br /><br /><b>Caramel Marshmallow Cookie Bars</b><br />1 cup butter, room temperature<br />1/3 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup packed brown sugar<br />2 eggs <br />2 teaspoon vanilla <br />2 1/3 cups flour<br />¼ tsp salt<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />¼ tsp baking powder<br />11 ounces caramel bits<br />10 ounces mini marshmallows<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the vanilla. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and mix on low until almost incorporated. Add the 1 cup of caramel bits and 1 cup of marshmallows and stir with a spatula until the dough is fully together and the caramel and marshmallows are evenly distributed.<br /><br />Spread the dough into the prepared pan, making sure that the mixture is even. <br /><br />Bake for 20-22 minutes, until set and beginning to turn golden brown.<br /><br />As soon as the pan comes out of the oven, turn the oven off and turn on the broiler.<br /><br />Top the bars with the remaining caramel bits and mini marshmallows. Return the pan to the broiler and broil until the marshmallows look toasted. This might be 30 seconds or up to 2 minutes. Keep watch on the marshmallows to ensure that they don’t burn. Once the marshmallows are toasted, remove the pan from the broiler. <br /><br />Allow the bars to cool before cutting into squares.<br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/caramel-marshmallows-cookie-bars/">Will Cook for Smiles</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-10073101703953293052024-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:002024-01-12T06:00:00.132-08:00Reese’s Pieces Oat Cookies<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5JiEC3sppEX9NgI_4mbrinE8lucC-ridOeN8ZTVEvrMoK6aKZ0xgBcOBj-9qNaGl7iIvnQtLkmM6N-uv9pCmikv7hTCOi7I_HmowAjlRSGkUzGFWyJdM3JcOEbEfBvLIGzVmUgKz4zF5dLHlvG19-qQi5wJhXDaCYIbODiBGU41q_bWuZ2C1cPb5w2OO/s3487/ReesesOat.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two gluten-free oat cookies with Reese's Pieces. Photographed on a black and white Native American design plate" border="0" data-original-height="2527" data-original-width="3487" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5JiEC3sppEX9NgI_4mbrinE8lucC-ridOeN8ZTVEvrMoK6aKZ0xgBcOBj-9qNaGl7iIvnQtLkmM6N-uv9pCmikv7hTCOi7I_HmowAjlRSGkUzGFWyJdM3JcOEbEfBvLIGzVmUgKz4zF5dLHlvG19-qQi5wJhXDaCYIbODiBGU41q_bWuZ2C1cPb5w2OO/w400-h290/ReesesOat.JPG" width="400" /></a></b></div><br />Way back in the fall, my husband purchased a large box of Reese’s Pieces candy bars. I like Reese’s Pieces, but there are only so many that I can eat! I contributed a couple of bags to the food we offer students during finals, and that was well received. There were still quite a few left but I knew that I could use them in a recipe.<br /><br />There are many recipes out there, but I chose this version with oats. I decided that I wanted to make this recipe gluten free, so that required a couple of changes. I omitted the chocolate chips, just for the sake of an easier recipe. The oats I have are gluten free, which only left 1 cup of flour. I used almond flour in its place. I did a fair amount of research, and different sites recommend using partial almond flour to sub for regular flour, perhaps add more leavening, or use less butter.<br /><br />Since this recipe was fairly similar to another gluten free recipe, I decided I would do a one-to-one swap. It didn’t have that much butter, and the dough also contained peanut butter which has its own stickiness. I thought the dough was perfect; it wasn’t crumbly or too oily. They cookies baked up beautifully and were absolutely fine without additional leavening. These cookies are fantastic with a peanut butter flavor, and if you didn’t know they were gluten free, you’d likely never know!<p></p><p><b>Reese’s Pieces Oat Cookies</b><br />1/2 cup butter, room temperature<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup packed brown sugar <br />1/2 cup peanut butter<br />1 egg<br />1 teaspoon vanilla <br />1-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats<br />1 cup flour or almond flour<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup Reese’s Pieces <br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with silicone baking mats.<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium until light. Add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla and mix on medium to incorporate. Add the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Turn the mixer on to low, mixing just until the dough is almost cohesive. Add the Reese’s Pieces and mix on low until the dough comes together.<br /><br />Scoop the dough into 1-1/4” balls onto the prepared baking sheets and roll into a ball. Flatten the dough balls slightly with the palm of your hand.<br /><br />Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.<br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.nourish-and-fete.com/monster-cookies-with-peanut-butter-pieces/">Nourish and Fete</a></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-25726613019055957012024-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:002024-01-05T06:00:00.135-08:00 Irish Cream Chocolate Cookies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHvTgDYNX62EDXD2p3OJZUzYgQeGjcoym43dOxxQejou-UR8rv-VFibfbFIuQOf0nmimlzf_6s3-OKYNlW1KRu9fJHkNSKP9-w2p74PzEg2NUIPrHRq9ljHl0YO9wIgJGOgwImYOUe_mp9gms8qsi5DQ0MWSvfrQKOMFfVgIeQXy9n53R7fes6MQdFM7l/s3313/IrishCreamChoc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chocolate cookies flavored with Irish Cream and topped with white chocolate chips, photographed on a wire rack" border="0" data-original-height="2624" data-original-width="3313" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHvTgDYNX62EDXD2p3OJZUzYgQeGjcoym43dOxxQejou-UR8rv-VFibfbFIuQOf0nmimlzf_6s3-OKYNlW1KRu9fJHkNSKP9-w2p74PzEg2NUIPrHRq9ljHl0YO9wIgJGOgwImYOUe_mp9gms8qsi5DQ0MWSvfrQKOMFfVgIeQXy9n53R7fes6MQdFM7l/w400-h316/IrishCreamChoc.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I have been keeping this recipe for a little while, and I have some Irish Cream liqueur that is specialized and might not keep as long as other liqueurs. My folks had made this recipe a while ago, and raved about how wonderful the cookies were. They were super rich, but what do you expect with a cookie that is chocolate and filled with Irish Cream liqueur?<br /><br />This cookie doesn’t call for uncommon ingredients, but it contains quite a few different elements that add to their richness. I know that some people will balk at including coffee powder, but that simply makes the chocolate taste more chocolatey. The coffee flavor is not prevalent at all. Somehow, in the rush of holiday baking, I had run out of white chocolate chips. I used milk chocolate chips in the dough and then topped the cookies with a few additional white chocolate chips.<br /><br />These cookies have you make the dough, then shape the cookies, and refrigerate for several hours. The dough is too sticky to use at this point, and even shaping the cookies was challenging! I refrigerated the dough for about six hours, and they were much easier to work with. Since these are rich, I am very glad that I made them small. They have a wonderful chocolate flavor with the subtle addition of Irish Cream.<br /><b><br />Irish Cream Chocolate Cookies</b><br />1 cup butter, room temperature<br />1 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup packed brown sugar<br />2 eggs<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />1/2 cup Irish Cream Liquor<br />2 ⅔ cups flour<br />1/2 cup cocoa powder<br />1 teaspoon instant coffee powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup white chocolate chips<br />1/2 cup milk chocolate chips<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium until light. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until the ingredients are incorporated. Add the Irish Cream, a little at a time, to the dough.<br /><br />In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, coffee powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture. When the flour mixture is almost incorporated, stop the mixer and add the white and milk chocolate chips. Finish mixing the dough with a spatula.<br /><br />Shape the dough into 1-1/4” balls and place on a plate covered with parchment. Refrigerate the cookie dough balls for at least 4 hours.<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.<br /><br />Reroll the chilled cookies into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheets, ensuring that there is plenty of space between the cookies.<br /><br />Bake for 9-12 minutes, until the cookies are set. Do not over bake. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. <br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://confessionsofabakingqueen.com/baileys-irish-cream-chocolate-cookies/">Confessions of a Baking Queen</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-22064463086882936872023-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-29T06:00:00.244-08:00Blog Highlights from 2023I hope that everyone had an excellent holiday season; it has been a strange year for me in several ways, but I am looking forward to next year. I enjoy the time I spend baking and I have discovered the joy of making fudge now that my dad is no longer with us. These are good distractions to the complexities of life. Since many folks are sugared out right now, I am looking back at some of my favorites from 2023.<br /><br />
<a href="http://cookiesonfriday.blogspot.com/2023/04/pop-tart-inspired-shortbread-bars.html">Pop Tart Inspired Shortbread Bars</a><br />
While I love the idea of pop tarts, they are often so dry! This cookie version takes those great flavors and makes a great bar cookie!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXidkbFxPUFO3sMHwxlkSi57yIzW3Hagk9TYD_18NmA6Ta7-sVFah311pH6_fAwgpDZYeYbY8_oW6t6orYPuCnFQSbamnf_418fBILApM40wvrHd0-eHnwjfcycEF9fgi4j1_8XQ7pf2d6uvIGKnO6-t1MR2KO5bjiii5n8cxF93Vw16QkC-1ZQMNjuJqF/s3081/PopTartBars.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pop Tart Inspired Shortbread Bars: two layers of shortbread dough sandwiched with preserves, topped with powdered sugar icing and colorful sprinkles. Photographed on an orange plate." border="0" data-original-height="2553" data-original-width="3081" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXidkbFxPUFO3sMHwxlkSi57yIzW3Hagk9TYD_18NmA6Ta7-sVFah311pH6_fAwgpDZYeYbY8_oW6t6orYPuCnFQSbamnf_418fBILApM40wvrHd0-eHnwjfcycEF9fgi4j1_8XQ7pf2d6uvIGKnO6-t1MR2KO5bjiii5n8cxF93Vw16QkC-1ZQMNjuJqF/w400-h331/PopTartBars.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>
<a href="http://cookiesonfriday.blogspot.com/2023/05/black-forest-cookies.html">Black Forest Cookies</a><br />How can you go wrong with chocolate and cherries in the classic Black Forest Cake approach? You can’t and these are rich but truly excellent!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQ3WLlQiHkZlbbHrbWoKFZ8YqhuObEdAPT81qu2J1We9CTpuxzFdH_5FxdqU6c2Lgon88oSHIBOXd0uwpp6aeDat2HPqHVPW_J-zijaK_f0pfxDXzWyyV0qKrQhDMbqYkN6HM-pTVzt159LhVVa9kNPTeP1rmw6THJusHMNa4dK2dAfqLRKn7Pdp5qXai/s2835/BlackForestCookie.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chocolate cookies with cherries, drizzled with white chocolate, photographed on a square red plate." border="0" data-original-height="2644" data-original-width="2835" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQ3WLlQiHkZlbbHrbWoKFZ8YqhuObEdAPT81qu2J1We9CTpuxzFdH_5FxdqU6c2Lgon88oSHIBOXd0uwpp6aeDat2HPqHVPW_J-zijaK_f0pfxDXzWyyV0qKrQhDMbqYkN6HM-pTVzt159LhVVa9kNPTeP1rmw6THJusHMNa4dK2dAfqLRKn7Pdp5qXai/w400-h373/BlackForestCookie.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>
<a href="http://cookiesonfriday.blogspot.com/2023/09/vegan-apple-cider-cookies.html">Vegan Apple Cider Cookies</a><br />During the month of September, I made a couple of different apple cider cookies, and they were all so wonderful. I liked this vegan one, which was nice and thin.<br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhY6r-zBUuJz5zPe42E96ZG7wWbGobvxFXOTp2FPyHO9Zqs5OdIjdhv7UtzPQ2DEF846HWjipeXCGgKg2B8k1T7Fo4ktnsuBJCzsIwYO5-sgyJ7UG0gRCO6cychkgKsLZECrivptvjR90YNSSmHhbDnsEbzY5EYjBG_LP1tNWacSIIn0WY-Jr8skTNklD7/s3471/VeganAppleCider.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two vegan apple cider cookies, drizzled in a criss-cross pattern with a powdered sugar glaze, photographed on a green mat" border="0" data-original-height="2583" data-original-width="3471" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhY6r-zBUuJz5zPe42E96ZG7wWbGobvxFXOTp2FPyHO9Zqs5OdIjdhv7UtzPQ2DEF846HWjipeXCGgKg2B8k1T7Fo4ktnsuBJCzsIwYO5-sgyJ7UG0gRCO6cychkgKsLZECrivptvjR90YNSSmHhbDnsEbzY5EYjBG_LP1tNWacSIIn0WY-Jr8skTNklD7/w400-h297/VeganAppleCider.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>
<a href="http://cookiesonfriday.blogspot.com/2023/11/browned-butter-cranberry-and-oat.html">Browned Butter, Cranberry, and Oat Cookies with Cream Cheese Chips</a><br />
In cleaning out my baking supplies, I discovered my cream cheese chips that I hadn’t used. I found some recipes that called for white chocolate chips and adapted them to these cookies that have a bit more of a tang.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kxewH20bdNguo75fBCA9mabXSjoVF3EqOryoUlnRxAenMIFXgzmS5nVFEttkVbK__dtQPG2qHOjC2nWSDZQf94dS1F-VpEUMpGpUwLy_tVMTdf7O0ZWCMHdhtZVg6goxT8HDOMFOJAU5MvaOef-HXvwz6P1OAmJo0HZC4BLqwo5erTCwfsGQo5zfBo6d/s3467/CranCreamCheese.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cookies with browned butter, cranberries, oats, and cream cheese chips, photographed on a pink zig-zag plate" border="0" data-original-height="2542" data-original-width="3467" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kxewH20bdNguo75fBCA9mabXSjoVF3EqOryoUlnRxAenMIFXgzmS5nVFEttkVbK__dtQPG2qHOjC2nWSDZQf94dS1F-VpEUMpGpUwLy_tVMTdf7O0ZWCMHdhtZVg6goxT8HDOMFOJAU5MvaOef-HXvwz6P1OAmJo0HZC4BLqwo5erTCwfsGQo5zfBo6d/w400-h294/CranCreamCheese.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>
<br /><a href="http://cookiesonfriday.blogspot.com/2023/11/brown-sugar-biscoff-bars.html">Brown Sugar Biscoff Bars</a><br />One of the simplest cookies ever, but the Biscoff (or Cookie Butter) in these is unparalleled. Just a simple cookie with a pecan pie-like filling that tastes like Biscoff. Yum!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi214oUOVT8vQq4LmUo2RKXo39k4SgGUtr3sv6AVKPyn4PTBctRUXpyQRkMvzVSgnvrAUy8IZcRakQEmWn5KUlgeK5iIUUM-G1FbKLVgpmiHDlX4_y__GXg3qPzu49dgGhqJe6wi8CqWaJhOWi0BxIFFHcNTOCjO7QX5ox4P9PPrFocmB_oXfBsLqhY-wRT/s3465/BiscoffBrownSugar.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three Brown Sugar Biscoff Bars, a bottom crust topped with a brown sugar/Biscoff topping. Photographed on a white patterned plate" border="0" data-original-height="2307" data-original-width="3465" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi214oUOVT8vQq4LmUo2RKXo39k4SgGUtr3sv6AVKPyn4PTBctRUXpyQRkMvzVSgnvrAUy8IZcRakQEmWn5KUlgeK5iIUUM-G1FbKLVgpmiHDlX4_y__GXg3qPzu49dgGhqJe6wi8CqWaJhOWi0BxIFFHcNTOCjO7QX5ox4P9PPrFocmB_oXfBsLqhY-wRT/w400-h266/BiscoffBrownSugar.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>
<a href="http://cookiesonfriday.blogspot.com/2023/12/irish-cream-fudge.html">Irish Cream Fudge</a><br />With my dad passing this year, I wanted to carry on the tradition of making fudge. I didn’t make nearly the number of varieties he did, but I am proud of what I made. It’s honestly hard to pick a favorite, but this Irish Cream Fudge was wonderful and the texture was superb!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kDnuPR7p5JcsoVIblWsPRYaw31Y2aGC5wkngV-OFwZssolWut2_rTL6t25eWzLBwCh_tL_sSrLcsPGpN83s_U7yDV7iwDaqjjemxlHRxEO9-xiTCr3OadOV9BYctoLanauTj6ecrDbcAXbwZSJavP8QbW8Z89ePuzHMbDlez0uta70O9To4TcvA6e8sB/s2815/IrishCreamFudge.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="One piece of Chocolate Irish Cream Fudge, topped with Andes mint chips. Photographed on a white plate with a small Christmas tree." border="0" data-original-height="2530" data-original-width="2815" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kDnuPR7p5JcsoVIblWsPRYaw31Y2aGC5wkngV-OFwZssolWut2_rTL6t25eWzLBwCh_tL_sSrLcsPGpN83s_U7yDV7iwDaqjjemxlHRxEO9-xiTCr3OadOV9BYctoLanauTj6ecrDbcAXbwZSJavP8QbW8Z89ePuzHMbDlez0uta70O9To4TcvA6e8sB/w400-h360/IrishCreamFudge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://cookiesonfriday.blogspot.com/2023/12/sticky-toffee-spice-cookies.html">Sticky Toffee Pudding Cookies</a><br />Sticky Toffee Pudding is a class British dessert, with spices and dates as the strongest flavors. These are just perfect for the holidays, and they stay fresh for a long time. I used chopped fruitcake fruits and chose what spices I liked, and they were so good. <br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VrtFmOdLOlNd0acjHzG7qyXXXFRD0MYzf1KHrpTqSZzJsfswOSDlVD9IVwGCnNKI4yNAouzXAtJN5IUbtn2kFDhUJ6RPN46hqNTbDy23XXxCrSZ9zuUC7aLLVqfy0Sy64oIJWCKKE3FAYvLKolatDx1w9tdmLAaXyXD-UoETX_Fi0LccKngwABgC8XiW/s3645/StickyToffeeCookies.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A row of sticky toffee pudding cookies, spiced cookies with dried fruits and drizzled with white chocolate. Photographed on a white plate with a red and green border." border="0" data-original-height="2433" data-original-width="3645" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VrtFmOdLOlNd0acjHzG7qyXXXFRD0MYzf1KHrpTqSZzJsfswOSDlVD9IVwGCnNKI4yNAouzXAtJN5IUbtn2kFDhUJ6RPN46hqNTbDy23XXxCrSZ9zuUC7aLLVqfy0Sy64oIJWCKKE3FAYvLKolatDx1w9tdmLAaXyXD-UoETX_Fi0LccKngwABgC8XiW/w400-h268/StickyToffeeCookies.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-55149943474087221312023-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-25T06:00:00.128-08:00 Christmas Swirl Fudge<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnA1_917cu46LSaxtgYjKCz3wx9j-0AEcRyCWOfc2AoIz2CqpQD1xtBMjGSoEIVZ85rdeD3BueZhIDQ7aogzZW-KiggS5NGVCcE-vb9IZ5qp85sbHaibpe3eBBk9U3kKCv-AnSabVJUWni-HPZHfxMTDEib83dRn3DS6RcXS3h-xWMKeBz9hNNE8ZoiEx/s3525/ChristmasFudge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pieces of red, green, and white swirled fudge, photographed on a red mitten-shaped plate" border="0" data-original-height="2414" data-original-width="3525" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnA1_917cu46LSaxtgYjKCz3wx9j-0AEcRyCWOfc2AoIz2CqpQD1xtBMjGSoEIVZ85rdeD3BueZhIDQ7aogzZW-KiggS5NGVCcE-vb9IZ5qp85sbHaibpe3eBBk9U3kKCv-AnSabVJUWni-HPZHfxMTDEib83dRn3DS6RcXS3h-xWMKeBz9hNNE8ZoiEx/w400-h274/ChristmasFudge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Merry Christmas! When I started making fudge, one of the recipes that I got a request for was Christmas swirl fudge. I had my dad’s binder of recipes and I found that recipe. I recall this fudge: it’s a white fudge with a red and green swirl. I looked online for the same recipe, and I was unable to find one that used the same ingredients. The recipe I was using called for 8 cups of white chocolate chips, which is a lot, and as I said previously, are difficult to work with.<br /><br />I made that fudge, but I never was able to get the chips to melt completely. This is an issue that I have with white chips, and if they get too hot then it seizes into a giant lump. I kept going, even though my red and green was more pink and light green, and it had also seized for the most part. I thought it looked waxy/oily and wasn’t too happy.<br /><br />I decided to try a different recipe, with fewer ingredients (3 cups of white chips) and it made a smaller batch. This one worked out much better, although it was still difficult to get the green mixture completely melted. I’m much more pleased with this recipe, but this fudge is quite thin. That’s ok, since at least this version turned out!<br /><br /><b>Christmas Swirl Fudge</b><br />3 cups white chocolate chips <br />14 oz sweetened condensed milk <br />1/2 teaspoon red gel food coloring<br />1/2 teaspoon green gel food coloring<br />1-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract<br /><br />Line a 9” square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.<br /><br />Place 1 cup of white chocolate chips in three separate bowls and add 6 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to each bowl. In one bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon green food coloring. In another bowl add ½ teaspoon red food coloring.<br /><br />Microwave each bowl (separately) for 30 seconds, then stir, and microwave for an additional 15-20 seconds if needed. Repeat with the additional bowls. Once the mixtures are smooth, stir ½ teaspoon peppermint extract into each bowl.<br /><br />Drop the three mixtures randomly into the prepared pan. Once you’ve added all of the mixtures to the pan, swirl the mixture with a thin knife. Refrigerate the fudge until it sets, several hours.<br /><br />Once the mixture is set, lift from the pan and cut into small squares.<br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://lmld.org/christmas-fudge/">Like Mother, Like Daughter</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-13803903776819896602023-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-22T06:00:01.421-08:00 Sticky Toffee Spice Cookies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy9R0rhPLu2JbNKxUUAQD26kcxrpSsO2p-OVURkHoVFY7qjbD9IFTh8muKsluAfKKTml2zFEJ_SeYuVm_K2mhsSd81BLseNuoPMs9Xj3OlMbYEPbQCKJXvQeWysg53JULER_OQWNeA6v0ZhBaODu0ZDYA8H6KJGMrZNim8lYZbZUUqXgBPaKFEp5-5T0s/s3645/StickyToffeeCookies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A row of sticky toffee pudding cookies, spiced cookies with dried fruits and drizzled with white chocolate. Photographed on a white plate with a red and green border." border="0" data-original-height="2433" data-original-width="3645" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy9R0rhPLu2JbNKxUUAQD26kcxrpSsO2p-OVURkHoVFY7qjbD9IFTh8muKsluAfKKTml2zFEJ_SeYuVm_K2mhsSd81BLseNuoPMs9Xj3OlMbYEPbQCKJXvQeWysg53JULER_OQWNeA6v0ZhBaODu0ZDYA8H6KJGMrZNim8lYZbZUUqXgBPaKFEp5-5T0s/w400-h268/StickyToffeeCookies.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Sticky Toffee Pudding is a classic British dessert, but I suppose this time of year it is more common to have a Christmas pudding with a festive meal. I like both, but honestly, you can’t eat too much Christmas pudding as it is so rich. One time when my husband and I were in England we went to <a href="https://www.bettys.co.uk/">Betty’s Tearoom</a> and got a Christmas pudding. It was absolutely wonderful, and it is traditional to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_pudding#Wishing_and_other_traditions">light it afire</a>. Nothing says Christmas like lighting something on fire!<br /><br />I love Sticky Toffee Pudding just as much, although it uses dates rather than a mixture of dried fruits. I did have chopped dates (because you certainly don’t want to cut dates yourself!) but I had the mix of dried fruits used for fruitcake right on the counter, so I used that. The fruitcake blend has a lot of dates, so I figured I would be good. This recipe is flexible so you can use what is available to you.<br /><br />I also changed the spices somewhat. I don’t like cardamon, so I used ginger instead. I also used Chinese Five-Spice in place of garam masala. Again, use what you like! I ended up making a double batch of these, about 60 cookies, so my husband could take some to a lunch gathering at work. These cookies are SO GOOD! They do taste like the holidays, and they were good with the mixed dried fruit. I’m glad there were a lot of these left, as they are tasty and you just keep eating them. <br /><b><br />Sticky Toffee Spice Cookies</b><br />1/4 cup rolled oats<br />1 1/4 cups flour<br />3/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />1/2 teaspoon ginger<br />1/2 teaspoon cloves<br />1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five-Spice<br />1/2 cup butter, room temperature<br />1/4 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup packed brown sugar<br />1 egg<br />2 tablespoons molasses<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />1 cup chopped pecans<br />1/2 cup toffee bits<br />1/2 cup caramel bits <br />1/2 cup chopped dates (or dried fruit)<br /><br />1/2 cup white chips<br />1 teaspoon shortening<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats. <br /><br />Place the oats into a food processor and finely grind the oats. Combine the oats in a medium bowl with the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and the Chinese Five-Spice. <br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium until light. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and stir until blended, about one minute. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the oat/flour mixture. Fold in the pecans, toffee bits, caramel bits, and dates with a spatula. <br /><br />Shape the dough into 1-1/2” balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. <br /><br />Bake for 12-14 minutes, until beginning to brown along the edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.<br /><br />Once the cookies are cool, make the drizzle: in a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the white chips and shortening. Melt in the microwave, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cookies. <br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://goboldwithbutter.com/recipes/sticky-toffee-yuletide-spiced-cookies">Go Bold with Butter</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-87179282938554337932023-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-20T06:00:00.133-08:00Penuche Fudge<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJx_pTwKKE-aTL44mTiVOORJxlvYne3VyKZUvlXOtsn_0Lq-H1CZlEXFCVzuFZL6FmEBzVLA9mAWkPePLc5g7OCT5f8sM1k0xC5-dvUO_So2skDSwsflVJ6tQ2k_QP-mPkpjtK5GATnrleC9j4YhOlATpxVOMLJEWQbNu9oGOOH9E-W2he0E09gmAcES6p/s3403/PenucheFudge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three pieces of brown sugar/penuche fudge, photographed on a blue snowflake plate." border="0" data-original-height="2623" data-original-width="3403" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJx_pTwKKE-aTL44mTiVOORJxlvYne3VyKZUvlXOtsn_0Lq-H1CZlEXFCVzuFZL6FmEBzVLA9mAWkPePLc5g7OCT5f8sM1k0xC5-dvUO_So2skDSwsflVJ6tQ2k_QP-mPkpjtK5GATnrleC9j4YhOlATpxVOMLJEWQbNu9oGOOH9E-W2he0E09gmAcES6p/w400-h309/PenucheFudge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I had planned to make six different varieties of fudge this year, but as I made recipes, and talked to people, I kept adding ideas of recipes that I wanted to make. One that was particularly interesting was brown sugar or penuche fudge. It seemed a lot different that other recipes I made, and the recipes seemed really interesting. I decided I would try this recipe for penuche, a new experience for me!<br /><br />There are many different recipes online, but I chose this one from Taste of Home. While Taste of Home recipes aren’t terrible extravagant, they do usually work well, and that was what I needed. This fudge is made on the stove with a candy thermometer, but I have done that before, so I wasn’t worried. Once the mixture reaches the temperature, you take it off the heat, add a few ingredients, and let it cool to 110 degrees. This does take some time but leaves it so you can do other things.<br /><br />I beat the mixture for what seemed like a long time, but I wasn’t sure how thick the fudge should get. It didn’t lose its sheen, after a long time, so I put it in the mixer on low for a bit. I’m not sure if this helped or not, but it seemed to set once I refrigerated the fudge. The fudge is a little soft, but the flavor is great. The brown sugar flavor is very pronounced and the fudge is sweet, but the flavor is fantastic.<br /><b><br />Penuche Fudge</b><br />2 cups packed brown sugar<br />1 cup sugar<br />3/4 cup milk<br />2 tablespoons light corn syrup<br />1/8 teaspoon salt<br />1/4 cup butter, diced<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />1 cup chopped pecans<br /><br />Line a 9” pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray.<br /><br />In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, sugar, milk, corn syrup, and salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees. Remove from the heat and top with the butter and vanilla. Do not stir.<br /><br />Allow the mixture to cool, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 110 degrees. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken. Add the pecans and continue beating until the mixture is very thick and starts to lose its sheen. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate until set.<br /><br />Once set, lift the foil from the pan and cut into small squares.<br /><br />Recipe from Jhana Seidler via <a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/penuche-fudge">Taste of Home</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-65070914292647783232023-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-18T06:00:00.144-08:00Peppermint Bark Fudge<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLatLenp5iCh6Lblfpuvg7iL8DfOuLKXC4b1XThyphenhyphenkzQiR__ENKqQ8tn1TksIy3kdbyrK7gzgzguXNeMumQS5F-DEPwPZBAzUkTJUoU2RkR-XwKnybqmrk1qc1UoFSeGXqqmZWtLCNjTeC7uerBu68x2TaDm1IVpctlEqzVBVqICKv10ASrnfDwHTVT-9SS/s3549/BarkFudge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three pieces of Peppermint Bark Fudge: a dark chocolate bottom layer topped with a white peppermint layer. Photographed on a red plate." border="0" data-original-height="2211" data-original-width="3549" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLatLenp5iCh6Lblfpuvg7iL8DfOuLKXC4b1XThyphenhyphenkzQiR__ENKqQ8tn1TksIy3kdbyrK7gzgzguXNeMumQS5F-DEPwPZBAzUkTJUoU2RkR-XwKnybqmrk1qc1UoFSeGXqqmZWtLCNjTeC7uerBu68x2TaDm1IVpctlEqzVBVqICKv10ASrnfDwHTVT-9SS/w400-h249/BarkFudge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I came across this fudge recipe and I thought it sounded great. I had made another fudge flavored with mint, but that was Irish Cream fudge, and this peppermint bark fudge seemed a lot different. It is a two-toned fudge, but reading through the recipe it seemed quite straightforward, so I figured I would give it a try.<br /><br />You divide a can of sweetened condensed milk in two and make a dark chocolate layer and a white/peppermint layer. Dividing the condensed milk into equal halves isn’t the easiest, even with my handy kitchen scale. I almost divided it evenly but used the (slightly) smaller quantity for the white/peppermint topping. The dark chocolate layer came together easily, although it was difficult to spread evenly in the 8” pan. It felt like I needed more of the chocolate layer.<br /><br />Working with white chocolate chips is always an adventure, and that was true in this case! You don’t want the chocolate to get too hot and seize, but you also want the white chips to melt completely. I did a lot of microwaving, waiting, stirring, and more microwaving, until I was satisfied. I never microwaved the white chocolate mixture for more than 20 seconds, but it still seemed to take a while. I think I will double this recipe in the future and make it in a slightly larger pan. The fudge is great, but a little thinner than I would prefer.<br /><br /><b>Peppermint Bark Fudge</b><br />14 ounces sweetened condensed milk <br />1 cup dark chocolate chips <br />1 cup white chocolate chips <br />½ teaspoon vanilla <br />¼ teaspoon peppermint extract <br />¼ cup crushed peppermints<br />Additional crushed peppermints<br /><br />Line an 8” square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray.<br /><br />Divide the sweetened condensed milk equally between two microwaveable bowls. Add the dark chocolate chips to one and the white chips to the other. <br /><br />Microwave the bowl with dark chocolate chips in 30 second increments, stirring frequently, the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla and spread evenly in the prepared pan.<br /><br />Microwave the bowl with white chips in 15-20 second intervals, allowing the mixture to rest and stirring after resting. Stir in the peppermint extract and ¼ cup crushed peppermint. Spread evenly over the chocolate layer. Sprinkle with additional crushed peppermints. <br /><br />Refrigerate until firm. Lift the fudge from the pan by the foil and then cut into squares. <br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://sugarspunrun.com/peppermint-bark-fudge/">Sugar Spun Run</a><br /><br /><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-11565055623200775112023-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-15T06:00:00.140-08:00 Gingerbread Snowballs<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUz4wMb69g57DROekSEZOIPuyaLd_3jEIE6eUEV4lBzMkZpC2wOQSvoDCu-TpHHd_NhjhiJQ0XQ1TYqK7Z2l-X7GsFB5TCGgiVV-gpLjNH_AiJReeQCE9Vfg51pjVt-MWGTmfEn29lBreOMXJAQ9UHA3hABY9qRBVLLk2rZI1weMU9KcwT0WXBPY_I343/s3325/GingerSnowballs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A tower or round gingerbread snowballs, covered in powdered sugar." border="0" data-original-height="2437" data-original-width="3325" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUz4wMb69g57DROekSEZOIPuyaLd_3jEIE6eUEV4lBzMkZpC2wOQSvoDCu-TpHHd_NhjhiJQ0XQ1TYqK7Z2l-X7GsFB5TCGgiVV-gpLjNH_AiJReeQCE9Vfg51pjVt-MWGTmfEn29lBreOMXJAQ9UHA3hABY9qRBVLLk2rZI1weMU9KcwT0WXBPY_I343/w400-h294/GingerSnowballs.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I have made a couple of different recipes that are similar to this, that are reminiscent of a Russia Teacake or Mexican Wedding Cake. It is a butter cookie rolled in powdered sugar, and you can change up the flavors in any way that you want. I have used different fruits, nuts, and I even made a brown sugar spice variety. This one is gingerbread flavor- which is consistently excellent.<br /><br />One of the hallmarks of these cookies is that they melt in your mouth. To ensure that’s the case, this cookie, like most that are similar, uses powdered sugar as the sweetener. They don’t have much sugar in them, but since the final cookie is rolled in powdered sugar, they are not lacking any sweetness. They also don’t contain any leavening, so this is one recipe that you can put the cookies closer together on the baking sheet.<br /><br />Since these cookies are small, this recipe makes about three dozen. I love the combination of spices, but I would likely add more ginger, since I am such a fan! I was happy that rolling them in powdered sugar while they were warm covered the cookies completely, which isn’t always the case. These do melt in your mouth, and I know that gingerbread doesn’t usually have nuts, but I keep thinking that these need some nuts to be proper. Maybe next time!<br /><br /><b>Gingerbread Snowballs</b><br />1 cup butter, room temperature<br />½ cup powdered sugar<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />1 teaspoon ginger<br />½ teaspoon nutmeg<br />¼ teaspoon allspice<br />¼ teaspoon cloves<br />1 tablespoon molasses<br />2 ¼ cups flour<br />Powdered sugar<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats. <br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter until light. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and molasses and stir until smooth. Add the flour and mix until the dough comes together, which may take a few minutes. <br /><br />Shape the dough into 1-1/4” balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets.<br /><br />Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are set and begin to brown on the bottom. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes and then immediately roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely on a wire rack. Once cookies are cool, reroll the cookies in powdered sugar if desired.<br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.crazyforcrust.com/gingerbread-snowballs/">Crazy for Crust</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-15204346276315325482023-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-13T06:00:00.140-08:00 Chocolate Pecan “Fantasy” Fudge<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvdQHCLjw2EjwTzLlPZJxTr963p5cmJ2qjamhl4NoBLvmA8UYpH431-FpRqT2OvsAKoKgcRTyUbePCUg0GSBzLCUP_AbJY3hG0ZXl9UDaZ_vJUVcYy9P41QQ4gtYkskJg5Pmv6Q7I_ycmUsdjOgojAQ3Zb1q5aFOE2_fgJZ3aL70iAwEOsNOFXC_uYBSb/s2905/FantasyFudge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three pieces of classic chocolate pecan fudge, photographed on a blonde wood mat." border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="2905" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvdQHCLjw2EjwTzLlPZJxTr963p5cmJ2qjamhl4NoBLvmA8UYpH431-FpRqT2OvsAKoKgcRTyUbePCUg0GSBzLCUP_AbJY3hG0ZXl9UDaZ_vJUVcYy9P41QQ4gtYkskJg5Pmv6Q7I_ycmUsdjOgojAQ3Zb1q5aFOE2_fgJZ3aL70iAwEOsNOFXC_uYBSb/w400-h338/FantasyFudge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />This is the original fudge that my Dad first started making years ago. I knew that this year when I started making fudge, this was one recipe that I was certainly going to make. Let’s be honest, I will likely ALWAYS make this recipe, and that’s ok because it is a wonderful classic. There are many versions of this recipe out there, but I chose to make this one from <a href="https://iambaker.net/">I am Baker</a>. I think Dad used a slightly different recipe, but this is close to the many recipes he had.<br /><br />There are some variations even within this one recipe! The first question is the size of pan, and I opted to make a thicker fudge in a 9” square pan. You can also make this in a 9” x 13” pan, but I think that would be really skinny fudge, and that doesn’t feel right! You can use walnuts or other nuts, and I always use pecans. This recipe called for mini marshmallows, or marshmallow fluff, and I used fluff. There is a long dialog on the Internet about marshmallow fluff vs. marshmallow crème, and I used marshmallow fluff, in the straight sided container from Fred Meyer.<br /><br />Of the fudge recipes I have made, this one is slightly more involved in that you need to use a candy thermometer. I purchased a nice thermometer last year and it makes everything so easy. I was worried about the temperature coming from the pan base, right on the flame, but this one sits off of the pan and I love that. While more complex, this is still quite simple, and the biggest challenge is lots of stirring to get everything together. This fudge is really great, but it’s not Dad’s fudge and I sure miss him!<br /><br /><b>Chocolate Pecan “Fantasy” Fudge</b><br />¾ cups butter<br />3 cups granulated sugar<br />⅔ cup evaporated milk<br />2 cups chocolate chips<br />7-ounce jar of marshmallow fluff<br />1 cup pecans, chopped<br />1 teaspoon vanilla <br /><br />Line a 9" square or 9” x 13” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.<br /><br />In a large saucepan, mix the butter, sugar, and evaporated milk. Heat on medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue heating until the mixture registered 234 degrees on a candy thermometer. <br /><br />Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Add the marshmallow fluff, pecans, and vanilla and stir until combined. Spread the fudge evenly into the prepared pan. Refrigerate until set. <br /><br />Lift the fudge from the pan by the foil and then cut into squares. <br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://iambaker.net/fantasy-fudge/#wprm-recipe-container-88005">I Am Baker</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-48925983034594251992023-12-11T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-11T13:47:41.958-08:00Salted Nut Bar Fudge<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GRZ_V8N4OjabFsYdF8xtVA06Yr53Too7UEk1-aGNz_H77M4DdpU6YtGhsNu4YOwxF3S-7X_L2YO8Hlr81yFHdC0TTO5ckD6Fo5Ck6Y6tq2dAzcdvK5ODJAUuVXFXMLK_P-DlQUNnlOHB8oAhww7HlGhtrFm4CsAX20yGL0_HTzXtVMNVelqKO2ZFo2Wy/s3565/NutBarFudge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three pieces of peanut butter-flavored salted nut bar fudge, topped with peanuts. Photographed on a wreath plate with a snowman in the center." border="0" data-original-height="2601" data-original-width="3565" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GRZ_V8N4OjabFsYdF8xtVA06Yr53Too7UEk1-aGNz_H77M4DdpU6YtGhsNu4YOwxF3S-7X_L2YO8Hlr81yFHdC0TTO5ckD6Fo5Ck6Y6tq2dAzcdvK5ODJAUuVXFXMLK_P-DlQUNnlOHB8oAhww7HlGhtrFm4CsAX20yGL0_HTzXtVMNVelqKO2ZFo2Wy/w400-h291/NutBarFudge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Ages ago, when my husband and I were on a holiday, we decided to visit the local candy/fudge/ice cream shop. This is not an unusual thing for us to do! Nothing says it’s a holiday like having a treat, even if the weather isn’t so cooperative. Since I live in Washington, I am used to all sorts of rainy weather most of the year. It’s been long enough that I don’t remember what the weather was like, but I do recall that the shop had salted nut bar fudge, and it was fantastic.<br /><br />When I knew that I would be making fudge this year, I knew that I wanted to find a recipe that replicated the salted nut bar fudge when I was on holiday. I found a few recipes, and many of them called these items salted nut bar candy bars, but when you look at the ingredients, there is no question that this is fudge. I gathered the ingredients and went to work. <br /><br />This recipe is made in an 11” x 7” pan, but you can certainly use a 9” square pan if that’s what you have available. You put half the peanuts in the base of the pan, make the peanut butter fudge, and then top with additional peanuts. The ones on the top don’t stick quite as well, but I did my best to press them in to stick. This fudge smells divine when you make it, which is not at all surprising with peanut butter chips, sweetened condensed milk, and marshmallows! This fudge is pretty sticky, but I think it truly captures the flavor of the salted nut bar!<br /><b><br />Salted Nut Bar Fudge</b><br />3 cups roasted salted peanuts<br />2 1/2 tablespoons butter<br />2 cups peanut butter chips<br />2 cups mini marshmallows<br />14 ounces sweetened condensed milk<br /><br />Line an 11” x 7” baking pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray.<br /><br />Spread about half of the peanuts in the base of the prepared pan. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and peanut butter chips over low heat. Once the mixture is smooth, add the mini marshmallows and sweetened condensed milk. Continue to heat on low, stirring frequently, until the marshmallows melt and the mixture is smooth. <br /><br />Pour the peanut butter/marshmallow mixture over the peanuts in the prepared pan. Top with the remaining nuts, pressing the nuts gently into the filling to secure.<br /><br />Refrigerate until set, at least an hour. Lift the fudge from the pan with the foil and then cut into squares.<br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://chocolatechocolateandmore.com/salted-nut-candy-bars/">Chocolate, Chocolate, and More</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-16431871506347425092023-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-08T06:00:00.135-08:00Lemon Cranberry Cookies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykIcSBco05rOeAaeeeRjQWVcVMKK8s5BVT10bLclaZXIkzZI2v7CIA5nt8fm0JarfT1raRBd5XXv08gwgYnL79tUY9ewQuqTDfkvG3opBxjYf9vQaklLkhrslThsYnsmgLYFdYLKBrEuKxjh2q5Phj_Qpdy9D6EtrjKJhwFvbAJ0TU6_9ap13v5TzGm4Y/s3528/LemonCran.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cookies topped with a lemon glaze and a single cranberry. Photographed on a red mitten-shaped plate." border="0" data-original-height="2657" data-original-width="3528" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykIcSBco05rOeAaeeeRjQWVcVMKK8s5BVT10bLclaZXIkzZI2v7CIA5nt8fm0JarfT1raRBd5XXv08gwgYnL79tUY9ewQuqTDfkvG3opBxjYf9vQaklLkhrslThsYnsmgLYFdYLKBrEuKxjh2q5Phj_Qpdy9D6EtrjKJhwFvbAJ0TU6_9ap13v5TzGm4Y/w400-h301/LemonCran.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />So often, cookies this time of year are hearty and full of chocolate. When I choose recipes, I try to mix up the types of cookies I make. Cookies containing cranberries are perfect this time of year, so I try not to forget to include something with either fresh or dried cranberries. This is a lovely recipe, fruity and refreshing with the combination of lemon and cranberry.<br /><br />I was reading through the recipe, and it calls for one single cranberry per cookie, so that told me that these cookies are petite. The original recipe called for fresh cranberries, but I had cranberries I had frozen on hand, and I figured those would work. Although the cranberry color seeped out in a couple of cookies, the frozen berries worked well.<br /><br />These cookies are small, but they really pack a punch! The lemon glaze, which is simply powdered sugar and lemon juice, is tart and pairs perfectly with the tart cranberry. The cookie itself is similar to shortbread, rich and slightly crumbly. These cookies are wonderful for the holidays, especially if you are wanting something slightly different!<br /><br /><b>Lemon Cranberry Cookies</b><br />2/3 cup sugar<br />Zest of one lemon<br />1 cup butter, room temperature<br />2 egg yolks<br />1 teaspoon vanilla <br />2 1/3 cups flour<br />Sanding sugar<br />Fresh cranberries<br /><br />1 1/2 cups powdered sugar<br />2-4 teaspoons lemon juice<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, bear the sugar and lemon zest on medium to make lemon sugar. The sugar will be fragrant and pale yellow. Add the butter and beat on medium until light. Stir in the egg yolks and vanilla. <br />With the mixer running on low, stir in the flour.<br /><br />Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sanding sugar. Push a cranberry into the top of each cookie.<br /><br />Bake for 10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. <br /><br />Once the cookies are cool, make the glaze: in a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and two teaspoons lemon juice to make a glaze. Add additional lemon juice if needed to thin the glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies. <br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.lordbyronskitchen.com/lemon-cranberry-cookies/">Lord Byron’s Kitchen</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-33403314226376127112023-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-06T06:00:00.133-08:00Pina Colada Fudge <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZrluUmscuJphsA1vIE6yjsL7KJIDBuURUVoJOb4IWFulcIoKD9SuBpvLcD2aXBcPgCWoevUrdrrLsZTrLsxAZc1eIa6vsgN4hjJhnIerIF1DRrd9IJ4duWesXzpMCrL6Jk_DmtqBdJ4vHDzC1xZntSwgmZN0-QevtoXMHR_ib6jKl4rj6J7_dL4il2Iq/s3553/PinacoladaFudge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three pieces of pina colada fudge, a white fudge flavored with pineapple, cocnut, and rum. Photographed on a holly-shaped plate." border="0" data-original-height="2643" data-original-width="3553" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZrluUmscuJphsA1vIE6yjsL7KJIDBuURUVoJOb4IWFulcIoKD9SuBpvLcD2aXBcPgCWoevUrdrrLsZTrLsxAZc1eIa6vsgN4hjJhnIerIF1DRrd9IJ4duWesXzpMCrL6Jk_DmtqBdJ4vHDzC1xZntSwgmZN0-QevtoXMHR_ib6jKl4rj6J7_dL4il2Iq/w400-h297/PinacoladaFudge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />One of my favorites of all the different types of fudge that my dad used to make was his pina colada fudge. I didn’t really know a lot about fudge, although I do recall the fantastic flavors. I also remember that you can only have a small amount of this fudge as it is so sweet. I found his recipe for this fudge and knew I needed to make it.<br /><br />This recipe comes from a Pillsbury Bake Off, which tells you a bit about the ingredients. When the competition began in the late 1940s, people used standard ingredients such as flour and sugar. Since this recipe is from the 2002 contest, the requirements are different. Typically, recipes need to include one or two premade or specialty ingredients. This recipe uses Pillsbury vanilla frosting, which is unusual in fudge but explains why this fudge is so sweet. <br /><br />I do use slightly different recipes from my dad, and I could tell the difference. I use desiccated coconut, which is smaller cut and less sweet than American-style coconut. I also wasn’t sure about the dried pineapple, as what I found was slightly darkened due to the drying process. In the end, the fudge looked as expected, so the pineapple I used was fine. The coconut, since it is a smaller cut, is very prevalent. I like this since I love coconut so much. This tastes a lot like Dad’s, but slightly different. And yes, it is still very sweet.<br /><b><br />Pina Colada Fudge </b><br />2 cups white chips <br />3.25 ounces chopped macadamia nuts, toasted<br />16 ounce can Pillsbury vanilla frosting <br />1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple <br />1/2 cup toasted coconut <br />1 teaspoon rum extract <br />1 teaspoon coconut extract <br /><br />Line a 9” square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.<br /><br />Place the white chips in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring frequently, until the chips are melted and smooth.<br /><br />Reserve ¼ cup of chopped macadamia nuts. Fold in the remaining macadamias, vanilla frosting, dried pineapple, coconut, rum and coconut extracts. Mix until thoroughly combined and then spread in the prepared pan. Top with the ¼ cup reserved macadamia nuts. <br /><br />Refrigerate until firm, at least an hour, before cutting into small squares.<br /><br />Recipe from Michelle Grosella, BakeOff 2002 via <a href="https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/pina-colada-fudge/8e5f172e-dc5f-4653-94b2-290830addc99">Pillsbury</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-68940672884233370902023-12-04T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-04T06:00:00.491-08:00 Irish Cream Fudge<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwsz1DioGYJ51lmLkNiyWR2PV9Tc8LD5J81ZcT_8FPHVHD0IPof0JdoIOkCwseqjaRp6f3Jmiymb97c58heJZykCp0NdDYi7x5n7ZxxRKblfXGQ6HuNmrJOchbs_lU1zk81VQ3iIZ7gqEPCJqmS1W8DNstcN6WIaaonFvfbKQHls6w3ZUEkBWGVHOyo3f/s2815/IrishCreamFudge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I piece of Chocolate Irish Cream Fudge, topped with Andes mint chips. Photographed on a white plate with a small Christmas tree." border="0" data-original-height="2530" data-original-width="2815" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwsz1DioGYJ51lmLkNiyWR2PV9Tc8LD5J81ZcT_8FPHVHD0IPof0JdoIOkCwseqjaRp6f3Jmiymb97c58heJZykCp0NdDYi7x5n7ZxxRKblfXGQ6HuNmrJOchbs_lU1zk81VQ3iIZ7gqEPCJqmS1W8DNstcN6WIaaonFvfbKQHls6w3ZUEkBWGVHOyo3f/w400-h360/IrishCreamFudge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />This holiday season is a little bit different, and that is true in many different ways. I got my love of baking from my father, but in the last few years he turned to making fudge and molded chocolates. My father passed away earlier in the fall, and with him went all of the wonderful items he created. Like father like daughter, I suppose, and I have now been deemed the family fudge maker. I am just starting with fudge at this point.<br /><br />I have chosen six different fudge recipes to make, a combination of recipes that he made and some that are new. I am sure that Dad made some sort of fudge that was minty, and likely something with Irish Cream Liqueur. This is a new recipe and not one that he had made, at least as far as I know. I am pretty much a fudge novice, so this was a perfect recipe to start with. This is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made, and the results were fantastic.<br /><br />This recipe entails melting chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in the microwave, then adding the other ingredients and refrigerating the fudge until it sets. While not all recipes are so simple, fudge seems to be friendly to make. This fudge is so smooth that I almost couldn’t believe it. The mint flavor is there, but it isn’t super strong. The Andes chips do tend to fall off the fudge pieces, but that’s a small concern. I miss you Dad, but I am happy to carry on his tradition.<br /><br /><b>Irish Cream Fudge</b><br />3 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips <br />1 cup sweetened condensed milk <br />1/4 cup Baileys/Irish Cream Liqueur<br />1 teaspoon vanilla <br />1/2 cup Andes baking chips<br /><br />Line an 8” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.<br /><br />In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave for one minute. Stir the mixture and then microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Add the Irish Cream Liqueur and vanilla and stir until smooth. <br /><br />Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and top with Andes baking chips, pressing down slightly. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate for at least four hours.<br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.simplejoy.com/baileys-fudge/">Simple Joy</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-32897379812064873542023-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-01T07:38:00.016-08:00Gingerbread Brownies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwMqGg4aHYPeBg3zr5mhhHjcc3-PFkvAF-PfQZFbB9jNz2bH03ZPE_EmJNE-ZL4Ez_Yvg2yjPoa_jzVnUws0usNmCgbsvd22g2LLTILt4RxpiMljOfgFa8-rYm74owGD04GxJwDyWZnDNKJKXrSEB9gqY_glhsXUiPNO8oIgT030bMiHkFdtvxqQHozvN/s3205/GingbreadBrownie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A gingerbread figure atop chocolate and spiced brownies" border="0" data-original-height="2522" data-original-width="3205" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwMqGg4aHYPeBg3zr5mhhHjcc3-PFkvAF-PfQZFbB9jNz2bH03ZPE_EmJNE-ZL4Ez_Yvg2yjPoa_jzVnUws0usNmCgbsvd22g2LLTILt4RxpiMljOfgFa8-rYm74owGD04GxJwDyWZnDNKJKXrSEB9gqY_glhsXUiPNO8oIgT030bMiHkFdtvxqQHozvN/w400-h315/GingbreadBrownie.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Nothing says the holidays like gingerbread figures! I was looking at a couple of gingerbread brownies from this site, although I guess one was gingerbread rocky road. I like this one as it is a spiced brownie then topped with gingerbread cookies, gingerbread crumbs, and chocolate. As you will note, the recipe gives the quantities in weight measurements, which I find to be a lot easier and is generally more precise. This is a British recipe, and since I use a lot of British cookbooks and blogs, I have learned to love weight measurements!<br /><br />The challenge I had for these cookies was finding the gingerbread cookies for the top. I envisioned a bag of small gingerbread people, but all I could find was Walker’s Shortbread Gingerbread. Don’t get me wrong, they are excellent, but they are a little bit big and there were only 8 in the package. I used two for crumbs, 5 to top the brownies, and one for the baker. Perhaps smaller cookies come out closer to the actual holiday?<br /><br />This makes a fairly thick brownie, which is ok, but I did find I needed to bake mine longer than I had initially expected. I melted the chocolate for the topping, and it started to seize, which was frustrating, so I ended up piping that on rather than drizzling. The cookies are quite large, which was tricky. I photographed the brownies as a whole, as they looked quite strange once cut. None the less, these a lovely moist brownies with a balance of chocolate and spice flavors!<br /><br /><b>Gingerbread Brownies</b><br />200 grams butter<br />200 grams dark chocolate<br />3 eggs<br />275 grams brown sugar<br />90 grams flour<br />35 grams cocoa powder<br />3 teaspoons ginger<br />2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />1/2 teaspoon nutmeg<br />250 grams chocolate chips <br /><br />Gingerbread Cookies<br />Melted Chocolate<br /><br />Heat the oven to 355 degrees. Line a 9” square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.<br /><br />Place the butter and dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, combine the eggs and brown sugar. Whisk for several minutes, until the mixture doubles in size and becomes pale. Whisk until the mixture is similar to a mousse in consistency. Fold in the melted chocolate mixture, then the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread in the prepared baking pan.<br /><br />Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the brownies comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan.<br /><br />Once cool, drizzle with melted chocolate and top with gingerbread cookies. Cut into squares.<br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.janespatisserie.com/2019/11/16/gingerbread-brownies/">Jane’s Patisserie</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-53269072097297786092023-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:002023-11-29T06:00:00.149-08:00Rum Nut Thumbprints<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcCgDnZGzzm2eZTZsqwSK4Y1FTC6yWK8MExmbNKTAb7_anjZ8Yjzm-v7uenyFznigU8OhVksGUzPP0U2hy_h_N9KnZoWu5EmQ-IFPjsjRgJIaCOLbUhLTj2lWNJDruTQ5hy4OgXlp21L89fRRkcsU-AlT-h_OYllIeb9atmKu2u-CtUi0nEzqeeRva_wJ/s3628/RumNutThumb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two nut-covered thumbprint cookies topped with a star of rum filling. Photographed on a plate with a vintage reindeer." border="0" data-original-height="2230" data-original-width="3628" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcCgDnZGzzm2eZTZsqwSK4Y1FTC6yWK8MExmbNKTAb7_anjZ8Yjzm-v7uenyFznigU8OhVksGUzPP0U2hy_h_N9KnZoWu5EmQ-IFPjsjRgJIaCOLbUhLTj2lWNJDruTQ5hy4OgXlp21L89fRRkcsU-AlT-h_OYllIeb9atmKu2u-CtUi0nEzqeeRva_wJ/w400-h246/RumNutThumb.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />It’s time for holiday baking! Over the next month or so, I have selected 12 different treats to make. This year is a little different, for many reasons, but this year I plan to bake 6 holiday cookies and 6 different types of fudge! I have been declared the fudge maker for the family, and I figured it would be good to share those recipes with everyone.<br /><br />This first recipe is a Rum Nut Thumbprint cookie. It was originally an Eggnog Thumbprint, but it contains rum and virtually no eggnog. I know that anything with rum or rum flavor paired with nutmeg becomes eggnog, but I don’t think that it is quite that simple. I decided to just call them “rum” since that is obviously there. It still isn’t a strong flavor, but that’s ok.<br /><br />This dough does need time in the refrigerator, so don’t skip that step! The cookies still aren’t the easiest to shape because the dough is either sticky or too firm. Rolling any cookie in egg whites is quite a messy prospect, but it does help the nuts stick. I carefully made an impression on the top of the cookie, but then refined the impression when the cookies were done baking. I piped the rum filling since that is quick and easy. This recipe made about two dozen cookies, less than expected, but that was ok. The combination of rum, nuts, and the filling all come together to make a lovely cookie!<br /><br /><b>Rum Nut Thumbprints</b><br />¾ cup butter, softened<br />½ cup sugar<br />⅛ teaspoon nutmeg<br />2 egg yolks<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />1 ½ cup flour<br />2 egg whites, beaten<br />1 ½ cup finely chopped nuts<br /><br />¼ cup butter, softened<br />1 cup powdered sugar<br />1 teaspoon rum <br />1-3 teaspoons milk/eggnog<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and nutmeg on medium until light. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix on medium to combine. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour. You may need to mix the last bit of flour by hand. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.<br /><br />Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.<br /><br />Place the whipped egg whites in one bowl and the chopped nuts in another. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, roll in the egg white and then the chopped nuts. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Make an indentation in the top of each cookie with your thumb or similar tool.<br /><br />Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned. If needed, reshape the indentation in the top of each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.<br /><br />Once the cookies are cool, make the rum filling: in a mixer bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar together on medium. Beat in the rum and 1 teaspoon milk, adding more milk until the filling is of a spreadable consistency. Spoon or pipe the rum filling into the indentation of each cookie.<br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.bhg.com/recipe/eggnog-nut-thumbprints-1">Better Homes & Gardens</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946857763413139060.post-63343471815478202602023-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:002023-11-24T06:00:00.137-08:00Chocolate Cookies with Cream Cheese Chips<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDOWF_qNK_DiaXbghYkkcMW2d8ZAub3jOqa1np7KYjRRwFLugo9MqsOsBmcT0tG1IgKONSiTlt8O0HyZVcTd842MwYht4udxWkrlDq0M9F9gDTvyPAZKaOPgK729qVzB81fZNwd7EWnK3attnK0BBL544vobUVnyIU-B99tM5sjHejHpkOMbmxbbsA8Ou/s3227/ChocCreamCheese.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chocolate cookie with white cream cheese chips. Photographed on a teal blue plate with etched leaves" border="0" data-original-height="2635" data-original-width="3227" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDOWF_qNK_DiaXbghYkkcMW2d8ZAub3jOqa1np7KYjRRwFLugo9MqsOsBmcT0tG1IgKONSiTlt8O0HyZVcTd842MwYht4udxWkrlDq0M9F9gDTvyPAZKaOPgK729qVzB81fZNwd7EWnK3attnK0BBL544vobUVnyIU-B99tM5sjHejHpkOMbmxbbsA8Ou/w400-h326/ChocCreamCheese.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />In trying to use the cream cheese chips that I have in the cupboard before all the holiday craziness begins, I decided to use the last of the chips in these chocolate cookies. They were originally called inside out chocolate chip cookies, as they are a chocolate cookie with white/cream cheese chips rather than a blonde cookie with chocolate chips, but I thought that didn’t really describe these cookies very well. I simply called them chocolate cookies with cream cheese chips. Yes, white chips were originally called for in the recipe and of course would be great.<br /><br />These cookies aren’t difficult, but they do take a little extra time since you must chill the dough. As with almost any chocolate cookie, the dough is very sticky and chilling helps reduce some of that stickiness. They were still a little tricky to roll into balls, and I had to wash my hands a lot. That’s good hygiene anyway, right? It never hurts to be a neat baker (and I am, most of the time).<br /><br />This makes a petite batch of cookies, which is ok since I have so many other things planned for the near future. This made a little more than two dozen. It’s critical that you save some extra chips to top the cookies when they come out of the oven. I only topped half of the cookies with extra chips, and they looked great. These taste a lot like a chocolate chip cookie, with a little more chocolate flavor. There is something homey about these cookies that can’t be beat!<br /><b><br />Chocolate Cookies with Cream Cheese Chips</b><br />½ cup butter, room temperature<br />½ cup sugar<br />½ cup packed brown sugar<br />1 egg + 1 yolk<br />1 teaspoon vanilla <br />1 ½ cups flour<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />½ teaspoon baking powder<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />⅓ cup cocoa powder<br />1 cup cream cheese chips<br /><br />In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium until light. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir on medium to incorporate. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Mix on low until the dough begins to form. Finish the mixing with a spatula as you fold in the cream cheese chips.<br /><br />Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. <br /><br />Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.<br /><br />Scoop the dough into 1-1/2” balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.<br /><br />Bake for 10-11 minutes. Once out of the oven, you can press additional chips into the tops of the cookies. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. <br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://alpineella.com/inside-out-chocolate-chip-cookies/">Alpine Ella</a><p></p>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983766793524336826noreply@blogger.com0