Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

So, these cookies remind me of the Pilsbury cookies that you slice and they have holiday shapes in the middle. Do they still make those?

They are very simple to make but for some reason I ran into some issues while combining the red and "white" layers. It just kept stretching while I was adding the sprinkles!

Also, I have no finished product photos...because they disappeared very quickly.

Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

Adapted from The Shine Project

2 1/2 cups APF

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon peppermint extract (Feel free to add a little more - I found this not to be enough)

3 tablespoons milk

Red food coloring (I used Wilton's "Christmas Red")

Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

SPRINKLES!

1. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar together in another large bowl. Add egg, vanilla, milk, and peppermint extract, and beat until incorporated. Gradually add the dry mixture, beating until combined. Remove half of the mixture from the bowl. Add red food coloring, beating until fully combined. You may have to knead the colored dough a bit to get it mixed thoroughly. On a sheet of waxed paper, roll out dough to form a large rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat this step with the other half of uncolored dough with no food coloring.

3. Now very carefully, slide the red dough on top of the white dough and slide the parchment paper out. Trim edges if uneven and patch if necessary. Roll dough into a log, creating a swirl effect.

4. Place a generous amount of sprinkes in a shallow dish and roll the cookie dough log firmly over the sprinkles until they stick and its covered. Wrap tightly with saran wrap and place the dough back in the refrigerator and let chill for 2 hours.

5. Preheat oven to 375° F

6. Slice the dough into 1/2-inch slices and place on a parchment lined sheet tray about 1-inch apart. Bake for 10-15 minutes. 

Holiday Cinnamon Cookies

Ok, so the only reason I can call these "holiday" cookies is because I added some green, red, silver and white sparkly sprinkles :-)

I couldn't help myself.

Holiday Cinnamon Cookies
Adapted from Food.com

Ingredients:
-1 cup sugar
-1/2 cup butter
-1  egg
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1 1/2 cups flour
-1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
-1 tsp. baking powder
-1/4 tsp. salt
-cinnamon and sugar (to roll cookies in)
-fun sprinkles (to roll cookies in)

Baking Steps:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar; beat in vanilla and egg
2. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt, mix together.
3. Cover and refrigerate until hard enough to roll into balls (I waited like 30 minutes, the original recipe says 2 hours...so not necessary for those of you who are as impatient as I am)
4. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar to taste, and add some fun sprinkles.
5. Form dough into small balls and roll around in the sugar/cinnamon/sprinkle combination
6. Place on a cookie sheet (lined with parchment or not, your call)
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 F until the edges are slightly browned

~Jen

Linzer Cookies

Linzer cookies may be my most favorite cookies.

Linzer Cookies
Adapted from Southern Living


1 1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup butter sugar
2 1/2 cups APF
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted (we use almonds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup of your favorite jam (my Mom is a fan of jalapeno...?)
Powdered sugar

1. 1. Preheat over to 325°F.

1. 2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer; gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
2. 3. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended.

1. 4. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Cover and chill 1 hour.
2. 5. Roll each portion to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut with a 3-inch cutter, your choice of shape. Cut centers out of half of cookies with a 1 1/2-inch cutter, shape of your choice. Place all on lightly greased baking sheets.

1. 6. Bake at for 15 minutes; cool on wire racks. Spread solid cookies with jam; sprinkle remaining smaller shapes with powdered sugar. Top each solid cookie with a hollow cookie.

Yum!

Swedish Cream Wafers

So, my Mom has this old leather bound journal that holds recipes she has collected for nearly forty years. She worked as a chef on schooners in her late teens and twenties and then went on to work on an island that was owned by an old money, Maine family, and a lot of the recipes came from these two adventures in her life.

I sat down with it the other day and gave it a good read through. Not only is it filled with recipes but it has some poetry, a few drawings, and lists of groceries. Groceries? Okay, these are not your everyday groceries. These lists were made for the schooners that would go on month plus long excursions. Then on the next page would be a break down of what would be made for every meal.

I do not know how she did it. A ten pound meatloaf? Souffle on a boat? She be crazy.

However, this recipe has been passed down my family for decades. They are melt in your mouth goodness.

Are they super sweet? Yes, but they are bite sized so it is okay.

That is my logic, at least.

Swedish Cream Wafers
Makes a lot


Wafer
1 cup butter
1/3 cup 35% cream
2 cups APF, sifted

Cream
1/4 cup soft butter
3/4 cup confectioners suger, sifted
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
red and green food coloring (or whatever color you want)


1. Combine wafer ingredients and chill overnight (I do this before I go to bed so that I can finish in the morning). 


2. Preheat oven to 325〫F.

3. Roll out dough (1/8 inch thick) and cut with 1 1/2 inch round cutter.

4. Place on wax papered pan and sprinkle with sugar. Prick top with fork. Bake for 7 minutes. Let cool.

5. Combine cream filling ingredients. Split in two so that you can add the coloring.

6. On one wafer, spread on cream, however much you would like, and then place another wafer on top.

It is that simple.

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I have a really bad habit.

Ok, I have a few bad habits but this is the only one that often has DELICIOUS repercussions: baked goodness. You see, I have a tendency to spend way too long in the grocery store. I pick things up. I put things back. I wander around for about an hour. I talk myself out of purchasing things so I have to take another lap. You get the idea. Basically, I look like a crazy person.

That being said, when I buy bananas I think to myself "I LOVE BANANAS"...so I buy the big bushel instead of the little bushel. Then the poor bananas sit on the counter for days and start to turn brown.

Well, this recipe is the cure for all brown bananas.

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Adapted from: The Best Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

-1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup Splenda and 1/4 cup sugar and it still tasted fabulous)

-1/2 cup oil

-2 eggs (I used one egg and two egg whites)

-1 cup mashed ripe bananas

-1/2 cup sour cream (I used the 'light' version)

-1 tsp. vanilla

-1 1/2 cup flour

-1 tsp. baking soda

-1/2 tsp. salt

-Milk Chocolate chips (I honestly never measure...I put them in until it looks right)

-Dash of cinnamon (I added this...I love cinnamon)

1) Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  

2) Grease and flour bottom only of a loaf pan (I used a glass one and this worked perfectly).  

3) In large bowl, beat together sugar and oil.  Add eggs, bananas, sour cream and vanilla; blend well.  

4) Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.  Add flour, baking soda and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.   

5) Pour into prepared pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes (about 40 minutes for smaller loaf pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean.  

6) Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan.  Cool completely.  Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator.

Yes, that is a peter rabbit plate.

-Jen

Snickerdoodles

Want your house to smell like holiday magic? Make these cookies!

These super soft Snickerdoodles are a great start for the holiday baking season. Cinnamon...Nutmeg...These cookies scream "Winter!"

They are also great for the end of finals! Hazaah! 

Snickerdoodle Cookies


Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter


1/2 cup dark brown sugar


1 cup white sugar


3 cups flour


1/4 teaspoon cinnamon


1/4 teaspoon nutmeg


1 teaspoon baking soda


1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs (I put in a flaxseed substitute)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar:

1/4 cup white sugar


1 tablespoon cinnamon


1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. 

2. Gently melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave and let it cool while you mix the dry ingredients. 

3. Stir together the sugars, flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. 

4. Whisk the eggs into the cooled butter and add the vanilla. 

5. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring just until it comes together.

6. In a soup plate or shallow bowl, mix together the white sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Form small 1 1/2-inch balls of dough and roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Place them on an unlined, ungreased (They're super buttery) baking sheet and flatten slightly. 

7. Bake for 7 minutes (May be more. I go for 8-9 minutes) then remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack.

The dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, well-wrapped. It can also be frozen in logs.

Roasted Cherry Dark Chocolate Brownies

One.

Pound.

Of.

Chocolate.

That is all.

But really, these are some of the most delicious brownies I have ever had. They are chocolatey, rich, chocolatey, moist, and...chocolatey.

Note from Jen: Giuliana and I made these over the summer and they are definitely the most delicious brownies we have ever eaten...in fact, I think they only lasted one evening.

Roasted Cherry Dark Chocolate Brownies
Adapted from The Pastry Affair


1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved

2 1/2 cups (1 lb) dark chocolate, chopped in pieces
1/2 cup salted butter
4 eggs (I have yet to find a good egg substitute for brownies)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 450̊̊F.

2. In a small roasting pan, combine the fresh cherries and 1 tablespoon sugar. Roast for 10 minutes, or until the cherries start releasing juices. Remove cherries from baking pan and place in the refrigerator to cool down.

3. Lower oven temperature to 350̊̊F. Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish. 

4. In a double boiler, melt together the dark chocolate and butter until smooth. Remove from heat. (It is okay if you do not have a double boiler - I do not. I use two different sized pots and fill the larger one with water. The amount of water you put in with depend on the sizes of your pots...Be careful not to fill them too much or they will overflow when you are mixing the butter and chocolate!)

Don't do this.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla extract until well blended. Add the melted chocolate and mix until incorporated. Fold in the flour and baking powder. Stir in the cooled, roasted cherries. Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until brownies do not jiggle in the center when the pan is shaken (even when baked completely, a toothpick may not come out clean). Do not overbake! These brownies are best when slightly under-baked. (Jen and I have found that these take nearly 40 minutes to bake - on three different ovens. Be sure to check on it if you are giving it extra time.)

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

I do recommend enjoying them with a glass of wine.

Vegan Apple Bavarian Torte

Sometimes I am hesitant to say that something is vegan because people become immediately turned off.

Get over yourself! Vegan dishes and baked goods are just as delicious! They just have more character. And spices. Mmmm...

I say this as a non-Vegan, just a girl with an egg allergy.

Yes, eggs.

Anyways, this is the optimal time of year to bake with apples! I came across this torte the week of Thanksgiving and I made it for a pot luck. It was fantastic! You know how you are your worst critic when it comes to...well everything? This. Was. Perfect! Do it! Do it now!

Apple Bavarian Torte
Adapted from PETA Recipes


1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. vegan margarine, chilled (or normal butter)
3 apples, peeled, cored, cut in half, and thinly sliced
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup white sugar, chilled
1/4 tsp. plus 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour, chilled (I did not chill my flour...It was fine)
1 8-oz. package nondairy cream cheese (or normal cream cheese)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup sliced almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Oil a 9-inch springform pan. (I found that the side will not stick but the bottom will! Grease that sucker!)

3. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon margarine. Toss the apples with the brown sugar and cinnamon and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain off and reserve the liquid.

4.Cream together 1/2 cup margarine, 1/3 cup white sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and the flour. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the springform pan. Set aside.

5. In a food processor, blend together the nondairy cream cheese, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Pour this mixture over the crust and spread the apples on top. 

6. Bake for 10 minutes. Drizzle with a couple of spoonfuls of the reserved apple liquid, avoiding the edges of the pan, and continue baking for 25 minutes.

7. Sprinkle almonds over the top of the torte. Continue baking until lightly browned. Cool before removing from the pan.

Pretty darn good.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies

Yea, you heard me.

Oatmeal. Chocolate. Butterscotch. Cookies.

I needed to bake tonight. I REALLY needed to bake. Does that ever happen to you?

Well, I am out of granulated sugar and I only had about a cup of chocolate chips and a cup of butterscotch chips...so I asked myself..."what can I do with these?" and BAM. Inspiration.


The original recipe calls for granulated sugar but I just substituted brown and they taste great!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies
Adapted from the Quaker Oatmeal Container
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
-1 stick unsalted butter, softened
-3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp. vanilla
-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
-1/4 tsp. nutmeg (my secret ingredient!)
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
-1 cup of chocolate chips
-1 cup of butterscotch chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
4. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a separate bowl.
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla; mix well.
6. Add oats and chips (or whatever mix-ins you feel like); mix well.
7. Let the dough chill in the fridge for a bit if you'd like.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown!

~Jen

Homemade Bread is Glorious!

You're the best thing since sliced bread. No, really, you are...but you know what's even BETTER than sliced bread?

Homemade Bread.

Those words strike fear into bakers everywhere...but I promise you, this recipe is delicious, easy, and fool-proof! A good friend of mine sent it to me a few weeks ago and promised that I couldn't ruin it...and he was right!

The recipe is in two steps: preparation day & baking day. The hands on time is very short but the dough does have to sit overnight to rise so make sure you plan ahead!

Boule

(makes 4 1lb. loaves)

Ingredients:

-3 cups lukewarm water

-1 1/2 tbsp. granulated yeast (2 packets)

-1 1/2 tbsp. kosher or other coarse salt

-6 1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour

-Cornmeal (for peel) (I didn't have any so I did without and it was fine!)

Equipment:

-2 large  bowls

-1 plate that will cover the large bowl

-Wooden spoon

-Baking sheet (optional)

-Somewhat air-tight container for fridge

-Parchment paper

-Pyrex glass thing (any size will do)

Preparation Day:

1. In large bowl, add yeast and salt to lukewarm water

2. Measure the flour into the other large bowl and then add it all at once to the water mixture, mix with a wooden spoon (don't knead). You can stop when it is uniformly moist.

3. Cover with plate and leave to rise on the counter for at least 2 hours (it won't hurt if it's longer!)

4. Store in a somewhat air-tight container in the fridge over night...I put my shower cap over the bowl...(yes, I own a shower cap..they are so useful!)

Baking Day:

1. Lay out 2ft of parchment paper on the counter and dust with cornmeal (again, I didn't have cornmeal so I dusted with a TINY bit of flour)

2. Cut a grapefruit size piece of dough, form into a bowl and place on the parchment paper

3. Allow to rise for ~40 minutes (though a bit longer is fine, too)

4.  Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees F

5. Dust the loaves liberally with flour and slash the top with either /// or #. The slashes should be 1/4 inch thick. 

6. Add 1 cup of water to the pyrex and put on the shelf beneath the bread

7. Either A. put the parchment on a baking sheet and slide it into the oven above the water, or B. put the parchment directly on the rack itself (I did this and it worked fabulously!)

8. Bake for 30 minutes!

And voila! You now have freshly baked, delicious bread! Eat it with olive oil and dipping herbs and you will be in heaven!

Yes...I sat on the floor in front of the oven and watched it for a while!

Beautiful, crusty boules!

Yummy!

I'm seriously never buying bread again. This stuff is so much better!

~Jen