I found this recipe while browsing about the web looking for cookie recipes and we liked it so much that I decided to post it here so I can find it again (yes, I hate looking for things again!).  That and I wanted to share it with you.

We cut the molasses in half and added applesauce because the molasses I had on hand was rather… um, strong, but I think that was a mistake.  These are already very good as we made them, but they lack that extra molasses punch.  So, keep to the recipe as-is.  It’s very good.   We also skipped the step of chilling them before baking, mainly because I forgot (that and it was closing in on 9pm, and I had kids to get into bed).  Just sharing this to let you know that it’s not an absolutely crucial step.

I did find, however, that I had to knead the dough quite a bit to get it workable for rolling out.  After about the 3rd time being rolled out the dough was nice and smooth, so be prepared to work it a bit before using it.

The final change: I always use powdered sugar in place of flour for rolling out cookies.  It adds a hint of sweetness and doesn’t add any more flour.

We didn’t frost ours, but I think that a cream cheese frosting, a simple powdered sugar glaze, spiced sugar glaze,  or a lemon-powdered sugar glaze would go very well with these.

Gingerbread Angels, Pumpkin leaves & Sugar Cookies

These cookies have the heavenly smell of the holidays and make great ornaments. To make ornaments, use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to form a hole before baking. Use scraps to create three-dimensional designs.  They would also make an interesting stained-glass cookie.

3 dozen (5-inch) cookies

Hands on: 40 minutes

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

6 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 teaspoons ground ginger

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 eggs

1 cup unsulfured molasses

1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Add the eggs, one at a time, and molasses. Add flour mixture; combine on low speed. Divide dough in thirds; wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until crisp but not darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks, then decorate as desired.

Christmas is almost here, and it’s a snow day today to boot – which this week seems to equal a longer Christmas break!  What’s a house full of girls to do?

Bake cookies, of course!

Growing up we had a recipe for a short while that was simply labeled “Susan’s Sugar Cookies.”  However, I can personally attest to the fact that there was nothing simplistic about them.  They were sublime.  What was the secret?  I personally think it may have been the lemon extract, but I can’t guarantee that, as I added it to other recipes with less spectacular results.

I have been searching for that recipe (or one like it) for decades.  You see, we lost the recipe card somewhere along the way, and no one else seemed to have it either.

I think I may have found a worthy substitute today.

These cookies can be called sublime… delicious… moist, thick, wonderful sugar cookies.  With just a hint of lemon, of course

What is their secret?  Well, the hint of lemon helps, but I really think it’s the cream cheese.  It’s not much, but it added a certain tang and moistness that really makes them delish.

And I will now share the recipe with you, because they are just too good to keep to myself.  Seriously.

Lemon Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 2 cups evaporated cane sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• fresh zest of 1 lemon OR 1 tsp lemon extract*
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Cream the butter, sugar and cream cheese in a mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.

Cover the bowl or wrap the dough in logs and chill for at least 3 hours.  Overnight is better.

Preheat oven to 390F.  Roll dough out on a floured surface or a pastry mat.  If you like a crisper cookie, roll it to 1/4 inch thick.  For moister cookies, roll to 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into shapes and place onto a making sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Bake for 5-8 minutes. For more moist cookies, take them out just before they “look done.”  Like as soon as the timer goes off the first time.

Try to restrain yourself and let them cool… or not your choice.

If you feel so inclined, decorate them with icing.  Royal icing is the typical topping, but I think a cream cheese frosting would be a lovely addition.  You know, cream cheese & heavy whipping cream whipped to stiff peaks and smeared all over the top of everything… err, these wonderful cookies.

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*yes, I highly recommend using fresh zest – get yourself a good microplane zester and use it often.  I hated lemon zest until I started using the microplane… and now, all I can say is wow!  The amazing flavor that can be added with zest!  If your zester is fine enough, you will never find yourself chewing the zest in the final product.  Go now & get one!

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No, admittedly I couldn’t restrain myself and had a cookies straight out of the oven.  I had to taste test them warm for you, right?  Of course I did.  And I can tell you from personal experience that they are delicious warm.  I’m sure they are good cold too… I have to go hold the girls back from gobbling them all up before they cool.  Or is that the other way around…

Lightly lemon-y, thick and moist.  Just the way a sugar cookie should be.

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One must give proper credit – that is an unwritten rule, is it not?  Following a series of links in my frantic searching today, I came upon a fabulous site that I will be sure to bookmark and visit often.  I invite you to also visit often, as I think this site is a winner.  Susan over at http://doughmesstic.blogspot.com/ is the author of these delicious cookies.  Thank you!  you have made me a very happy mommy today!

I have had some requests for chocolate that is vegan and good for diabetics.  I’m not sure on the diabetic front, but these use alternatives to sugar, so they just might fit the bill.  And they taste great too!

For those with wheat allergies, I’m sure you can sub in a gluten-free flour and these will work for you too.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup honey, agave nectar or brown rice syrup – I use a combination of the three
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
• 2/3 cups vegan chocolate chips or chunked up chocolate bar
• 1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Put the coconut oil in an 8″x8″ baking pan and put it into the oven while it preheats to melt the coconut oil.

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips).  Make a well in the center and add the applesauce, honey and vanilla.  Stir it all together until just moist.  Pour into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle the chips in a layer over the top.  Swirl in gently with a fork.  Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Serve warm and gooey with Rice Dream or let them cool and serve them room temperature.

If you have brownie lovers like my hubby, this will yield 4 servings.  For normal people, this will give 9 servings.

1- 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.

OR

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth. In a separate chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add to the cream cheese mixture and whip just to combine – about 30 seconds.

Yep, that’s it.

Be careful when whipping the cream that you don’t over whip it and make butter. Starting with a well-chilled metal bowl helps.

If you are planning to pipe it for decorating, chill it for at least 1 hour.

If you want to color it, add the color when the cream is just starting to firm up, or paint stripes of color down the sides of the bag for a fun effect.

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Yes, this is the same frosting from the cinnamon rolls, but it is so buried in that post that people have asked that I post it by itself.  So, here it is!  I also use this just about any time I need a good frosting.

I received an email feed from Smitten Kitchen the other day with something utterly delectable… a photo of food that instantaneously caused your mouth to salivate in anticipation of taking a bite of something that is on the other side of the country. Cruelty, plain and simple.

What was this photograph? Bourbon Peach Hand Pies. Oh. Yes.

Here is my take on the hunger inducing recipe…

For the pastry:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup cream top vanilla yogurt – mixed
1/3 cup ice water

For the filling:
4 cups blackberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. sugar

The rest of this recipe is basically taken from the Smitten Kitchen blog… and I hate stealing someone else’s words!

The 2 differences I made are as follows:

I was a little short on the sour cream, so I substituted some yogurt and cut back on the water. It still worked out to be very tasty!

I was short on peaches… but the blackberry thicket on the hill is full – FULL – of sweet, ripe berries. So, we used those instead. And since they were berries, I cooked them down a bit before putting together the pies.

Other than that, it’s pretty much the same deal. Oh, except for one little thing..

…the glaze

For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup milk

Whisk powdered sugar and tablespoons milk to blend. Make this up to 3 hours ahead.

Set up the cooling racks on top of some aluminum foil to catch the drips. Yes, there will be yummy drips.

When the pies come out of the oven, move them to the cooling racks and drizzle the glaze over them immediately. Cover them well.

Once they have had about 20 minutes to cool, you can enjoy them! Yes, you do need to wait a few minutes so you don’t burn your mouth!

Another great thing – if you just can’t wait – is to eat them with a scoop of ice cream… after all, it is pie!

Enjoy!

I made this for the group on our recent camping trip, and it was a HUGE hit!  It is basically my great-grandmother’s cobbler recipe, but modified for cooking in a dutch oven.  Because of the nature of a dutch oven, you don’t need to prepare the fruit to be like pie filling – saving a pretty large step when using berries!  The heat naturally breaks them down and makes them delicious!

This recipe assumes a few things:

a – you are going to have a campfire, or at least a fire with hot coals
b – you have a 12″ dutch oven

Outside of that, if you have the ingredients, you are all set!

6+ cups fresh blueberries (or fruit of your choice)
2 cups self-rising flour (bisquick works well)
1 cup evaporated cane sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter, very soft – melted even

Begin heating your dutch oven by setting it near the fire (I just set it inside of the fire ring, but away from the flames).  If it’s not well seasoned, toss 1 Tbsp of butter in to melt in the bottom.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, eggs and butter.  Stir until moist.

Dump the fruit into the bottom of the seasoned dutch oven.  Using your fingers or 2 forks, spread out the batter on top of the berries.

Put on the lid, and cook at approx. 350F for about 30-40 minutes.  I use 7-8 coals underneath & 12 coals on the lid.

MAKE SURE you are rotating the oven every 10-15 minutes – the pot clockwise & the lid counter-clockwise.

It’s done when the crust is an even brown.  Scoop out into bowls and enjoy!  If you happen to have ice cream, that truly makes it!

This is a quick, easy recipe that will have you staying away from those little boxes at the store in favor of homemade! Really, it only takes 5 minutes. I will warn you, this is a darker chocolate pudding when made with coconut cream, but even my “I hate dark chocolate” daughter loved it. Secretly I think she says she doesn’t like it dark because I do, and Grandma doesn’t… but that is another story!

Ingredients:

1 can coconut cream*
1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp corn starch

1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the coconut cream and milk on the stove. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. When the milk begins to bubble, remove from the heat and pour some of it into the dry ingredients and mix. Pour everything back into the pan and return to the heat. Stir until everything is dissolved and add the vanilla.

Serve immediately over pound cake, angel food cake, brownies or ice cream, or pour into snack cups or bowls and chill until set.

In my experience, these don’t get the traditional “pudding film” but if you want to make sure they don’t, put plastic wrap right on the surface of the pudding.

This pudding will do a soft set, but stay very creamy. Make it the day before for the hardest set. It will not get as thick as the snack cups you can buy at the store.

This is a great snack for kids – after school, mid-morning, or to take in their lunch boxes! And yes, it’s a great snack for us bigger kids too…

*Coconut cream can be found at Asian markets, and occasionally at good grocery stores. Coconut milk could also work, it just won’t be as thick.

This is one of my favorite cakes… my mom made it quite often while I was growing up, and it has remained with me through the years since then.

3 egg whites (the yolks will turn it yellow, but don’t effect the baking
1/3 cup applesauce
1-1/4 cup soda water, ginger ale or 7-up
1 box pistachio pudding
1 box white cake mix

Combine all ingredients in a mixer.  Pour into a bundt pan, muffin tin or mini loaf pans.  Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until it starts to turn a golden brown – less for the cupcakes or mini loaves.  I usually follow the times for the cake mix & add around 5 minutes, as they vary.  The toothpick test works well for this cake.

The best topping for this is to combine another box of pudding with 1 cup heave whipping cream.  Whip until stiff peaks form.  When the cake cools, cover it with the whipped pudding – I always fill the center hole with pudding for an extra surprise!

If you like those brownies that are truly “in-between” – not truffles, not cake – and you like them rich – really rich – and dark, then these just may be the brownies for you! I will caution you though… make sure the milk is standing at the ready!

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

3/4 cups butter – softened
3 eggs
1 – 15 oz. can queen anne cherries (NOT pie filling)

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powders and salt. stir gently to combine. Add the eggs and butter and mix just until the flour mixture is moist. Add the chocolate chips and cherries, and mix on medium high for 1-2 minutes, until the chocolate and cherries are fully mixed in.

If the batter tastes too sweet, add a little more unsweetened cocoa powder – up to 1/4 cup more.

Pour into a 9×12 in baking pan, and spread out evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan before cutting into squares – or just eat them directly from the pan!

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Anyone who knows me knows that I like rich, dark chocolate. They also know that I can tolerate a high level of richness before feeling that it is “getting rich”. These brownies are very rich. They are very dark, with a hint of cherry flavor, and very, very good!

Yes, it really is as good as it sounds!

1 angel food cake
1 pint strawberries

1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
3 eggs
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
cinnamon
nutmeg
cardamom

preheat oven to 350F

In a saucepan, heat the milk & cream until it just gets a film on top. Add the butter and allow the milk to melt it.

In a medium size casserole, tear the angel food cake into bite-size pieces. Wash & cut up the strawberries and mix them into the cake pieces, reserving some for garnish.

Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and spices (to taste) together until smooth. Slowly pour the milk, cream & butter into the eggs, whisking to mix.

Pour the eggs over the cake and strawberries, and bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is not runny.

Serve with fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries!