Carrot Cake Cookies

Okay, so I had a sandwich cookie theme this year for the Christmas in July cookie exchange.  I found these carrot cake cookies and had to try.  I think they are my favorite cookie now.  Part of that might be that they seem 'healthy' even though I'm sure they really aren't!.  They turned out GREAT and I can't wait to make these over and over and over again!

Ingredients
1 c. brown sugar

1 c. sugar

1 c. butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda 1 t. baking powder 1/4 t. salt 1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice 2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats 1 1/2 c. finely grated carrots, (about 3 large carrots)

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. butter, cut into pieces
1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper, and set aside. 
3. Combine sugars and butter; beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.  
4. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until well combined. 
5. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; stir to combine. 
6. Gradually add flour to butter mixture; mix on a low speed until just blended.  
7. Mix in oats and carrots. 
8. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.  
9. Using a 2t. scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies 
10. Repeat baking process with remaining dough.
11. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until browned and crisped, rotating pan halfway through baking.
12. Let sit a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.  
13. Once cooled completely, spread cream-cheese filling onto a cookie. Sandwich together with a second cookie. 
14. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Oreo's

I had NO idea that you could make something like Oreo's at home.  I also had no idea that it would be easiest thing in the world to make.  This might be dangerous.  While, I don't think these taste quite the same, they are quite similar to Oreo's.  I like that I know what is in them and that I can make them myself.  They taste a lot more like Oreo's once you start dunking them in milk!  Dunk away, my friends!

Ingredients

For the chocolate wafers:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter

1 large egg

For the filling:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.  Line to jelly roll pans with parchment paper or silicone mats.
2. In a food processor, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. Add butter and egg and continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Place 1t. size balls on sheets.  Spacing them about 2 inches apart.
4. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
5. To make the filling, Mix butter and shortening with mixer at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
6. Place filling in pastry bag, or Ziploc bag with corner snipped off.  Squeeze filling onto half of the cookies.  Top each cookie with another cookie of equal size.
7. Dunk cookies in a large glass of milk.

Pumpkin Monkey Bread

I found this recipe while surfing around Pinterest. I seem to get into a lot of trouble doing that, but we've also tried a lot of new things because we have seen them on there first. This one seems to be a hit. I just placed it on the table, and the boys already asked if they could eat their dessert. That was followed by plethora of, "Mommy, I like this!" I'm mean, who wouldn't like some monkey bread with a little bit of pumpkin thrown in?  I also just had an idea, what about turning these into cinnamon rolls...hmmm....

 Ingredients
 Dough 
2 T. butter (browned, if desired)
1/2 c. milk
2 1/4 t. (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
2 1/2 c. bread flour

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
1 c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 T. butter (browned, if desired)

Buttered Rum Glaze
2 T. butter
2 T. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. milk
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 T. rum (or vanilla)

 

Directions

1. I threw all of the dough ingredients into my bread machine, and  ran it on dough cycle.  If you do not have a bread machine, follow step 2.  If you use your bread machine, skip step 2.
2. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black). Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the milk, return to stove and heat through. Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool so it is no longer hot but also not cool (about 100-110 degrees F). Once it has reached a warm but not hot temperature add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy). Then add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
3. When the dough is almost finished, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl.  Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.
4. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes.  Then pinch or cut off pieces that are about the size of a golf ball.  Dip them in the melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar mixture.  Then place the coated dough balls into the prepared loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
5. In the meantime preheat an oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan, bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is a very deep golden brown.
6. To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and powdered sugar.

Almond Cinnamon Rolls

I made these on a whim with a can of crescent rolls that was left over from Thanksgiving (Thanks, Mindy!), and Brandon say they might be better than Dutch Letters, if he could actually say that without being beaten by my family! They are so easy, that I could make these anytime!

INGREDIENTS

1-7 oz box Odense Almond Paste
 8 T. butter, room temperature
 3 T. sugar
 3 T. cinnamon
 1 T. flour
 2 - 8 oz tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
1 c. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
1/4 t. almond extract
 Optional garnish: toasted almonds slivers

 

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
2. Grate Almond Paste on large hole side of a box grater.
3. Add Almond Paste, butter, sugar, cinnamon and flour to a bowl or food processor. Mix until well blended.  I was impatient and ended up just putting it in the microwave and melting the butter just a little bit until it would mix together well.
4. Unroll crescent dough. Divide each package into 4 rectangles. Pinch center seams (of 2 triangles) together securing the rectangle shape. With a spatula, spread equal amounts of cinnamon almond filling over each rectangle.
5. Starting at the short end of each rectangle, roll dough into a roll and pinch seam closed. Cut each roll into 3 equal pieces and slightly flatten with fingers.
6. Place each piece, side by side, on baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until golden brown in color. Cool on wire rack.
7. While rolls are cooling, whisk powdered sugar with milk and almond extract. Spread onto cooled rolls. For an extra pretty garnish sprinkle with toasted almonds while icing is still wet.

Candy Corn Cupcake (also egg and dairy free)

Okay, so we have a Fall Birthday Bash/Halloween party with our playgroup. I had to come up with some dessert that was egg free and kid friendly, but also perfect for a fall party. This seemed perfect. The cupcakes you can make with any old yellow box cake mix, but you can follow below to see how I made them egg and dairy free. I think they turned out really well. They seemed to rise well. The only thing was that they were quite crumbly, but I'm pretty sure that is the case with all egg free cakes.  I also didn't have a really ripe banana on hand, but thought that would help hold it together a little better.  I ended up making these with about 1/2 c. applesauce and 1/2 a banana, but that was a little too much moisture.  I've adjusted the recipe accordingly

Ingredients

1 (18 ounce) box yellow cake mix (look carefully at allergen list)

1 1/3 c. water

1/3 c. canola oil

1 banana, ripe and mashed, or 1/2 c. applesauce

1 t. baking powder

1 T. vinegar

orange food coloring

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Line muffin baking pan with cupcake liners.
3. Using an electric mixer on low speed, blend the ingredients together (except food coloring) until moistened (approximately 30 seconds) in a large bowl.
4. Scrape the sides of the bowl and blend on medium speed for another minute.
5. To make the candy corn color, pour half or slightly less of the mixture into a bowl and add a color of drops of orange food coloring.  Be careful not to overfill the cups.
6. In each cupcake liner, pour a little yellow cake mix and then top with a little orange cake mix.  You'll want the tins to be about 2/3 full.
7. Bake according to the directions on the box (this batter can, of course, be used for making cakes of different sizes, not just cupcakes).
8. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes and then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely before frosting.
9. I frosted the cakes with a simple butter cream frosting, but you can easily buy egg free dairy free frosting at the store (just make sure to look at the allergen listing)

Strawberry Poke Cake

I made this for a church pot luck this week. Isn't it required to take something that contains Jello to a church potluck? Anyway, this is good. It's slightly different than a normal poke cake, but it's for the better! Make sure not to rush this recipe, as the whole cake needs some time to just meld together.

Cake Ingredients

12 T. butter, softened, plus extra for preparing pan

4 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 c. milk

2 t. vanilla

6 large egg whites

1 3/4 c. sugar

Syrup and Topping Ingredients

4 c. frozen strawberries

6 T. sugar

2 T. orange juice

1/2 c. water

2 T. strawberry-flavored gelatin

2 c. heavy cream

Directions

For the cake: 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl.
3. Whisk milk, vanilla, and egg whites in large measuring cup.
4. Beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy (~3 min)
5. Add flour and milk mixture alternately, in two batches, beating after each addition until combined (~30 secs)
6. Give batter one final stir with a rubber spatula, and then pour into prepared pan.  Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (~35 minutes)
7. Cool cake completely (at least 1 hour)

For the syrup and topping:

1. Heat 3 c. strawberries, 2 T. sugar, juice, and water in medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Cover and cook until liquid is deep red and strawberries are softened (~10 min)
2. Strain liquid into bowl reserving solids, then whisk gelatin into liquid.  Let cool to room temperature. (30 min)
3. Poke about 50 holes in top of cooled cake with a skewer.  Slowly pour cooled liquid into every hole.
4. Wrap cake with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until gelatin is set.  (At least 3 hours and up to 2 days.  I suggest longer than 3 hours)
5. Pulse reserved strained strawberries, 2 T. sugar, and remaining strawberries in food processors until mixture resembles strawberry jam.
6. Spread strawberry mixture evenly over cake.
7. Beat heavy cream with 2 T. sugar to soft peaks.
8. Spread whipped cream over strawberries.
9. Cut cake into squares and serve cold.

Banana Cake

I really wanted to make banana bars, but needed to make a birthday cake for Parker.  Why not go for banana cake?  This turned out great!  It was so moist and super delicious!

Ingredients

1 1/2 c.  mashed bananas ( I used 4 bananas)

2 t. lemon juice

3 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

3/4 c. softened butter

2 c. sugar

3 large eggs

2 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. buttermilk

Frosting
1/3 c. softened butter
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 t. vanilla
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275°.
2. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
3. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
5. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
7. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
8. Stir in banana mixture.
9. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.
11. For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
12. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
13. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
14. Spread on cooled cake.

White Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Okay, so I've had peanut butter mixed with frosting in the past, and thought, this is good, what could you put it on. My thought was chocolate cake, but my Aunt told me that you put it on white cake, so I thought we'd try.

So simple, it's a normal white box cake and store bought frosting mixed with peanut butter, but it was good. The frosting was a little hard to spread. if I had microwaved it just a smidgen, it would have looked a little prettier.

Ingredients

1 white cake mix, made according to the box

1 tub white frosting

Peanut Butter, I didn't measure, quite a bit though

Directions

1. Mix frosting with peanut butter until it tastes good. It will also thicken up and become hard to stir.
2. Frost cake
3. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls

So, I tend to be scared away from making cinnamon rolls. All the letting them rise and getting them the right size, just scares me away. Hopefully, that won't be a problem after this year of baking. Today, I decided to go for broke and make some cinnamon rolls. I followed a Cook's Illustrated recipe, with a few changes of my own.


Rising in the oven - don't they look perfect!

The finished product. They turned our well. Even Aiden likes them! I think the bread texture turned our just right, but I do think perhaps they could have used a little *gasp* butter, but they are still quite tasty.  They also seemed to be slightly over baked, but since I was outside shoveling snow, I was unable to keep a close eye on these.

Ingredients

Dough

1/2 c. milk

4 Tbs butter

2 1/4 t. yeast

1/2 c. warm water (110 degrees)

1/3c. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 t. salt

3 1/4 - 3 3/4 c. bread flour

Filling

5 Tbs brown sugar

5 Tbs sugar

2 Tbs cinnamon

Icing

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

2-4 Tbs milk

1/2 t. vanilla

Directions

1. Heat milk and butter until butter melts.  Cool to about 110 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle yeast over warm water in bowl of  stand mixer fitted with paddle. Beat in sugar and eggs and mix at low  speed to blend. Add salt, lukewarm milk mixture, 2 cups of flour; mix at  medium speed until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Switch to dough  hook attachment. Add 1 1/4 cups flour, and knead at medium-low speed,  adding additional flour sparingly if dough sticks to sides of bowl,  until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10  minutes.
3. Turn dough onto work surface. Squeeze dough with a clean dry hand. If dough is sticky, knead in up to 1/2 additional cup flour to form a smooth, soft, elastic dough. Transfer dough to a very lightly oiled large plastic container or bowl. Cover top of container with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Ideal rising temperature is 75 degrees.) After rise, punch down center of dough once (can be refrigerated, covered, up to 18 hours). Making sure not to fold or misshape dough, turn it onto unfloured work surface; let dough rest, to relax, about 10 minutes
4. Grease a 9x13 pan (I also used a loaf pan as I made 16 instead of 12)  Mix sugars and cinnamon in small bowl
5. Roll dough with rolling pin into an evenly shaped 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle an even layer of cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2 -inch border along one of the long sides.  Press mixture into dough, so it will stick while being rolled.  Roll, beginning with the long side of the rectangle that has cinnamon on it. Use both hands to pinch dough with fingertips as you go, sealing final edge firmly to form a seam. (Do not seal ends.)
6. Cut into 12 (I cut into 16) even pieces using a serrated knife with cutting board and arrange in prepared pan(s).
7. Cover loosely with plastic and allow to rise until double in size (rolls will touch), about one hour. When rolls are almost fully risen, adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Bake until golden brown and thermometer inserted in center roll registers 185 to 190 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.  (Mine came out over baked, so I would start checking earlier.) Invert rolls onto wire rack. Cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
9. Whisk sugar, milk, and vanilla in small bowl until smooth. Place rolls right-side up on rack and place rack over piece of parchment or wax paper. Drizzle icing over rolls with spoon. Cut or pull apart to separate, and serve