Sugar Cookies - plain and simple

Sugar cookies are a wonderful light tasting treat. They pair well with tea, coffee and for the kids, a big glass of milk. Ice them or leave them plain. The choice is yours. Play with fun cookie cutter shapes. There are hundreds of possibilities out there for you to explore!

These sugar cookies, once cut and baked, will last for several weeks when stored in an air tight container.

I usually ice my cookies with royal icing but I loved the simplicity of these flower cutouts. I used a dusting of icing sugar on my work surface as well as on top of the cookies before rolling out. It makes rolling 100% easier as it reduces sticking which tends to be the most difficult challenge when dealing with this type of dough because YES, it will stick to waxed paper too. What I really love though is how the icing sugar creates a shiny glaze on the baked cookies. Perfect for cookies that will be eaten as-is, fresh out of the oven.

I added the scraping of one vanilla bean to the dough. I love the flavor it adds and also the small specks of vanilla really enhance the appearance.

Making these cookies does take awhile because of the chilling phase required before baking so be prepared for playing a little bit of the waiting game.

Also, do not OVERMIX! I cannot emphasize this enough. You do not need to cream together the butter and sugar as you would a cake because the longer you cream, the more tiny bubbles are created. Its these bubbles which give cakes height. The opposite of what you want. You want a thin and crispy cookie!

Lastly, when rolling the dough do not go back and forth with the rolling pin. You can easily overwork the dough resulting in one tough cookie. To roll, simply place your rolling pin in the middle of the dough and roll outwards: forward motions from center outward and backward motions from center inward. Rotate the dough when needed to roll out the sides, again starting from the center at all times.





LET'S GET STARTED
* source recipe adapted from Sweetopia

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup fine granulated sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
scrapings from one vanilla bean
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
icing sugar for rolling

MAKE IT

IN LARGE BOWL, cream together butter and sugar on MED speed for no more than 1 minute.
ADD egg and mix only until combined
ADD vanilla bean and vanilla extract, mixing until blended
SIFT in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt
MIX on low speed until the dough starts to form together; no longer than 45 seconds
PLACE piece of waxed paper on work surface
DUST it with icing sugar
PAT out dough into a disc and place on waxed paper
SPRINKLE lightly with icing sugar
PLACE another piece of waxed paper on top of dough
ROLL out dough between the waxed paper to 1/4" thickness
PLACE cookie dough, still in waxed paper, onto a cookie sheet and let sit in refrigerator for 1-2 hrs

PREHEAT OVEN 350F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper
TAKE COOKIE dough out of fridge and place back, still in waxed paper, onto work surface
REMOVE TOP LAYER of waxed paper
DIP cookie cutter edges lightly into icing sugar
CUT out desired shapes and with a hard edged spatula, lift and place on cookie sheets
BAKE 8 -10 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown
ALLOW to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then gently remove with spatula and place on cooling rack.
ALLOW to cool completely (approx. 30 minutes)

Leave plain or ice with royal icing.
A great base cookie - a blank canvas - ready for decorating!

Vanilla Custard Powder Cake

An incredibly simple cake to make and a glorious sweet treat that will win over even picky eaters!

So many things to love: it is egg-less, it can be made all in one bowl, and it has the most amazing vanilla flavor thanks to the addition of vanilla custard powder.

This cake is crunchy and flaky on the outside while the inside is rich, dense and moist. I find it has better depth of flavor and a nicer consistency if it rests for a few hours before slicing.

It is especially nice topped with berries and a dollop of whipped cream. It is wonderful for dessert and very welcome at afternoon tea.

I had never made a cake with custard powder before and I am so happy I decided to experiment yesterday. I was lucky enough to find vanilla custard powder but if you only have plain on hand, then simply add pure vanilla extract as shown in the recipe.

Fresh out of the tin, the vanilla custard powder is light pink in color. Initially I was worried this would result in a pink cake but it didn't. Instead the cake was a lovely golden yellow inside and out.

This custard cake is now a family favorite and will be served in our home many, many times in the future.

For the source recipe, please visit My Diverse Kitchen.

If you love vanilla and a recipe that comes together in a flash then this cake will be your new best friend!

My custard powder of choice:

Fresh out of the oven - a golden crust.
It actually reminds me of a sweet scone.

Enjoy !

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

This past weekend I decided to go for it and buy my first ice cream maker. I had been eyeing up the Cuisinart 2 QT one for several weeks and gave up any resistance this past Sunday.

I have never been a huge ice cream fan because I tend not to like the flavors of store-bought varieties. There is some odd after-taste I pick up on right away; almost plastic undertones. I figured homemade is always best so why not try making homemade ice cream and seeing if the same holds true for a creamy frozen treat. It does ! Homemade is BETTER!

First off, get your hands on an ice cream maker. I reviewed several models before deciding on the stainless steel Cuisinart 2 QT one. It is sturdy, easy to work with and does the job well.

I also went out the same day and bought some new dessert bowls.
I love ice cream served in pretty containers far more than any scoop wedged into a cone.
I bought these adorable bowls at Pier 1.



Now back to the ice cream! This recipe requires quite a bit of cooking before the custard can be poured into the machine, processed for 25 minutes, then frozen for 2-3 hrs before eating.
The time spent cooking the custard though is worth every moment. The end result is a rich, deep and flavorful chocolate ice cream that no store-bought brand can beat.

Here is the soft ice cream which I scraped into a freezer container. This now goes into the freezer for several hours and then it is ready to scoop out and eat !


The finished ice cream - incredibly smooth and creamy

LET'S GET STARTED !
Cuisinart source recipe (ingredients slightly adjusted)

WHAT YOU NEED

An ice cream maker ! The inner cylinder should be frozen and ready for use but do not take it out of the freezer yet.

2 1/4 cups whole milk (full- fat, homogenized)
2 1/4 cup whipping cream (35%)
1 vanilla bean
1 1/8 cup fine granulated sugar
1 1/8 cup dutch process cocoa powder. The higher the quality and darker the chocolate is always recommended
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces (pea sized)

MAKE IT

IN LARGE SAUCEPAN, combine milk and cream over MED-LOW heat.
ADD scrapings of vanilla bean and vanilla bean pod to milk mixture
SIMMER for 1/2 hr whisking occasionally.
REMOVE VANILLA POD
IN LARGE BOWL, with electric mixer, beat together sugar, cocoa powder, eggs and egg yolks 4-5 minutes MED speed
SLOWLY pour in 1 cup of hot milk mixture to sugar/egg mixture, beating LOW speed until thoroughly combined
POUR sugar/egg mixture into milk mixture still in saucepan
ADD chopped bittersweet chocolate to milk/egg mixture
WHISK together and simmer over LOW heat until mixtures starts to thicken into creamy custard consistency
REMOVE from heat and whisk in vanilla extract
POUR into heat resistant bowl, cover with cling wrap ensuring plastic touches surface of custard to avoid a pudding skin developing as it cools
LET sit in fridge for 1-2 hours until completely cool

PLACE your frozen ice cream maker insert into machine
FILL with cooled chocolate custard mixture
TURN ON and let blend for 20 minutes
ADD chopped chocolate and continue blending with machine for 5 more minutes
USING a rubber spatula, scrape ice cream into an airtight container suitable for freezing.
FREEZE for 2-3 hours

Eat as-is or dress it up - Super topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce, nuts and a cherry!

Also Seen Here:

Banana Sour Cream Muffins with Pecans

Unfortunately, my banana nut muffin post was lost in the Blogger mishap so I will re-post again with the hopes that you will see this in time to make a fresh batch of these lovely muffins for your weekend treat !

I decided to make these yesterday morning when I was again faced with one overly ripe banana on the counter; the only survivor of a bunch I purchased at the start of the week. Rather than adding to my growing stack in the freezer, I wanted a recipe where only one banana would suffice and muffins came to mind.

These muffins have several key ingredients to ensure optimum moisture: sour cream, milk, oil and of course, banana. The addition of nutmeg and cinnamon are wonderful complimentary flavors to banana in baked treats. These muffins have a soft, cake-like, consistency and are perfect plain, with butter, jam or even a smear of cream cheese.

Throw in some nuts during the final mixing stage to give them great crunch. Top them off with turbinado or demerara sugar right before baking. My girls love theirs with chocolate chips so just swap out the nuts for sweet little morsels of " I can't get enough" chocolate if you prefer.


LET'S GET STARTED!

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup fine sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 large) mashed banana
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/4 cup full fat sour cream
1/3 cup oil (a neutral flavored oil is needed. I use Becel)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped nuts

MAKE IT

PREHEAT OVEN to 375F
LINE 12 MUFFIN CUPS with paper liners

IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 6 ingredients
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together remaining wet ingredients except nuts
ADD wet ingredients to dry ingredients folding in nuts at same time. Fold together just until combined
FILL muffin cups to the top (as they do not rise too high and won't overflow the tin).
BAKE 18-20 MINUTES or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

ENJOY !

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Blueberries are fantastic - wonderfully sweet , juicy and versatile. They are even considered a super-food for all of their antioxidant benefits. I could eat these daily either plain or tucked into a tasty treat.

This morning was a day for muffins. I had fresh blueberries on hand and decided to test out a recipe from The Art and Soul of Baking: Easy Morning Muffin. The original recipe calls for raspberries but I just swapped those for blueberries.

I prefer muffins which have a crunchy topping reminiscent of the flavors associated with traditional coffee cake. A streusel topping was a must.

Sure enough, the recipe was a success and I was very happy to be sitting with a strong cup of coffee and a blueberry streusel muffin in the wee hours of Monday morning; a great way to kick-start the week.

Muffins are quick and easy to pull together and shouldn't only be reserved for the home baker's weekend menu. There is no creaming of butter and eggs, no standing at the mixer for 5-10 minutes awaiting that "desired creamy consistency". Nope, with these you just combine dry in one bowl, wet in another, then fold them all in together ever so gently. Top them with a simple streusel and bake for 18 minutes.

Many people are afraid to add berries of any kind to their muffin batter because the end result tends to be a muffin that has turned a weird blue hue around the fruits. Avoid that by using buttermilk in your recipe. It is the secret to great fruit filled muffins. Why? The blue coloring you see is because of a reaction between the alkaline fruit and baking powder and/or baking soda. Buttermilk stops the reaction by introducing an acidic balance. I love buttermilk in baked goods too because it just adds such a homey taste to them. It should be used often for that very reason!

LET'S GET STARTED!

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

MUFFIN BATTER

2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
zest of 1 lemon
2/3 cup buttermilk at room temperature
3/4 stick of butter, unsalted
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup of fresh blueberries

STREUSEL

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or almonds work well)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted


MAKE IT

LINE 12 muffin cups with paper liners
PREHEAT oven to 400F
IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 5 ingredients
IN MICROWAVE SAFE MEDIUM-SIZED BOWL, melt butter in microwave 25-35 second, 80% power
WHISK in buttermilk and lemon zest to melted butter. Set aside for 5 minutes
ADD eggs and vanilla to buttermilk mixture, whisking until combined
MAKE a well in dry ingredients and add buttermilk mixture
FOLD dry and wet together until just combined
WITH small cookie dough scoop or teaspoon, add 1 amount to muffin liners so they are 1/4 full with batter
TOP with 4-5 blueberries and cover with another scoop of batter

MAKE STREUSEL

IN SMALL BOWL, COMBINE all ingredients except melted butter, stir well
ADD melted butter and stir so it is well incorporated and no dry areas remain
SPRINKLE streusel over muffins pressing down slightly so streusel adheres somewhat to muffin batter

BAKE 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean
ALLOW to cool 5 minutes in pan then move muffins to cooling rack

ENJOY !

Also seen here:

Rustic Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts

These aren't all smooth and pretty. They have their fair share of lumps and bumps. Hey, so do I and you don't love me any less, do you?
No, you don't. You will feel the same way about these donuts too - guaranteed!

Their external rustic appearance conceals a fluffy, moist and lemony interior. You will never guess these are gluten-free.

These sweet treats also need no deep-frying. They are baked in the oven for just 8 minutes and emerge golden brown and ready to eat! Gobble them up as-is, dusted with icing sugar or topped with a simple vanilla glaze.

LET'S GET STARTED !

Topped with a vanilla glaze

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

DONUTS

1 1/4 cup gluten-free flour. Please see this Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle recipe for an excellent blend. Do NOT use self-rising gluten-free flour in this recipe
1/2 cup fine granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1/3 cup full fat Greek-style yogurt
1/3 cup PLUS 1/4 cup buttermilk (1%)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil ( I use Becel. Safflower and grapeseed oil are also excellent choices)
Zest of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

GLAZE

1 cup of icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cream (you may need 3 if you feel it is too thick)

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 400F
SPRAY donut pan with cooking spray. I use a Wilton pan that makes 6 regular sized donuts
IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 6 ingredients
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together remaining Donut ingredients
FOLD wet ingredients into dry ingredients and blend until combined
FILL donut molds. I find 3 teaspoons per mold works well.
LEVEL down tops of donuts with a wet icing spatula or butter knife
BAKE 8 - 10 minutes until golden brown around edges and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
IMMEDIATELY turn out donuts onto a cooling rack, turn right-side up and allow to cool completely

MAKE GLAZE by combining all glaze ingredients in a bowl and whisking until smooth
LINE a cookie sheet with waxed paper
PLACE donuts on cooling rack over cookie sheet
DIP donuts, face-side down, into glaze and turn right-side up.
PLACE on rack and allow glaze to harden slightly (15 min)

INDULGE !!!

Seen Here: Sweet Tooth Friday

Seen Here: FOODIE FRIDAY !

Strawberry Chocolate Yogurt Pops

In anticipation of summer and Popsicle season: Yogurt pops made with fresh strawberries and rich dark chocolate chunks. A cinch to make and wonderful to enjoy on a warm day.

These won't last long so you may want to consider picking up 2 sets of pop molds the next time you are out!

I have never made my own yogurt pops before and didn't even own molds until 3 weeks ago when my daughter spotted some on a shopping excursion. She felt they were a "must-have" so home they came.

I had intended to make shortcake with my sweet, red, strawberries but alas, the pops won! Shortcake will wait for another day.

LET'S MAKE IT !

These little molds are wonderful but of course use whatever molds you have on hand.


You will need about a pound
of strawberries for this recipe.




As you can see, 1 pound of berries boils down quite a bit

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

Popsicle molds

3 cups fresh chopped strawberries
1/2 cup fine granulated sugar
3/4 cup plain greek yogurt, regular yogurt or strawberry flavored yogurt
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate

MAKE IT

IN SAUCEPAN, combine sugar and strawberries.
BRING to a simmer over MED heat
REDUCE heat to LOW and let simmer and thicken for 25-30 minutes
WITH HAND HELD BLENDER, puree strawberry mixture until smooth. If you prefer seedless pops, then run mix through a sieve to remove seeds
POUR mixture into a bowl and let sit in refrigerator for 1 hour or until completely cooled
WITH SPATULA fold in yogurt and chocolate bits
POUR mixture into pop molds
PLACE in freezer fro 1/2 hr until somewhat set.
REMOVE and push pop handles into semi-frozen strawberry pops.
FREEZE 6 hours

The number of pops this recipe makes truly depends on the size of your molds.

ENJOY !