Chewy Lemon Drop Cookies

chewy lemon drop cookies

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

zest of 3 lemons

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 t. of lemon extract

1/4 cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons lemon juice

about 1 cup powdered sugar, for coating

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour and salt.  Set aside.

2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, lemon zest,extract, sugar, and corn syrup. Mix until very smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides.

3. In a small cup, combine the lemon juice baking soda. With the mixer on low, add in flour mixture and lemon juice mixture. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula and mix the dough by hand a few times to ensure an even distribution of the ingredients.

4. Roll the dough into balls, one inch in diameter. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheets , and then toss in powdered sugar to coat.

Golden Norwegian Sponge Cake

1 cup soft butter (2 sticks)

5 eggs

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. almond extract

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 t. sea salt

Allow butter to become soft, but do not melt.
Place butter and flour in mixing bowl.(I know this sounds strange, but trust me it works)
Beat 5 min. at low speed.
Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, many times during mixing.
Add eggs, one at a time, blending each egg at slow speed.
Sift together sugar, baking powder and salt.

Add graduatl to creamed mixture.

Add extract.

2 min. after all sugar has been added.

Turn into 10" tube pan that has been greased with 2 T. butter and then sprinkled with fine bread crumbs ( used fine panko).

Bake 1 hour in 325 degree oven. (time will vary with the humidity and climate you live in).

This is a very spongey texture of cake.. 

Let this cool for 15 min before taking out of tube pan.

 Sprinkle top with confectioners' sugar and add fruit if you wish.

Martha Stewart Brown Butter Toffee Blondies

 

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pan


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups packed light-brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts (about 4 ounces)

1 cup toffee bits

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter and flour parchment paper.

2.In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter until it turns golden brown; remove from heat, and let cool. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3.In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine browned butter and both sugars; stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Attach bowl to mixer; add eggs. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, and beat to combine. Add flour mixture, walnuts, and toffee bits. Mix until thoroughly combined, and pour into prepared pan.

4.Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes (do not overbake). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before turning out of pan onto a cutting board. Peel off parchment paper; cut blondies into 3-inch squares. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Brown Butter Toffee Blondies - Martha Stewart Recipes

Alison's Version of Pound Cake

Pound Cake

2 sticks butter (room temp.)

2 1/2 cups sugar

5 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 t. lemon flavoring

3 cups of flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. baking soda

4 ounces plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease bundt pan.

Cream eggs, sugar, flavorings and butter until light and fluffy.

Add dry ingredients and yogurt.

Beat until smooth and light.

Pour into greased baking dish and bake for an hour and 15 min, less if you use loaf pans.

Keep an eye on your cake..

Everyones ovens are different.

 It can take longer to cook, to be sure it is done stick a knife in the cake and if it comes out clean it is done.

Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies with Caramel Bits and Walnuts

Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies with Caramel Bits and Walnuts

1 stick butter

1 stick of margarine or 1/2 cup butter shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 bag of milk chocolate chips

1/2 bag of caramel bits

1/4 pound chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Put parchment paper down on your cookie sheets (this eliminates greasing the sheet)

Cream together room temperature butter, margarine and both sugars until creamy and fluffy.

Add the eggs beat for a minute until mixed in well.

Add the dry ingredients (flour,salt and baking soda) which have been sifted together.

Mix together until smooth.

Add milk choc. chips, caramel bits and walnuts.

Mix until these are distributed evenly throughout the batter.

Use a spoon to measure and drop on your cookie sheet.

Space about an inch or more apart.

Bake for 8-9 minutes at the 350 degree temp.

When removed from oven immediately place cookies on wire rack, unless you like crispy throughout cookies.

In that case let them cool on your cookie sheet.

My lil sis Adriana sent me the basic recipe, I tweaked it a little and this is what I got..

Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin ( I used Trader Joes Organic pumpkin)
5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
(I also added one tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice)
Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Directions
1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, the eggs, butter and pumpkin.

2. Gradually add 5 cups of the flour and the salt, scraping side of bowl, until soft dough forms. Turn out onto floured surface and knead remaining 1/2 cup flour into dough, adding more if sticky. Knead for 10 minutes, until smooth. Dough will be soft.

3. Grease a bowl; add dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled, about 1-1/4 hours.

4. Coat two 13x9x 2-inch baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Make Filling: Mix butter, granulated and brown sugars, and cinnamon in a bowl.

5. Punch down dough. Roll out half onto a lightly floured surface to form a 16 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread with half of the filling. Starting on one long side, roll up jelly-roll fashion. Pinch seam to close. Repeat with second half of dough and filling.

6. Cut each log crosswise into 12 generous 1-inch pieces. Arrange 12 pieces, cut-side down, in each prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap; let sit in a warm spot until buns double in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. (You can refrigerate one pan overnight or cover plastic with foil and freeze at this point. Thaw in fridge overnight, then thaw on counter while preheating oven.)

7. Heat oven to 350°. Uncover pans and bake buns until they are golden brown and bubbly, 28 to 33 minutes (thawed buns, 36 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack; let cool 10 minutes.

8. Glaze: Blend confectioners sugar and milk. Drizzle over buns (about 1/3 cup per pan). Serve warm.
Recipe from Oct 09 Family Circle


I use my own recipe for cream cheese frosting
8oz room temp cream cheese
1/2 stick salted butter at room temp
I don't measure, I just pour in powdered sugar until I get the consistancy I like
1teaspoon of desired flavoring (rum, maple, vanilla)
beat together until smooth.

Buttermilk Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
2 T lemon juice
3 cups white lily flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened at room temp.
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon rum flavoring
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

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

then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
Spread on cooled cake.
Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired

store in the fridge

I think it tastes the very best right out of the fridge, nice and cold..

Fresh Apple Cake with Butter Rum Sauce

4 c fresh chopped apples

(or one pint of canned apple pie filling)

1 c canola oil
2 c sugar
2 c flour
1/2 tsp soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp apple pie spice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
4 oz Heaths toffee bits


preheat oven to 300 degrees


grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish



Beat eggs, add sugar. Beat; add oil and beat. Sift dry ingredients into the mixture. It will be a very thick mixture after adding apples. I like to use gala or granny smith apples for this recipe. I also leave the skins on. you can add walnuts if you wish.

Bake in 300 degree oven for 1hour and 15 min or until toothpick comes out clean.


Hot Butter Rum Sauce

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. light cream or half and half
Rum flavoring to taste. a little goes a long way!


In saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and cream. Stir occasionally until hot. Stir in rum and serve over hot cake.