Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies

For some reason Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. Whether it's because it gives me one more excuse to break out the craft box to make some special valentines, because it means that I get to try my hand at some pretty treats, or because I think the idea of a whole holiday devoted to love is just the sweetest thing ever, I always get super excited every time February rolls around. This year, I decided to try my hand at some sugar cookies decorated with royal icing. These cookies are a perfect and pretty way to show your love this Valentine's Day!

Here's a secret, my all-time favorite sugar cookie recipe comes from one of my favorite books as a child: Mr. Cookie Baker. Apart from being an adorable story with lovely illustrations, the recipe at the end of the book makes yummy and sturdy cookies that are perfect for decorating.

Sugar Cookies (From Mr. Cookie Baker)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons milk 

Instructions:

1. Mix together 2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, and salt. 

2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Then beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk. 

3. Stir in the flour mixture, then gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make the dough stiff enough to roll

4. form the dough into a ball. Chill at least 1 hour

5. Preheat oven to 375˚

6. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters and place on ungreased cookie sheets

7. bake about 8-10 minutes or until nicely browned

Royal Icing

Want perfect icing for decorating cookies? I suggest Wilton's color-flow mix which is a mixture of dried eggwhites and a couple other ingredients that when added to icing make sure that it dries up nice and quick and that it retains a bit of a glossy sheen. You can find the product and the recipe on Wilton.com

http://www.wilton.com/idea/Color-Flow

Now it's time to tint and decorate to your hearts delight! Happy Valentine's Day!

Raspberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

First of all, Happy 2013!! Ok, now back to business. This past weekend my friends and I threw a birthday bash for our friend Sophie. I immediately offered to make the birthday cake and began searching for the perfect recipe.

Over December break, my cousin Lu shared with me her lengthy list of favorite baking blogs, and on the top of her list was http://joythebaker.com: beautiful blog filled with delightful treats and sweets. After browsing her site for an embarrassing amount of time, I finally decided on the Raspberry Almond Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache. In my version I replaced the almond extract with vanilla extract because a friend of mine at the party has a vicious nut allergy and I wanted him to be able to eat them too.

These cupcakes are super easy and super elegant! The perfect dessert for a classy dinner party, lovely garden party, or a casual get together among friends.

Raspberry Almond Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache (Makes 12)

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup fresh raspberries, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Put a rack in the middle of the oen and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt inside a bowl.
3. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in egg and almond extract.  Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternately in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating just until incorporated.  Fold in the raspberries.
4. Divide the batter among lined muffin cups.  Bake until pale golden and a wooden pick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Turn cupcakes out onto a rack to cool completely.
5. Spread frosting on cupcakes once cooled.

For the Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (I used chocolate chunks)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions: 

Put chocolate chips in a small bowl.  Bring cream to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan.  Pour cream evenly over chocolate.  Let stand for one minute to soften, then stir until smooth.  If frosting is too loose to spread, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, frosting will continue to thicken as it stands.

Halloween Red Velvet Cake

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. To me, there's nothing better than sitting in my kitchen on a chilly October night and carving jack-o-lanterns with my expert set of pumpkin carving tools. I love the adorable costumes that the little trick-or-treaters wear, not to mention the satisfaction of coming up with my own perfect costume. And what's everyone's favorite part of Halloween? The candy!!! As if the piles of Snickers, Twix, and Reese's weren't enough sugar, I decided to welcome Halloween with a delicious home-made treat, a spooky Red Velvet Cake! So come on and show your ghoulish side with this yummy creation!

For the cake (from foodnetwork.com):

Ingredients:

- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- 3 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Beat the granulated sugar, 12 tablespoons butter and the vegetable oil in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, until just combined.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on racks, then turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely.


For the Marshmallow Frosting:


2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powder sugar
1 jar marshmallow fluff  (7 oz)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add butter and sugar together. Beat until fluffy. Add marshmallow and vanilla, and mix well.


To decorate: 

Frost the cake with the frosting. Use whatever decorations you want to make it look Halloween-y! I used chocolate sprinkles to make a ghostly face, but the options are endless!

Masala Tea Spiced Cookies

With scent of fallen leaves in the air and the crisp autumn wind in the trees, I've been inspired to break out my wintery treats. This cookie is adapted from a Chai Brown Sugar Cookie I found online, but I decided to change it up a little bit once I noticed that, while on one of her exotic grocery shopping sprees, my mom had bought Masala Tea Spice. This warming blend of spices includes ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, and nutmeg. The end result? A peppery, chewy cookie with the essence of a steaming cup of chai tea. Mmmmmm.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 teaspoons Masala Tea Spice (or 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, 3/4 tsp. cardamom, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/8 tsp.     cloves, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg)
- 3/4 cup butter-room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg


Instructions:

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spice(s) in a large bowl, set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 3-5 minutes or until fluffy. Scrape the bowl down with a rubber spatula. Add in the egg and vanilla. Mix on low until combined.
3. Add in all the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients at once and mix on low until the dough forms a ball and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
6. Scoop dough by rounded tablespoon and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart from one another. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

*Recipe adapted from Chai Brown Sugar Cookies from www.ovenadventures.com

Grilled Whole Wheat Pesto Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

Ok so not exactly sweet, but definitely delicious! This yummy summery pizza is definitely a must try before the summer's over (sad, i know)! It takes a little bit of practice to get the grilling technique right (we messed up big time on the first try) but once you do it's super easy!

Ingredients/Supplies:
- one batch whole wheat pizza dough (the one I used is down below)
- about 1/2-1 cup basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
- 1-2 large onions, caramelized
- one package goat cheese
- charcoal grill
- charcoal

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (from The Complete Book of Pizza):

Ingredients
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 (4 tbsp.) cup vegetable oil
- 2 packages dry yeast
- 2 tsp. honey
- 1 1/2- 2 cups warm water

Directions
Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and add 2 tsp. honey. Set aside for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a depression in the center of the flour and add 3 tbsp. of the oil and the other cup of warm water. Put flour on a kneading board. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and mix the ingredients with your hands. Gather the dough together and place it on the floured board. Knead the dough, adding more flour if necessary. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes or until it is elastic, cohesive, and when you poke it with your finger it springs back right away.

Place the dough in a clean bowl that has been rubbed with oil. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining oil. Cover the bowl with a clean towel (I use plastic wrap instead) and put it in a warm draft-free place for 1.5 hours or until doubled in size. When doubled in size, punch down the dough.


To Prepare:
1. Cut the dough in half, grab one of the halves.
2. Roll dough into a circle, about 18 inches in diameter.
3. Repeat with second half.
4. Bring dough to the grill without any toppings on it, but have the toppings prepared.

To Grill:

1. Using a charcoal grill, allow the fire to get hot.
2. Once hot, bank the coals to one side of the grill.
3. Place one of the raw pizza dough halves on the opposite side of the grill as the coals (as in you want an indirect heat source on the pizza or it will burn)
4. Allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes, watching constantly and adjusting cooking time/dough position to prevent burning.
5. Take half finished pizza off the grill and turn it over so that the raw side is down.
6. Place toppings on the cooked side of the pizza, making sure to start with the pesto.
7. Place the pizza back on the grill, raw side down, for another 3-4 minutes or until it is done.
8. Repeat with second half of dough.

*Tip: If your pizza appears to be burning but is not done cooking, you can have a 400 degree hot oven waiting to finish off the cooking safely without fear of ruining the pizza due to burning.

Rosca De Reyes

Earlier this year I made a Rosca De Reyes, or Spanish King's Cake for my spanish class. This sweet bread is traditionally eaten in Mexico and in other Latin American countries (and Spain) on the Christian holiday of King's Day, which occurs in January. A spiced filling with hints of citrus and cinnamon is rolled into the sweet, rich dough to create a heavenly treat. This sweet bread is a great alternative to a yeast coffee cake.

Rosca De Reyes (Spanish King's Cake) recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour

dough

• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 3 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

filling

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 3/4 cup dried mixed fruits or Favorite Fruit Blend
• 1 tablespoon lemon, orange, or lime zest

garnish

• candied red cherries and/or orange peel
• toasted sliced almonds, pecans, cashews, or walnuts

1) For the dough: Heat the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan or at medium power in your microwave. Pour the hot milk over the butter, sugar, and salt, and stir occasionally until the butter melts. Cool the mixture to lukewarm.

2) In a mixing bowl combine the milk mixture, eggs, and yeast. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, and mix until a soft, smooth dough forms. You can also use your bread machine, set on the dough cycle, for this step.

3) Place the dough in a greased container, cover it, and set it in a draft-free place to rise until doubled (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours). Or let your bread machine complete the dough cycle.

4) After the first rise, deflate the dough, cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 20" x 12" rectangle.

5) For the filling: Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter, leaving a 1/2" strip bare along one of the long edges. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the nuts, mixed fruits and zest, and stir to coat. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the buttered section of the dough.

6) Assembly: Starting with the garnished long edge, roll the dough up jelly-roll style, working toward the edge with no butter on it. Pinch the seam together to seal it firmly, then bring the ends together to form a ring. To keep the bread round, grease the outside of a small bowl or custard cup and put it on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the ring, seam side down, around the bowl and tuck one end inside the other, pinching it together to seal it.

7) Flatten the ring slightly, and using a pair of scissors, make cuts in the dough at 1 1/2" intervals around the outside edge. Hide a doll or candy inside the bread. You can place strips of candied orange peel in the cuts to create the look in the photo at the top of the recipe. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until nearly doubled (about 30 to 40 minutes).

8) To bake: Once the dough is shaped and is rising for the second time, preheat the oven to 350°F. When the dough is risen, remove the plastic wrap, and brush the top with beaten egg. Place the candied cherries (cut in half) in the spaces between the slits in the dough, and decorate with nuts as desired. Combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the top.

9) Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, covering the loaf loosely with foil after the first 15 minutes, as it will brown quickly. Remove the bread from the oven when the inner parts of the slits look cooked and the interior measures 190°F when measured with an instant-read thermometer. Cool the bread on a rack.

Yield: 1 loaf, 16 servings.

Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes

This recipe is one of my own creation. I was having a friendly bake-off competition with my friends and the theme was "Invent your own dessert". I had been trying to come up with ideas for the competition and I decided to ask my brother if he had any ideas, he mentioned ice cream and thats when it hit me: an ice cream cupcake! Now this isn't your typical ice cream cake, since there's no actual ice cream in it, and this was the real challenge. How do I create a cupcake that brings to mind a real sundae? This is what I came up with, and although it's not perfect, I think it turned out pretty well :)

Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes

For the cake:

Use your favorite vanilla or chocolate cupcake recipe, I really like Amy Sedaris's Vanilla Cupcake Recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/amy-sedariss-vanilla-cupcakes-181181. When I made these I actually ended up experimenting and mixing chocolate into 1/2 of the batter and marbling the cake. Anything is possible with these! Maybe even try a strawberry cupcake, chocolate chip, or whatever your favorite ice cream flavor is!

For the frosting:

I used a fluffy marshmallow frosting on mine in an attempt to mirror marshmallow sauce on a sundae. 

White Mountain Frosting (from Pillsbury's Best of the Bake Off Collection)

1. Combine 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 1 tablespoon light corn syrup in a saucepan

2. Cook over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover pan for 2-3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until it reaches 240 degrees fahrenheit (firm soft-ball stage)

3. In another bowl, beat 2 egg whites with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar until stiff but not dry.

4. Pour the hot syrup over the beaten egg whites in a slow, steady stream, beating constantly. Blend in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; continue beating until the frosting reaches spreadable consistency. Use immediately. 

Assembly:

Ingredients:

1 batch of cupcakes of your choice frosted with White Mountain Frosting

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Hershey's chocolate syrup

1 banana, chopped into small pieces

Maraschino cherries

1. Sprinkle the nuts and bananas over the top of the cupcakes, making sure that they stick

2. Drizzle chocolate syrup over the tops of the cupcakes.

3. Place a maraschino cherry on the top of each cupcake to complete the 'sundae'. 

Play around with your own variations to find your perfect cupcake sundae!