Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Cookies with Bourbon Caramel Frosting

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Lolly under Cookies, Holidays

I love the celebratory feeling in the air. The Christmas music jingling through radio speakers, the colorful lights peppering the night sky, and the excited anticipation of having a few days of vacation to spend with the ones we love. Just this week I was picking up a couple of last minute items at the grocery store and I was so pleasantly surprised by how many cordial exchanges I had with people I encountered. The store was packed, but nearly everyone seemed to be maintaining an attitude of Christmas cheer. Even when my own mood was slightly dampened after the cashier scanning the things I was buying didn’t ask to see my ID when she rang up the wine I had in my cart (first time this has happened), I couldn’t stay mildly offended too long because she was just so bubbly. I did think about telling her my newly found interest in neck cream, but I refrained. Excellent decision on my part. I am very thankful I am on the eve of celebrating my 31st Christmas, silver strands of hair and all.

That celebration wouldn’t be complete without Christmas cookies. I tend to struggle when it comes to making up my mind when I am trying to narrow down what treats I want to make for the holidays. I decided to revamp a traditional Amish cookie recipe that I love and came up with these vanilla bean buttermilk cookies with bourbon caramel frosting. The cookie from the previous recipe I used was good, but it was a little dense and tough. I reduced the amount of leavening agents, added an extra egg yolk, and used real vanilla seeds to make a cakier and more flavorful base. As for the frosting, I also added real vanilla bean seeds, kosher salt, and some good bourbon to enhance the depth of one of my favorite frostings of all time. I finished everything off with a sprinkling of toasted chopped pecans and the end result was a new and improved version that my family loved. I had so much fun experimenting with changes to this cookie that I am hoping to do more remixes of classic recipes. It’s an excellent creative outlet and a fantastic way to brush up on my seriously rusty knowledge of chemistry.

There are only a few hours before old Saint Nick makes his rounds. I hope your shopping and preparations are drawing to an end and you are ready to enjoy this most wonderful time of year. May the joy of Christmas fill your homes and hearts; and may this next year be the best one yet. Peace on Earth and good will to men.

Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Cookies with Bourbon Caramel Frosting

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

For the Cookies:

1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted REAL® Butter, at room temperatures
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 vanilla bean, seeded
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted REAL® Butter
1 cup light brown sugar
4 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 vanilla bean, seeded
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons high quality bourbon (I used Maker’s Mark 46)
½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)

Directions

For the cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and ensure racks are positioned in the middle. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Place butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, one yolk at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the seeds/pulp from the vanilla bean. Mix until well-incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, stir together the baking soda and buttermilk. Turn the mixer on low, and alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure dough is evenly mixed.
Use a 2 inch cookie scoop to drop dough onto baking sheets, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or just until the edges/bottom of the cookies have lightly browned. Be careful not to overbake. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

For the frosting:

Place ½ cup unsalted butter into a medium-sized sauce pot. Melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and gently whisk until smooth. Bring mixture to a low boil before gradually adding in heavy cream while continuing to whisk constantly. Bring the caramel back to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes while continuing to whisk constantly. Turn the stove off and remove from heat. Add in the salt and vanilla bean seeds and mix to combine. Allow to cool to a luke-warm temperature.
Add the powdered sugar to the cooled caramel, ½ cup at a time, and mix well with the whisk attachment of a handheld mixer (or a stand mixer if you prefer) after each addition. Add in the bourbon and mix until smooth. Frost the cooled cookies and sprinkle with chopped pecans, if desired. Enjoy!

Source: Lolly’s Sweet Treats Original

Spooky Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treat Pops

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Lolly under Dessert, Holidays

Of all the holidays, Halloween is my favorite for making festive treats. There are so many cute ideas floating around the interwebs and I find many of them so irresistibly charming. These spooky Frankenstein Rice Krispie treat pops were no different. I was particularly drawn to them because of the ease and I had romantic ideas of my little rump roast helping me make them. As usual, the reality of situation was far different from my expectation and Smith was more interested in putting his toy tractors in my salad spinner. But I had lots of fun doing it myself and my little laddy enjoyed eating them. It was a win-win situation.

I used melted chocolate chips to dip the pops in and it worked pretty well. However, I recently learned, from my binge-listening of America’s Test Kitchen podcast, that the chocolate chips aren’t the best option for melting and dipping/coating confections because of the addition of emulsifiers in the chips themselves. You see, chips are designed not to fully melt as they are most commonly used in baked goods. In the future I will use a chocolate bar, but I had to use what I had on hand this time around. Just a little fun fact for you.

If you are looking for a last minute Halloween treat, I would highly recommend some spooky Frankenstein pops. If nothing else, you will enjoy the classic flavors of one of the most beloved treats.

Here are some more downright petrifying ideas to get you in the Halloween spirit:

Spider Web Cupcakes

Spooky Marshmallow Ghosts

Chocolate Skeleton Cookies

Harry Potter Butterbeer Cupcakes

Frankenstien Rice Krispie Treat Pops

Yield: 9 3″x4″ pops

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for utensils, pan, and your hands
10 oz bag of marshmallows, regular or mini
6 cups Rice Krispies
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2- 2 cups semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Green food coloring (I prefer AmeriColor)
Sugar eyes (available at most craft stores or on Amazon)
Popsicle sticks (available at most craft stores)

Directions

Grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter. Set aside. Melt the butter in a large pot (I used a Dutch Oven) over medium-low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir and fold gently with a buttered scraper (so the scraper wont stick to the marshmallows). Continue this process until the marshmallows are fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Stir to combine. Add in 2-3 drops of green food coloring and stir well until color is evenly distributed. Add in the cereal and gently fold until well-coated. Transfer the mixture to the greased pan. Use your buttered scraper or your hands (careful it could be hot!) to gently press the Rice Krispies into the pan. Allow to cool for at least one hour.
After the treats have cooled, use a buttered knife to cut into roughly 3″x4″ rectangles. Transfer to parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Carefully insert a popsicle stick into the base of the rectangles.
Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave, stirring after 30 second increments until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Pick the pops up by the popsicle stick. Turn upside down and slowly dunk top about 1/2 inch into chocolate. Pull straight out and slowly twirl pop as to remove excess chocolate. Place on parchment or baking mat and repeat with remaining treats. Transfer remaining melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip or a plastic sandwich Ziploc bag with the tip cut off. Pipe a mouth onto the treats. Pipe two dots where you want to place sugar eyes and then place eyes onto the dots so that they will stay. Allow chocolate to harden and enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Rice Krispies

Crumb Coffee Cake

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Lolly under Breakfast, Dessert, Holidays

Mother’s Day is upon us and I wanted to kick off the celebration with a delicious coffee cake recipe. The flavorful cinnamon crumb layer is extra thick and sits atop a fluffy piece of vanilla-buttermilk cake. It’s a special treat that goes well with breakfast, brunch, or as a dessert. Another bonus is the coffee cake is even better the day after it’s baked, establishing it as a great option for a make-ahead menu item.

My mother actually introduced this recipe to me shortly after I had Smith. She stayed at our house for several days to act as a private chef, housekeeper, and grandmother extraordinaire as we adjusted to our new life as a family of three. We were so grateful for all she did for us in those first few weeks as new parents and I remember experiencing a feeling of homesickness when she left, the kind of homesickness I used to feel when I was eight years old and at a slumber party.

It turns out we never stop needing our mothers. I still talk with my mom nearly everyday and seek her advice on several occasions. Now that I am a mother myself, I have an even greater respect for my mom. She is determined, independent, intelligent, and friendly to all she meets. My mother is also fiercely passionate about politics and she can turn a simple conversation about bananas into something involving the government in less than five seconds. But above all that, what I love most about my mother is her fantastic wit and sense of humor. She can always make us laugh until it hurts. Thank you, Mom, for being the best mother to us. Your children and grandchildren love you so much.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Crumb Coffee Cake

Yield: 8-12 servings

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
10 Tablespoons (1 and 1/4 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature¹
1 large egg, at room temperature²
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform with butter. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with 1 Tablespoon of flour and tap out the excess. Set aside.
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir the flour, sugar, and salt together. Add in the pieces of butter and stir on medium-low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1 cup of the flour mixture.
Mix the baking powder and baking soda into the remaining flour mixture. Add the room temperature buttermilk, egg, and vanilla and mix everything together until the batter is smooth, fluffy, and resembles frosting – about 2 full minutes. Transfer the batter into the prepared springform pan and spread evenly.
Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the reserved flour mixture. Mix with a fork until well blended. Sprinkle the crumbs over the batter and use your fingers to press them lightly into the batter. Bake the cake until the center is firm, about 55-60 minutes. Place on a baking rack and cool for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan. Allow cake to cool completely before serving.

Source: Sally’s Baking Addiction, who adapted it from Cook’s Illustrated

Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Lolly under Dessert, Holidays

I have one more Christmas treat to share with you and it’s a super simple, easy, and tasty recipe. Before I go any further though, I have to make a comment about the title of this dessert. It is deemed “fudge,” but I know the fudge purists out there (i.e. my beloved Aunt Khaki) will cry foul. It is not boiled or made with cream; but it is still a great addition to your holiday dessert tray. So there you go my sweet fudge queen, Aunt Khaki. You have taught me the true candy-making ways.

Now- onto this dessert. One of my favorite things about this fudge is that it’s no-bake and it only took about 15 minutes of total active time in the kitchen. That, and the fact that the combination of salty, crunchy pretzels and peanut butter go so well with the flavor of bittersweet chocolate. This is the perfect thing to make with only 5 days before Christmas. Minimal fuss in the kitchen means there is plenty of time to spend with the ones you love the most, which is usually a good thing.🙂

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge

Ingredients

5 ounces (2 cups) salted thin pretzel sticks, broken into ½-inch pieces
12 Tbsp. butter, melted
1½ cups creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups (12 ounces) powdered sugar
2 ounces (½ cup) bittersweet chocolate chips (semisweet or milkchocolate is fine, too)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Directions
1. Line an 8×8 inch pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

2.Process 1 cup of the broken pretzels in a food processor until finely ground. Combine pretzel crumbs and the 12 tablespoons melted butter in a bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3.Add the peanut butter, vanilla and salt to butter mixture and mix on low speed until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until peanut butter mixture comes together. Add remaining 1 cup broken pretzels and mix until just combined.

4.Transfer peanut butter mixture to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Microwave the chocolate and corn syrup in 30 second intervals, stirring after each 30 seconds. Continue to put in the microwave for 30 seconds until fully melted. Stir until smooth. Pour over top of the chilled peanut butter fudge and spread evenly. Cover pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. This fudge also freezes really well for a few weeks.

Source: America’s Test Kitchen Best-Ever Christmas Cookies

Soft Cut-Out Cookies with Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Lolly under Dessert, Holidays, Uncategorized

What are your all-time favorite Christmas cookies? I adore a lot of them, but the top spot in my heart goes to soft cut-out cookies with fluffy icing. The whole process brings back a lot of happy memories from
my childhood. If my mind serves me right, my mom usually made spritz, snowball, and cut-out cookies at Christmas time. I always loved helping frost the cut-out cookies and eating the icing when my mom wasn’t looking. One Christmas, I ate so much, I ended up with a bad stomach ache. Or maybe that was the Christmas when everyone in our family came down with a nasty bout of gastroenteritis? Nothing says “Merry Christmas” quite like spending the night curled up in the fetal position on the bathroom floor. Happy memories… and a great topic for a food blog.

Anyways, back to these particular cookies…

I used one of my favorite drop cookie recipes for sugar cookies and decided to see if the dough would hold up as cut-outs. Boy, does it ever. The cookies are soft on the inside, but have enough of a sturdy exterior that they can be topped with frosting. And the frosting is just lovely. It’s fluffy, pillowy, and it pairs so well with the cookies.

I should point out that the cookie recipe calls for a lot of vanilla and baking powder, so make sure your pantry is well-stocked. This recipe can also be doubled and it freezes great. It’s perfect for making a few weeks in advance.

I hope you will fall in love with these cookies as much as we did.

Soft Cut-Out Cookies with Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

For the Cookies

4½ cups all-purpose flour
4½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs
5 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the frosting

3 sticks + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions

1. Make the cookie dough ahead of time: beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and mix until combined.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture, just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure the dough is evenly mixed. Chill the dough for a hour.

3. While dough is chilling, make the frosting. Place the butter, salt, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip the butter at medium speed until it is pale yellow and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time until well-combined. Add in the cream and mix well. Add in desired food coloring.

4. When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.Roll out the dough on a lightly-floured surface with a rolling pin until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out with desired cookie cutters. Transfer to baking sheet and dpace the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake about 8-9 minutes or just until set. Be careful not to overbake – they should barely browned on the bottom. Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely,

5. Decorate cooled cookies with frosting using a knife, offset spatula, or piping tips (I used Wilton 233 tip for the Christmas trees). Top with sprinkles, if desired.

Source: Cookies- Annie’s Eats (originally adapted from Hostess with the Mostess), Frosting- barely adapted from Sweetapolita

Date Nut Pinwheels

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Lolly under Dessert, Holidays

When I was planning what cookies I was going to bake for this Christmas season, I perused through my cookbooks and surfed my Pinterest boards and found myself in absolute sensory overload. I couldn’t decide, so I asked Bert what his favorite Christmas cookies are and after brief deliberation, he decided on date nut pinwheels. I was kind of surprised to learn this little fact about the guy I have grown to know so well that I can (and, so annoyingly, do) finish his sentences. My husband, who has declared chocolate chip the supreme cookie of all time and holds a classic double chocolate cake as his most revered birthday treat, had revealed to me a side of him that I never knew. The lad loves the underrated and often overlooked date nut pinwheel. My heart swelled with pride and I marked my notebook in pen; date nut pinwheels were a must for this holiday season.

These cookies are a little more time-consuming in that you have to allow plenty of time to make and cool the filling, and chill the dough two separate times. The actual rolling up of the pinwheels can be a little intimidating, but the folks at America’s Test Kitchen included great instructions on how to do it simply with parchment paper. I was feeling a little sassy and festive on the day I was baking these and decided to have Bert and Smith record me rolling up one of the pinwheel logs . I always learn better by watching a video over a series of pictures, so I’ve included the video here. It’s very homemade, but I hope you find it helpful.

Have a wonderful week, everyone, I am going to be posting more holiday treats on the blog as Christmas nears. It’s going to be extra sweet around here, but I have some lighter recipes to share in a few weeks, as well.

Date Nut Pinwheels

Yield: America’s Test Kitchen says 40 but I got around 48

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped fine
9 ounces pitted dates, chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (7 ounces) packed brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Bring the pecans, dates, 1/2 cup sugar, and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir frequently and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 hour.

2. Use the paddle attachment in a standing mixer to beat together the butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar. Beat for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, soda, and salt. Set aside. When your butter mixture is nice and fluffy, turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the eggs, one at at time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowls and mix again. Next, add in the vanilla and mix until well-combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture, in about 3 additions, until the dough is just sticking together. Turn off the mixer and divide the dough into two equal-sized hunks. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. After the filling is cooled and the dough has chilled, place one of the hunks of dough on a lightly-floured piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a 9×13 inch rectangle and spread half of the date filling on the dough using a rubber spatula. Pull up on the long side of the parchment paper that is facing you and slowly peel and roll the dough while pulling up on the parchment paper to form a log (see video above). Repeat with the other hunk of dough. Place the logs on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 1 day. You can also speed up this process by freezing the dough for about 1 hour.

4. When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with greased parchment paper or silicone mats. Carefully slice the logs using a sawing motion as to not flatten the pinwheels into rectangles. Gently adjust the sliced cookies with your fingers to make them rounder. Place on baking sheets, about 2 inches apart, and bake for 14-16 minutes**, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool completely.

**America’s Test Kitchen provides a baking time of 18-22 minutes, but I found that my cookies were a little overdone at this time. My advice would be to do a test cookie and see which duration works best for you.

Source: America’s Test Kitchen Best-Ever Christmas Cookies

Homemade Peeps: Version 2.0

Posted on April 19, 2014 by Lolly under Dessert, Holidays

To celebrate this beautiful Easter weekend, I attempted to make homemade peeps again. My first attempt was last spring. Visions of beautiful, sparkling marshmallow treats danced in my head. I had seen several versions on Pinterest and I knew it was destined to be a hit. I was so young and naive. As you can see in the picture below, the magical peeps I had envisioned ended up looking like it belonged perfectly on a Pinterest Fail blog with the caption, “Nailed It.”

Not only did the marshmallow I piped on parchment paper turn into a pastel and turd-like blob, the said blobs stuck to the parchment paper even after cooling and there was no salvaging this mess. I was a bird with a broken wing.

When spring rolled around again this year, I came down with peep fever; and I decided it was time to try again. This time I stuck with a homemade marshmallow recipe I had used before. To prevent the little devils from sticking, I lightly sprayed the parchment paper with cooking spray. Though my homemade version featured a very diverse array of imperfect peep shapes and looks (morbidly obese, two-headed, evil eyes), I was much happier with this year’s version.

I will definitely be making these bad boys again next year, hopefully with my little sous chef by my side.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Lolly under Dessert, Holidays

I’ve obtained several cookbooks and baking books since I got married 6 and a half years ago. During the days of low carb dieting in my past, I would peruse longingly through the beautiful pictures in the Barefoot Contessa’s cookbook series or Taste of Home magazines. It was cathartic in a strange, carb-obsessed way. However, now the “dark ages” without carbs are only a distant memory (bread is the meaning of life), and my culinary literature collection continues to grow.

I love all the books on my shelves, but there is only one that I have of which I want to make every single recipe. That book? Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours. Talk about sensory overload. Everything sounds, looks, and reads positively scrumptrulescent. It’s really quite overwhelming. Even better, since owning this precious classic, every recipe of Dorie’s that I have made has become an instant favorite of mine. She really knows her stuff.

The most recent recipe of hers that I have made is her chocolate pecan pie. I happened to have a leftover pie crust in my fridge a few weeks ago and the urge to bake hit me on a Sunday afternoon. This pie popped into my mind as I had been thinking of making it for awhile, and away I went. The end result was a nice spin on what I consider traditional pecan pie. The chocolate and cinnamon are a really delicious addition and this treat would be a great addition to any Thanksgiving menu (well, actually, not great for people with nut allergies so check on that first!). It would be even better with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Printable Version

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 9-inch single pie crust
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (7 ounces) pecan halves or pieces
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used chocolate chips because I didn’t have baking chocolate)

Directions

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a pie plate on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together the corn syrup and brown sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Carefully whisk in the butter, followed by the eggs (one at a time) until well-combined. Next, add in the cinnamon, vanilla, and salt and stir to incorporate. Tap the bowl against the counter to remove air bubbles and then mix in the chocolate and pecans.

3. Carefully roll out the pie crust and gently mold into the pie plate. Pour the filling into the crust and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. While the pie is baking for the first 15 minutes, make a foils shield for the crust by cutting out the center of a 12 inch square of aluminum foil (directions here).

4. After the first 15 minutes of baking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and place the foil shield on top of the pie crust to prevent over-browning. Bake the pie for an additional 2o minutes, or until the pie no longer jiggles when gently tapped. Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a baking rack until it reaches room temperature.

Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours by: Dorie Greenspan

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Lolly under Dessert, Holidays

Last Friday night I was procrastinating and not cleaning our house before Robert’s parents arrived, so I decided to make some homemade Easter Peeps from a recipe I found on Pinterest. It was a gloriously fun time. I was singing my own made up songs (“Everybody Chunk Out Tonight,” sung to the tune of “Everybody Wang Chung Tonight,” is my current personal chart topper) and life was grand. Then I became a little impatient. Instead of letting the candy fluff cool, I decided to just keep things moving along and pipe it. It didn’t go well. My visions of beautiful, hand-crafted Peeps turned out looking like neon blobs of dog excrement in reality.

Nailed it.

So instead of putting peeps on the blog today, I made carrot cake whoopie pies. Fortunately, these cookies are a delightful spring treat. They’re chocked full of shredded carrots and a great spicy blend of cinnnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Because my Peeps were an utter failure, I am bringing these bad boys home for Easter instead. When one door closes, another opens.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

Printable Version

Yield: About 16 cookie sandwiches

Ingredients

For the cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated carrots

For the filling

4 oz cream cheese, softened
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Set aside 3 cookie sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

2. Place the butter and sugars in a bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, spices, soda, powder, and salt in a separate medium bowl. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn it back on at low speed and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the vanilla. Carefully add the dry ingredients, about 1/2 cup at a time, and beat just until combined. Lastly, add in the grated carrots and mix until just mixed.

3. Using a small 1.5 inch cookie scoop to place the batter evenly onto the cookie sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Use your fingers to lightly press down on the dough to ensure a smoother cookie. Bake for about 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies spring back when gently pressed. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to parchment paper to cool completely.

4. To make the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the milk and vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the powdered sugar until the frosting is well mixed.

5. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the flat side of one of the cookies. Place the flat side of another cookie on the icing and store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Source: Cookies- Tracey’s Culinary Adventures; Filling- Old Thyme Cookbook

Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Lolly under Dessert, Holidays

I adore Valentine’s Day. The colors, the excessive hearts, the candy. It’s all glorious. But I don’t just view this as a holiday for couples, I see it as a day to celebrate all of the people you love in your life (I know, I know- it sounds sickeningly cloying, but it’s really how I feel). I decided to celebrate by baking these cookies while listening to my eclectic Pandora radio stations. It was a good Saturday, folks.

I first eyed this marbling method with royal icing last year, and I’ve been waiting to try it ever since. I’ve had some practice with decorating sugar cookies (with my favorite sugar cookie and royal icing recipe), but I still have a lot to learn. What I have picked up so far is that it’s most important to plan ahead. Most sugar cookie doughs require at least some chilling time and the royal icing is stable enough to be made a few days in advance. It’s also helpful to have all of the tools you need ready to go to make the process as efficient as possible.

Here’s what I like to use:

Disposable piping bags
Round piping tips
Good quality food coloring (I use Wilton or Americolor)
Plastic squeeze bottles (for flooding icing)
Toothpicks
Plastic containers with lids (for icing storage)
Baking racks

And here is how I decorated the cookies:

1. Outline the cookies

2. Thin the icing with water and flood

3. Pipe dots

4. Drag a toothpick through the dots

5. Allow cookies to dry completely and enjoy🙂

Source: Decorating method vis Annie’s Eats

Hickory Creek Lane

Home Cooking Adventures in Amish Country

Category Archives: Holidays

Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Cookies with Bourbon Caramel Frosting

Spooky Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treat Pops

Crumb Coffee Cake

Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge

Soft Cut-Out Cookies with Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

Date Nut Pinwheels

Homemade Peeps: Version 2.0

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies

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