Chocolate Orange Cookies

These cookies are so yummy and a great way to start introducing  some summer flavors into your baking.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest (for me that was the zest of 2 oranges)
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  

2.In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3.In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. 

4.Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and white chocolate chips.

5.Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. 

6.Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

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Cinnamon Roll Bread

This loaf is fantastic! My sister had a really early morning baseball game this weekend, so I made this and brought it and everyone LOVED it! Everyone said it was amazingly moist and the flavor was out of this world!( It paired great with the huge cups of coffee we were all drinking). So of course I had to share it with you guys. I hope you enjoy:).  

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup granulated sugar
 1 egg – room temperature, lightly beaten
 1 cup milk – I used 1% 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 1/3 cup sour cream 
1/3 cup granulated sugar 
2 teaspoons cinnamon
 2 tablespoons water



Directions

1. Pre-heat our oven to 350 degrees and prepare a bread pan by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray or lightly greasing it with butter.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. 

3. In a small bowl combine egg, milk, vanilla extract and yogurt or sour cream. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine. You can use a large wooden spoon for this if you wish, no mixer is required.

4. In a small bowl combine swirl ingredients together – 1/3 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 2 tablespoons water. Use a tablespoon to drop spoonfuls of this mixture over the bread, then use a knife to make swirl designs to incorporate the cinnamon mixture into the bread. 

5.Bake for 45-50 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool for 15 minutes.Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to continue cooling completely. 


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Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

These muffins are SO yummy and with no butter or oil, it feels oh so good to indulge in one or a few in my case :). My family has been having these muffins for breakfast everyday this week and they are loving them. The muffins pair perfectly with a smoothie for a breakfast that will really help you jump start your day.

Yield: 18 muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons apple sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed banana ( about 3 bananas)
6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 cup buttermilk


Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 18 muffin cups with liners.

2.In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together with a fork to blend.

3.In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, brown sugar, eggs, banana, peanut butter and buttermilk until smooth. 

4.Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated and fully blended.

5.Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



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Lemon Shortbread Cookies

I would just like to start off saying that I am sorry I have been gone for 2 1/2 weeks! I have been so busy this spring break with traveling(with no wifi) and schoolwork that I didn't have time for baking. But I hope this yummy recipe makes up for the lack of blogs.

Ingredients

Cookies

1. 1 cup butter, softened
2. 1 cup powdered sugar
3. 1/4 teaspoon salt
4. 2 tablespoons lemon zest
5. 2 1/2 cup flour

Glaze

1. 1 cup powdered sugar
2. 1 tablespoon milk
3. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. 1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. 2.Beat butter, sugar, salt and lemon rind until smooth. About 2 minutes. Add flour and blend well.
3. 3.Dough will look like very course sand. Add the lemon juice and beat just a bit more.
4. 4.Gather dough into a ball kneading just a few times so it holds together. Divide in half. Roll out the first half to 1/4 inch thick.
5. 5.Cut out with cookie cutter. I used a 2 1/2 inch circle.
6. 6.Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 6 minutes. Do not brown. Repeat process for second half of dough.
7. 7. While the cookies bake you can make the icing, start by combine powdered sugar, milk and lemon juice. Stir well. Add more lemon juice or milk until the glaze is desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

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The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe has been hand down through many generations in my family  and now to you guys. These are by far the best peanut butter cookies you will ever have. Their classic flavor is timeless and great for any occasion.

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1 cup granola ( I used Trader Joe's almond granola)


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and peanut butter.

3.Add the white sugar, brown sugar and eggs. Mix and place aside.

4.In a small bowl, mix together the baking soda and flour.Once all the mixed add the granola    of your choice.

5.Place on baking sheets and bake for 15 min.



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Rasberry Mousse Chocolate Cups

I made these little delights for my family's annual Oscar Sunday Appetizer night. My family loved them! The raspberry mousse paired fantastically with the chocolate cups!

Yield: 12 mousse cups

Ingredients

Mousse

1 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon unflavored
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Chocolate cups

2 cups chocolate chips
12 mini baking cups



Directions

1. Place the raspberries in a food processor; cover and puree. Strain and discard seeds. Transfer the puree to a large bowl. Stir in sugar and lemon juice; set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir the gelatin into the raspberry mixture. Refrigerate until slightly thickened, about 1 hour.

3. Transfer the gelatin mixture to a large bowl. Beat on high speed until foamy. Gradually add whipping cream; beat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for about 1-2 hours or until set.

4. Once you've got your mousse in the fridge its time to start the chocolate cups. Melt the chocolate chips at 30 second intervals in microwave string after each time.

5. Spoon the melted chocolate in the mini baking cups; making sure that you cover all sides of the baking cup with chocolate, make sure you leave a little extra at the bottom of the baking cup. Place the chocolate cups in a cupcake tin and refrigerate for a least 30 minutes or until hard.

6.Once the mousse and chocolate cups are ready feel each cup about 3/4 full of mousse and decorate with leftover chocolate shavings.






Here are some of the appetizers me and family made:

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Rainbow Pinwheel Cookies

These cookies were a nice way to brighten up my kitchen a dull winter day. They also aren't super sweet so they are perfect if your not big into sweets but are still craving a cookie.

Yield: makes 50+ cookies

Ingredients

6 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Shortening
2 cups Sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 cup Sour Cream
4 different Liquid food coloring colors ( your choice. I did purple, blue, green and yellow)
Rainbow sprinkles

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.Whisk together , in a large bowl the flour, baking soda and the salt. Set aside.

3.Blend together the shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla and sour cream in a medium bowl.

4.With a spatula slowly stir the wet ingredients  into the dry ingredients bowl.

5. Once all the ingredients are evenly combined cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for two hours.

6. Divide dough evenly into four bowls and color each with a different color liquid food coloring. 

7. Once dyed roll each color of dough into grape-sized balls. Combine a ball of each color and quickly roll into a larger ball. It will look like a little beach ball. Then roll that ball between your hands and the counter until you have a cylinder about 10 inches long. Starting from one end, roll the dough into a coil, twisting the cylinder as you go. 

8.Roll edges of the cookie in sprinkles. 

9.Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes, or until done.

10. let cool for a least 10 minutes and enjoy!


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