Lemon Bars

I didn't know how long this would take to make so I sort of procrastinated until last thursday. Since I was going to be late to work anyway from going to the airport, I thought what the heck. I was really amazeda at how easy this was to put together. While this was baking in the oven, I ate my lunch. Once I was done eating, dessert was ready. This was an amazing treat. I'd make it again. Everyone who had a taste really liked it. Thanks again Kristyn for sharing. Next will be apple tart.


Lemon Bars
Part: 1
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1 pinch of salt


Mix above ingredients and pat into a 9x12 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.


Part II
4 beaten eggs
5 tbsp flour
6 tbsp lemon juice (meyer lemons if you can get them, they're sweeter. But always use fresh lemons!)
2 cups sugar
grated rind of one lemon


Mix above ingredients and pour over Part I. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into squares.

Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tommorrow is Chance's end of the school year party and I get to bring in baked goods. I am always so thrilled about making something for the class. I wanted to make something more interesting but not sure about the kids food allergies so I decided to stick to the basic stuff. Snickerdoodles are fairly easy to make and chocolate chips without the nuts is quite simple too. I had all morning so I went ahead and make both. I ended up with so much cookies that I had to bring some in to work to share. I don't think Chance's class can finish them all. The entire house smells like cookies once I got through baking. I just love the smell of fresh baked goods.

More Sugar Cookies Fun on Saturday at Teresa's Palace

So last saturday, Teresa and I decided to test out different sugar cookies recipes to find the best one for an upcoming baby shower. We also wanted to play around with the marshmallow fondant as well. Teresa forwarded a new sugar cookie and icing recipe prior to our get-together. I made the dough 1 day ahead and brought it over to her house. When I got there, she had already baked some cookies using another recipe. I had one of her cookies and thought the marshmallow was really really soft. Much softer than when I made mine. I was curious how hers came out different than mine eventhough we used the same recipe. Come to find out, she used more powdered sugar than I did. I measured mine out tablespoon by tablespoon and only add when I really needed to for kneading. My dough was very soft and was rather hard to work with. We couldn't figure out why it was so soft. We thought maybe because she's on a hill,the altitute might have something to do with it??? who knows?? Took a little while before we got used to handling the really soft dough. Once we got the hang of it, it went fairly smoothly. Then it was dinner time and we got caught up with preparing dinner. Guess what happened, we completely forgot about the last few cookies still baking in the oven. Boy, you should have seen the smoke coming out of that oven. I did smell something burnt but ignored it because I am used to smelling burnt bread crumbs at home so didn't think anything of it. Oh well, I guess that's what happens when you are too distracted. Dinner was delicious, we had gourmet hot dogs and homemade pizzas. I'll have to tell you all about the pizza next time if and when I decide to make it on my own.

Meyer Lemon Scone

I really was not too willing to make scones because once upon a time I heard from a friend who also bakes that it was difficult to make, yadeyadeya.... So never in my mind did I think to try and make these. Thanks to Krystin who gave me the confidence and reassured me that it's not hard at all. So this morning I gave it a shot. Here's some photo to show off my amateur scone making skills. I had no idea which direction to cut the dough so that I could make triangle shapes. So I did the best I could without having to re-knead the dough too much. I don't particularly enjoy working with sticky dough. Even though the shapes are a little funky, I can guarantee that you won't just eat one scone. Why wouldn't you?? Afterall, there's 3 sticks of butter in this recipe. I had to double check and triple check the butter amount to make sure i didn't misread it. I was finally convinced after glancing it over three times. Now I know what the secret ingredient is in all those scones that I have consuming all these years.

Meyer Lemon Scone
adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Cranberry Orange Scones

Makes 10-12 scones

For the scones
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting
1/4 cup granulated sugar
sugar in the raw for dusting
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest
3/4 pounds cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries

For the egg wash
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons water

Optional Glaze
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice (can use orange juice)


Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and Meyer lemon zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy. Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.
2. Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick -- I prefer circle. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick. With a floured knife, cut the dough into triangles. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more triangles.
3. Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar in the raw, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.

Pig Picking Cupcakes

I made these into cupcakes because I don't have round cake pans. These are super moist and light. It's really an easy recipe to follow and everyone should try making these. I finally got to try my new piping tools. I used the big star tip and decorated the cupcakes with cool whip mixed with crushed pineapple and vanilla pudding. Instead of using 16oz of cool whip, i only used 8oz and it worked out fine. These puppies look a lot more appetizing than my previous cupcakes. See for yourself and you'll probably nod your head too.

Pig Pickin' Cake
Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, juice reserved
4 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
Directions

Mix together cake mix, canned oranges with juice, eggs, and oil. Pour batter into three greased and floured 8 inch round pans. Layers will be thin.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool layers on wire racks.
Mix together whipped topping, drained pineapple, and instant pudding mix. Fill and frost the cooled cake. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

I've been wanting to practice piping cupcakes to make them look more professional and yesterday was a great opportunity to do so. I found Martha stewart's recipe online and decided that chocolate would go well with just about any kind of frosting? The cupcakes were easy to prepare and bake. My little helper Chance placed the liners in the muffin pan for me (saved a few minutes). I wanted to make frosting that wasn't so rich and fattening. I realized that I don't want to use a recipe that calls for a couple sticks of pure butter in my frosting and I don't necessarily want straight cream cheese either with all the extra sugar added. I think I just about eliminated all the key ingredients in frosting, huh? The other option I had was a merengue type frosting using egg whites but then I didn't want to eat or serve raw eggs either. So I decided to experiment with a few ingredients to see if I can whip up something. The goal was to make a coffee flavored frosting using egg whites (somewhat cooked) by using a double boiler. Well, I don't know what went wrong, but it was such a big flop. I tried saving it by adding cream cheese and more sugar but it was at a point of no return. The mixture was to fluid, even after a few minutes of whipping. I think maybe the steps were out of sequence or maybe too much liquid was added. Did I stop here, of course not! I was determined to make frosting and so I gave it another try using only 1 egg white and 1/2 the sugar and then added instant coffee and a little water. Again, it didn't turn into a fluff, just flat liquid :( I still couldn't figure out what went wrong? At this point, it was time to go to work. While at work, it was still hanging over me so I went online to find other recipes. I came across this: whipped cream cheese frosting. It was supposed to be lighter than buttercream. It uses heavy whipping cream and cream cheese. When on my lunch break, I had to make this and it really turned out well. I thought the sugar content could be cut back. Maybe it's just me but I find that most frostings are way too sweet and most of the time I don't eat it anyway. I usually scrape it off and throw it away when no one's watching. Is it mainly used to dress up cupcakes?? I don't care much for it but my little boy loves it. That's all he eats when he's having a cupcake. He leaves the cake part once he's done licking the frosting. I didn't get to take any pictures this time. I'll post it when I make it next time.

Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 18 to 24
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
First published


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Frosting Recipe Link: from Allrecipes
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/whipped-cream-cream-cheese-frosting/detail.aspx

CHOCOLATE CHIP PECAN COOKIES

Thanks Nga for this amazing cookie recipe. I tried making these and it was absolutely delicious. Toasting the pecans really made a difference and I never on my own would have thought to do that. Great Recipe. I was running late to work and didn't have a second to take some pictures :( Below is the recipe for this and Kristyn, I hope you don't mind sharing this with everyone.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PECAN COOKIES

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 stick butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract - I always add a splash more..it'll make the cookies tastier
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (I add a bit more b/c I like salty sweet cookies, so add an extra pinch)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (I buy small pre-chopped pecans but if you prefer, buy whole pecans, toast in a 300 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, but watch them carefully so they don't burn!)

Adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat to 300F (150C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.

Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon (5cm) balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, on each of the baking sheets.

Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. :)