From See Jane Cook.
2 C. sugar
1-1/2 C. butter-flavored shortening
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon extract
4 C. flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
finely chopped zest from one lemon
1 (6 oz.) pkg. lemon drops
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Finely crush lemon drops in blender or food processor. In mixing bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in vanilla and lemon extract. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add lemon zest and finely crushed lemon drops and mix well.
Roll into balls, place on parchment-lined baking sheet, and slightly flatten. You must use parchment paper; otherwise, the cookies will stick to the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool on pan for a few minutes to set. Transfer cookies to cooling rack and brush glaze over cookie tops. Let cookies cool completely. Cookies freeze well.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Note: I baked the cookies until I could see they were brown on the bottom but looked like they weren't quite done on the top (soft set). For crunchier cookies, bake until the tops are lightly browned.
Glaze
2 C. powdered sugar
4-5 Tbsp. lemon juice (from juice of about two lemons)
Stir together until smooth.
Mini Cupcakes
I have had a mini cupcake pan forever. I've used it to make mini brownies and peanut butter cup cookies, but I've never actually baked cupcakes in it! The backs of the cake mix boxes don't have directions on how to bake mini cupcakes so I searched the internet to find the following instructions. The cupcakes turned out pretty yummy (and so cute!).
Line the mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners (these are widely available at grocery or craft stores).
Mini cupcakes are about one-third the size of a regular cupcake. Since a regular cupcake typically has about 1/4 cup of batter, you will only want to use about 1 Tbsp. batter in a mini cupcake. Try to keep all of the wells filled with equal amounts of batter so the cupcakes will cook for the same length of time.
Cook the cupcakes for about 9 minutes. Test the cupcakes using the toothpick method. If they aren't done, continue cooking for about 30 seconds before checking again. You have to watch the mini cupcakes very carefully because they can easily overcook since they are so small.
Line the mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners (these are widely available at grocery or craft stores).
Mini cupcakes are about one-third the size of a regular cupcake. Since a regular cupcake typically has about 1/4 cup of batter, you will only want to use about 1 Tbsp. batter in a mini cupcake. Try to keep all of the wells filled with equal amounts of batter so the cupcakes will cook for the same length of time.
Cook the cupcakes for about 9 minutes. Test the cupcakes using the toothpick method. If they aren't done, continue cooking for about 30 seconds before checking again. You have to watch the mini cupcakes very carefully because they can easily overcook since they are so small.
Oreo Buttercream Frosting
This recipe is from the Life as a Lofthouse blog. I love it! This frosting is so good you could seriously eat it by itself.
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 Tbsp. milk
2 C. powdered sugar
8 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
In a large bowl cream butter, vanilla, and milk. Slowly add in powdered sugar until creamy and fluffy. Mix in crushed oreos until well combined.
Notes: The recipe called for unsalted butter. I don't typically keep unsalted butter in my refrigerator so I just used regular (salted) butter. I thought it tasted fine and I bet the little bit of salt in the butter cuts through the sugary cookies to keep the frosting from being too sweet. The original recipe made too much frosting for what I needed so I halved the measurements. This is probably enough frosting to frost the top of a 9- x 13-inch cake or 12-18 cupcakes. If I was frosting an entire layer cake or 24 cupcakes, I would probably double the recipe. Crush the Oreo cookies (no need to separate the cookies from the filling) using either a food processor or blender because you really do need the cookies to be finely crushed. However, the cookies soften in the buttercream so a few chunky pieces are okay.
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 Tbsp. milk
2 C. powdered sugar
8 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
In a large bowl cream butter, vanilla, and milk. Slowly add in powdered sugar until creamy and fluffy. Mix in crushed oreos until well combined.
Notes: The recipe called for unsalted butter. I don't typically keep unsalted butter in my refrigerator so I just used regular (salted) butter. I thought it tasted fine and I bet the little bit of salt in the butter cuts through the sugary cookies to keep the frosting from being too sweet. The original recipe made too much frosting for what I needed so I halved the measurements. This is probably enough frosting to frost the top of a 9- x 13-inch cake or 12-18 cupcakes. If I was frosting an entire layer cake or 24 cupcakes, I would probably double the recipe. Crush the Oreo cookies (no need to separate the cookies from the filling) using either a food processor or blender because you really do need the cookies to be finely crushed. However, the cookies soften in the buttercream so a few chunky pieces are okay.
Butter Syrup
Another recipe from the "What's Cooking" with Ruthie blog. This syrup is so delicious that everyone was eating it directly from the pan! We were also dipping strawberries in it!
2 sticks butter, cut into tablespoon-sized slices
1-1/2 C. sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
3/4 C. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix butter, sugar, corn syrup, and buttermilk in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla and baking soda (baking soda will make the syrup frothy). Remove syrup from heat and serve. Syrup may be made ahead and reheated.
Note: When I made the syrup, it was a beautiful buttery color. However, I left the syrup over low heat to keep it warm and the syrup turned a caramel color. It didn't affect the flavor, but I recommend not leaving the syrup on heat.
2 sticks butter, cut into tablespoon-sized slices
1-1/2 C. sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
3/4 C. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix butter, sugar, corn syrup, and buttermilk in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla and baking soda (baking soda will make the syrup frothy). Remove syrup from heat and serve. Syrup may be made ahead and reheated.
Note: When I made the syrup, it was a beautiful buttery color. However, I left the syrup over low heat to keep it warm and the syrup turned a caramel color. It didn't affect the flavor, but I recommend not leaving the syrup on heat.
Decadent French Toast
The local newspaper recently featured the "What's Cooking" with Ruthie blog. After browsing through a few recipes, I bookmarked her site. The recipes look so delicious and I love her step-by-step picture instructions. It's so much easier (and reassuring!) to see what something is supposed to look like when you're making it for the first time. When I saw her post for this French toast, I knew what would be on the menu for Christmas morning...and I don't even like French toast. The best part is that you make it the night beforehand so there's no prep work in the morning.
12 slices of soft white bread (I used Dunford's)
4 oz. whipped cream cheese
1 stick butter, sliced
1/4 C. pancake syrup
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (I used a heaping teaspoon)
6 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1-3/4 C. milk (I used whole milk)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large casserole dish add sliced butter, syrup, and brown sugar. Place dish in oven and melt together for 5-7 minutes, or until caramelized, stirring once. Spread cream cheese on half of the bread slices. Place additional slice of bread on top of cream cheese to form a "cream cheese sandwich." Set aside. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with a wire whisk. Whisk in vanilla and milk.
When butter mixture is caramelized, remove casserole dish from oven. Put sandwiches in the dish. Sprinkle tops of sandwiches with cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour egg mixture over sandwiches. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve caramel side up. Top with berries, syrup, and sour cream.
12 slices of soft white bread (I used Dunford's)
4 oz. whipped cream cheese
1 stick butter, sliced
1/4 C. pancake syrup
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (I used a heaping teaspoon)
6 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1-3/4 C. milk (I used whole milk)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large casserole dish add sliced butter, syrup, and brown sugar. Place dish in oven and melt together for 5-7 minutes, or until caramelized, stirring once. Spread cream cheese on half of the bread slices. Place additional slice of bread on top of cream cheese to form a "cream cheese sandwich." Set aside. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with a wire whisk. Whisk in vanilla and milk.
When butter mixture is caramelized, remove casserole dish from oven. Put sandwiches in the dish. Sprinkle tops of sandwiches with cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour egg mixture over sandwiches. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve caramel side up. Top with berries, syrup, and sour cream.
Taco Pasta
Life as a Lofthouse is one of my favorite food blogs. The recipes are easy to make, and I usually have everything on hand! This recipe was a recent post. It was tasty!
1 lb. lean ground beef
8-12 oz. small pasta shells
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning (regular or low sodium)
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. sour cream (regular or light)
salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions (the pasta should be al dente). Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook ground beef and chopped onion over medium-high heat. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain any grease, then add minced garlic. Cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Stir in cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream, and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Cook and stir until cream cheese has melted and sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes, or until sauce has reduced a bit. Serve warm.
Notes: I used 93% lean ground beef and there was no grease to drain. I love tomatoes, so the next time I make this recipe I will probably use two cans of diced tomatoes. Elbow macaroni can be substituted for the small pasta shells. I tried the large pasta shells, but I think I would prefer the small pasta shells or the macaroni. One package of taco seasoning is equivalent to 4 Tbsp.
1 lb. lean ground beef
8-12 oz. small pasta shells
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning (regular or low sodium)
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. sour cream (regular or light)
salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions (the pasta should be al dente). Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook ground beef and chopped onion over medium-high heat. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain any grease, then add minced garlic. Cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Stir in cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream, and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Cook and stir until cream cheese has melted and sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes, or until sauce has reduced a bit. Serve warm.
Notes: I used 93% lean ground beef and there was no grease to drain. I love tomatoes, so the next time I make this recipe I will probably use two cans of diced tomatoes. Elbow macaroni can be substituted for the small pasta shells. I tried the large pasta shells, but I think I would prefer the small pasta shells or the macaroni. One package of taco seasoning is equivalent to 4 Tbsp.
Bacon
Bacon seems to be a big fad right now. It's even in cookies of all places. I don't mind bacon in salads, soups, or on baked potatoes, but I rarely eat it for breakfast. Bacon is typically too salty for me and I hate it when it is undercooked (i.e., slimy or wiggly). I like my bacon crispy! But the real thing I dislike is cooking bacon. Grease splatters all over your kitchen and you can only fit a few pieces in the skillet until they shrink down--it's a big time commitment.
For a while now I've seen instructions for cooking bacon in the oven rather than on the stovetop. Today, for Christmas breakfast, I finally tried cooking bacon in the oven, and it was perfect! The process was very low maintenance: the whole slab of bacon fit on one baking sheet, I ended up with no second-degree burns from grease splatters, and the smell of cooked pork didn't linger in the air or in my hair. And, as my dad, said: "Doesn't it make sense to cook bacon that way? After all, BACON contains the word BAKE!"
I'm sure there are different variations for "baking" bacon, but here's what I did:
1 pkg. thick-cut bacon (regular or low sodium)
Lay strips of bacon in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue cooking for about 15 minutes longer, or until the bacon is at the desired crispiness. WATCH CAREFULLY so that the bacon does not burn (oven temperatures may differ). There is no need to flip the bacon during the cooking process. Remove pan from oven and transfer bacon to a towel-lined plate. Serve or wait until cool and crumble.
Notes: Using two temperatures is probably not necessary. For this particular breakfast, French toast was already baking so I just stuck the bacon in the oven at the same time. However, it seems like the lower temperature renders the fat and then the higher temperature crisps up the pork. I just put the bacon directly on the pan, but it seems you could line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil to minimize the cleanup process.
For a while now I've seen instructions for cooking bacon in the oven rather than on the stovetop. Today, for Christmas breakfast, I finally tried cooking bacon in the oven, and it was perfect! The process was very low maintenance: the whole slab of bacon fit on one baking sheet, I ended up with no second-degree burns from grease splatters, and the smell of cooked pork didn't linger in the air or in my hair. And, as my dad, said: "Doesn't it make sense to cook bacon that way? After all, BACON contains the word BAKE!"
I'm sure there are different variations for "baking" bacon, but here's what I did:
1 pkg. thick-cut bacon (regular or low sodium)
Lay strips of bacon in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue cooking for about 15 minutes longer, or until the bacon is at the desired crispiness. WATCH CAREFULLY so that the bacon does not burn (oven temperatures may differ). There is no need to flip the bacon during the cooking process. Remove pan from oven and transfer bacon to a towel-lined plate. Serve or wait until cool and crumble.
Notes: Using two temperatures is probably not necessary. For this particular breakfast, French toast was already baking so I just stuck the bacon in the oven at the same time. However, it seems like the lower temperature renders the fat and then the higher temperature crisps up the pork. I just put the bacon directly on the pan, but it seems you could line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil to minimize the cleanup process.