Goodies! by anna

I saw this recipe for Meyer Lemon Cupcakes so i decided to use up some more lemons and give them a try. The cupcake is a delicious vanilla cake filled with Meyer Lemon Curd and topped with buttercream chrysanthimum flowers and leaves.

I was lucky enough to get this really cute set of "bug" cookie cutters from the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's. They were having a big sale and i found a Macy's gift-card with $4 left over and my BFF Annette gave me one of her gift-cards with about $6 so they were basically free! I used the "bee" cutter from the set to make these 4 1/2 inch cookies you see here. The base is a dark chocolate sugar cookie decorated with glace icing in "bee colors" of yellow, dark chocolate and white. I chose to go atypical with my design for a little more unusual sophisticated look. Enjoy!

When i saw this super cute idea for Cupcake Pops on Bakerella's Blog i knew i wanted to give them a try and when i read that Bakerella got asked to be on the Martha Stewart show i was so excited for her!!! Martha thought her Cupcake Pops were something special too! The basic recipe for these Cupcake Pops is: one cooked cake crumbled up and mixed with frosting to form a "dough" that you can mold into different shapes like the little cupcakes you see here. Next, the shapes are dunked in melted chocolate, get a lollypop stick and finished with candy sprinkles. I stuck mine into a small flower pot filled with sugar and a piece of floral form underneath to hold them in place. Voila! Cupcake Pops! This is my first attempt and they look kinda wonky, especially compared to Bakerella's beautiful ones, but i will try again! I am planning on using my recipe for Rum Balls as the base to make them a little more "grown-up", something that could be served at a cocktail party or shower for adults. I think this would make a terrific display at any party. Who wouldn't want their very own Cupcake Pop??...Enjoy!

A week or two ago Martha Stewart had a Cupcake Week with cupcake contests and cupcake bakers galore! There were lots of terrific bakers and recipes to choose from but when i saw Martha make these cupcakes and then proceed to light up a big ol' blow torch to finish off the marshmallow topping....well I knew i was gonna try these babies! The official name is Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow by Jennifer Shea of Trophy Cupcakes. I changed a couple of things from the recipe proper: i made the graham cracker crust with the melted chocolate on top but i chose to leave off the additional graham crackers on the top of the cupcake cause it was a little too messy for me to eat! For the marshmallow frosting i used Dried Egg Whites which are pasturized and whip up to a perfect light merengue. The best part of making these cupcakes was the Blow Torch! When i asked my dad if i could borrow his blow torch he was understandibly a little concerned... however once i put on my Ove Glove (ya gotta get these, they are great!) i was good to go and i only barely singed the glove! These cupcakes are a big fluffy treat, reminiscent of a s'more with the chocolate, graham and toasted marshmallow topping. I brought a few to coffee with my good friend Donna and she really liked them! Enjoy!

I have been on a quest to find the "best" oatmeal cookie recipe: One that is moist and dense and flavorful with a slight crunchy edge. This recipe is pretty good but i think i can find better! These cookies have a good texture and flavor but i am looking for something with a little more substance. If you know of a really good oatmeal cookie recipe let me know!

This Banana Bread is one of my favorite old standby recipes! I always seem to have a few really ripe bananas at the end of the week and this is a terrific way to use them up. Some banana breads are kind of dry and crumbly (i've tried a lot of other recipes) but this recipe is super-moist and delicious, a delicious buttery undertone with nice rich banana flavor. Another great aspect of this bread is that it freezes perfectly and tastes just as good as the day you baked it! I will usually bake two loaves at a time, one to eat now and one to freeze for later. The recipe is really easy and forgiving. I have increased the amount of banana and increased or decreased the amount of sour cream, used walnuts, pecans or usually no nuts at all, depending on what i've had on hand. The bread always comes out tasty! There are a couple of things to remember when making quick breads of any kind. One is to not over beat your flour into the batter. Just combine it in quickly and leave it alone. This will give you a delicious delicate crumb and perfect texture. Over beating results in a tough, hard bread with a dense texture. The other tip is that after baking the bread for 30 minutes i pull it out of the oven and cover the top loosely with aluminum foil and then bake for the remaining 30 minutes. I've found that the aluminum foil keeps the top from getting too dark or burned while allowing the inside to get perfectly baked. To mix things up i sometimes add different spices and one of my favorites is a combination of spice from Penzeys called Cake Spice. Its a delicious blend of cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves that really warms up the banana bread and keeps people asking "what did you put in this??". If you are at all familiar with Penzeys Spices then you know how terrific they are! There is no Penzeys store anywhere near me but some friends of the family (Gayle and Chris) have a condo in Scottsdale Arizona that they visit every few months and low-and-behold there's a Penzeys Store right down the street and they so graciously bring me back delicious baking spices and vanilla extracts to try out! If you ever get a chance to shop at a Penzeys do so! They have delicious blends of spices and the most flavorful Double Strength Vanilla Extract! Enjoy!

I've had this terrible cold for several days now, so i've just been sitting around moping and watching the Food Network Channel. That's were i spotted this delicious looking cookie that won a perfect score of 100 from the judges on a Food Network Ultimate Cookie Recipe Showdown: Exotic Spice Cookies. I decided to get up and make some for myself, however i have unofficially renamed them the "I'm-Feeling-Sorry-For-Myself-Cause-I-Have-A-Cold" Cookies. Whatever you call them they are definitely one thing: delicious! These cookies are filled with a spicy warmth from all the ginger, cardamom, coriander and black pepper. The extra salt brings out the spicy sweetness in the ginger. These cookies bake up flat with a slightly crispy crunch edge and are all chewy on the inside with bits of crystallized ginger throughout. This is truly a spectacular spice cookie in the real sense of the word, think more "exotic Middle Eastern" than "plain gingerbread". The one thing that i did differently from the recipe is that i substituted vanilla extract for the rosewater because i didnt have any rosewater and i didnt feel like driving to the store! If you like spice then do yourself a huge favor and make yourself these cookies! I will definately be making these during the Holidays!

Ever since Mr. Reese came up with the idea to pair peanut butter with chocolate, this taste sensation has become an All American favorite (except for my friend Gigi who hates peanutbutter!)... so when i saw this recipe for  Peanut Butter Munchies i couldnt wait to try it out! These cookies bake up nice and moist with a rich peanut butter center, perfect with a big glass of milk. Each of these cookies is about 2 1/2 inches wide so they arent really large cookies which is good because they are kind of rich. I made the peanut butter centers the night before to save me some time. I just rolled them up (used a small melon baller scoop) and put them in a tupperware container. The next day i mixed up the chocolate cookie dough and scooped some out (used a 1 1/2 scoop) into the palm of my hand and flattened it out. Next i placed the peanut butter ball in the center and kind of wrapped it up in the chocolate dough then rolled it round. For the tops i used raw sugar instead of granulated sugar to get a more sparkly look and some extra crunch. This recipe is part of the Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cookie Collection and would be a terrific treat any time of the year. Enjoy!

I really like carrot cake! Its always so moist and flavorful, plus i can try to fool myself into thinking its "healthy" because of the carrots and raisins! When i came across this recipe for Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies i knew i had to give 'em a try! I followed the recipe but added a few twists: i soaked the raisins in some vanilla infused bourbon left over from Christmas Cocktails (thanks Jaron!) for a little extra flavor. And when i whipped up the cream cheese frosting i used the left over vanilla bourbon instead of vanilla extract. I also added about 1/4 tsp of salt in the frosting as well for a little contrast. The recipe says to use a small scoop for the dough but i like BIG cookies so i used a medium scoop for mine. I also cooked them long enough to really get a nice crispy edge. The cookies turned out soft and moist with that nice crunchy edge and paired perfectly with the creamy filling! Yum! It really is like a delicious mini-carrot cake. I think the Easter Bunny would love these!