Goodies! by anna

Looking for a fun homemade treat for your Valentine? How about some Peppermint Patty Hearts! The filling is snowy white with refreshing peppermint! The outside is a delicious dark chocolate candy coating sprinkled with some sparkling edible fairy dust. I cut mine out in a cute heart shape, perfect for Valentines gift giving. These peppermint patties are way better that the typical foil wrapped circles you can get from the store. Here is how you can make your own:

You can find the entire recipe for Peppermint Patties here. I followed the basic instructions but added 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract for an extra-peppermint punch. I also omitted the vegetable shortening from my filling because I don't like that slick mouth feeling from the shortening. I just added a little extra powder sugar as needed to create a dough. I also used Guittard Dark Chocolate Candy Coating instead of the regular chocolate. Candy Coating doesn't have to be tempered like regular chocolate so it never gets a "bloom" of gray haze. I used a 2" heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out my patties and rolled the "dough" to 1/4" thickness.

Start with the filling: beat  2 1/4 cups of the powdered sugar, corn syrup, water, peppermint extract, shortening if you are using, and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer until combined like a cookie dough. Taste you dough and add more peppermint extract if needed. Knead the dough on a board dusted with powdered sugar until smooth and roll out to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Freeze the dough until firm, about 1/2 hour then cut out shapes. Re-roll dough and continue to cut out shapes. Return cut outs to the freezer.

Melting the chocolate candy coating: I used two bags of Guittard Dark Chocolate candy coating and heated it very slowly in a double boiler over low heat until smooth. You don't want the chocolate to be too hot or it will really melt your peppermint patty dough. Take the dough cut out from the freezer and quickly coat in the chocolate using a fork and move to silpat or parchment lined pan. They will look a little "rustic" but hey, they are homemade! When all the cut outs are coated in chocolate lightly sprinkle shimmery edible disco dust over the top of the cut outs and place in the refrigerator to set. Instead of disco dust you could try a little sparkling sugar for some shimmer. I used a decorative punch to create a lacey border on some simple wax paper squares and arranged the peppermint patty hearts in each square to fill a small candy box. I made two layers of candies to fill an 6"x3"" candy box. Tie box with a pretty bow and give to your favorite Valentine!

If you've ever ventured out to the Napa Valley you've might have stopped at a little place in Yountville called Bouchon Bakery. The small town of Yountville is considered a foodie mecca and Thomas Kellers Bouchon Bakery is famous for all kinds of delicious baked goods, like these amazing Nutter Butter Cookies. Just one of these 4 inch sandwich cookies from the bakery will set you back $3, but its totally worth it! The perfect blend of peanut butter cookie goodness: a slightly crisp yet tender peanut butter cookie with a creamy peanut butter filling....I tried to replicate them at home using a recipe from the New York Times claiming to be THE Bouchon Nutter Butter Cookie recipe. While these cookies are very good, they just aren't the same as the real deal! These cookies bake up kind of soft unlike the Bouchon cookie which is slightly crisp, but the flavor is fantastic and perfect for any peanut butter lover! Of course, I probably made 24 cookies for the price of one from the bakery! Here is how you can make some too:
You can find the entire recipe for the Nutter Butter Cookies here. Start by whisking the flour, baking powder and baking soda together. Set aside. In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter. Add the sugars and beat for around 4 minutes until combined. On low speed add the eggs and vanilla then add the flour mixture and beat until well mixed. Add the peanuts and oats and mix well. I let my dough rest in the fridge for a couple of hours to make it easier to scoop out for baking. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a 2" scoop place dough balls around three inches apart on a lined baking sheet (I used a Silpat but parchment paper works fine). These cookies will spread a LOT so make sure to give them the full three inches in between. Bake the cookies until light golden brown, around 10-15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely. While cookies are cooling make the filling. Cream together the peanut butter, softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth. When the cookies are completely cooled, spread a dollop of filling on one side and sandwich with another cookie.
I went out to Bouchon Bakery in Yountville over the weekend (picked up a real Nutter Butter so I could compare!). Even though the weather was cold and drizzling the bakery was packed! The Napa Valley was shrouded in beautiful misty grey rain clouds low on the surrounding mountains so I took a few pics for you to see, I even took one of the bakery! Enjoy!

Coffee Cake is great but coffee cake to-go is even better. These delicious Coffee Cake Muffins take all the things you love about coffee cake and pack them into easy-to-serve muffins. The cake is moist, light and flavorful. The streusel topping is spicy and rich with brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. These muffins even have the "surprise" of another layer of streusel filling just like regular coffee cake! Everyone that tried these muffins loved the texture and flavor. The secret to light, moist muffins is to carefully fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined. The other trick involves the streusel: place a 2 3/4" round cookie cutter over the muffin-tin cup filled with batter and sprinkle the topping inside, carefully lift the cookie cutter then gently pat the streusel down onto the batter. Voila! No mess! Here is how you can make your own:

Coffee Cake Muffins (adapted from the Cook's Illustrated Holiday Baking '09)
Makes 12 muffins

Streusel
 1/2 cup sugar
 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
 4 Tablespoons butter cut into 1/2" pieces and chilled
 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts

Muffins
 2 large eggs
 1 cup sour cream
 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
 1/2 cup sugar
 1 Tablespoon baking powder
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 5 Tablespoons butter, softened
For the streusel topping & cinnamon filling:
Pulse 5 Tablespoons sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter in food processor until just combined. Reserve 3/4 cup of this sugar mixture for Cinnamon Filling and set aside. Add nuts and remaining sugar to the food processor with remaining sugar mixture and pulse until the nuts are coarsely ground. Transfer to bowl and set aside for Streusel Topping.

For the muffins:
Line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin papers and spray with Pam. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 365 degrees. Whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla and set aside. Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in food processor until mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer to large bowl. Using rubber spatula gradually fold egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Do not over mix. Place 1 Tablespoon batter into each muffin cup. Top each with 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon Filling and press lightly into batter with back of spoon then top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with Streusel Topping: place a 2 3/4" round cookie cutter over the muffin-tin cup filled with batter and sprinkle the topping inside, carefully lift the cookie cutter then gently pat the streusel down onto the batter. Bake muffins for 22 to 28 minutes until golden brown and tester comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Cool in tin for 30 minutes then transfer muffins to rack and cool completely. Muffins will keep in airtight container for 3 days.

These biscotti are the perfect cold weather treat! Pair a few of these crisp, sweet, nutty cookies with a latte or hot cocoa for a delicious flavor pairing. The perfect seasonal combination of toasted pecans, rich maple syrup and brown sugar create a delightfully crunchy cookie that is a twist on the typical biscotti but sure to please. Here is how you can make your own:
The entire recipe for the biscotti can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Toast whatever nuts you are using and let cool, then chop coarsely and set aside. This recipe calls for walnuts but I had a bunch of leftover pecans in the freezer so I toasted them up instead. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs, sugars, maple syrup and maple flavoring (the maple flavoring is optional but I used it to get an even more intense maple taste). Add melted butter and beat until well combined. Mix in the flour mixture and the nuts until combined and a dough forms. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape each piece into a 10" x 4" rectangle on the prepared pan. Using a dough scraper and damp fingers, smooth the top and the sides of each rectangle. Sprinkle the top with maple sugar (I used regular granulated sugar). Place pan in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for around 10 minutes. Cut each rectangle on the diagonal to form 1/2" thick slices using a serrated knife. Place the slices close together on the baking sheet, balancing them upright so that you don't have to turn them over during the second bake. Bake for the second time, around 20-25 minutes, until the biscotti are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before storing in an airtight container.

These yummy Caramel Crunch Bars are as delicious as they are easy to make. I decided to whip these up as a last minute treat when my sister was visiting and they were a hit! Caramel Crunch Bars are a nice cross between cookie and candy. The crisp cookie crust topped with bittersweet chocolate and toffee bits are guaranteed to please any sweet tooth! You can find the entire recipe by Dorie Greenspan here.

Line a 9"x13" baking dish with foil and spray with Pam. Place the dish on a baking sheet and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Make the cookie base by mixing the sugar and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Whisk together the flour, coffee, salt and cinnamon and add to the butter mixture. Mix until combined. Add in the chopped chocolate and mix until a sticky dough is formed. Using damp hands, spread the dough in a even layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 22 minutes until the dough base is bubbly and pulling away from the sides. Transfer baking dish to a rack and turn off the oven.

To make the topping, scatter the chocolate evenly over the hot base and put the pan back into the still warm oven for around 2 or 3 minutes until the chocolate is soft and spreadable. Remove from oven and spread chocolate over the base with a spatula or back of spoon. Sprinkle the toffee bits over the melted chocolate and press down lightly with fingers. Let bars cool to room temperature.

Make sure the chocolate is set (you can speed this along by placing pan in refrigerator) before cutting bars around 2"x 1" in size. This should make around 54 bars. Store in an air tight container.

While searching for mini-desserts to round out my Christmas dessert platter I came across this terrific recipe from Better Homes & Gardens called Chocolate Raspberry Tassies. These tiny little cups are made of a tasty chocolate pastry, topped with a chocolate raspberry filling and finished off with a swirl of chocolate buttercream...rich and decadent, you only need one (or two!) to top off a terrific meal. The best part was I could make these a couple of days in advance, which is perfect for this busy time of year! Try them for yourself or as a treat for any chocolate lover. Here is how you can make your own:

You can find the entire recipe here. I broke this recipe down into three separate parts: the pastry, the filling, and the frosting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. You will also need a 24 cup mini-muffin pan.

Pastry: Start with the pastry to give it time to chill before baking. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark Dutch Process Cocoa Powder) and salt in a food processor. Add 1/2 cup cold butter cut into cubes and process until crumbly. Add one egg yolk mixed with two tablespoons cold water and pulse processor until a dough ball forms (you may need to add a bit more water). Cover and refrigerate dough until firm enough to make into balls. When dough is firm, divide into 24 equal sized balls. Press one ball into each cup of the mini-muffin pan. When finished, place pan in fridge to chill.
Filling: In a small saucepan melt together the butter and chocolate until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in egg, sugar, raspberry liqueur (or raspberry extract or raspberry syrup) and vanilla extract. Remove mini-muffin pan from fridge and fill each pastry cup with one tablespoon of the filling and bake for around 12 to 15 minutes. Let pan cool for 10 minutes then run a sharp knife around the edgies of each tassie to loosen from pan. Remove the tassies from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Buttercream Frosting: While the tassies are cooling mix 1/4 cup softened butter with 1 cup powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark Dutch Process Cocoa Powder) in electric mixer. Beat in 2 tablespoons of milk. Gradually beat in 1 cup more powdered sugar until frosting reaches a piping consistency. Place frosting in piping bag with star tip and pipe little swirls or rosettes on top of each tassies. I sprinkled clear sparkling sugar on top for some shine! Store tassies in an airtight container in the fridge or cool area until ready to use. I made mine three days in advance and they tasted fantastic! Try them for a Valentines Day treat.....

I decided that this years Christmas desserts would be "mini" since everyone is always so full at the end of the meal! I had Spiced Rum Balls, Assorted Mini Biscotti, Mini Ginger Cardamom Cookies, Chocolate Raspberry Tassies and Mini Lemon Meringue Pies in crisp phyllo shells. I used some frozen lemon curd that I had made earlier from Meyer Lemons from the back yard. I came up with the idea to use red and green giant gumdrops as stands for the little flags that tell you what each treat is called. Oh but wait, I also had another table set up with some miscellaneous baking that I had finished for the arrival of my sister from San Diego.... If i don't bake up a bunch of stuff she gets a little testy! :-) Clockwise starting from the top: Crispy Meringue Cookies (I made these at the last minute with the left over meringue from the Mini Lemon Meringue Pies), next are Caramel Crunch Bars (I will post about these! Really good!), Peanut Butter Cookies with Mini Peanut Butter Cups mixed in. I came across the cutest little peanut butter cup candies at Trader Joes, thought they would be a good mix-in for peanut butter cookies and they are terrific! Next: Ginger Cardamom Cookies, Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies, and a bowl full of my Maple Brown Sugar Bourbon Nut Brittle.... Can you feel the sugar rush coming on?? and to top it all off, we had a box of Trader Joe's Jo-Jo's on the table because what is Christmas without Jo-Jo's, if you've never experienced Jo-Jo's they are Trader Joe's Christmas-Only version of really good Oreo's... the inside cream is peppermint! Perfect for the holidays! What did you make for Christmas dessert this year?

Okay, so my cat has nothing to do with cookies or cakes but I think her pic is so sweet she deserved a spot on the blog! She is laying on my Christmas pajamas on the bed and i stuck one of my Christmas socks on her head! She is such a good kitty and her name is Baby! And Baby is 17 years old! I am wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday and a very Happy New Year!

Here is a picture of my new and improved gingerbread house....it's new and improved because when I took a look at it the other morning I noticed that my once enclosed house had become a convertible style house.....

yep, the whole back side of the roof slid right off! I am used to small losses, like icicles falling off and candies falling off- that's why I always keep a backup arsenal of icing to fix any mishaps but the roof falling off was kinda major. Luckily it fell off in one one piece! But wait.... then I noticed that all my sugar windows were falling off! They get kinda sticky and they just started sliding down the wall! Grrrrr..... I thought the windows were a lost cause but my dad suggested creating an icing "ledge" on the inside for them to sit on when they start melting again! Works great! To further seal them on I created "snow" on the front of all the windows which helped hide the windows that got broken. I figure with all that icing crammed on there it ought to last til Christmas! Then my dad and I re-glued the roof on with TONS of icing inside and out....and then I re-icicled the roof, filled in any holes and this is how it came out:

Actually, I like my new and improved gingerbread house better that before. You can't even tell where the "mistakes" are....I think the snow on the windows adds some nice detail and it make the lights on the inside glow even more nicely! Like i've said before, icing hides all mistakes!

What are you serving for Christmas morning? Everyone I know loves Cinnamon Rolls and Coffee Cake... so this year I am making a Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake! This recipe is terrific, you can mix up the topping, streusel, dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately in their own bowls the night before. Christmas morning all you need to do is preheat the oven, assemble the cake and bake. Everyone should be awake by the time its finished baking (and if they aren't the smell will surely wake them up!) ready to dig into a nice big slice with a cup of coffee or homemade hot cocoa and marshmallows! This cake has it all: toasted nuts, sticky caramel, warm soft coffee cake and spicy streusel filling! Its great warm and gooey outta the oven or try it at room temperature the next day (if there is any left!). This cake stays nice and moist. If you want to re-heat, use a 250 degree oven for 15 minutes. Note that you need a 9" round cake pan with 2" sides to accommodate all the batter (thanks for the new pans Gigi)! Here is how you can make your own:

Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake adapted from Cuisine At Home Magazine
Makes one 9" cake
Total time: About 1 1/2 hours

For the Caramel-
Stir Together in a measuring cup:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt

Sprinkle:
1 cup chopped toasted pecans (toast whole pecans in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool slightly then chop)

For The Streusel-
Process:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted cold butter, diced
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

For The Cake-
Whisk Together in a measuring cup:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt (I used plain with 2 tsp. vanilla extract)
2 eggs
Sift Together:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Cream:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; coat a 9" cake pan with 2" sides  with pam. Place pan on a cookie sheet. [Pan needs to have 2" sides or the cake may overflow.] Stir together brown sugar, cream, and salt for the caramel. Pour into prepared pan and spread to coat the bottom. Sprinkle pecans over the caramel. Process brown sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon, and salt for the streusel in a food processor. Pulse until it looks sandy; set aside Whisk buttermilk, yogurt, and eggs together for the cake in a measuring cup with a pour spout. Whisk flour, baking powder, soda, and salt into a bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer just until combined.

Alternate dry and wet ingredients by hand with spatula, starting and ending with the dry. Blend each addition just until incorporated. I blended by hand with a spatula so that I wouldn't over beat and get a tough cake. Spread half the batter over the caramel, then sprinkle with half the streusel. Carefully spread remaining batter over that and top with remaining steusel. I used my damp fingers to manipulate the batter smoothly over the nuts and streusel. Worked better than any spatula! Bake 50-60 minutes (make sure to keep the pan on a cookie sheet to catch any overflow), or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake for 5 minutes on a rack, then run a paring knife around the sides to loosen. Invert onto a serving platter while hot, then let cool slightly before slicing. Store at room temperature in air-tight Tupperware.