Monday, June 28, 2004

Here’s the recipe:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup colored sugar for decoration

1 In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder, stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the heavy cream. Cover dough, and chill for 2 to 3 hours, until firm.

2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3 On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets.

4 Bake *just* until set (5-6 minutes in my oven when I make round cookies 1.5 inches wide).  Do NOT wait until cookies turn golden brown, they will be too dry.  I also only bake on a stone, not sure how these turn out when baked on metal.

I have the frosting recipe at home, but from memory, I think this is it:

1/4 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1-2 Tbsp whole milk
Food coloring

Combine butter and sugar.  Add unbeaten egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar.  Add milk and food coloring until almost runny consistency.  Dip tops of cookies in icing and place on rack to dry.  Icing will dry to a smooth, shiny, firm finish.

via Sherri

Friday, May 28, 2004

I made these yesterday and they are really great.

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
6 oz chocolate of your choice (I like to use a mix of unsweetened and semi-sweet chocolate)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 pan with foil or parchment paper.  Spray with nonstick spray.  Mix the flour, cocoa, and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.  Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler.  Stir in 1 cup of the sugar and the vanilla, then set aside to cool.  Mix the eggs with the rest of the sugar just to combine, then pour half the egg/sugar mix into the chocolate.  Stir to combine.  Whip the rest of the egg/sugar mix until light, fluffy, and thickened, 2-3 minutes on high with a hand mixer.  Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate until almost combined, then fold in the flour mixture.  Pour into the pan and spread around to fill the corners.  Bake for about 30 minutes, until just set but still pretty soft in the center.

These are amazing warm and they keep for about a week in an airtight container.

Friday, March 12, 2004

16 oz low fat (2%) small curd cottage cheese
8 oz low fat cream cheese
3 eggs
pinch salt
1/2 c. sugar (Splenda would probably work too)
1 TB grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c. cookie crumbs

Drain the cottage cheese over a fine mesh strainer for about an hour or until the excess moisture is drained out.  Line an 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray.  Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Put the cottage cheese in a food processor or blender and blend for 2-3 minutes, until really smooth and creamy.  Add the salt, sugar, and cream cheese and blend until smooth.  Pour into a bowl and whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and lemon peel until just blended.  Pour into the cake pan, put that into a 9x11 pan with about 1 inch of hot water, and bake for about 35-40 minutes.  Take out of the oven, cool, and refrigerate overnight.

Unmold the cake, press cookie crumbs onto the bottom and around the sides, and serve.

You can also take out the lemon and add about 2 ounces melted chocolate for a chocolate cheesecake, that would probably also be good.

Thanks Kathy!

Tuesday, December 30, 2003

1 package fudge/devils food cake mix
1 can (21 oz) Cherry pie filling
1t Almond Extract
2 eggs beaten

1. Grease and flour 15 X10 cake pan
2. In large bowl combine incgredients, stir by hand until mixed
3. Bake at 350 fro 20-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean
4. Pour on frosting while warm (let set before cutting)

Frosting:
1 cup sugar
5 T butter
1/3 cup milk
6 oz semi sweet choc chips

In saucepan combine sugar, butter and milk. Boil stirring constantly for 1 minutes remove from heat stir in chips until smooth

{Via Chris}

1 c. sugar
1/3 c. cocoa powder
� c. all purpose flour
pinch salt
2 � c. skim (or 2%) milk
1 tb. Butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pastry shell (9 in) baked and cooled.  (Chocolate pie crust or graham cracker are good)

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt; gradually add the milk, whisking.  Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil.  Cook and stir for a few minutes more, until the mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.  Pour into the pie crust and refrigerate 2-3 hours until set.  Serve with whipped cream.  (This one is just heavenly, and very easy)

{Via Kathy}

Sunday, December 28, 2003

(from December 2003 issue of Gourmet magazine)
Makes about 4 dozen

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tblsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tblsp finely grated lemon zest

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in samll bowl.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with a paddle attachment) or 6 with a handheld. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in lemon juice and zest.

From dough into a 12 inch log (2 inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up dough in plastic wrap. Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm, at least 4 hours (or freeze up to one month, wrapped in double layer of plastic wrap).

Put oven racks on upper and lower thirds of of oven and preheat to 375.

Cut enough 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick sllices from log with a heavy knife to fill 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart. Return remaining dough to fridge. Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely.

{via Sherri}