coconut oatmeal lace cookies

November 18, 2009 by cristine roy in make it bake it, sweet

Cookie time is here. Whether it's to swap, share or eat all yourself, these are a tasty treat!

This recipe in particular appealed to me because of it's six ingredients, all of which I had on hand, and the fact that it didn't require an electric mixer. So simple, I thought, but I learned that when a recipe says 'active time: 2 hours', that simple cookie becomes a bit more complex! Totally worth it.

lace-cookie

A lace cookie is very flat, kind of crispy, kind of chewy, very buttery, with a nuttiness that is balanced with sweet. I love how these are scribbled upon with both white and bittersweet chocolate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle. This recipe has you line your 2 baking sheets with a silpat or some other nonstick bakeware liner. I only have one. I figured that lace cookies were being baked long before the invention of a silpat so I lined my other baking sheet with parchment. The parchment cookies were a little browner on the edges but were just as good.

lace-cookie-ingredients

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar packed

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup all purpose flour

Melt butter, brown sugar, and salt in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally.

Stir in coconut, oats and flour until just combined. Remove from heat but keep batter warm over pot. You will be tempted to try the batter because it smells so good. You may even want to eat it by the spoonful. Don't do it! Not only will that mean you make less cookies to swap but you will have a belly ache and probably never want to actually eat these cookies once they are baked. Not that I would do anything like that. I'm just guessing that might happen!

Drop rounded teaspoons of batter at least 3.5 inches apart on one baking sheet and spread each cookie to about 2 inches using the back of your spoon. These babies spread! If you find yourself trying to squeeze more on the sheet or make these bigger than a rounded teaspoon, stop! Follow the instructions and you will be rewarded in the end!

Bake for 8-12 minutes until cookies are bubbling and golden brown. Cool on baking sheet on rack until firm, about 3-4 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

cool-on-rack

Repeat this process baking only one sheet at a time. This is where the time consuming part comes in. For me that was 6 cookies at a time! It's good to do something else in the kitchen while this is happening.

bittersweet

Melt 3 ounces each of bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate. Let it cool slightly and then place it in a heavy duty sealable bag. Snip a TINY 1/16th-inch opening at the corner of the bag. Place cooled cookies on a parchment lined tray that can easily go in the freezer. Drizzle chocolate over cookies and then freeze for 2-3 minutes until the chocolate is set. Carefully remove from tray.

decorate-with-chocolate

Layer parchment between the layers of cookies and keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week. Yum! These were a big hit in our house.

time-to-eat-the-cookies

Click here to get the recipe I used ready to print out:

coconut oatmeal lace cookies.

Mini lemon yogurt cakes with blueberries

June 01, 2009 by cristine roy in make it bake it

I have had great success with the lemon yogurt cake from barefoot contessa at home. It is so moist, lemony, and delicious not to mention quick and easy to make. Her recipe is made in a classic loaf pan, which comes out great.

Today I decided to make it but use a mini loaf pan instead and since blueberries were screaming out to me at the market I thought, mmm...I love blueberry and lemon...why not add some!

Here's the recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease the bottom of your pan. Line with parchment paper. Grease and flour pan.

In a small bowl sift together the dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cup flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt.

In another bowl, whisk together

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 cup Sugar

3 extra large eggs

2 tsp grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

With a rubber spatula, fold in 1/2 cup vegetable oil.

Add blueberries. I decided to make half of my mini cakes plain lemon and half with blueberries, so I only added a little over 1/2 a cup. I bet a little over a cup of berries for a whole loaf or all of the mini loaves would be good. (Obviously add more if you love your blueberries!)

Raspberries might be good too! Or skip the berries. You won't be disappointed either way.

Pour into prepared pan. If you are using a regular loaf pan, bake for about 50 minutes or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

For a mini loaf pan of 8 loaves, bake for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaves comes out clean.

Meanwhile...

Juice the two zested lemons.

Heat 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/3 cup of sugar in a small pan until sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place the mini loaves (or loaf) on a baking rack over a sheet pan.

While the cakes are still warm, pour lemon-sugar mixture over the cakes and allow to soak in. Cool.

In a small bowl combine 1 cup of confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons of your fresh squeezed lemon juice. Pour over your cakes (or cake).

Yum! The blueberries are such a great addition, I wish I put them in all of my mini cakes!

I thought the mini loaves would be a great idea so I could throw some in the freezer for a later date or give them to friends. Now I'm afraid I may consume all eight myself!

Chick Cupcakes

April 14, 2009 by cristine roy in sweet, make it bake it

Chick cupcakes. Another genius Martha Stewart idea. So funny on a plate and pretty easy to make!

Click on the pictures below to see the steps...

Rice Krispie Carrots!

April 09, 2009 by cristine roy in sweet, make it bake it, spring

Why not make your rice krispie treats shaped like carrots this easter? It's easy to do!

Start with 4 cups of mini marshmallows and 6 cups of rice krispies.

Melt 3-4 tbsp. butter in a pot over low heat and then add marshmallows. Stir until smooth and melted. Remove from heat and add rice krispies.

Mix until all of the rice krispies are covered with sticky marshmallow goodness.

Butter your hands (grease 'em up to keep from sticking!) Scoop up some rice krispie & marshmallow and form into the shape of a carrot. Use wax paper and roll the form to assist in shaping. Press firmly so carrots stay together.

Let them sit on wax paper as you make all of your carrots!

{If you wanted to be really ambitious and impress your friends you could melt some chocolate and dip the ends of these carrots in and top with sprinkles for a little color. Then let sit until chocolate firms.}

I wrapped the carrot in wax paper first because the cellophane I used isn't food safe. Fold up the tip and roll. Twist the top.

Wrap your carrots in orange cellophane. Use the same technique on the tip by folding the paper up and rolling. As you roll and the cellophane becomes layered it will appear more orange. Twist the top and tie with raffia.

You may have to use a small piece of clear tape to secure cellophane towards the bottom. Trim off the top.

Cut strips of bright green crepe paper. (Tissue paper will work, too.) Pinch strips in center. Tie the "greens" on the carrot using the raffia.

You may want to do this on both the front and the back of the carrot for a fuller top.

What a sweet easter treat!

A Chunky Monkey Weekend

March 28, 2009 by cristine roy in make it bake it

The chunky monkey trio.

How about chunky monkey pancakes?

Chunky Monkey Banana Bread!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour bread pan.

Cream 1 stick softened unsalted butter with 1 cup of sugar. Add 2 eggs, one at a time. In a separate small bowl, combine 1 and 1/2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add to wet mixture on low speed until just combined. Add 1 cup of mashed bananas, 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Mix until blended. By hand, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like to use mini chips) and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, depending on how nutty and chocolatey you like it. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for about 1 hour or until golden brown and toothpick/cake tester inserted in the center comes out dry. Cool in pan on rack for 5-10 minutes. Flip out of pan and cool completely.

Yum! Kind of crisp on the outside and moist and delicious on the inside.

The best blueberry muffins

February 21, 2009 by cristine roy in make it bake it

This is it. The best blueberry muffin I've made to date and I've made many! A good blueberry muffin should be part of your recipe repertoire, ready to whip up on a Sunday morning or to bring a basket to your new neighbor. Ha! Does anyone still do that? I hope so. We should. This particular recipe came from The Modern Baker. Have you bought this book yet? I've only tried three things from it but I've enjoyed them all!

These Blueberry Crumb Muffins are sweet, but not too sweet, moist and packed with blueberries!

Here's the recipe. If you make them and you think you have a better recipe please send it to me!

Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Get one 12-cavity muffin pan ready with paper liners.

Crumb Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, 1/2 cup light brown sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Melt the butter in a small pan. Remove from heat, then add the brown sugar to the pan of melted butter and use a small heatproof spatula to stir them together. Scrape the butter and sugar mixture into the flour mixture, stirring it in until the flour is evenly moistened. Set aside while preparing the muffin mixture.

Muffin Batter

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg, 8 tbsp. (1 stick) softened unsalted butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1 pint of blueberries that have been rinsed, drained, and picked over.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and stir well to mix.

Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until well mixed and a little lightened in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating smooth after each.

Decrease the mixer speed to low and beat in 1/2 the flour mixture. Stop the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl and beater.

On low speed, beat in the milk. After the batter has absorbed the milk, beat in the remaining flour mixture. Stop and scrape down the bowl and beater again.

Add the blueberries to the bowl and beat them into the batter on the lowest speed for no more than 2-3 seconds, to crush some of the berries slightly.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to give a final mixing to the batter.

Divide batter equally among the cavities in the muffin pan. Break the crumb topping into small crumbs with your fingertips and scatter over the top of each muffin. (At this point, I personally mounded the crumb topping on because there was so much of it! If you don't like a sweet topping, stick to the scatter) Bake the muffins until they are well risen, feel firm to the touch, and the topping is golden, about 30 minutes. Cool the muffins in the pan on a rack.

The amazement of sticky frosting

February 16, 2009 by cristine roy in sweet, make it bake it

This was my first time making sticky frosting from scratch. It is quite an amazing process.

This fluffy white frosting recipe came from The Modern Baker...Combine 4 large eggwhites, 1 cup granulated sugar, large pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup light corn syrup in your mixing bowl over a a saucepan of gently boiling water until 130 degrees and whisk by hand until the sugar is dissolved. Then put your mixing bowl back on your mixer and whip it. The result? Sticky wonderfulness to top off some devils food cake cupcakes.