Saturday, January 29, 2011

My Kitchen

So I thought I would show you guys the set-up I use for baking. First off, if the countertop & cabinets look like they are straight out of the 70's, that's because they are. Aside from appliances, the kitchen is pretty much original.


I have not one, but two spice cabinets. This first one holds everything I need for baking. The first shelf has my spices, along with baking soda & powder, shortening and apparently some leftover nuts. Second shelf has mostly decorating stuff, and the bottom shelf has more food stuffs.



The second cabinet has my cooking supplies, and please excuse the spoon through the door. It doesn't close right, and one of my cat's favorite past-times is to open drawers and climb inside. Top shelf has spices, oils & marinades. Second shelf has more spices and my coffee. Bottom shelf houses the jumbo-cupcake tin and a griddle.


Well, that's what I'm working with folks! I'm going to be doing some baking tomorrow so look for an entry Sunday night/Monday afternoon.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies



I don't know what it is about chocolate and banana, but they are two flavors that don't get mixed together as often as they should. Kind of like chocolate and orange, if you want to know what happy tastes like, it tastes like chocolate and orange. Anyway, I chose these to make today because A) I wanted something with chocolate and B) I had all the ingredients. I love it when that happens!

The recipe is from this:

If you remember my last post, you'll remember me raving about the 2008 version of this book. This version, is just as good if not better. Not only does it have a great array of different holiday/non-holiday cookies, it also has recipes for truffles, candies, and fudges. Seriously, it was a lifesaver this past Christmas, and if you can still find it on the shelves you should definitely pick it up.


INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 cup (6 oz.) cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1) In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, banana, and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

2) Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 F. for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

EASY AS PIE! Seriously, this is the best banana cookie recipe I've used yet. The only problem I had, was that the dough was still quite runny after adding in the chips, so I had to add like 3 small fistfuls of flour to tighten it up. They came out wonderful though, they have a light crunch but the inside is ooey gooey and filled with banana and chocolate goodness. Perfect for a lazy Friday afternoon, or any other day ending in Y. 



Monday, January 24, 2011

Gumdrop Cookies


Time to bake again today, and I went to the potential 'Christmas 2011' list for ideas. I picked these cause they were one of the least time-consuming, and they turned out to be a yummy & quick treat. I got the recipe from this:

This book is from 2008, and it has been my go-to cookie book for almost 3 years. I got the 2010 edition last year, and it too is filled with epic win. I've used it so much, that the first 30 pages fell out of the book. If that doesn't say 'I get used', nothing does.


INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup shortening (or butter if you have none)
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped fruit flavored/spiced gumdrops
2 egg whites

1) In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and 3/4 cup of sugar. Beat in extract.Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, then gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the gumdrops

2) In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into dough.

3) Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto un-greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 F. for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

( I <3 how colorful the dough is)

(ready for the oven!)

So this dough was a little weird. First off, before you add the egg whites, it's going to be a really crumbly dough. It will form after you fold in the eggs. Second, be sure you know how to get soft & stiff peaks. I'm pretty sure I did not do that right. (I will be checking with Alton Brown to make sure). Still, they came out pretty tasty; they have a nice crunch on the outside but they're soft with a fruity surprise on the inside. Now if you don't mind, this cookie and I have a date with milk & Conan.


Sunday, January 23, 2011

Birthday Cupcakes for Whitney!

So my friend's daughter had her 18th birthday party over the weekend, and they ordered a cupcake-cake from a local supermarket. Not only did it look pretty good, it tasted wonderful. The whipped frosting was the best.




P.S. I have some sugar-cookie cutouts to make tomorrow, so expect to see an entry from me no later than Tuesday.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Cupcake Gift Bag

I saw this at Walmart the other day. It's so freaking cute!

Butterscotch Gingersnaps


So I was going to bake yesterday, I had my whole evening planned. I was going to clean my room with some EndDust, do my laundry, and then bake. Yeah, none of that happened. I instead went dancing with the girls and my baking had to wait until this afternoon. I found this on All Recipes at least 7 years ago when I was living in Flagstaff. They have been a go-to for holidays in the past and I think they make an appearance this year after a 3 year absence.


INGREDIENTS:
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 large egg
1/3 cup molasses
1 package of Butterscotch chips

1) Preheat oven to 350 F. 

2) Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a bowl. Stir to blend.

3) Beat butter, brown sugar, egg and molasses in a large bowl until blended.

4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Blend until just mixed.

5) Add butterscotch chips.

6) Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and flatten slightly in your palm. Place on baking sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes.

MAKES 5 1/2 DOZEN

(I <3 the mix between the color of the dough & the chips)

(my secret for uniform cookies, a miniature ice-cream scoop)

(look mom, we're ready for the oven!)

These cookies are in a word, delectable. You get the spices from the cookie, but the butterscotch chips give it a nice rich quality. It's very easy to eat 3-4 in one sitting, and they're so good you don't feel bad about it at all. Another added bonus from baking these is that your house will smell AWESOME for hours. Seriously, it's the gift that keeps on giving.

(this cookie and I have a date with milk & the Golden Globes)

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Orange Cinnamon Crisps


I realized while looking through my fridge that there were only a couple of pieces of Texas Sheetcake, so I decided to pop my baking cherry for 2011. After going through all of my recipes a couple of weeks ago, I had a list of potential things to make for my Christmas Gift Plates this year. The first on the list were these Orange Cinnamon Crisps and I was happy that I made them.


INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
grated orange rind
1 tbsp. orange juice
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F. 

2) Beat one cup sugar, shortening, egg, vanilla, and orange rind together. 

3) Add orange juice.

4) Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.

5) Shape dough into walnut-sized balls.

6) Combine 1/4 cup sugar & 2 tsp. cinnamon.

7) Dip balls in cinnamon-sugar & place on baking sheet.

8) Flatten balls with bottom of glass dipped in sugar.

9) Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, cool on wire racks.

MAKES 3 DOZEN.

(my new apron, a Xmas gift from a friend)

(my handy black &decker power pro hand blender)

 (mmmmmmm, cinnamon-sugar.....)

 (dough balls after their cinnamon-sugar dip)

 (after being flattened, the balls are ready for the oven!)

Overall, I was very happy with how these came out. They're crunchy, but not brittle. And the smell when you bake them is AWESOME. They are a little time-consuming to put together, but they're not complicated in the slightest. So if you want your orange with a twist, these are the perfect cookies.

 Now if you'll excuse me, this cookie and I have a date with a glass of milk and Glee. Ciao!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Welcome to This Sweet Life


Hello all. So after being away from here for a whole year, I've decided to start anew with a blank canvas. The name is new, I have a new arsenal of cookbooks and toys in my possession (including a shiny new 14 megapixel digital camera) and I'm ready to bake. So if you like what you see feel free to follow me or add comments. Although the best way to make me happy is to get into your own kitchen and try these recipes out yourself. Trust me, your friends & family will thank you.
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