Not Enough Time For Martha

When I received my Holiday edition of Martha in the mail, I saw this glorious dessert that I definitely wanted to serve for Christmas: the Chocolate-Coconut Charlotte. It was everything I'd ever wanted in a holiday dessert - a combination of flavors and custards with crispy, homemade chocolate ladyfingers encircling the delicious layers, and just too much work on top of my French Onion soup and Prime Rib Roast. My usual reaction is to take on the stress until I've gone so insane that I could not possibly enjoy either the creation or the demolition of the masterpiece. I didn't make the damn thing.



The Holiday edition of Cooking Light came next in the mail, and lo and behold, there was my simplified Christmas dessert. The recipe calls for ten 4-ounce individual ramekins; we had six, so we improvised. For some reason, I didn't even think of how this would affect the bake time, which resulted in the cakes being much less gooey on the inside than desired.



But we prevailed, and everyone managed to eat just about half of their little cake. It was then that everyone wanted to know how they would take it home without stealing my ramekins. And I was at a loss. I think we popped them out of the container and wrapped them in saran wrap or something. Anyway, these were quick and easy. When cooked properly, they are a little bit crispy on top and hot and gooey on the inside. The sprinkling of powdered sugar makes them look elegant and simple. Just be sure to assemble them at least four hours ahead, as they need to sit in the refrigerator for that long.



Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes
Makes 10 individual servings, somehow (we only had 6, which greatly affected the cook time)

3.4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
5 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (2.6-ounce) bar dark (71% cocoa) chocolate (such as Valrhona Le Noir Amer), finely chopped
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.

Place butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars, beating until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating until well blended. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture; fold in chocolate. Divide batter evenly among 10 (4-ounce) ramekins; arrange ramekins on a jelly-roll pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but no more than 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let ramekins stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Uncover and bake at 350° for 21 minutes or until cakes are puffy and slightly crusty on top. Sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar; serve immediately.

A Baker that Doesn't Bake

My no-bake cookies are pretty awesome. I owe this mostly to the use of peanut butter and old-fashioned oats, as opposed to just cocoa and quick-cooking oats. The PB adds some depth and variety to the flavor and the old-fashioned oats help with thickening the mixture up.



I made these for my cookie boxes for Christmas, and they were well-received. This is a good throwdown cookie recipe, as they only take a few minutes to make and a couple of hours to harden.



Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 2/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon vanilla exttract

In a medium sauce pan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa powder. Bright to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla until completely combined. Add more oats if cookies seem runny.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool until hardened.

Fudge Again, with Stuff on Top

My usual recipe for fudge contains half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate, so this was sort of an experiment. I was very lucky because this occurred as part of the Cookie Box Baking Extravaganza, and it turned out great! I actually prefer this recipe to my regular one now because the marshmallow swirl is very attractive and it seems to stay moister (and thus, fresher) longer.



I made one batch for my cookie boxes and another for a cookie exchange at my mom's office. After making the first batch, I noticed that the marshmallow swirl was mostly on the top, so I tried to marbelize a little deeper for the second batch and it turned out a little better. My only advice would be to not be afraid of swirling the marshmallow in; it helps in the long run.



Marshmallow Swirl Fudge
Makes 64 squares

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil.

In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, melt chips with milk, 2 tablespoons of butter, vanilla, and salt. Remove from heat and stir in nuts before spreading evenly into prepared pan.

Meanwhile, melt marshmallows with 2 tablespoons butter in microwave. Spread marshmallow mixture on top of fudge and marbelized with a butter knife.

Chill for at least two hours, until firm. When ready to cut, turn fudge onto cutting board and peel off foil. Using a sharp, moist knife makes the cutting process easier.

Cookie Crisp with Caffeine

These first caught my eye in Cookies by Jill Snider because they were called Mocha Java Shortbread logs, and I thought that sounded...well, entirely unappetizing. The idea kind of grew on me, though, and I ended up making them for my cookie boxes.



I feel as though I can't give an honest review on these because I didn't actually try one. Before I got a chance, I had them all packed up to give away. I did get some pictures of them and responses from other people, though. One person told me that they reminded them of Cookie Crisp. When I realized that I hadn't had Cookie Crisp since I was seven or eight years old, I knew I couldn't honestly explain the relevance of this comment. I was also told that without the chocolate drizzle to add to the "mocha"
flavor, the coffee was overpowering. All I could recommend is to add the chocolate drizzle. Or, if you're stuck for time like I was, maybe try dipping half of the cookie in chocolate.



Mocha Java Shortbread Logs
Makes 3 dozen cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Semisweet chocolate, melted for decorating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, cornstarch, coffee powder, and chocolate in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture, mixing until thoroughly blended. Using your hands, knead to form a smooth dough.

Shape into small logs, each about 2- by 1/2-inch; place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 17 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges. Cool for 5 minutes on a sheet, then transfer to a rack and cool completely.

If drizzling or dipping in chocolate, do so after completely cooled.

In Russia, Minstrels Eat You

Around early November each year, I start to develop these really great ideas for the holidays: I'm going to serve a prime rib roast for dinner, I'm going to make cookie boxes for all of my friends, I'm going to finally make world peace happen. But by the time that finals have chewed me up and spat me out, I am either a) working or b) sleeping.



On the eve of Christmas Eve, I worked the closing shift, and I had the bright idea to bake all of the cookies I had promised everyone. So, I woke up (late, of course), scoured my recipes, and went to the store to get some supplies.



The baking went by with nary a hitch; I only had one incident with marshmallows in the microwave when I made the fudge. The best part of the day was the discovery of these Russian Tea Cakes. They were easy and optionally nut-free; buttery and sweet. They are also quite possibly one of Andrew's new favorite cookies.



Russian Tea Cakes
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspooon salt
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend powdered sugar with softened butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix thoroughly. Stir in salt, flour, and nuts.

Form dough into 1-inch balls (or flattened cookies) and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes.

While the cookies are still hot, roll them in powdered sugar, coating completely. Let cool and roll in powdered sugar again.

Melts in Your Mouth and Your Hand

Eating my grandmother's homemade fudge until I got a stomachache was practically a holiday tradition for me when I was a child. I can still vividly remember sneaking the little chocolate pieces out of their cookie tins, where they were neatly stacked between layers of wax paper. Although I'm older, I could probably still take on an entire tin of fudge and have a hard time stopping until my stomach cries "Uncle".



My grandma doesn't really make fudge anymore, but last year she gave me the recipe that she got off of a can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk decades ago. It's exceedingly simple and the results are amazing; the fudge is creamy, chewy, and succulent. Variations are endless, and you can even adjust how milk chocolate-y you want it to taste; for more, use more milk chocolate chips and for less, use more semisweet chocolate chips.



Foolproof Chocolate Fudge
Makes 81 one-inch cubes

1 3/4 cups milk chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Dash of salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts, toffee bits, miniature M&M's, etc.)

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt. Stir often; remove from heat and stir in walnuts and vanilla. Spread evenly into wax-paper-lined 9-inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm.

Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

But the Fire is so Delightful!

I have about a dozen different recipes for gingerbread cookies, all from sources that are either reputable or as yet, completley unexplored. Last year, I broke our food processor with a recipe that called for way too much flour.

I decided to make some little gingerbread men for work to add a little bit of holiday spirit to our baked goods, but when I remembered the incident with the food processor, and believe me, it was a sight to be seen, I became skeptical of all my gingerbread recipes.



It was then that I realized the molasses jar would surely have a tried and true gingerbread cookie recipe on the back; when I checked, I found I was right. My hesitation was completely gone and I made some delicious gingerbread angels and Christmas trees. Because I was selling them to customers, I didn't want to use anything to decorate them that people could dislike/be allergic to. So, I just sprinkled all of the shapes with some sugar before I baked the cookies, and the result was subtle, festive, and successful.



Gingerbread Cookies
Makes 1 dozen

1/2 cup butter or shortening, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (or allspice)

Beat butter with sugar and molasses. Mix in egg completely. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Mix well. Chill in freezer for 1 hour or in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out a portion of the dough 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured board. Be sure to keep dough you are not working with cold. Cut with cookie cutters and place on greased baking sheets. If decorating with raisins or sugar, add them at this time.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Pipe on royal icing and add candy pieces, if desired.

Baby, Ginger, Sporty, Scary, and Posh

I found a recipe for a Starbucks-inspired Chocolate Cinnamon Bread a long time ago and saved it to my computer. Unfortunately, I didn't keep track of the original website, so I can't properly give credit; however, I did find a number of sites with the exact same recipe as the one I received, and I think this one is the most likely candidate for being the source.



I tend to add at least a little bit of cinnamon to just about everything I bake, so the idea of chocolate and cinnamon combined into a dense, moist quickbread with a crispy sugar-spice topping is pretty exciting to me.



As I said before, I've had this recipe for almost a year and have hesitated to use it; possibly because it takes so much butter and butter is getting more expensive each week. The point is, my finals today were postponed until Thursday and I baked all day long, eventually getting around to this recipe.



I am so happy we had frigid weather; otherwise, it might've taken me another year to taste the thick, warm, chocolate deliciousness that is involved with eating this bread. The bread is soft and moist while the crust is sweet and crunchy; the loaves don't rise as much as my other quick breads, but the actual texture is dense and compact, and you definitely get as much bang for your buck as you would with, say, banana bread. I cannot honestly recommend any quick bread more than this one. Bake this!


Chocolate Cinnamon Bread
Makes 2 nine-inch loaves

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Make the chocolate batter: in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment on medium speed, until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl several times.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to butter, beginning and ending with the flour and beating just until blended. Divide the batter between the two pans; shake the pans to even the tops and set aside.

Make the cocoa-spice sugar crust: In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, ginger, and cloves. Sprinkle the surfaces of both batters with the cocoa sugar mixture, dividing evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool complete, run a thin knife around the sides to release the breads, and remove the loaves from the pans. This is the hardest part: half of your crispy sugar topping will fall off. I don't yet know how to remedy this.

Spectacular Contraption

On top of being allergic to milk, which excludes a lot of extraneous ingredients from cookies, my boyfriend tends to like only certain types of cookies. A few days ago, I was really getting the urge to bake, so I asked him what he would want that would be new and different. He suggested a combination of peanut butter cookies and snickerdoodles.



Now, if you read faithfully (ha), you'll remember the last time I made peanut butter cookies, I didn't really like them, but the recipient said they were good and I decided I just didn't like peanut butter cookies. After making a different recipe from a book that has yet to steer me wrong, I realized that I do actually like peanut butter cookies, just not Martha's.



The most important aspect of this recipe is timing; you want to pull the cookies out a little bit before they actually look ready, but not too early because then they'll be extra crumbly and fall apart.


Peanutdoodles
Makes 2 dozen if you don't eat half of the dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar (preferably superfine)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (preferably unrefined)
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter, crunchy or chewy
Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar

Sift the flour and baking soda together. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars until soft and creamy. Combine the egg, flour mixture, peanut butter, and salt. Add the butter and sugar mixture until smooth.

Wrap the dough in foil or parchment and refrigerate for at least two hours. Meanwhile, make the cinnamon-sugar topping; combine ground cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl with a fork. If you run out, make more in the same ratio. Remove from the refrigerator and preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Shape the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls and roll completely in cinnamon sugar mixture before placing at least two inches apart on baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a fork and use fork to make classic criss-cross patter. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.

Whip It!

While attempting to do away with the procrastination that has enveloped most of my life, I decided to begin building my repertoire of Christmas cookies early. This means some experimentation is necessary.



Shortbread cookies are holiday favorites, but I'm not really into putting so much time into just one cookie, especially something this simple. I perused some of my cookie books and found a recipe for Whipped Shortbread that claimed to have the same melt-in-your-mouth results with half the work.



I actually really enjoyed these cookies. With all of the sweets to enjoy during the holidays, these mild, buttery cookies give your palette a well-deserved break. They're perfect for tea time, if you happen to have tea time on a regular basis.


Whipped Shortbread
Makes 3 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup superfine granulated sugar (I just used regular sugar; the book recommends that you put it in a food processor to make it superfine)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine flour and cornstarch in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until light an creamy, about three minutes (very important!). On low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended.

Drop dough by tablespoonsfuls about 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. If desired, decorate top with cherry half or pecan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden around edges. Cool and enjoy.

20 Pounds of Bananas

My brother works as a manager at a nearby grocery store. This isn't a great lead-in, but there's no other way to explain how I came upon a 20-pound box of almost-ripe bananas for only a dollar (plus tax).

Do you know how many bananas are in a 20-pound box? I'm only asking because I didn't really realize how many that entailed. I didn't actually count them, but...I think it's a little more than 100 bananas.

Now, I like bananas; don't get me wrong. But I'm a busy lady and between school and work and a little bit of sleep, I can only use so many at a time for banana bread. And after about a week, 100 bananas on the counter of your laundry room start to smell quite strongly and to attract flies of the fruit variety.

In a last-ditch effort to waste...I mean, use the bananas as quickly as possible, I looked for a recipe for a banana cake, and my queries were answered by none other than Paula Deen, the southern belle herself.



I was disappointed, and I'm sorry because I always seem to be disappointed on here. Maybe it's because I'd been huffing too many bananas, but it just tasted like...banana bread with sugary cream cheese. Everyone else freaking loved it.

Also, in case you were wondering, I could not get any good pictures of the cake.



Banana Nut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes one two-layer cake

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Butter and flour 3 (9-inch) round cake pans; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the eggs and oil and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened; do not beat. Stir in the banana, pecans, and vanilla.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 23 to 28 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely. While the cake cools, make the frosting.

In a bowl, blend together the cream cheese and butter. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the pecans, or reserve them to sprinkle over the frosted cake. Fill and frost the cake when it is completely cool.

Criss-cross

Working at a coffeeshop offers ample oppurtunities to meet all kinds of people; if you're lucky, you'll come in contact with some that aren't completely insane (yet). Instead of focusing on the crazies who either like you a lot (for no real reason) or hate you so much (for no real reason), it's easier to thank the customers who are pleasant to be around. When one of these regulars remarked that his favorite cookie was homemade peanut butter and that his birthday was in a week, I accepted the challenge.

Usually when I put peanut butter into a cookie, it's combined with something else, like oatmeal or chocolate chips. Honestly, I don't have much experience with classic peanut butter cookies. Obviously, I turned to the master for help: Martha. Surely, I thought, she will not lead me astray.



All in all, I thought they were kind of...forgettable. Believe me, they were peanut-butter-y and crunchy and chewy, and the customer was really happy with them. I guess I just don't like plain peanut butter cookies.



Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 4 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat peanut butter, sugar, and butter until smooth. Beat in egg. Gradually add flour mixture, beating to combine.

Pinch off dough by the tablespoon; roll into balls. Place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Using a fork, press balls in a crisscross pattern, flattening to a 1/2-inch thickness.

Bake cookies, rotating halfway through, until lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Double Decker Chocolate Cake

For the record, this chocolate cake was a complete disaster. I was trying to put it together in the two hours between class and work and...well, I finished it, but I broke things, burnt chocolate, and melted a plastic measuring cup.



On top of this, I have a bad habit of not reading completely through recipes, so when I got to the frosting, I panicked - I've never done anything with custard before. Besides melting a few things, though, it turned out well.



I'm not a fan of chocolate cake, but I was craving one and this one satisfied my craving. It got better after a night in the refrigerator in terms of moistness, but other than that, it was a keeper.

Chocolate Layer Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting
Makes one two- or four-layer cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used half dark, half light)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk (or 1 1/2 cups milk mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar)

2/3 cup whole milk (I used 1%)
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened
8 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled


Put the oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 (9- by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottom of each with a round of parchment or wax paper (I actually skipped this part and the cake popped right out of the pan still). Butter paper and dust pans with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl. Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes in a standing mixer or 4 to 5 minutes with a handheld. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate and vanilla and beat until just combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined.

Divide batter between cake pans, spreading evenly, and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of each cake layer comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool cake layers in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of each layer, then invert onto racks. Peel off paper and cool layers completely.

While waiting for the cake to cool, make the frosting. Heat milk in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot. Whisk together yolks, flour, 1/3 cup confectioners sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then add hot milk in a stream, whisking. Transfer custard to saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking, 2 minutes (mixture will be very thick), then transfer to a large bowl. Cover surface of custard with a buttered round of wax paper and cool completely, about 45 minutes.

Add vanilla and remaining cup confectioners sugar to custard and beat with cleaned beaters at moderate speed until combined well, then increase speed to medium-high and beat in butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until smooth. Add chocolates and beat until combined well.

If you want a four-layer cake, halve each cake layer horizontally using a long serrated knife. Layer cake, using a heaping 1/2 cup frosting between each layer, then frost top and sides with remaining frosting.

Ginger-iffic

When I make a batch of cookies, I usually have to split it in half or in thirds because I don't really have anyone that I can push three dozen cookies on once a week. Since my grandpa got out of the hospital, he has steroid-induced diabetes, so the number of baked goods I have been able to give him has decreased significantly.



Anyway, I made these ginger cookies because I really like molasses-based goodies and it originally makes 18 cookies, which meant that I didn't have to deal with weird measurements like 5/16ths of a teaspoons.



The only problem I ever really have with ginger and molasses is that I can never really tell when they're done, which can lead to some overcooking. I think these were just about perfect though; the crunchy sugar topping really brought out the spice of the actual cookie.




Ginger Nuts
Makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup unrefined dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Granulated sugar, to decorate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the butter, molasses, brown sugar, and egg in a large bowl. Sift the remaining dry ingredients together and sitr into the butter mixture.

Using about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dought at a time, form the dough into balls. Place the balls 2 inches apart on a non-stick baking sheet or a standard baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly press the cookies into 1 1/4-inch rounds.

Refrigerate the cookies for one hour before baking. Then, sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake for 10 to 12 minutes; the cookies will puff up, then settle when cooked. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Chewy and Egg-Free

In case you haven't noticed yet, some of my favorite things in cookies include oatmeal, peanut butter, and nuts in general. So, when I stumbled across these Peanut Butter-Oatmeal cookies, I began salivating immediately. Not only do they contain all three of my favorite cookie ingredients, they're also vegan, which is a field of baking that I have been wanting more experience in. Also, I bought a big thing of soy milk and vegan butter to make gb's frosting and now I need to use all of it up as quickly as possible.



I added butterscotch chips to mine because those are my favorite chips, and these cookies were going to be just for me. (Don't worry, I ended up sharing a couple of them.) Unfortunately, the butterscotch was a little more sugary than I remembered and ended up being the lower point of the cookies.



Overall, these cookies were so good. It was my first experience of baking without eggs (with one exception of some brownies), and I was quite impressed. I definitely recommend these if you want a small batch of thick and chewy cookies.



Gigantoid Crunchy Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies
Makes about 1 dozen large cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate or butterscotch chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; lightly grease two cookies sheets. Stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oil, peanut butter, sugars, soy milk, and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix. Stir in chips, if using. The dough should be extremely difficult and moist. Pack a 1/3-cup measuring cup with dough, pop out and roll into a firm ball. Flatten just barely on a prepared cookie sheet, spacing the dough balls well apart.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies have puffed a bit and are lightly-browned. Allow to cool for at least two minutes before moving off the cookie sheet.

Still in School

Sometime last year, I found a recipe on Recipezaar for Maple Muffins. gb loves maple syrup, but he loves bacon even more, so I decided to add that into the mixture. They were a pretty big hit; he likes to add extra maple syrup to them and eat four or five in the morning, and the bacon provides manly protein to keep him going until lunch.



He also helped me make these muffins by cooking the bacon while I assembled the yummy muffin-y parts. Then he crumbled it up, still cracklin' with his bare hands and didn't wince once. He sure is tough.



These are surefire for people who like bacon and/or muffins, and they would be a great addition to a brunch buffet. They have a texture that is reminiscent of cornbread, but the syrup adds sweetness while the bacon adds a combating little jolt of savory.



Maple Bacon Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, bacon, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Back to School

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, especially if you're in college. What's the point of getting up and going to class if you're just going to be exhausted and hungry by the middle of it?

To kick off the beginning of the Fall semester, I made gb some doughnut muffins, which covered both his love of doughnuts and my muffins. Also, they are easy for him to pop in his mouth as he runs out the door to drive to school.



After baking these, I melted the soy butter in a small glass bowl and dipped the tops of the muffins in the butter. I then dipped the buttery tops into a bowl of cinnamon sugar. This proved to be only slightly foolproof - I ended up with a lot of cinnamon sugar ground into the paper cups that I had lined the pan with. Oh well, more sugar means more energy, right?



I insisted that gb help me make these, just because it was nighttime and I like it when he bakes with me because he's pretty good at following directions. He mixed the dry ingredients while I combined the wet and he ate the first one after it was topped.



These turned out to have an dense texture, which was good for a while, but they dried out after a few days and, as this recipe makes such a large batch, this led to quite a bit of waste. However, if you are having a large breakfast/brunch get-together or if you halve this recipe, I think it will turn out perfect. And while they may not be a part of your complete breakfast, they're still pretty damn good.



Doughnut Muffins
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen muffins

½ cup butter, softened
¾ cups sugar, plus 1/8 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
½ tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup milk (I used soy)
¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup butter, more if needed (I used soy)
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with muffin cups.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Combine the vanilla, milk and heavy cream.

With a spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't overmix.

Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup. Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, about 25 to 30 minutes.

To finish, melt the butter for the dipping mixture in a small bowl. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them into or brush them all over with the melted butter, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.

Reverse Dominoes

I don't really eat very many chocolate-based baked goods - I tend to just put chocolate into my cookies and such as an accent. I had some white chocolate chips, though and decided that I would make the recipe on the back of the bag for the chocolate cookies.



These were also for my grandpa. He loved them. He is pretty easy to please and quite well-fed when it comes to cookies.



They turned out alright. It was hard to know when they were completely finished and I'm not the biggest fan of white chocolate. It tastes kind of fake and oversweet to me.



Chocolate White Chip Cookies
Makes 4 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup Baking Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Milk-Free Birthday

I have always wanted to make milk-free icing for my boyfriend, but I don't usually make him frosted cakes and thus have never had a chance to do so. However, today is gb's 20th birthday and to celebrate, I made him a yellow cake with Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. Unfortunately, the original recipe was...somewhat off. It called for 1/8 cup of soy milk right off the bat and I just measured it out without questioning it; anyway, it turned out to be way too much and the frosting was much too wet; plus, I was afraid to add more powdered sugar because it was already extremely sweet. Even though the frosting was runny, gb loved it anyway and told everyone about the "awesome birthday cake" that I had made him.



Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Makes enough to frost two-layer cake

1 cup soy margarine, softened
1 to 3 tablespoons or more soy milk, rice milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice
6 cups Veganized Powdered Sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla

Using an electric mixer or in a large bowl with a hand held mixer, place the soy margarine and soy milk, and cream them together. Add half of the sugar, and beat well to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to beat the mixture until light and fluffy.

Nostalgic and Delicious

The recipe that started me baking at the ripe young age of 8 was one for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies out of a Betty Crocker Cookbook. They're my grandpa's favorite cookies and he always asks for them for trips, special occasions, and just in general.



While my dad likes the raisins in these cookies, I prefer them any other way, either with chocolate chips, nuts, or just plain. My grandpa just likes cookies in general and will eat pretty much whatever I bring him, because he loves me very much and is one of my biggest fans. When I get my bakery, I will make these cookies with walnuts and chocolate chips and call them Triple-B Cookies for my grandpa.



I made this particular version to use up some Reese's Pieces Baking Bits that I bought to try out in cookies. So, these cookies had both peanut butter candy and chocolate chips sprinkled throughout. I wasn't too blown away by the Reese's bits; I would probably make these again with peanut butter as well as chocolate chips.



Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup raisins, chopped nuts or semisweet chocolate chips, if desired

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, beat all ingredients except oats, flour and raisins with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in oats, flour and raisins.

On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Cinna-swirly

One day, Andrew happened to be looking over my shoulder as I scrolled through Gigi Cakes' blog when he saw something that he liked.



Apparently, Betty Crocker (the brand, not the lady) held some sort of recipe contest, and one Lynette S. won $5,000 with a cookie version of a cinnamon roll. Basically, instead of yeast and flour and such, you use the sugar cookie dough that you make from the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix.



Anyway, Gigi Cakes had changed the directions to the recipe a little; instead of rolling each "Cinna-spin" separately, you roll a big sheet and cut it into slices. Then, she put hers into muffin liners and baked them. It was a twist on a twist on a twist, so to speak. (A twist in triplicate?) I changed the recipe by not rolling as evenly, leading to a much more unattractive end product, and using copious amounts of nonstick cooking spray as opposed to paper liners. Also, I substituted soy milk in place of regular milk in the icing recipe since they were for my lovebunny with the dairy allergy.



He enjoyed these a lot - the pictures in this post are actually from the second time he requested me to make them in two weeks. They really do taste like the cookie equivalent of a cinnamon roll. The cinnamon is in perfect proportion with the sweetness of the cookie and the icing. Plus, if I had taken more time and rolled out the sheet of dough more evenly, they would be supercute to boot.



Andrew reviewed these as the perfect combination of crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. He also liked them a lot because of their size; he refers to it as bite-size, but it usually takes me at least two or three bites. Either way, he likes them a lot.



Cinna-spin Cookies
Makes about 20 cookies

1 (1 lb 1.5 oz) pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons (soy)milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, mix cookie mix and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir in butter and egg until soft dough forms.

Roll dough out onto wax paper and pat or roll into a 12-by-7-inch rectangle; the dough will be a little less than 1/4-inch thick. Cover dough with another sheet of wax paper and chill for at least thirty minutes.

After dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cinnamon over the entirety of the dough, making sure to cover all of it. Starting with the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough away from yourself. Be sure to work quickly - the dough will fall apart easily when warm.



Spray about twenty regular-sized muffin cups with non-stick spray or line with paper cups. Slice the cookie dough into twenty or so equal pieces and bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies in the pan for about 5 minutes and then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.

Mix glaze ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over cookies and enjoy!