Happy V-Day Y'all

Heart shaped naturally colored red cinnamon French macarons

I hope all of you have a fantastic Valentine's Day! 

Winter Wonderland

A while back I made this cute winter wonderland themed 1st birthday cake. I really loved how the smash cake turned out. I meant for it to look like fresh snow (or powder if you will) and I think it turned out pretty spot on. 

 I also made a bigger cake for the party guests complete with candy canes, a blanket of fresh snow, snowballs and a super cutesy little (arm-less) snowman with a scarf and everything. Oh don't you just want to squeeze his little cheeks?

Welcome winter!

Hard Apple Cider Snickerdoodles

Hard Apple Cider Snickerdoodles

It's kind of funny how these cookies came about. I couldn't decide between an apple pie cookie or a snickerdoodle for the last recipe. Then just randomly I saw that the food network did an apple cider snickerdoodle, so the idea came from there. I changed it up by adding some of my favorite hard cider, Samuel Smith's organic hard cider. The liquor cooks out, but if you wanted to make these with just regular apple cider you totally could do that instead!
This cookie would be very good with an apple cider glaze too.

1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 stick, unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons hard apple cider (I used Samuel Smith's organic hard cider--you may also use regular apple cider instead)
1 tsp REAL maple syrup
1 egg
1 apple*, cored, peeled and shredded (using a food processor or cheese grater--I would use an apple with a more sturdy base... don't use a soft apple like a pink lady, etc. A granny smith or gala would do well)

*You must use a real apple for these cookies. I made the mistake using dried apples and when baked inside these cookies, they stay kind of hard. So trust me, use real apples!!

topping:
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp apple powder*

oven @ 375 (or 350 if your oven runs hot, like mine does)

- combine butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until fluffy
- add the egg, maple syrup, and hard cider. Mixture will look somewhat curdled--this is OK.
- in a separate bowl combine all of the dry ingredients, then add to the butter mixture and mix until well incorporated.
- add the shredded apple

line cookie sheets with parchment paper, then make the topping:

- combine all ingredients in a bowl
*note: to make apple powder you will need freeze dried apples. I use the organic Just Tomatoes Brand. Puree the apples in a food processor until no large chunks remain. Then sift through a fine mesh sifter until you get about 1 tsp of powder. You may also add a few chunks into the topping if you're feeling crazy!

Take a tablespoon size of dough and roll into a ball, then roll around in the topping until fully covered. Place about 2-3" apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, and lightly flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

This seems to be happening a lot lately, but these cookies tasted much better the following day. Something magical must be happening during the night, maybe some little elves are coming and sprinkling magical dust on them... or more likely it's probably just that the ingredients have time to meld together. But either way, these are better the next day!

Chocolate sandwich cookies

So, I wanted to make some sort of chocolate sandwich cookie... kind of a mix between a homemade Oreo and a whoopie pie. But I didn't want the chocolate cookie to be really hard, or too cake-like. I wanted just a normal cookie; crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle.
I also didn't want this to be just your basic chocolate cookie with vanilla filling. That has been done over and over! 
I decided to add a bunch of coconut to the cream filling along with some almond extract which kind of started to remind me of an almond joy, minus the big pieces of almond. I also went just a bit further and added some cream cheese into the frosting, just because I seem to be on a cream cheese kick lately and it sounded good!

I have to be honest with you guys. I was not all that excited about these when they were freshly put together. All I could really taste was chocolate cookie. The flavors didn't have time to come together. But, oh man, after sitting in the fridge overnight... they were almost exactly as I had imagined.

I think the only thing that I will change next time I make these is to toast the coconut before adding it to the frosting. Also I would add more frosting in the middle and roll the cookie in some toasted coconut so it would stick to the frosting bulging out of the sides.
Feel free to do these steps when you make this cookie, if you so desire. Don't get me wrong these cookies were quite delightful with out all this added hoopla too. Your choice my friends!

Also, in case you were wondering... this is recipe is super duper easy!

Chocolate coconut & almond cream sandwich cookie recipe:

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup dutch process cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of sugar (I felt like the dough was a little grainy with sugar... if I were to do these again I would only add 3/4 cup of sugar-just a personal preference though)
1 egg*
1 stick, plus 2 tablespoons of room temperature unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350

- In the bowl of a food processor add combine the flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder, salt & sugar. Pulse until just combined.
- Add the butter and pulse until combined, then add the egg and pulse until dough comes together in a mass.

note: depending on the humidity, you may need to add an extra egg if your dough seems dry, just pick some dough out if it comes together when you squeeze your fingers together, then you're good with 1 egg... if it's crumbly and doesn't stick, add another egg.

- scoop out dough with a tablespoon, roll together and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper about 2" apart,  then with the palm of your hand flatten the dough slightly.

another note: once baked the tablespoon size of dough ball made giant sized cookies, about 3" and I was hoping for a bit smaller cookies. So you may want to take smaller amounts of dough, more like a half of a tablespoon or so. Unless of course, you want giant sandwich cookies!

- bake cookies for about 10 minutes. Place on cookie racks and cool completely before adding the filling.

While cookies are cooling make filling:

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp
4 oz cream cheese, room temp
2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup coconut
5-10 tablespoons of powdered sugar

- combine butter and cream cheese in stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until creamy and all the lumps are gone. Check out these more detailed instructions, on how to make a killer frosting.
- add the powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until you reached your desired sweetness.
- add the coconut and almond extract, and mix until well incorporated.

Spread frosting over half of the cookies and put together with un-frosted cookies. Then if you can handle it, store in a airtight container overnight in the fridge before eating. I promise you, they will taste better!

There you have it, a coconut almond cream chocolate sandwich cookie!

S'more cookies

This recipe was adapted from My Baking Addiction

2 sticks softened butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cane sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 full graham crackers (go here for perfectly yummy homemade graham crackers)
about 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

- smash graham crackers either in a food processor or with a wooden spoon in a bag, set aside any large chunks for placing on top of your cookies
- combine smashed graham crackers, flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside
- cream butter in the bowl of a stand mixer
- add the sugars until combined and fluffy
- add the eggs 1 at a time, then add in the vanilla
- add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until incorporated
- add the chocolate chips, and marshmallows (set a few marshmallows aside to add to the top of each cookie, if desired)

Scoop out dough with a tablespoon and set on baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2" apart. Place extra chunks of graham crackers & chocolate chips on tops of cookie balls
Place cookie sheets in freezer for about 10 minutes, then bake at 325 for about 8 minutes, then open oven and place a few marshmallows on top of each cookie, bake for a few more minutes or until golden brown.

Eggnog Cookies

I had a dream about these cookies before I made them. I had seen recipes for eggnog cookies before but all the pictures I saw the cookies were flat, and thin and they looked crispy. I really wanted a puffy and light, cake-like cookie. Thankfully, these cookies turned out exactly as I wanted!

2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs ground nutmeg
1 stick unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup pure cane sugar
2 tsp whiskey (I used Pendelton-this is also optional, you may use vanilla extract instead)
2 eggs
1/2 cup eggnog

eggnog glaze (optional)
1/4 cup eggnog
about 5-10 tablespoons of powdered sugar (amount depends on thickness desired)
1 tsp whiskey *optional

- cream butter, and both sugars in stand mixer until fluffy
- add eggs and whiskey and mix until well incorporated
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- alternate adding flour and eggnog to butter mixture starting and ending with the flour
- mix until incorporated
- scoop out a tablespoon size onto parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350

eggnog glaze
whisk together the eggnog, whiskey (if using) and sugar until you get a thick, but spreadable glaze. drizzle over cookies, & top with freshly grated nutmeg

Cinnamon Honey Graham Cookies

Okay, these technically say "cracker" in the name, but they are totally cookies!

Graham Cracker cookie recipe:

2 1/4 cup flour

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes and very cold

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon of molasses

5 tablespoons of whole milk (or cream works too)

1 tsp vanilla

For topping:

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

- Combine the flour, sugar, soda, salt & cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Or you can whisk together in a a bowl. 

- Next add the butter and mix until you have coarse meal. If using a food processor use the pulse method until you have the desired consistency. If mixing in a bowl, mix with a fork or cut the butter in with a pastry tool.

- in a separate bowl mix together the honey, molasses, milk and vanilla. Then add to the flour mixture and mix until the dough barely comes together. 

- dump dough out onto lightly floured piece of plastic wrap and pat into a flat square, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight. 

- remove from fridge and roll out dough about 1/4" thick, cut into squares using a pizza cutter, or cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

-place onto parchment lined baking sheets, and sprinkle topping on top of each cookie, then stab each cookie with a fork making about 3-4 rows of holes. Then bake in a 325 degree oven for about 7-10 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. 

Enjoy y'all!