Chocolate Nutella Sugar Cookies
Just in time for Valentines Day! I love love to decorate Sugar cookies, royal icing is an art I’m dying to master. BUT I don’t like sugar cookies that much. They’re too sweet and just, well, sugary. So I wanted to try to make a cookie that I would enjoy eating as much as I enjoy decorating. I took my basic sugar cookie recipe and added two of my favorite things, chocolate and Nutella, an Ta-Da! Success!
These cookies, look fabulous, smell unbelivable and taste out of this world! If your a Nutella fan like me, odds are you’ll already have all the ingredients on hand already, just in time to whip up some for the one’s you love!
Chocolate Nutella Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup butter (softened at room temperature)
1/4 cup Nutella
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 egg, lightly beaten (egg should be at room temperature)
3 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Sift together all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar and salt.
3. Cut in butter and blend with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.
4. With a fork, stir in lightly beaten egg, vanilla, milk and Nutella. Blend well with fork, then your hands to ensure thorough blending.
5. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes.
6. Place on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar or leave plain for decorating with icing.
7. Bake for 6 – 7 minutes, or until lightly brown.
Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownies
After taking the past few months off, I’m back! As you may or may not know, I’m back working full time. I have a great new job I LOVE as the Marketing Director for the largest commercial real estate company in New Mexico. It’s my ideal job, but a crazy busy one as well. Sooo, needless to say my cooking sort of took the back-burner.
I missed it terribly, but it takes ALOT of time to be a successful food blogger: time to research, time to screw up, time to clean up messes and time to start over. Well I’ve been on the job almost 3 months now and I finally think I’ve got life and the craziness of being a full time working wife and mom, under control.
So here we go, this first recipe is…
Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownies:
Just in time for Valentines Day!
These are decadent and beautiful, perfect if you’re looking to make something extra special for the one you love, but don’t have a TON of time. I’m obsessed with the combo of chocolate and cream cheese and these brownies hit the spot! I couldn’t walk away. Normally I take the easy way out and do not make my brownies from scratch, but this recipe was the exception. And let me just say, one of my next efforts might be perfecting the homemade brownie. These brownies turned out PERFECT, thick, not too cakey, just right.
Easy to make and gorgeous presentation, this is definitely an instant classic.
Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownies
1/2 cup Butter
2 oz. Chocolate Chopped
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 tsp Red Food Color
2/3 cup Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
8 oz Cream Cheese
1/3 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan. Line with Parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper as well.
3. In a small microwavable bowl melt chocolate and 1/2 cup butter.
4. While chocolate is melting, in a large bowl, mix Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla and Red food coloring.
5. Add Chocolate and Butter mixture 1/2 at a time, stirring after each addition, so the eggs do not get cooked.
6. Add the Flour and Salt to the mixture and stir till just combined.
7. Pour into parchment lined pan.
8. In a medium bowl Combine, Cream Cheese, 1/2 cup Sugar, 1 Egg and 1/2 tsp Vanilla, and stir well.
9. Pour Cream Cheese mixture on top of Brownie mixture in the pan.
10. Swirl Cream Cheese mixture with a butter knife.
11. Bake 35 – 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
12. Cool, Slice and Enjoy!
Pretty Pumpkin Ginger Snaps
I wanted to make a cookie that I could cover in beautiful Royal Icing, but that wouldn’t be overly sweet. I decided Gingersnaps would be PERFECT and I was right, the spicy gingersnaps and the super sweet icing makes for the ideal cookie combination.
I also discovered the key to a good Gingersnap cookie when researching this recipe, Black Pepper. I know it sounds nuts to add black pepper to your cookies, but TRUST me, that’s what adds that spicy “snap” to the gingersnaps.
Gingersnaps
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups Flour
2 tsp ground Ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp ground Cloves
1 tsp ground Nutmeg
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Butter
1/2 cup White Sugar
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1 Egg
1/3 cup Dark Molasses
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and both sugars.
2. Add in Egg, Vanilla and Molasses and mix completely.
3. In a seperate bowl sift together, Flour, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Baking Powder and Pepper.
4. Slowly add Dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, until just combined.
5. Form dough into a ball, place in bowl, cover and refridgerate at least 2 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. On a floured surface roll out dough as thin as you can get it, cut into shapes, move to a parchament lined baking sheet.
8. Bake 8-10 minutes or until slightly browned – NOTE: I under cooked my first batch, you want to make sure the cookies get brown on all edges and most of the middle, this gives you a perfect crispy gingersnap.
9. Cool and Enjoy Plain or Decorate with Royal Icing – Recipe Below.
Royal Icing
Ingredients:
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. meringue powder
5 tbsp. water
Delicious Dinners – Easy Baked Ziti
Five Reasons why you should make this for dinner…
1. This recipe requires little effort, has few ingredients, but tastes impressive.
2. It tastes like a sloppier version of Lasagna.
3. It’s just as good the next day for lunch.
4. It would be a great dish to bring to a friend’s.
5. My toddler cleaned his plate - kid approved is ALWAYS a bonus for me.
Easy Baked Ziti
Ingredients:
1 lb Cooked Ziti noodles
1 1/2 lb Cooked Ground Beef
3 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce (or 1 jar if you need a shortcut, I make a quick homemade sauce but either would work)
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 cups Low-Fat Shredded Mozzarlla Cheese
1. Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees
2. In a large casssarole Mix together meat, sauce and 1 cup of the Mozzerella cheese.
3. Add Ricotta in spoonfuls and mix in.
4. Spinkle with remaining Mozzerella cheese on top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
Ghostly Sugar Cookies
Just in time for Halloween, I’m posting a couple cookies this week.
First up are my Lemon Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies. In the festive shape of ghosts of course.
I decided this year I was going to perfect my icing techniques. I decided ghosts was a good place to start. Only two colors and one is white, so it cut down on the work. I’ve tried using Royal Icing before but never quite got it right. This time I nailed it.
After some SERIOUS cookie research I discovered that perfect sugar cookies take 4 important factors: Meringue powder, Consistency, Time and Patience.
I’ll start with the Meranigue Powder. This is the KEY to the icing hardening correctly and giving you that classic look. You can find it at any store that sells cake decorating supplies. I found it at Hobby Lobby It was only a couple dollars and the can should last me through MANY cookies to come.
Next Consistency. I don’t mean you need to be consistent, I’m talking about the icing. You need to get it JUST right or the out lines will bleed and the filling won’t fill. For me I worked carefully adding a TINY bit of water to my sugar at a time, making sure I stirred completely to keep the consistency as desired. For the Outline you want a thicker consistency that will hold it’s shape. When you do the inside flooding, you want your icing to be very thin – or run off the back of a spoon.
As far as time and patience go, you really have to be a patient person with a steady hand, and these can’t be made in a rush. To make them look amazing you pretty much have to decorate in 3 Steps, allowing 2 hours dry time between steps.
You start, of course, by baking them and allow them to COMPLETELY cool.
Step one – Outline ALL the cookies in whatever color you will be filling in,
Allow the outlines to dry at least one hour, two is better.
Step Two – Thin out your icing so that it runs down the back of a spoon. Add a small amount to the center of each cookie and use tooth picks to draw the icing to all the edges until the cookie is completely filled in. Make sure to pop any bubbles with your toothpick.
Allow the filling to cool at least TWO hours.
Step Three – Add the detail with black icing, simple dots for eyes and mouth.
Allow to dry at least two hours.
Then you can put them in cute bags and hand them out to impressed friends and loved ones!
Not only did these cookies look good, but they tasted fabulous!
I also got my first opportunity to bake cookies with my two year old son. I got a few pictures of us baking:
Here are the recipes for the cookies and icing I used:
Lemon Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg
2½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Zest of half a lemon (or a whole lemon, if you love lemon)
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg, vanilla, vanilla bean, and lemon zest.
3. Next mix in the flour and salt until just incorporated.
4. Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1-2 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
6. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and roll out the dough on a floured surface to ¼ inch thickness.
7. Cut with cookie cutters and carefully transfer to baking sheet.
8. Bake 8-10 minutes, until fully cooked but not AT ALL browned.
9. Allow to cool completely. Decorate as desired.
Royal Icing
Ingredients:
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. meringue powder
5 tbsp. water
Source: Adapted from Annie’s Eat’s Sugar cookies
My favorite Pumpkin Bread
It’s that time of the year, and there is just about nothing I can think of that’s better on a chilly fall day than the smell of homemade Pumpkin Bread baking in my oven.
My recipe for Pumpkin Bread is slightly different than most you will come across. I like to add a generous amount of all of my favorite pumpkin pie spices, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. I think this is the KEY to perfect pumpkin bread.
Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Pumpkin
1/2 cup Vegatable Oil
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Water
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Cloves
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup chopped Nuts – Optional
1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl Combine Sugar, Pumpkin, Oil, Water and Eggs.
3. In a seperate bowl using a whisk Combine Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger and Cloves, until completely combined.
4. Slowly add Dry Ingredients to the Wet Ingredients, until completely mixed together.
5. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan.
6. Bake 50-60 minutes
7. Cool, Slice & Enjoy!
Just for Fun – Halloween Krispy Treats
I LOVE rice krispy treats. This is the first time I’ve made them for my 2 year old son. And I’m proud to say now he LOVES rice krispy treats too!
I’ve always wanted to do fun krispy shapes. These treats are fun and delicious! I added sprinkles for a little Halloween fun.
Note:After making rice krispy treats many times over the years I’ve discovered it’s best to use mini marshmallows, if possible, they melt quicker and your arm doesn’t get tired stirring!
Halloween Rice Krispy Treats
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups miniature marshmallows – OR – 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies®
Colored sprinkles of choice – if desired
1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool.
4. Use cookie cutters to cut into shapes and sprinkle with festive sprinkles, if desired.
Source: Adapted from Rice Krispy Squares @ Kellogg’s Rice Krispies
Cookie of the Month – Candy Corn Cookies!
Cookie of the Month Time!
These are the cutest little cookies you CANT.STOP.EATING.
Thankfully they also make the cutest little gifts and I gave all but a few away. I bagged them up by the dozen and sent them off to my husband’s co-workers, friends and family, and the feed back was unanimous, they were a total hit!
Light, sweet with the subtle taste of orange, not only do they look adorable they taste unbelievable!
Don’t feel intimidated by the way the look, they are so simple to make you won’t believe it!
It’s just a basic Orange Sugar Cookie recipe. To create that cute ”Candy Corn” look, you separate the dough into thirds. Dye one third yellow and one orange and then press into a bread pan in layers 3 layers. You then refrigerate, slice into triangles and dip in sugar. It’s that simple!
They are totally worth the effort, impressive looking and tasting!
Candy Corn Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons orange juice
Zest of One whole orange
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
orange food coloring
yellow food coloring
Extra Sugar for sanding
1. Pre heat oven to 375 Degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg, orange juice, zest and salt.
4. Slowly add the flour and baking soda. Beat until combined.
5. Divide the cookie dough into thirds
6. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
7. Press the first third of the dough into the parchment lined loaf pan pressing it evenly in the bottom.
8. Add a few drops of orange color to the second third of dough, and mix until completely combined.
9. Press orange dough into the pan on top of the white.
10. Do the same thing with the last third of dough only make it yellow and press it into the pan.
11. Refridgerate at least 2 hours.
12. Slice dough into 1/2″ slices and slice into little triangles.
13. Dip in Extra Sugar and Place on Greased Cookie Sheet
14. Bake 7-10 minutes
Make about 6 dozen small cookies
Source: Adapted from Candy Corn Cookies by Baked Bree, see her site for step-by-step picture instructions
Delicious Dinners – Taco puffs
I’m always looking for a way to spice up dinner time. I knew these taco puffs were going to be good, but I was surprised at how great they actually turned out. My husband said he was shocked at how something that looked so simple, tasted so great, that’s a BIG compliment from my husband too! My toddler LOVED these as well, and I didn’t spend the entire time reminding him to chew up his taco shell all the way so he didn’t choke, as I usually do on taco night, he just won’t eat the soft tortillas.
Taco Puffs
Ingredients:
1/2 lb hamburger meat
1/2 package Taco Seasoning
1 package or 8 uncooked flaky biscuits
1/2 can refried beans
1 cup shredded cheese – I use the mexican blend, but even slices of american cheese will work
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook hamburger meat in a medium skillet, when done add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water, heat about 5 more minutes or until all the water is gone.
3. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. Remove Biscuits from container, put 4 biscuits on a plate back in the refrigerator, and with a rolling pin roll out the other 4 biscuits into 4 inch circles.
5. In the center of each circle spread a spoonful of refried beans, then a spoonful of taco meat and top with some shredded cheese – be careful not to overfill.
6. Get remaining 4 biscuits from the refrigerator and roll out into 4 inch circles, place on tops on the puffs and seal edges with a fork.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
8. Slice and Enjoy!
Makes 4 servings – this recipe is EASILY doubled
Zucchini Brownies
I always make zucchini bread, but this year I wanted to find something more interesting to dress up my last home grown zucchini of the season. These brownies are perfect, moist and delicious, but without any added oil or butter. I actually didn’t feel guilty allowing my two year old to pig out on these brownies.
Zucchini Brownies
1 cup Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 container chocolate frosting
1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl w/a mixer, cream butter and sugar together.
3. Beat eggs in one at a time.
4. Beat in yogurt and vanilla.
5. In a separate bowl whisk or sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
6. Add dry mixture slowly to wet ingredients, until completely combined.
7. Fold in Zucchini.
8. Pour into a greased brownie pan.
9. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Cool, Slice and Enjoy!
Source: Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Simple and Delicous Cookbook