Home Party Dessert Recipe
10/27/2011
Halloween Cookies
*Butter Cookies*
14 T unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour
food color (orange) for pumpkin cookies (optional)
colored frosting for decoration (optional)
>how to make<
*With a mixer,beat the butter with the sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth and creamy but not fluffy, about 1 minute with the mixer.
*Beat in the egg yolk.
*Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.
*Scrape the dough into a mass and knead it with your hands a few times just to be sure the flour is completely incorporated.
*Form 2 flat patties.
(If you are making pumpkin cookies, you may take small portion of dough and mix in orange food color.)
*Wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight.
*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
*Remove 1 patty from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature until supple enough to roll but still quite firm, about 20 minutes.
*Roll the dough between 2 sheet of wax paper or between heavy plastic sheets cut from a resealable plastic bag to a thickness of 1/4".
*Turn the dough over once or twice while you are rolling it out to check for deep wrinkles; if necessary, peel off and smooth the paper or plastic over the dough before continuing to roll it.
*When the dough is thin enough, peel off the top sheet of paper or plastic and keep it in front of you.
*Invert the dough onto that sheet and peel off the second sheet.
*Cut cookie shapes as close together as possible to minimize scraps, dipping the edges of the cookie cutters in flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
*Use the point of a paring knife to lift and remove scraps as you transfer cookies to cookie sheets.
*Place the cookies at least 1 1/2" apart on the ungreased or lined cookie sheets.
*Repeat with the second piece of dough.
*Gently press all of the dough scraps together and reroll.
*Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, or until light golden brown at the edges.
*Rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
*Repeat until all the cookies are baked.
*Cool completely before stacking or storing.
*The cookies may be kept in an airtight container for at least a month.
*Decorate cookies as you wish.
-makes 48 cookies-
Note: This recipe was taken from ”Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-mouth Cookies" by Alice Medreich.
*Coffee Cookies*
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 T solid vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar 1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 t espresso coffee powder
2 T boiling water
1/2 t baking soda
1 T cold strong black coffee
brown food color (optional)
colored frosting (optional)
>how to make<
*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
*Lightly grease two large baking sheets with butter or vegetable shortening.
*In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, vegetable shortening, and sugar.
*Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract.
*Sift the flour with the salt and cinnamon.
*Dissolve the instant coffee in the boiling water.
*Dissolve the baking soda in the cold coffee.
*Combine both coffee mixtures in one cup.
*Gradually add the flour mixture to the batter, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the coffee mixture.
*Knead the mixture to a smooth dough.
*If dough is sticky, add more flour, a little at a time, until it is easier to work.
*On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4".
*Cut out the cookies using a cookie cutter.
*Place the cookies 1" apart on the baking sheets.
*Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies have browned around the edges.
*Remove from the oven.
*After the cookies have cooled for 2 to 3 minutes, but are still warm to the touch, use a spatula to transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
*Decorate cookies as you wish.
-makes 30 cookies-
Note: This recipe was taken from ”365 Great Cooies You Can Bake" by Lois Hill.
*Butter Cookies*
14 T unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour
food color (orange) for pumpkin cookies (optional)
colored frosting for decoration (optional)
>how to make<
*With a mixer,beat the butter with the sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth and creamy but not fluffy, about 1 minute with the mixer.
*Beat in the egg yolk.
*Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.
*Scrape the dough into a mass and knead it with your hands a few times just to be sure the flour is completely incorporated.
*Form 2 flat patties.
(If you are making pumpkin cookies, you may take small portion of dough and mix in orange food color.)
*Wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight.
*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
*Remove 1 patty from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature until supple enough to roll but still quite firm, about 20 minutes.
*Roll the dough between 2 sheet of wax paper or between heavy plastic sheets cut from a resealable plastic bag to a thickness of 1/4".
*Turn the dough over once or twice while you are rolling it out to check for deep wrinkles; if necessary, peel off and smooth the paper or plastic over the dough before continuing to roll it.
*When the dough is thin enough, peel off the top sheet of paper or plastic and keep it in front of you.
*Invert the dough onto that sheet and peel off the second sheet.
*Cut cookie shapes as close together as possible to minimize scraps, dipping the edges of the cookie cutters in flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
*Use the point of a paring knife to lift and remove scraps as you transfer cookies to cookie sheets.
*Place the cookies at least 1 1/2" apart on the ungreased or lined cookie sheets.
*Repeat with the second piece of dough.
*Gently press all of the dough scraps together and reroll.
*Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, or until light golden brown at the edges.
*Rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
*Repeat until all the cookies are baked.
*Cool completely before stacking or storing.
*The cookies may be kept in an airtight container for at least a month.
*Decorate cookies as you wish.
-makes 48 cookies-
Note: This recipe was taken from ”Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-mouth Cookies" by Alice Medreich.
*Coffee Cookies*
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 T solid vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar 1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 t espresso coffee powder
2 T boiling water
1/2 t baking soda
1 T cold strong black coffee
brown food color (optional)
colored frosting (optional)
>how to make<
*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
*Lightly grease two large baking sheets with butter or vegetable shortening.
*In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, vegetable shortening, and sugar.
*Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract.
*Sift the flour with the salt and cinnamon.
*Dissolve the instant coffee in the boiling water.
*Dissolve the baking soda in the cold coffee.
*Combine both coffee mixtures in one cup.
*Gradually add the flour mixture to the batter, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the coffee mixture.
*Knead the mixture to a smooth dough.
*If dough is sticky, add more flour, a little at a time, until it is easier to work.
*On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4".
*Cut out the cookies using a cookie cutter.
*Place the cookies 1" apart on the baking sheets.
*Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies have browned around the edges.
*Remove from the oven.
*After the cookies have cooled for 2 to 3 minutes, but are still warm to the touch, use a spatula to transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
*Decorate cookies as you wish.
-makes 30 cookies-
Note: This recipe was taken from ”365 Great Cooies You Can Bake" by Lois Hill.
Labels: Frankenstein cookies, ghost cookies, Halloween Cookies recipe, pumpkin cookies, skelton cookies, tombstone cookies
10/10/2011
Nectarine Cake
2 1/2 lbs nectarine, cut into 1/2" thick wedges
5 T peach schnapps
4 t lemon juice
6 T plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
8 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t plus 1/8 t almond extract
1/3 cup panko
>how to make<
*Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
*Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray.
*Gently toss 24 nectarine wedges with 2 T schnapps, 2 t lemon juice, and 1 T granulated sugar in bowl; set aside.
*Cut remaining nectarine wedges crosswise into thirds.
*Gently toss chunks with remaining 3 T schnapps, remaining 2 t lemon juice, and 2 T granulated sugar in bowl.
*Spread nectarine chunks in single layer on prepared sheet and bake until exuded juices begin to thicken and caramelize at edges of sheet, 20 to 25 minutes.
*Transfer sheet to wire rack and let nectarine cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
*Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
*Spray 9" springform pan with vegetable oil spray.
*Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl.
*Whisk brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and eggs together in second bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds.
*Slowly whisk in butter until combined.
*Add sour cream, vanilla, and 1/4 t almond extract; whisk until combined.
*Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
*Transfer half of batter to prepared pan; using offset spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface.
*Sprinkle crushed bread crumbs evenly over cooled nectarine chunks and gently toss to coat.
*Arrange nectarine chunks on batter in even layer, gently pressing nectarine into batter.
*Gently spread remaining batter over nectarine chunks and smooth top.
*Arrange reserved nectarine wedges, slightly overlapped, in ring over surface of cake, placing smaller wedges in center.
*Stir together remaining 3 T granulated sugar and remaining 1/8 t almond extract in small bowl until sugar is moistened.
*Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over top of cake.
*Bake until center of cake is set and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
*Transfer pan to wire rack; cool 5 minutes.
*Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen.
Remove cake from pan and let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.
*Cut into wedges and serve.
-makes 10-
Note: This recipe was adapted from "Cook's Illustrated".
2 1/2 lbs nectarine, cut into 1/2" thick wedges
5 T peach schnapps
4 t lemon juice
6 T plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
8 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t plus 1/8 t almond extract
1/3 cup panko
>how to make<
*Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
*Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray.
*Gently toss 24 nectarine wedges with 2 T schnapps, 2 t lemon juice, and 1 T granulated sugar in bowl; set aside.
*Cut remaining nectarine wedges crosswise into thirds.
*Gently toss chunks with remaining 3 T schnapps, remaining 2 t lemon juice, and 2 T granulated sugar in bowl.
*Spread nectarine chunks in single layer on prepared sheet and bake until exuded juices begin to thicken and caramelize at edges of sheet, 20 to 25 minutes.
*Transfer sheet to wire rack and let nectarine cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
*Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
*Spray 9" springform pan with vegetable oil spray.
*Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl.
*Whisk brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and eggs together in second bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds.
*Slowly whisk in butter until combined.
*Add sour cream, vanilla, and 1/4 t almond extract; whisk until combined.
*Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
*Transfer half of batter to prepared pan; using offset spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface.
*Sprinkle crushed bread crumbs evenly over cooled nectarine chunks and gently toss to coat.
*Arrange nectarine chunks on batter in even layer, gently pressing nectarine into batter.
*Gently spread remaining batter over nectarine chunks and smooth top.
*Arrange reserved nectarine wedges, slightly overlapped, in ring over surface of cake, placing smaller wedges in center.
*Stir together remaining 3 T granulated sugar and remaining 1/8 t almond extract in small bowl until sugar is moistened.
*Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over top of cake.
*Bake until center of cake is set and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
*Transfer pan to wire rack; cool 5 minutes.
*Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen.
Remove cake from pan and let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.
*Cut into wedges and serve.
-makes 10-
Note: This recipe was adapted from "Cook's Illustrated".
Labels: Nectarine cake recipe, Peach cake recipe, peach schnapps