Lavender Shortbread

The smell of lavender makes me think of my mother and grandmother. My mother because she has it growing in her front yard. My grandmother because when I was a child she would have us make little sachets from the lavender she grew in her yard.

Someone gave me lavender shortbread last summer. The taste, the smell. It brought me back to when I was a little girl at my grandmother's house making those sachets. You know I just had to make some myself.

I need to put my own scented lavender plant in my yard. In the mean time, I'll purchase dried lavender at Whole Foods. Not cheap, but worth it.

All you need to do is add 1 tablespoon dried or 2 tablespoon fresh lavender flowers to your favorite shortbread recipe.

If you don't have a shortbread recipe I recommend the one from America's Test Kitchen.

Then enjoy with a cup of tea with a friend.

Oven Baked S'mores

There is nothing else to say about this recipe than YUM!

This came from a parent at school. She made them for our teacher appreciation lunch. Let me tell you....the teachers appreciated these so much! I don't think they lasted past that first day.

Enjoy!

Oven Baked S'mores

12 double graham crackers, (5x2.5 inch)
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350˚F. In ungreased 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan, place graham crackers side by side to cover entire bottom of pan. Sprinkle marshmallows and chocolate chips evenly over crackers.

In heavy 2-quart saucepan combine brown sugar, butter, and vanilla. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and mixture begins to bubble around the edges (4 to 5 minutes). Pour evenly over crackers, marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely. Break into pieces (or cut into bars).

Peeps Krispies Treats

I found this recipe online and just had to share.

One of my most vivid childhood memories is seeing Peeps at my grandmother's house every Easter. Yellow Peeps lined up in their little boxes. Sitting there waiting to be eaten. I don't care for Peeps too much. My grandmother must love them. When I see Peeps I think of my grandmother and for that I love Peeps.

My daughters and I made these Peeps Krispies Treats to bring to my parents on Easter. They are colorful and sweeter than normal Rice Krispies Treats. I think they're going to be a hit.

Happy Easter

The Christ Child's Birthday Cake

I know....I'm a little late, but I didn't make this until Christmas morning. Even if I had time to post it then, it would have been too late. So, I thought I would post it now then you will have it for next Christmas.

Growing up my aunt would make a birthday cake every Christmas. After all, that is what we are celebrating on Christmas, Jesus' birthday. At some point my aunt found this recipe. Now that I'm a mother and aunt I have continued the tradition.

This is a wonderful spice cake. Another alternative to the icing is to just sprinkle powdered sugar on the top before serving.

The Christ Child's Birthday Cake

Preheat oven to 350˚ F

3 1/3 cup flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves

Sift dry ingredients together twice and set aside.


Cream together in large bowl:
1 cup butter
1 2/3 cup white sugar

4 eggs
1 cup black walnuts (I can never find black walnuts. I just use regular)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup seeless blackberry jam

Add eggs to sugar and butter and beat for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle small amount of dry ingedients over walnuts and set aside.
Add buttermilk alternately with dry inredients to creamed mixture.
Stir just until well blended. Stir in blackberry jam. Add walnuts and mix well.

Grease a 10 inch Angel Food pan. Line pan with waxed paper, then grease waxed paper. Pour in mixture. Bake in preheated 350˚ oven for 1 1/2 hours. Cool thoroughly before icing.


Icing

Combine:
1 box brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 stick butter

Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute, then beat until thick enough to ice cake.

Barbie Doll Cake

I made a Barbie doll cake for my daughters birthday party. I thought I would share how I did it.

You can purchase special cake molds to make the skirt. I did not want to pay the $17, especially since I already have things at home I could use. 

I used the Pampered Chef large batter bowl. It is the perfect shape. The only issue when using the Pampered Chef large batter bowl is baking the cake evenly. If you purchase the cake mold (sold at Michael's and other stores where they sell Wilton products) the mold comes with a heat-conducting rod. This rod helps your cake bake evenly.

Not having a heat-conducting rod, I looked for tips online. I found a great tip at allrecipes.com. Instead of baking my cream cheese pound cake at 350˚F for one hour I baked it at 250˚F for 2 hours. It worked out great. The cake baked very evenly.

The cake skirt you make will be a little short if you want to use a regular Barbie or Barbie type doll. You have a few choices. You can purchase a cake doll which is just the top half. Instead of legs there is a pick (which is what I did). Another option is to purchase a cheap barbie type doll at the dollar store and just rip the legs off.

I used buttercream frosting for my cake. I purchased it at Cake Works in Campbell. Since I was making a bride doll, I knew Cake Works would have pure white and it saved me some time not to make it myself. It was worth the trip. 

I am just learning how to use a pastry bag and tips. I need more practice, but it was fun decorating this cake. This time I made the bodice of the dress with the frosting and the small flower tip. The first time I made a barbie cake I used fondant for the bodice. Either is fine. Just depends on what you are comfortable with and what look you want. 

The look was complete with flowers and veil from my daughters Barbie.

I had a lot of fun making this cake for my daughters birthday party. The most important thing is my daughter loved it.

Easy Sticky Buns

My friend, and fellow BMCC member, posted this recipe on her blog. I had to try it.

It is so good I had to post it.

This is a must try recipe!

Easy Sticky Buns (makes 12)

A Barefoot Contessa Recipe

12 tablespoons (1 & 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces

1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the Filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1-1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only. invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Banana Cookies

So you have a few very ripe bananas sitting on your counter and you really don't want to make bread again. Try cookies. Yes, cookies. They are so good. Very cake like. I would like to try them in mini muffin molds.

My sister-in-law (and BMCC member) emailed us this recipe. Try them. They won't last long.

Banana Cookies

INGREDIENTS

·                                 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature

·                                 1 cup of sugar

·                                 1 egg, room temperature

·                                 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)

·                                 1 teaspoon of baking soda

·                                 2 cups of flour

·                                 pinch of salt

·                                 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

·                                 1 teaspoon of vanilla

·                                 1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips are fine alternatives)

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg & vanilla and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2 In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

3 Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.

4 Fold into the batter the pecans or chocolate chips if using. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes about 30 cookie

Cupcakes

It's official. I have spoiled my daughters.

My older daughter will turn 7 years old tomorrow. A few days ago I told her I would bring cupcakes to her class. I mentioned I was going to just buy them at Nob Hill. Just make life a little easier.

"You have to make them!" she tells me. What? Yep...she expects homemade cupcakes. Store bought will not be acceptable. I've bought them before for parties. I do usually make mini double chocolate muffins for her class. This year, she wanted homemade cupcakes with frosting. Okay, how can I say no. It's her birthday.

I made Chocolate Sheet Cake, from Joy of Cooking, into cupcakes. I've made this cake before. It's easy and so good. Just as easy to make it into cupcakes. It made 24 regular size cupcakes. I made Whipped Cream Frosting to top them off. The girls added sprinkles. 

Magical & Sinfully Good Peanut Butter Cookies

My sister-in-law is in love...again. No not another man, nor a new baby, or another cat or dog. This time it's peanut butter cookies.

The recipe comes from a friend who recently shared a tasty plate with her. Here is the recipe. I can't wait to try them. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies

All you need is

2 cups of creamy peanut butter

2 cups of sugar

2 eggs

That's it!!! They are magical and sinfully good.

Bake them at 350˚ for 10 minutes and enjoy.

Ice Cream Cake

This is my sister-in-law's Ice Cream Cake. Easy, fast, yummy. What more do you want for a birthday cake?

You need about 24 ice cream sandwiches. Lay out one layer of them in a 9x13 pan. Next add your choice of caramel or chocolate fudge sauce. Then you can add anything from toasted almonds to cut up candy bars on top of the sauce. Add another layer of sandwiches and then cover the whole thing with whipped cream. You can get fancy and pipe stars or flowerettes along the edges.

Put in your freezer for a few hours of even the day before. Let thaw a tiny bit before serving for easy cutting.

Carrot Cake

from a BMCC member

My mom's carrot cake recipe ( I haven't made it yet, but I remember it as wonderful)

14 CARAT CAKE

2 cups flour
1 ½ cups oil
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 ½ tsp soda
2 cups grated raw carrot
1 ½ tsp salt
1 (8 ¾ oz) can crushed pineapple,
2 tsp cinnamon
well drained
2 cups sugar
½ cup chopped nuts

Mix together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix together sugar, oil and eggs and mix into dry ingredients. Stir in carrots, drained pineapple and nuts. Pour into greased and floured 13 x 9 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger. Cool and then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

½ cup butter
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar

Combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add sugar gradually, beating vigorously.

Blackberry Pie

This is from the can of Oregon Blackberries - on the back of the label. It was very delicous and very easy. I made my own pie crust, but you could also buy a pre-made pie crust at the grocery store.

2 cans Blackberries (drained, reserve syrup from 1 can)
6 tablespoons sugar (more or less to taste)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tabelspoons lemon juice (optional)
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Pastry for a double crust, 9-inch pie

Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain the berries and reserve the syrup from one can. Stir the blackberry syrup into the combined mixture of cornstarch and half of the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Gently stir in remaining sugar, blackberries and lemon juice. Let stand while preparing pastry.

Line a 9 inch pie pan with pastry and fill with fruit filling. Dot with butter. Adjust top crust on pie, cutting slits for steam to escape, and seal. Bake for 30 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown.

Note: I would also put a pan under the pie, just in case the filling bubbles out, like mine did. : )