3 Sep 2015

Lemon Cardamom Shortbread Cookies

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Lemon Cardamom Shortbread

Cardamom is definitely my favorite go-to spice with anything berries or citrus.  It just lends that special “oomph” and “hmmm, wonder what is in there” to any recipe.  I have made some cardamom sugar with the pods and always have ground cardamom in my spice “basket” (a wine box I found at Goodwill which I love and am always in search of another one for cheap).

Anyway, I had to share this recipe tonight!  Just in case you have tons of lemons and you just have to have cookies with your decaf tonight!

This recipe is a shout out to Cheryl Day who owns Back in the Day Bakery – my fave cafe in my favorite city in Georgia, Savannah.  I tweaked her recipe and oh by golly is it good (and her’s is stellar too by the way).

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Lemon Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Cookies
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 dozen
 
Perfect chewy shortbread for that cup of coffee!
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1½ tsp lemon extract (I love opening the bottle of this, smells amazing)
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 1¼ cup 10x sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • zest of two lemons
  • ⅛-1/4 cup cardamom sugar (for sprinkling on top before baking)
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350.
  2. Spray sheet pans with baking spray.
  3. Cream butter. Add in salt and lemon. Combine sugar and zest. Then add in all purpose flour. Shape into balls with your hands and gently press them down (I'd love to find a pretty cookie press for this one, a simple, antique one would be great).
  4. Let chill in fridge for 2 hours.
  5. Sprinkle cardamom sugar on top of each cookie.
  6. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.
  7. Cool a little - then devour them warm, or wait until morning.
 

 

28 Oct 2014

Soft and Chunky Oreo Peanut Butter Cookies

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Soft and Chunky Oreo Peanut Butter Cookies

Here are two disclaimers for this recipe post about a delicious cookie:

1.  I am a purist when it comes to Oreo Cookies.  None of these fancy seasonal flavors or even the double stuff or reduced-fat. No, give me the original!

2.  I wouldn’t say that peanut butter cookies are my favorite.  There are plenty in front of it.

So, when I passed by the Peanut Butter Oreos in the Wal-Mart aisle today, it could only be my creative streak and giving into my son when he said “cookie” that made me want to whip up a batch of these.

Elijah's first baking

But how would Oreos and Reece’s Pieces (E. T. Phone Home – my husband’s favorite childhood flick) go together.  I guess there was only one way to find out!

Reece's Pieces

Bake!

These cookies were like pillow-soft.  I loved that about them.  Perfect texture.  I loved the chewiness with the texture from the Oreo pieces and candy coating from the Reece’s.  My husband said he wouldn’t change a thing. I’m glad. I adore these cookies.

And the colors work perfectly for the Fall.

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Soft and Chunky Oreo Peanut Butter Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: cookies
Cuisine: dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 18-24
 
Soft, chewy, chunky, peanut butter cookies - easy to munch on all night!
Ingredients
  • 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup regular sugar
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup crushed Oreos (but not too fine)
  • 1 cup mini Reece's Pieces
Instructions
  1. Cream butter and sugars for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
  2. Add peanut butter, egg, and vanilla - mix for another 5.
  3. Add in dry ingredients
  4. Fold in Oreos and Reece's.
  5. Spray 3 cookies sheets with cooking spray.
  6. Preheat oven to 350
  7. Spoon out onto sheet pans and bake for 10-12 minutes or until set - but don't overcook.
  8. Let cool.
  9. Devour
 

4 Sep 2014

Snickerdoodles with Spiced Pumpkin Buttercream

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Snickerdoodles with Spiced Pumpkin Buttercream

Bring on the Fall!  The weather hasn’t changed that much from last week, but the feel in my kitchen certainly has.  Earlier this week I made some of these: some friends and some little misters in our home devoured these.

They are all gone.

Snickerdoodles

I had never made a snickerdoodle until I lived with one of the girls I discipled (while she was in college).  She loved snickerdoodles.  And the fun thing is – that as I read the directions, I read them wrong, and it turned out I like it better and now this recipe is my tried and true snickerdoodle.  Snickerdoodles are so easy and if done right they are perfectly soft and chewy for days.  We just had the last of these at lunch and they were still chewy. Success!

Fall Snickerdoodle Lineup

And seriously – one of the things that can make any bad day better for me is buttercream.  I love it – a true Hero! 🙂 But, it is also a bear to get perfect.  If you get your butter too soft – forget it.  I think I added too much pumpkin to mine trying to achieve the perfect pumpkin flavor – but below I’ve changed the recipe some.  I hope yours turns out better than mine.

These were a perfect way to start off Fall baking season!  And my favorite buttercream frosting is this one

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Snickerdoodles with Spiced Pumpkin Buttercream
Author: 
Recipe type: Cookies
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
Soft chewy snickerdoodles sandwiched with a soft and spiced pumpkin buttercream
Ingredients
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup plus 2 T sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 1 /4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 2 T sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • My favorite buttercream recipe (for this recipe, don't use as much vanilla) - see link above
  • 1 T pumpkin puree
  • ½ tsp cinnamon, allspice, and pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375
  2. Cream butter and sugar, egg, then add vanilla.
  3. Add dry ingredients.
  4. Roll in one inch balls and then roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture.
  5. Let bake - mine took 11 minutes to come out perfect. 10-12 depending on your oven.
  6. Let cool.
  7. Follow directions on buttercream, adding in the pumpkin and spices to your taste!
  8. Sandwich and eat!