Wednesday, December 8, 2010

[cookie recipes]

This really easy and versatile cookie recipe is from the Martha Stewart Holiday magazine. With one dough you can make 30 different types of cookies. I made 4 flavors and just made the basic cutout cookies.



Basic Vanilla Dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract




If you'd like to make spice, citrus, or chocolate doughs see the recipe variations below:

Spice Dough:
(add to flour mixture)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Citrus Dough:                                                                    Replace vanilla extract with                                      1 teaspoon finely grated citrus zest and 1 tablespoon fresh citrus juice
Chocolate Dough:
Replace 1/3 cup flour with
1/3 cup cocoa powder



Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffly. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and bead until combined. (Dough can be refrigerated overnight or frozen up to one month).

To bake these I used the cutout cookie recipe:
Shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured piece of parchment to a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut out desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees until cookies are firm, 12 to 15 minutes.

*These cookies turn out crunchy...but the flavor is AMAZING.


Tuesday, December 7, 2010

cookie goodness.






I'll post the recipe soon...

baked brie: holy goodness batman.

So my cousin's girlfriend made baked brie for thanksgiving...i loved it. So i decided to make it myself tonight.

Ingredients:


Step 1: roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry and add raspberry jam.


Step 2: Add round of brie.


Step 3: Wrap puff pastry around brie. Place seam side down on greased pan. Decorate with extra puff pastry.


Step 4: Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool for 45 minutes. Eat with bread or crackers.

Monday, December 6, 2010

my extremely busy life...

I know. I know. I haven't updated my blog in almost 3 months...that's really not THAT long, but still. This semester has been busy. I go to school full time, work part time at the University, serve as chair of a student organization, started the student rep position on a national organization, take pictures in any free time I have...good thing my best friends decided to go to Korea for 6 months. The exciting news is that they will all be home in a MONTH!! Yay!

Stay tuned for more...

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

beautiful pies!

 Before they were baked:


After: