Monday, October 19, 2009

Cookies 'n Cream Brownies

Brownies
1    box (1 lb 2.3 oz) fudge brownie mix
1/4    cup water
2/3    cup vegetable oil
2    eggs
15    creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

Icing:

Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups (1 1 LB box) of confectioner's sugar
8 chopped cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

1.    Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom only of rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches, or spray with cooking spray.
2.    Stir brownie mix, water, oil and eggs in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in crushed cookies. Spread in pan.
3.    Bake 24 to 26 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean or almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost with icing. Sprinkle with  chopped cookies.

For 20 brownies, cut into 5 rows by 4 rows.

Island Cookies

Island Cookies

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups (11.5-ounce package) Milk Chocolate Morsels
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted if desired
3/4 cup macadamia nuts or walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels, coconut and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

Makes about 36
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • About 36 candy corns

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour, and mix until a dough forms.
  2. Scoop out level teaspoons of dough, and roll into balls (chill dough briefly if it becomes too soft to handle). Place balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
  3. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are firm and cookies are dry to the touch (do not let cookies color), 10 to 12 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven; gently press a candy corn into center of each cookie (surface of cookies may crack slightly). Cool on sheets 1 minute; transfer to a rack to cool completely

Chocolate Cutout Cookies with icing

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

In large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together; add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, blending well. Chill dough for about 1 hour or until firm enough to roll. Heat oven to 325°. Roll portions of dough on lightly floured board or between 2 pieces of wax paper to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Continue rolling out and cutting shapes until all dough is used. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until no indentation remains when a cookie is touched lightly in the center. Cool slightly; remove to wire rack to cool thoroughly. Frost or decorate as desired. Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies. Icing:
Blend 2 cups sifted powdered sugar with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk or half and half. Stir until smooth and add more milk or half-and-half if necessary. If color is desired, spoon portions of icing into small bowls and stir drops of food coloring in until desired colors are achieved.

Pumpkin Squares

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin until smooth. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture.
  3. Spread evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The bars should spring back to the touch when done. Allow to cool before frosting.

Cookies n' cream fudge brownies

Prep Time: 25 min
Total Time: 2 hours 25 min
Makes: 20 brownies

1box (1 lb 2.3 oz) Betty Crocker® fudge brownie mix
2/3cup vegetable oil
1/4cup water
2eggs
1cup coarsely chopped creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (about 7 cookies)
1/2cup powdered sugar
2to 4 teaspoons milk
1.Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray. In large bowl, stir brownie mix, oil, water and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan. Sprinkle cookies over batter.
2.Bake 24 to 26 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
3.In small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and milk until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over brownies. For brownies, cut into 5 rows by 4 rows. Store covered at room temperature.    

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Welcome to my Baking Blog!!

Baking is my hobby.  It helps with stress, relaxes me and is my favorite thing in the world to do.  Here I will share my recipes with you.  Some I find on the net, in my cookbook collection and finally ones I create.  I just started making my own recipes because I've gotten so confident in my baking.  Mostly here you will find baked goodies such as cookies, bread, cakes, & cheesecakes. Occasionally I'll post a dinner recipe as well.  Hope you enjoy and please leave me comments:)