Just so everyone knows, I have been baking. However, I am currently moving and have packed up all my cookbooks, so I am unable to post the recipes just yet. Here is a peek into what I have made so far:
Low-fat Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
Golden Cupcakes w/ Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
Red Velvet Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
Once I have my cookbooks in hand, I will post these delicious recipes! Until then, wipe the drool off your chin, and keep checking back here!
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Blondies
These tasty treats are great on the fly. They are so easy to make, and you can add whatever candy or nuts or even flavoring you want!
Source: My Cooking Adventures blog
Ingredients:
8 TBS butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup Mini M&Ms*
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM. In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in M&Ms.
Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle. Cool on rack before cutting.
*You can use other candies or nuts, or almost anything in your Blondies. See the following for ideas...
Add in ideas:
1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate or butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds
1/2 cup M&M candies
1/2 chopped Reese's PB cups
1/4 cup toffee pieces
1/2 tsp mint extract in addition to, or in the place of vanilla extract
Source: My Cooking Adventures blog
Ingredients:
8 TBS butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup Mini M&Ms*
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM. In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in M&Ms.
Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle. Cool on rack before cutting.
*You can use other candies or nuts, or almost anything in your Blondies. See the following for ideas...
Add in ideas:
1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate or butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds
1/2 cup M&M candies
1/2 chopped Reese's PB cups
1/4 cup toffee pieces
1/2 tsp mint extract in addition to, or in the place of vanilla extract
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
In trying to continue the Healthy Cookie Experiment, I went in a different direction than trying to substitute ingredients - just make a cookie with healthier ingredients to begin with. [Maybe I'm not ready for such an advanced task as baking with Splenda just yet.]
Source: The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/8 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/8 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cups raisins
1 cups unsalted butter
7/8 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
Directions:
1. Position one rack in the top third of the oven, one rack in the bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the cookie sheets with baking parchment.
2. In a bowl, add the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon and whisk together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. In a third bowl, mix the oats and raisins.
3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars on med speed for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. Gradually add the egg mixture until everything is well combined.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in stages. Mix only until everything is well combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. There should not be any pockets of dry flour left in the dough. Then add the oats and raisins and mix again on low speed until everything is evenly distributed.*
5. Using a large soup spoon, a metal ice cream scoop, or your clean hands moistened with water, scoop out big balls of dough, placing 6 balls on each prepared cookie sheet. Each ball of dough should weigh approximately 90 g/3.17 oz each. If you don't have a scale, use a scant 1/2 cup to estimate the size. The dough balls should be about 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Press down on these cookies very lightly, to just barely flatten the tops before their baked. They will spread a lot during baking. Bake for about 18 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time. The cookies should be golden brown and baked all the way to the center. They should be soft, but be careful not to underbake or they will be doughy and will fall apart easily.
6. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack and cool completely before storing.
Sorry no picture; the cookies were gobbled up pretty fast! These are my boyfriend's favorites.
*Note: this dough can be refrigerated in between baking times.
**Baking Tip: Make sure your raisins are nice and moist, and not dry. It makes a huge difference in the taste, differentiating between store-bought and fresh homemade. It also keeps the cookies from seeming too raisin-y.
^Cookbook Author Tip: "Be sure to use the old-fashioned style oats, not the quick-cooking or instant variety, for the best flavor and texture." - I used quick-cooking and my cookies still turned out very moist and tasty.
Source: The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/8 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/8 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cups raisins
1 cups unsalted butter
7/8 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
Directions:
1. Position one rack in the top third of the oven, one rack in the bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the cookie sheets with baking parchment.
2. In a bowl, add the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon and whisk together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. In a third bowl, mix the oats and raisins.
3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars on med speed for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. Gradually add the egg mixture until everything is well combined.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in stages. Mix only until everything is well combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. There should not be any pockets of dry flour left in the dough. Then add the oats and raisins and mix again on low speed until everything is evenly distributed.*
5. Using a large soup spoon, a metal ice cream scoop, or your clean hands moistened with water, scoop out big balls of dough, placing 6 balls on each prepared cookie sheet. Each ball of dough should weigh approximately 90 g/3.17 oz each. If you don't have a scale, use a scant 1/2 cup to estimate the size. The dough balls should be about 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Press down on these cookies very lightly, to just barely flatten the tops before their baked. They will spread a lot during baking. Bake for about 18 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time. The cookies should be golden brown and baked all the way to the center. They should be soft, but be careful not to underbake or they will be doughy and will fall apart easily.
6. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack and cool completely before storing.
Sorry no picture; the cookies were gobbled up pretty fast! These are my boyfriend's favorites.
*Note: this dough can be refrigerated in between baking times.
**Baking Tip: Make sure your raisins are nice and moist, and not dry. It makes a huge difference in the taste, differentiating between store-bought and fresh homemade. It also keeps the cookies from seeming too raisin-y.
^Cookbook Author Tip: "Be sure to use the old-fashioned style oats, not the quick-cooking or instant variety, for the best flavor and texture." - I used quick-cooking and my cookies still turned out very moist and tasty.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Lime Butter Cookies...with Splenda?
In an attempt to keep going with the Healthy Cookie Experiment, I thought I'd try the Orange Butter Cookie recipe again, only put a twist on it. I thought a hint of lime instead of orange sounded delicious, so I wanted to give it a shot. I also went out and got Splenda sugar substitute, to start experimenting with.
Needless to say, I will experimenting for awhile with Splenda. The cookies did not have the same texture at all: the dough was not nearly as moist in the end, which translated to broken, crumbly cookies coming out of the oven. I haven't even offered one to anyone yet, because I'm afraid of how dry they are.
I will be researching baking with Splenda, and hopefully figuring it out, so that I can power through this Healthy Cookie Experiment!
~Amy
Needless to say, I will experimenting for awhile with Splenda. The cookies did not have the same texture at all: the dough was not nearly as moist in the end, which translated to broken, crumbly cookies coming out of the oven. I haven't even offered one to anyone yet, because I'm afraid of how dry they are.
I will be researching baking with Splenda, and hopefully figuring it out, so that I can power through this Healthy Cookie Experiment!
~Amy
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Orange Butter Cookies
My boyfriend & his family keep complaining [with cookies stuffed in their cheeks] that I'm going to make them fat if I keep baking cookies all the time. So needless to say there's been many requests for me to make healthy baked goods. I happily obliged, especially since my goal eventually coming out of baking school is to own a bakery that provides a variety of vegan baked goods. Today was day 1 of the Healthy Cookie Experiment [obviously I had to turn this into a fun challenge/experiment for myself, and I will post recipes + updates on here]. I found this recipe in my book called "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread", a cookbook derived from a New York Bakery called Amy's Bread. I talked about it in my cooking blog, just before creating this one, my baking one. I thought this would be a good start to something lighter, and not so chocolate-y and sweet. [Granted the sugar sprinkled on top doesn't help my less-sugar argument.]
Source: The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups Unbleached all-purpose flour
1 2/3 cups cake flour^*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/4 cups sugar*
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened*
2 1/2 tsp orange zest, finely minced, tightly packed
1 large egg*
2 egg yolks, from large eggs*
Directions:
1. Position one rack in the top third of the oven, one rack in the bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the cookie sheets with baking parchment.
2. In a bowl, add the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, and salt and whisk together.
3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar, butter, and orange zest on med speed for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. Gradually add the eggs and egg yolks, mixing on medium speed until everything is well combined.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in stages. Mix only until everything is well combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. There should not be any pockets of dry flour left in the dough.
5. Using a large soup spoon, a metal ice cream scoop, or your clean hands moistened with water, scoop out big balls of dough, placing 6 balls on each prepared cookie sheet. Each ball of dough should weigh approximately 90 g/3.17 oz each. If you don't have a scale, use a scant 1/2 cup to estimate the size. The dough balls should be about 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Using the three middle fingers of your hand, press firmly on the top of each ball to flatten it to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Allow the dough to push up between your fingers so an imprint of valleys and ridges remains. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies generously with extra granulated sugar. They will spread a moderate amount during baking. Bake for about 17 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time. The cookies should be pale but baked all the way to the center. They should be soft, but be careful not to underbake or the the centers will be doughy.**
6. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack and cool completely before storing.
^Buyers Tip: I got my cake flour at Whole Foods. I was having a hard time locating it at the popular-name grocery stores.
*Baking Tip: I use a variety of organic ingredients every now and then, such as organic sugar and organic butter, and Omega-3 enriched, cage-free eggs. I haven't found this to affect my results, so I continue to use organic and healthy ingredients whenever possible.
**Baking Tip: Do NOT put the dough for this recipe in the fridge in between batches! I did, thinking nothing of it, and when I got home from lunch to bake my second batch, the dough was hard and dry. It needs to remain at room temperature in order to remain in its best consistency!
Source: The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups Unbleached all-purpose flour
1 2/3 cups cake flour^*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/4 cups sugar*
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened*
2 1/2 tsp orange zest, finely minced, tightly packed
1 large egg*
2 egg yolks, from large eggs*
Directions:
1. Position one rack in the top third of the oven, one rack in the bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the cookie sheets with baking parchment.
2. In a bowl, add the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, and salt and whisk together.
3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar, butter, and orange zest on med speed for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. Gradually add the eggs and egg yolks, mixing on medium speed until everything is well combined.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in stages. Mix only until everything is well combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. There should not be any pockets of dry flour left in the dough.
5. Using a large soup spoon, a metal ice cream scoop, or your clean hands moistened with water, scoop out big balls of dough, placing 6 balls on each prepared cookie sheet. Each ball of dough should weigh approximately 90 g/3.17 oz each. If you don't have a scale, use a scant 1/2 cup to estimate the size. The dough balls should be about 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Using the three middle fingers of your hand, press firmly on the top of each ball to flatten it to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Allow the dough to push up between your fingers so an imprint of valleys and ridges remains. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies generously with extra granulated sugar. They will spread a moderate amount during baking. Bake for about 17 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time. The cookies should be pale but baked all the way to the center. They should be soft, but be careful not to underbake or the the centers will be doughy.**
6. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack and cool completely before storing.
^Buyers Tip: I got my cake flour at Whole Foods. I was having a hard time locating it at the popular-name grocery stores.
*Baking Tip: I use a variety of organic ingredients every now and then, such as organic sugar and organic butter, and Omega-3 enriched, cage-free eggs. I haven't found this to affect my results, so I continue to use organic and healthy ingredients whenever possible.
**Baking Tip: Do NOT put the dough for this recipe in the fridge in between batches! I did, thinking nothing of it, and when I got home from lunch to bake my second batch, the dough was hard and dry. It needs to remain at room temperature in order to remain in its best consistency!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
I know, I know, I just posted Double Chocolate Chip Cookies...it's like I'm trying to one-up myself, right? I promise not to try Quadruple ones. These cookies are the perfect comforting solution for someone who is just having a bad day. Or for that girl who loves chocolate [hint: me].
Source: Williams & Sonoma Essentials of Baking
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract [essence]
1 cup semisweet [plain] chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper*.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until well blended. Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the dough 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned and the tops feel firm when lightly touched, 10-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
*Baking Tip: I have a baking mat that I love to use. It's from BB&B, basically the same thing as Silpat. I used that on one baking sheet, and parchment paper on another, to see if there was any difference. I would say that there was a slight difference in the baking results, but not much. The main thing that I have found my baking mat to help with is when I forget about my cookies, and leave them in too long. They never burn. The baking mat prevents burning. Trust me, this has been tested more than once. ;)
Source: Williams & Sonoma Essentials of Baking
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract [essence]
1 cup semisweet [plain] chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper*.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until well blended. Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the dough 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned and the tops feel firm when lightly touched, 10-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
*Baking Tip: I have a baking mat that I love to use. It's from BB&B, basically the same thing as Silpat. I used that on one baking sheet, and parchment paper on another, to see if there was any difference. I would say that there was a slight difference in the baking results, but not much. The main thing that I have found my baking mat to help with is when I forget about my cookies, and leave them in too long. They never burn. The baking mat prevents burning. Trust me, this has been tested more than once. ;)
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Snickerdoodles
I'm trying a variety of different cookie recipes, to see what I can play with and make healthier, and then eventually make vegan. This morning I woke up and had the idea to make Snickerdoodles, a cookie that I used to always make because it's easy and simple. When I looked at the recipe, I realized there wasn't anything that needed changing to make it more-healthy. It's not that bad. It can definitely be changed for vegan purposes, but I'll try that at a later date.
Source: Better Homes & Garden
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened*
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon^
Directions:
1. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on med to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour until easy to handle.
2. Combine the 2 tbsp of sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 11 mins or until edges are golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
*Time-Savings Tip: to soften butter in a pinch, I like to either roll the stick between my hands, using the heat & friction to warm it up quickly; or I will pop it into the microwave for 10 seconds - this will soften the butter but not melt it.
^Quick Tip: I like to use store-bought combined Cinnamon & Sugar, which saves me from having to mix it up myself like the recipe calls for here. It's not that big of a deal, but it's just a nice small thing that can help save time in a pinch.
Source: Better Homes & Garden
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened*
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon^
Directions:
1. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on med to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour until easy to handle.
2. Combine the 2 tbsp of sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 11 mins or until edges are golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
*Time-Savings Tip: to soften butter in a pinch, I like to either roll the stick between my hands, using the heat & friction to warm it up quickly; or I will pop it into the microwave for 10 seconds - this will soften the butter but not melt it.
^Quick Tip: I like to use store-bought combined Cinnamon & Sugar, which saves me from having to mix it up myself like the recipe calls for here. It's not that big of a deal, but it's just a nice small thing that can help save time in a pinch.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread"Ingredients:
1 5/8 cups Unbleached all purpose flour
3/8 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp Kosher salt
2 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup pecans, toasted, chopped
Directions:
- Position one rack in the top third of the oven, one rack in the bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the cookies sheets with baking parchment.
- In a bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk together.
- In a glass bowl, melt 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chip in a microwave oven at 50% power for 3 mins. Stir them to make them smooth, then set aside to cool.
- In another bowl, using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. Pour in the melted chocolate and continue mixing until the mixture is uniform in color. The chocolate should be pourable but not hot, or the butter will melt. Gradually add the eggs and the vanilla, mixing until everything is well combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in stages. Mix only until everything is well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. There should not be any pockets of dry flour left in the dough. Add the remaining chocolate chips and the pecans and continue mixing at low speed until the chips and nuts are evenly distributed. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until it is firm but not hard.
- Using a large soup spoon, a metal ice cream scoop, or your clean hands moistened with water, scoop out big balls of dough, placing 6 balls on each prepared cookie sheet. Each ball of dough should weigh approximately 90 g/3.17 oz each. If you don't have a scale, use a scant 1/2 cup to estimate the size. The dough balls should be about 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Press each ball very lightly on the top, just to level the top of the ball. Do not flatten the ball. Bake the cookies for about 18-20 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time. These cookies will spread a lot during baking. They should be just set when done.
- Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack and cool completely before serving.
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