Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

It's been nearly a month since I made these cookies and I'm afraid blogging about them this morning was a bad idea. Kind of dangerous. I want to eat some right now and it's only 8:07 AM!

These taste great by themselves but I spread a thin layer of cream cheese frosting on them, making them even more indulgent. Now I'm going to spend the rest of the day craving them. I hope you're happy! ;)

Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 salt
pinch of ground cloves (I left this out.)
2 sticks (8oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup finely ground pecans

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt and cloves.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Don't work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Add the pecans and give the mixer a couple of turns, just to get the nuts into the dough.
Using a rubber spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipperlock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9-x-10 1/2-inch rectangle that's 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn't cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale- they shouldn't take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.
If you'd like, dust the cookies with confectioners' sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.

Frost with a cream cheese frosting if desired.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips AND Peanut Butter Chips

Bobby asked for cookies last night for dessert. My favorite cookie has to be the one on the Reese's Peanut Butter Chip bag for Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies. Those are amazing. Bobby ranks them as number 10 on his favorite cookie list and usually makes a frowny face when I make that suggestion. He offered peanut butter cookies as a compromise. I've been on an ongoing search for the perfect peanut butter cookie recipe, but I think that search officially ends with this recipe. Just be sure you don't overbake! They are not going to look like they are done at all after 10-12 minutes, but they are. You won't be sorry.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips AND Peanut Butter Chips
from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth is what we used, but I am pretty sure they use chunky at the bakery)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips

For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern (I used the back of a small offset spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Shortbread Cookies and Hayrides

If I didn't know what it would do to me, I would eat shortbread all day long.

The pink cookies are frosted with vanilla-flavored icing, the yellows are frosted with almond-flavored icing, and the others are left naked for Bobby, because he is less gluttonous than I am.

I saw this recipe on 101 cookbooks and had an instant craving, and since I had a hayride and potluck that evening, I had the perfect opportunity to fill that craving and divvy out the rest in hopes of keeping my pregnancy weight gain down this month. It probably didn't work. Might as well make that cheesecake I've been dreaming about...

Anyway, my friend Erin brought iced shortbread cookies, a family favorite of hers, to a cooking club we had few years ago. So I decided to make the shortbread cookie recipe below and borrowed her recipe for icing.


Shortbread Cookies (adapted from 101 cookbooks)
adapted makes me laugh- the only thing I changed was I didn't use a vanilla bean.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 pound unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat again, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl once or twice as you are mixing. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture in two additions. Stir until everything comes together into a thick dough.

Turn the dough out onto a countertop and divide into two pieces, there is quite a bit of dough, so cutting it into two pieces just makes it easier to roll out later on. Press each piece of dough out into a flat patty an inch thick. Wrap each piece in plastic and chill completely in the refrigerator - about thirty minutes. When the dough is chilled, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out 1/4-1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into desired shapes using cookie cutters or a knife and place on a parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet.

Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are barely golden.

Erin's icing:

2-2 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 c oil
1 stp. almond extract (or 2 tsp vanilla extract
4 T milk
Food coloring

Mix well and add a little more milk or sugar for good consistency.

These cookies really hit the spot! Here's some pictures from the hayride. We had a great time!

Sunday Dinner - Two Desserts

Lemon Fusilli Pasta with Grilled Lemon Chicken
adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 lemons
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound dried fusilli pasta
• 1/2 pound baby spinach
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 grilled lemon chicken breasts (see recipe below)
  

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the spinach, Parmesan, sliced chicken and tomatoes. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

This is the best chicken marinade ever and I don't think I have it posted anywhere on my blog. My sincerest apologies, my friends, because that is just not right! This recipe is like a secret weapon. It takes ordinary chicken and makes it taste... extraordinary.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
• 3/4 cup good olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, halved and skin removed

Directions

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. (According to Ina, but I think the optimum marinating time is two nights.) Grill chicken.

Tomato Feta Salad
from the Barefoot Contessa- I made only about 1/4 of this recipe. I'm the only tomato fan in the family.

Ingredients

• 4 pints grape tomatoes, red or mixed colors
• 1 1/2 cups small-diced red onion (2 onions)
• 1/4 cup good white wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 1/2 pounds feta cheese

Directions

Cut the tomatoes in half and place them in a large bowl. Add the onion, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley and toss well. Dice the feta in 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes, crumbling it as little as possible. Gently fold it into the salad and serve at room temperature.

Caramel Crunch Bars (from Baking From My Home To Yours)

I love these so much! The first time I tried them sandwiched around vanilla ice cream, but after sitting in the freezer, they were two frozen to eat. I prefer them at room temperature. I'm a little mad at Bobby for finishing them off last night without checking with me first. ;)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

6 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup toffee bits

To make the shortbread

Preheat oven to 375

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, espresso powder, salt and cinnamon.

In a large mixing bowl, add butter and beat until creamy and smooth. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Pour in the dry ingredients and turn the mixture on low speed - mix just until the dry ingredients are almost all incorporated. At this point, add the chopped bittersweet chocolate - using a wooden spoon or firm spatula, stir the mixture until combined.

The dough should be creamy and very sticky at this point. Place dollops of the batter over the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan coated with nonstick spray. Using an offset spatula, a spoon or wet fingertips, spread the mixture into a thin even layer.

Bake until the shortbread is a rich golden brown and looks like it is trying to come away from the sides of the pan, about 20 to 24 minutes. Remove the pan and turn the oven off.

To make the topping

Scatter the top of the hot shortbread with the chopped bittersweet chocolate. Pop the pan back into the turned off oven and let sit for 2 minutes to soften the chocolate. Remove and immediately use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate mixture all over the top. Scatter the toffee bits on top of the melted chocolate and gently press down to adhere. Place the baking pan on a wire rack to cool completely - if the chocolate has not firmed up by the time you need to cut the bars, briefly place it in the refrigerator to set.


Lemon Cornmeal Cake with Lemon Glaze and Blueberry Topping
from Epicurious.com

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups (packed) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon Juice

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
Crushed-Blueberry Sauce

For glaze:

Combine powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in small bowl. Stir with spoon until smooth and paste-like, adding more lemon juice by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to spread. Set aside.

For cake:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; line bottom with parchment. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl; whisk to blend. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, lemon peel, and vanilla in small bowl. Pour buttermilk mixture and melted butter into flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, gently fold liquids into flour mixture until just blended (do not stir). Scrape batter into pan; spread evenly.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and cake pulls away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes.

Immediately run knife around sides of cake. Place rack atop cake in pan. Using oven mitts, hold pan and rack firmly together and invert cake onto rack. Remove pan from cake. Place another rack on bottom of cake; invert 1 more time so that cake is top side up. Stir glaze until blended. While cake is still very hot, drop glaze by tablespoonfuls onto cake; spread to within 1/2 inch of edge (some glaze may drip down sides of cake). Cool completely. Serve with Crushed-Blueberry Sauce.

Oh crap.

I didn't mean to. I really am trying to find healthier recipes, but last night Bobby suggested cookies and I've been wanting to try these and they are so good. And so naughty.

Where did I find them? Where else- The Smitten Kitchen. I love the desserts I find there. These are so rich. I have never made a cookie that had only 1/2 cup of flour and one pound of chocolate. What kind of ratio is that?

I'll answer that. It's dangerous.

WATCH OUT!

Chocolate Toffee Cookies
Adapted from Bon Appetit

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped*
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped (I left these out, not a big fan of nuts in cookies)
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto sheets, spacing two inches apart. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if you’re using it. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

I know that it will be impossible to let them cool completely, but they really taste a lot better cool, as they continue baking once they come out of the oven.

A new source for recipes

I found a new cooking blog through Erin that I am absolutely in love with!! I tried three recipes of hers last week and they were all fabulous.


Berry Risotto Oatmeal. Creamy and delicious!!













Buttermilk cookies. I love to work with buttermilk and her description grabbed me when she mentioned the subtle lemon flavor provided by the lemon zest. These were light as air! I thought this was a really cool recipe. It's kind of like a recipe for cake batter, because you add the buttermilk and the flour mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. (Just like any good cake recipe. :)







Macadamia Nut-Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa.



This was AMAZING!! It calls for an entire bottle of macadamia nuts. I just ground them up in my food processor. I went to grab my bread crumbs and they were the Italian style we buy for schnitzel, seasoned with thyme and parsley. I didn't think they would work for this particular recipe. I just took out six slices of regular rice bread, placed them on a cookie sheet and baked them at a really low temperature for about 10-15 minutes until they dried out. Then I pulverized them in the food processor. It worked really nicely. I served this with Rebecca's Sticky Rice with Mangoes. DELISH!

Lemon Drop Cookies

When Franny was only five weeks old, we flew out to visit my Mom for about eight days. My mom was in the mood to try some new recipes and just about every recipe tried has now become a part of my cooking repertoire. Once while visiting me in Utah, we stopped in Deseret Book at the mall and she bought this cookbook called "Best-Loved Recipes of Well-Known Latter-Day Saints" or something, because it had a recipe for these delicious cookies. (By the way, as far as I can remember, this is the only decent recipe in the whole book!) I LOVE these cookies. FYI- this recipe makes A LOT.

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 c butter/shortening (I used 1/2 c butter and 1 c shortening)
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
finely chopped zest of 1 lemon
6 oz. package crushed leomon drops
1 cup powdered sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and shortening in your mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add eggs and flavoring and blend well. Sift dry ingredients and gradually add to wet mixture. Add lemon zest and crushed lemon dropps. Roll in balls, flatten with a fork. Bake on parchment paper for 10-12 minutes. Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a glaze. Cool 1-2 minutes, brush with glaze.

Sunday Dinner

I thought these flowers were too beautiful not to share.

Even though she can't pronounce it right, my sister Annie loves schnitzel. She's never been a big eater, but she can really put away the Wienerschnitzel, so I decided that's what we would have for Sunday dinner. Click here for all our favorite schnitzel dinner recipes.

I served Macaroni Grill bread with it. Bobby calls this "the best bread ever" and any recipe that makes my husband say that is definitely a keeper. I'm so grateful for the lady that posted this recipe on her blog. We have this all the time. It tastes great with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.


Annie and Bobby both requested my grandma Carole's sour cream cookies with buttercream frosting. These are my favorite sugar cookies ever! She has been making them for as long as I can remember and when I think of traditional recipes in our family, these always come to mind.

Sour Cream Cookies

1 c sugar
1/2 c shortening

Cream together and add:

2 eggs
1 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until smooth, then add:

3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Let stand in refrigerator for an hour. Add more flour when rolling out for the first time (soft and sticky dough.) Roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. These cookies should not get brown.

I frost these with a buttercream frosting.

1 softened cube of butter
3 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk

Beat first three ingredients with handmixer. Add milk and beat until smooth. Add milk if needed. Add food coloring.

How cute is he? Here he is modeling my sour cream cookies. I asked him what color he wanted the frosting to be and he said, "seafoam." See on top of the cabinets we finally have a place to show off a sample of Bobby's metal lunchbox collection. Yeah!! I've always loved that he collects these.

Al Fresco

I mentioned the other day that I came up with a new salad dressing recipe, but I wanted to wait to tell you about it until I could take a picture. I am proud to present to you Ranch Dressing with Avocado and Lemon... or Avocado Lemon Ranch- whichever you prefer.


I usually use a buttermilk ranch dressing mix and follow the directions, and then I just mash up an avocado and mix in some lemon juice and add that. I bought a ranch dressing mix, but somehow it didn't make it home with us from the store yesterday. Luckily I found a recipe for ranch dressing made from scratch and just added the avocado to that.

Avocado Lemon Ranch

1 c buttermilk
1 1/4 c mayo
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp parsley
1/2 T minced onions
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp salt
juice of half of lemon
1 avocado, mashed

Mix the first eight ingredients together, then add avocado mixed with lemon juice.


Erin's chicken and spinach stuffed shells and homemade oreos. Erin made these for us after Sophie was born and I've been dying to have them again ever since.