Bake It: Sugar Cookies

Iced sugar cookies are without a doubt my favorite cookie.  Or is it chocolate chip?  Ok...maybe there is a little doubt, but who can hate on a cookie.  Except oatmeal raisin.  Everyone can hate on those, blecchhhh!

Anyways, the kids' school held an ice cream social and bake sale fundraiser for the family of a 5th grade student diagnosed with Ewings-Sarcoma brain cancer.  I wanted to help out (besides of course, eating the ice cream), so I decided to bake up a batch of sugar cookies.  Perfect for the sale, and perfect for the chance to share them with you before the holidays.

The original recipe can be found here.  I don't know who Ella is, but I do know she is a sugar cookie genius.  I love this recipe for so many reasons.  It is simple, it rolls out like a dream, the dough doesn't puff or spread when baking, it doesn't change color, the texture is perfect, and of course they taste great without being too sweet.

Also, you can flavor these however you want.  I prefer almond, so that is what I am listing, but you can sub in all vanilla or lemon or orange zest or extract in its place.

Sugar Cookies

Makes about 30 average-sized cookies

106 cals / 6g fat / 11g carbs / 1g protein

1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temp

1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups flour

1.  Cream butter in a large bowl until lightened and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar and cream until well-mixed and fluffy, 2-5 minutes.  Add the egg, almond, and vanillas extracts and mix until well blended.  Add the flour and salt and beat until fully incorporated and dough is smooth looking, but sticky.

2.  Turn dough out onto wax paper and using floured hands, flatten into an even disk.  Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, and up to 1 week.

3.  Heat oven to 375.  Remove dough from fridge (if dough is too cold/stiff let it sit out for 10-15 minutes and try again) and turn out onto a well-floured surface (use lots to prevent sticking), roll dough out to desired thickness (1/4 - 1/2 inch thick) and cut into desired shapes*.  Bake cookies on a greased cookie sheet 8-10 minutes, cookies should not brown.  Cool and decorate with icing,

*You can keep reforming and rolling and cutting the excess dough until you have used as much as you can.

No-Fail Homemade Simple Pizza Dough

With "Spooky Pizza Day" (a.k.a. Halloween) quickly approaching, I thought I would share my favorite recipe for homemade pizza dough.  If you haven't tried making your own crust, you really should.  the flavor and the texture is so different from what you can get pre-made.  The dough itself is easy enough to make, but even better is the fact that you can make it ahead of time, and either freeze it for later or keep in the fridge for up to a week.  It makes those last-minute dinners a snap.  Also, I strongly strongly recommend you go with the bread flour (or even 00 if you have it).  The extra gluten is what makes this dough a no-fail one.

The nutritional info is for the entire recipe.

No-Fail Simple Pizza Dough

Makes 2 thinner crust pizzas or 1 thick crust pizza, about 14" each

1015 cals / 13.5g fat / 180g carbs / 32g protein

3/4 cup warm (not hot) water

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

2 cups bread flour (plus more for dusting)

1 TB olive oil

1 tsp salt

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixed fitted with a dough hook, combine the water, yeast, and sugar.  Let sit until foamy (about 5-10 mites).  Of just use a regular bowl if you are doing this by hand.

2.  Add the flour, oil, and salt.  Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a ball.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times.  Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat the dough with oil.  Cover with plastic and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.

3.  Divide dough in half, kneading each half into smooth balls with floured hands.  Roll out to desired thickness, and cook as desired.  Or...cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge or freeze until ready to use.

Room Mom, Christmas Edition

Some nut-free treats I made for the kids party. I love that my kids go to a school where homemade treats are still allowed, it gives me something to do with my free time.

Personalized sugar cookie mittens, Rudolph and Frosty marshmallow pops, and Rudolph cups (for egg nog and apple juice).

Bake It: Clementine Glazed Shortbread Cookies

Yes, another baking post. I know you are probably all sick of stuffing your faces with Christmas cookies at this point.  I know I am ( ok, not really).  But I thought I would share this one. Because, if you are like me, you have an abundance of clementines hanging around your fruit bowl. And it would be a shame not to butter and sugar them up a little...in the spirit of Christmas and all.

Clementine Glazed Shortbread Cookies
Makes ~24 cookies

2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar (for cookies)
1 cup butter, slightly softened
4-6 clementines
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
1 TB corn syrup

1. Finely grate clementines to get 3 TB zest. Set clementines and zest aside.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy. Mix in 1 TB zest and salt. Gently stir in flour by hand until just incorporated.

3. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1-2 hours, or until cold.

4. Heat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or cooking spray. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness in floured surface. Use a cookie cutter or knife to cut into desired shape and place on prepared sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes until just browned. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheets then remove to wire racks (or your counter) to cool fully.

5. While cookies are cooling, prepare glaze. Juice clementines to get 1/4 cup juice. Mix powdered sugar, remaining 2 TB zest, clementine juice, and corn syrup until smooth. Spread over tops of cooled cookies. Let glaze dry, then store in air tight container.

Entertaining Appetizer: The Cheese Ball

The cheese ball is that quintessential appetizer...it might feel a little overdone, but is just so tasty and simple to make, that it just wouldn't be a party without one.

It is no secret that I love cheese, and this version is no exception. It is a perfect combination of sweet, salty, nutty, creamy, and cheesy.  A home run!

I used reduced fat cheeses (to help with my gluttony guilt), but feel free to splurge and go for the real deal.

Cranberry Bleu Cheese Cheese Ball

1 cup pecan chips
2 TB butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
8 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened
1 container crumbled reduced fat bleu cheese (about 5 oz)
1/4 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 TB parsley, minced

Melt butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat, stir in sugar, pecan chips, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook over medium heat until sugar is melted and pecans are lightly toasted, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Spread nuts out on wax paper to cool. Can be made up to 5 days ahead. Once cool, keep in an airtight container or zip lock bag.

Mix softened cream cheese with bleu cheese crumbles, minced shallot, parsley, and cranberries. Stir to combine, then plop onto a peice of saran wrap, and using outside plastic wrap (to keep your hands clean), form into a rough ball shape, wrapping tightly in plastic. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to set. Can be made 1 day in advance.

Before serving, remove cheese from refrigerator and re-shape if needed. Spread pecan chips onto a plate or shallow dish and roll the cheese ball in the nuts to cover it, pressing the pecans as needed. Serve with crackers or pretzel chips.

Room Mom Extraordinaire

Check out these peanut-free treats I made for J and L's school Halloween party. I totally bullied the real room mom into letting me help. But hey, I had a vision.

Some cute treats, a game or two, and a ghost luminary craft. I think these 3 year-olds are in for a good time.

"Jack-o-Lantern" and "Frankenstein" marshmallow pops, "Witch Finger" pretzel rods, and "Mummy" juice boxes.

Tis' the Season: Halloween!

Oh, Halloween.  How I love it and all the pumpkin and Kit-Kat filled glory.

I have so many awesome childhood memories of this holiday.  My mom would work for hours and hours over a sewing machine so that I would have the best costume in school. We had dry ice in our witch's brew (i.e. homemade root beer). My parents would run us to every corner of town, well past trick-or-treat hours, until we had at least 3 plastic pumpkins full of candy. We would pass out the full-sized candy bars and be the best house to visit.  Starting me off with a solid foundation of competitiveness and a pre-disposition to diabetes.  (I kid, I kid...sort of)

My absolute favorite memory of all is our annual Halloween dinner.  Every Halloween my mom would make homemade spooooooky pizzas.  And they were great.

I have no idea how to sew, and we don't take trick-or-treating as seriously, but I have hung on to passing out the full-size candy bars (much to B's chagrin..he gets stingy) and of course, making spooky pizzas (much to B's excitement...he loves food).

All you have to do is make your own pizza dough (or save some time and buy those packs of instant pizza dough mix, or refrigerated or frozen dough).   Then press, stretch, and shape the dough into whatever you want. Mine always include 2 jack-o-lanterns, 2 ghosts, and a bat. (Excessive? Yes, but it is a holiday!  And again, there's my foundation of gluttony....)   Add your sauce and toppings, then the cheese. You can make faces using the toppings on top of the cheese, and voila! I am hoping this is a tradition that our kids will continue to love as much as I do.

These pictures are from last year, and they suck, and I burnt the bat, but you get the idea.

And for fun, some cute kid pictures. And Bowser. Because he is the greatest dog ever.